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TaJaDoru · 03/20/11, 03:36 PM

Episode 01 - Ravaged

Space...empty, yet full...immense, yet small. Here, many fates intertwine. Here, many stars gather. And it is here where the balance of the universe was nearly unraveled... as our story begins...

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In a small corner of the galaxy, far away from the traditional home we call Earth, rested a rather small planet. Its hue was a brilliant tint of green, one which reflected the sunlight admirably. In the vast blackness of space, it was comparable to a diamond in the rough. Even if you were to penetrate the borders of this world, you wouldn't see much of anything still. Much of it is covered in green...as if the planet itself was alive.

However... one particular site on its surface stood out from the rest of the planet. In the midst of the jungles and creatures, stood a city of modern design. It resembled many a city from Earth, if not a bit more advanced in their technology. In the center of this metropolis stood an impressive tower that overlooked the city from all sides. Adjourning the sides of the city were large wall constructs which were mainly used to keep dangerous wildlife out. All in all, it was a safe environment. Even if it was foreign to some still, it was a place to call home. For this was the colony set-up by the inhabitants of Terra Venture, a space exploration colony which crashed on the planet of Miranoi years prior and this same colony was now under seige from a mysterious bout of sabotage. Whenever the people River End, named because of its geographical position next to the Mari river, tried to expand and create new cities...their equipment mysteriously went missing or was broken. Two explorers, whose job it was to map out the jungle for future sites of production, recently happened upon one such site. The first, a young man in a blue-greased top and gray uniform, walked over to the wreckage of what was once apparently some kind of building equipment.

"That's the fifth one this week. What do ya think caused this?" His companion was a blonde woman in a similar outfit, only her top was spotted with a very dark pink. She bent down next to him and examined the debris closely.

"Hmm...looks like it was attacked with something with sheer brute force. Maybe a wild animal?" The young man in blue shook his head.

"I doubt it... an animal wouldn't attack these sites in particular. I mean, look around..." He turned to face the jungle behind him. "The surrounding jungle is untouched. A large animal would have left some kind of tracks." She glanced around to look for herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the shadow of a figure who had moved through the trees. She turned to her friend in blue.

"Well, Kai... we should stay with the construction site then. There's one more in the area. If we keep watch, then we can see for ourselves who or what is behind this." The young man, addressed as Kai, replied positively.

"Sounds good, Kendrix. I just need to contact Commander Stanton before we go any further." Setting up the case with the video feed, Kai set out to work on getting it started up. In the meantime, Kendrix occupied herself by looking through the trees for that mysterious figure she saw only moments before. Nothing in the jungle was moving, however... but she could feel it. They were still being watched.

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The tranquility of Miranoi was disturbed, yes, but it wasn't the only thing being so. Flashing through the galaxy at speeds only told in the realms of fiction, was a giant ball of light. If anything...it resembled a shooting star. Its path was erratic but seemed to be guided towards the emerald sheen planet. Inside the shooting star of sorts, appeared the silhouette of a ship... a very ancient ship that may have been used centuries ago. Cracks lined the vessel's bottom and the sails were slightly tattered from years of fighting fierce winds. As the ship approached Miranoi, a deep, grave voice boomed over the star, bathing it in a red glow.

"Ah...I have finally returned to this wretched rock. But this time... there is no one to stop me!" The voice cackled as the shooting star entered the planet's orbit.

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"Understood, sir. We'll report what we find immediately." Kai replied to his Commander as the feed cut with both of them performing a respectful salute. He turned his head, his eyes wandering to Kendrix, who was now walking in the direction of the next site. Kai quickly closed the case and ran over, somewhat concerned.

"Kendrix...what's wrong? You're spacing out." She shook her head, putting on a grin.

"Oh...it's nothing. Just had a bad feeling. Must be this jungle heat." Kai wasn't thoroughly convinced, but he wouldn't press the issue. Instead, he walked alongside her as they continued to the next spot. From a tree a few yards away, a pair of wild, untamed eyes were trained on them. The figure who they belong to frowned at their presence. Jumping into the next tree, the mysterious one continued to follow them, plotting their next move.

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Many miles behind the traveling duo and their mysterious stalker, there was another crisis being handled in River End. Everyone in the perimeter of the expansive tower that loomed over the city was especially in a state of overwhelming panic. Several screens popped up showing images of a large mass of crimson energy getting bigger every moment.

"Sir, the object is coming in faster than we anticipated, and gaining speed. It'll reach the colony in less than 20 minutes." Reported a man in the same suit as Kai. He was slightly taller than the Asian and his outlook on their current situation was grim. The Commander, on the other hand, was easily the most senior in the tower. He had his hands folded as his gaze traveled from the monitors, back to his officer, then back again. He took a moment to respond.

"Do we know its trajectory and exact landing position, Officer Corbett?" Officer Corbett, or Mike as he was often called by his friends, nodded.

"Yes, sir. It's going to impact the river that flows through the city. There are no buildings near it, though, so the damage to the colony itself will be minimal." The Commander processed this and shook his head.

"Let's not leave anything to chance. We need the Rangers." Mike saluted and replied quickly.

"Yes, sir. I'll contact them immediately." He disappeared out of sight leaving the Commander to stand up and walk over to the rather large windows aligning the outer walls. As he looked into the skies, a large red dot began to come into view, clearing itself in focus.

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"Yes! Full speed ahead!" Thundered a deep voice as the star was nearing the colony at insane speeds never thought possible by mere mortals. Bypassing the tall walls of the city, the star shot right into the lake, leveling the little arbor life that was there. Everything was singed, smoking and charred. The lake itself turned a blood red for a few seconds until it reverted to a crystalline blue. After that, it was as if nothing had happened. The trees were restored and the flames were swallowed whole. Running onto the scene of the crash were three multi-colored figures. Their chests were white, trailed with a black, horizontal zig-zag pattern. The gloves and boots were of similar design to that of the chest, mostly white. Their helmets had the motif of different animals. The one in red twisted his head to survey the area, but he could find nothing out of the ordinary. This confused him and his voice reflected it.

"That's weird. Mike said the thing would crash here... but I don't see anything at all." The one in green was looking around as well as he replied,

"Yeah, everything looks normal. What do ya think is going on, Leo?" He shook his head and replied.

"I don't know. Maya, you have any ideas?" The one in yellow didn't answer because she was too busy looking over the edge of the lake. "Maya?" She bent over placing a hand on the lake's surface and shook her head.

"I can't explain it; it feels like there's something's here that shouldn't be." The other two nodded. They've been around the yellow ranger long enough to know that Maya's intuition about these things were usually, if not always, right.

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Inside the lake, or rather, at the base of the lake, the star had dispersed most of the energy that had surrounded it so only the ship remained. It stayed at the bottom of the lake, as if resting. The inhabitants of the ship were not happy and the most powerful of them let out a thunderous roar that rippled through most of the lake.

"I WANTED TO LEVEL THIS PLANET IN ONE FELL SWOOP!" Shouted out an infernal figure, his body glowing a brilliant red. He was the epitome of what some would call devilish. His entire appearence, from his bloody-armor to his four glowing golden eyes, seemed to suck the life straight out of the lake.

"N-Now please, Lord Reapus, we would have been obliterated in that blast if you had released all of your power." Pleaded a significantly smaller figure. This one was draped in robes of imperial ages and had the head of what could be considered a squid. In the corner of the large room within the vessel was a woman. She wore a large headdress which covered most of her eyes and was also entirely covered in robes, down to the leather-like gloves she wore. She steadily played her precious shamisen; the music that came from each strum of her pick across the strings wafted through the air like feathers in a breeze.

"You think I can't control my power. Is that is Kalamax?" He loomed over his cowardly subordinate like a vulture would fresh road kill. The side-order to go was terrified.

"Oh, no! Of course not, Lord Reapus! Oh, how funny you should even suggest that. I mean really, can't control your power! Who would even think such a thing?!" He laughed nervously. Reapus, who remained completely unemotional in terms of face, simply turned his back and said, quite roughly,

"That's what I thought." The female member of their little group decided at the moment to stop playing her instrument. From her position in the room, she suggested softly,

"Reapus...if you destroyed the entire planet now, you wouldn't have been satisfied. I know you. You love to hear tortured screams." The heck-clad figure took this into consideration and finally nodded.

"I suppose you're right... send a monster to the surface then. I sensed a couple of weak energy signals that may be protecting the planet. Destroy them." With nothing more than a flick of the wrist, the ships began to emit an ominous wail. Shooting out of the ship, zipping through the water was a spectral apparition that stopped and hovered just before the city's Command Tower before taking shape. It was dually colored, with red on the upper half and blue on the lower; the lower half was a large face that resembled a demon's mask. The upper half was a fish-like samurai with appropriate head gear. With an aquatic undertone, it said merrily,

"Ah! Now we can have some fun!" He grinned, unsheathing his relatively large swords. He proceeded to approach the tower, which was easy considering how large it was.

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Upon arriving at the next site of construction, the two forms of Kendrix and Kai made it their business to inspect everything. Needless to say, it was all in order much to the relief of Kai.

"That means our friend hasn't been here yet. That's good." Kendrix nodded. She was still looking behind them, wondering if that person she saw was still following them. She was about to tell Kai about what she saw...until the sound of a breaking twig caught both of their attention. She looked towards the jungle on her right with Kai's back to hers. They both took defensive stances, wondering just what was tailing them. From his right, Kai caught sight of a fast-moving figure jumping out of the trees and into the light of the site. She was, for all intents and purposes, a real jungle girl. She wore slings of multi-colored beads around her neck and a vest made of rough animal skin that was dyed pink with the color of berries. Her hair was wild and filppant to match her personality. She wielded a primitive spear but did not attack straight away. Curiousity piqued, Kendrix asked calmly,

"Are you the one who's doing all this?" The amazoness woman, when she answered, spoke in a different tongue than either person knew.

"Tey. Voy tyug fra hnikam tiht uenalp zrc." Kai had a weird mix of rememberance and confusion. He turned to Kendrix,

"Do you know what she's saying?" Kendrix shook her head.

"I don't recognize the language...but I felt I've heard it before." The young woman charged them with the spear. She was preparing to deliver the death blow when a small shot was heard behind them. Moments later, as if she was made of stone, the jungle woman dropped like big game, her face to the forest floor. Kendrix cautiously walked over to the woman and saw that caught in her shoulder blade was a very heavy tranquilizer. Looking for the origin, Kai spotted two more people on the horizon. Walking through the trees towards them were two young men; one wore an open gray sweater, with a red tee underneath and the other favored a blue long-sleeve. The red one waved to them, saying,

"Oh, hi there!" He was beaming. Kendrix grinned back at him while Kai focused on the one in blue. The one in red tilted his head and held out his hand for them to shake. "I'm Byron. My friend over there is James. We heard there was some kind of monster out here, so we came to catch it or something." He couldn't help but be embarassed. James shook his head.

"More like this idiot dragged me. I didn't even want to come out here in the first place. We've been lost for two days! It's a good thing we found you guys." He glanced down at the unconcious girl. "Good thing, too. Looks like we found your monster." Byron looked disappointed that the monster was nothing more than a young woman. Kai shook their hands, all the while saying,

"I guess so. We'll have to haul her in for questioning, though...even if we can't understand her." Kendrix nodded. The group of four, plus the culprit, went back through the jungle from whence they came. Once they reached the city wall, the communicators on their wrists began to beep. Kendrix and Kai both looked at each other and quickly said,

"Please take care of her and bring her to the tower. We have...business elsewhere." Shrewdly, the two then ran off leaving Byron and James who was still shaking his head.

"You are too helpful for your own good, Ron... way too good." He sighed, but Byron lit up.

"Aw, come on, James; they asked us to do something important!" Ce beamed. With some arguing and hesitation, the two of them carried their unconcious passenger into the city.

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"Hold it right there!" Cried out Leo, as he once again donned the red spandex, but this time, his entire team was there with him. The monster turned and laughed.

"Oh, please! You guys are nothing! I won't even have to break a sweat." In a flash, the monster rushed them, swords at the ready. The rangers charged him as well, grabbing the handle on their belts and releasing a full length sword. Meeting in the middle, the rangers began to do battle with the creature. Kendrix and Damon slashed down, aiming for the monster's quite bare torso. Seeing their attack, he dodged and made a quick slash against them, throwing them back after some sparks escaped their suits.

"Kendrix, Damon!" Cried out a concerned Maya. She gripped her sabre and made a stab to the monster's chest. Instead of blocking it, the monster sidestepped and trapped the blade inbetween his arm and chest. Maya, in desperation to pull it out, tried to throw a punch at him. Smirking, he let go of her blade, making her stumble for a few seconds giving him ample time to attack her. Unleashing both of his blades, he slashed an X. Maya cried out in pain as she fell back. Kai and Leo, the last ones standing, powered up their sabres, hoping to take him down with this attack. The monster turned to face them, quite curious about this turn of events. Leo shouted out as their sabres shone brilliantly,

"FIRE!" From their sabres they fired two energy slashes, one red and one blue. The monster threw up his swords and blocked both of the beams, struggling to fight them off. Leo and Kai stared in shock and amazement as the one in blue said,

"He's... fighting it!" And this was true. The blasts were barely moving him back. He stood their for a few more moments, until...

"NnnnNNNNnnnrrrggghhhhhaaa!" Shouted out the monster as he slashed his swords up, deflecting the blasts. The other three rangers managed to walk over, damaged. Leo looked at his team and said finally,

"Okay, guys. We've got one shot left." The team agreed and knew what he was thinking. Throwing their hands into the air, the group shouted out,

"Lights of Orion, Activate!" Instantly, the rangers were enveloped in a brilliant flash of golden light. The monster stepped back a few steps.

"O-Orion?" The rangers stepped out of the light, their suits slightly changed by the addition of bits of armor, like the arm-band embedded with an emerald, the wild claws attached to their hand opposite the sabres, and their belt becoming slightly larger. Performing a group attack, the five rangers ran side by side, energizing and combining into a single ball of light whose intensity rivaled the stars above. The monster dropped his swords and wanted to run away. The rangers were only a few seconds away from victory...

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Meanwhile, back on the ship of our villains, Reapus was besides himself with fury. He began to roar and pierce the hulls of the ship repeatedly.

"ORION! I SENSE HIS POWER!" With a flame of hatred as strong as the underworld itself, he disappeared from the ship. Kalamax and the slightly older woman stood by. Kalamax was sweating.

"Oh, my! Lord Reapus has that old flame back! This planet is as good as done for now! Isn't that right, Crescenda?" The woman continued playing her instrument, reminiscing. She spoke softly still,

"Yes...he hasn't been this angry since the war with Orion and those rangers." Kalamax nodded.

"Ah, yes...those rangers. We should be thankful that they were killed in the war along with Orion before we were sealed away in that lost galaxy. Otherwise, Lord Reapus would have been unbearable to serve." Crescenda said nothing more on the subject and continued to play her sad song...

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Right between the monster and the major burst of energy the rangers had fired, a bloody fire appeared. Wielding a giant sword, Reapus swung his mighty power striaght towards the rangers. The blast stopped when it came into contact with his sword. With some ease, he batted the rangers out of the ball, making them scatter on the floor. Reapus tilted his head, surveying the rangers. He grumbled and walked over to them. He put his foot on Leo's chest and started to crush his ribs.

"AGGGHHHH!" The red ranger shouted in pain. Reapus spoke gruffly.

"You guys made me think Orion had come back! YOU WON'T LIVE TO REGRET THAT!" He positioned his sword to cleave off the young ranger's head. Kendrix, moving on sheer willpower alone, tackled Reapus off him. She didn't get far though since he swung his mighty sword down. She held up her sabre to block, but it was like a hot knife through butter; the sabre broke in two as she felt the impact of the sword. Falling down, she started to disappear in a white light. Maya and Kai ran forward to their fallen comrades.

"KENDRIX!" Screamed out a broken Maya. Out of pure rage, she raised her sabre and brought it down on him. Reapus paid her no mind and simply grabbed the blade, crushing it in his bare hands. He gave her a swift stab with the sword's hilt. Maya flew back hitting a cement wall. She slumped down, also fading in white light. Kai and Damon, after making sure Leo was fine to stand on his own, dashed over. Charging their sabres, the blue and green rangers fired their energy slashes at Reapus. He held up his sword horizontally and stopped the blasts in mid-air. The colors of the slashes turned black and red, emitting powerful lightning. He fired them backwards, with double the power. The two rangers flew back from the explosion, their sabres cut into pieces by their own attack. Leo, clutching his chest, tried to reach for his friends.

"KAI! DAMON!" He tried to move forward, but fell over. He looked up and saw both of them disappear in the same way as the girls had. Reapus was unbelivably bored out of his wit. He looked lazily at the red ranger and sighed.

"This is disappointing...and you guys had some of Orion's power to boot." He dragged his sword on the ground and, once again, raised it in a executioner's fashion. Leo rolled over as the blade went into the ground, making deeps scars in the surface, sort of like its own crater. Leo, eyes blazing with his own hatred for this demon, gathered all of the power that his facets could muster, making his sabre glow gold. It poured out flames of such intensity, one would think a supernova was occuring. Reapus shook his head. "You're a pale stand-in for Orion, boy." Leo didn't care what he said. He focused only on one thing: revenge. He rushed forward and gave almighty heave. Reapus casually held up his own sword, expecting to block it again. When their swords clashed, he was startled when Leo was actually pushing him back. "W-What is this?!"

Leo broke the contact between their swords and gave a heavy slash downwards, slashing Reapus down the middle. The demon howled in pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! YOOOOOOUUU INNNNNSOLEEEENT CURRRRR!" He backed away from the red ranger. There was a singed wound in his skin from the impact of the sabre. He clutched it and pointed to him. "I won't forget this...never." He disappeared in the same bloody flames he appeared in. Leo, glad that he was able to inflict a fatal wound, dropped his sabre, which broke into pieces as it hit the floor. He himself fell, flashing in a white light as he disappeared.

... From the broken and shattered sabres, five lights, similar to their owners' ranger colors, shot out of the remains. All the way into the atmosphere they flew until they streaked down at breakneck speeds. They raced back down into the city of River End, breaking up to scatter...

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At one of the only schools, a young woman was busy cleaning the exterior of a very large blackboard. Her auburn hair was up in a neat bun as she looked outside the window. As she watched her students enjoy their recess, she smiled a little before continuing her duties until a whoosing sound made her look towards the window again. Racing towards her was a yellow-streaked light. Her brain told her to run, but her body couldn't obey, no matter what command it gave. As if it were a spectre, it phased through the glass and hit her with full force. A warm sensation started to fill her, a familiar kind of sensation which she embraced and in a matter of moments...it was over. But the warmth remained. She was confused, but felt comforted at the same time.

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At the Command Tower, the jungle woman was sitting in a cell, not talking. The Commander and various subordinates had tried to talk to her, but no one had the courage to even continue so she sat in silence. In a moment, she jerked her head up and looked to the ceiling. From several floors above came down a pink light that enveloped around her and she instantly was reminded of something far off Somewhere in her memory, something had triggered. In a brief moment, she felt happy for the first time in a long while. After the light had died down, she sat back down, quiet as ever... but holding onto that sudden feeling.

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Just above the Tower, adjoining the rooftop, there was a young man in a green long-sleeve wearing a plaid vest-like coat. He was in the middle of reading a book on something of no consequence until he saw it, a green flash hit the roof spot on. Dropping the book momentarily, he was filled with a sudden rush of nostalgia as memories swept over him. They weren't clear or easily remembered, but they were his. He knew that instinctively. He tried to reach out and pull the memories closer, but they vanished with the light. He lightly grasped his hand and wondered what it was as he sat in silence to ponder it.

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Walking outside the Tower, Byron and James were deep in discussion.

"Honestly, I don't know WHY I let you talk me into these things. Especially since I don't even KNOW you that well." Byron smiled as he replied,

"True...but I can tell you're my friend. That much I know." James sighed.

"What kind of logic is that?" Byron shrugged.

"It's not something you can apply logic to. It's something that you feel...y'know?" Before James could comment further, two flashes, one red and one blue, fell from the sky and impacted the ground the two stood on. Byron and James were now floating in the energy, overwhelmed by it.

"What is this...?" Wondered aloud James. Byron hugged what he could of it and said quietly,

"It's warm..." Then, as if a film was playing, cycles of memories started to play over and over. They weren't distinct, but they could tell they were important. Before they could make any more sense of it, the sensation ended. The young guys looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They needed to know where that light came from.

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Meanwhile, just outside the planet's orbit, there was a sparkling crystalline star. It was radiating brilliance, but it was cool to the touch. The surface was of such quality that it could have been compared to the most valuable diamonds. Inside the star was a hollow cave. It was massive in and of its own right. In the main chamber, however, there were five pods. Each of them housed a different Galaxy ranger... Leo, Kendrix, Kai, Damon and Maya. They were resting peacefully in these pods. Overlooking them was a woman with pale skin who shone almost as brilliantly as the star itself. She was wrapped in various white fabrics, satin and silk among them. She turned from her charges to the big screen that over looked Miranoi and spoke softly,

"At long last... the seal has been broken. The war will now enter its second act...and this time.... it'll have a conclusion."

TO BE CONTINUED....

03/20/11, 03:36 PM	#2
TaJaDoru Comic Relief Join Date: 03/15/11 Posts: 47	RE: Power Rangers Galaxy Striders Episode 01 - Ravaged Space...empty, yet full...immense, yet small. Here, many fates intertwine. Here, many stars gather. And it is here where the balance of the universe was nearly unraveled... as our story begins... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In a small corner of the galaxy, far away from the traditional home we call Earth, rested a rather small planet. Its hue was a brilliant tint of green, one which reflected the sunlight admirably. In the vast blackness of space, it was comparable to a diamond in the rough. Even if you were to penetrate the borders of this world, you wouldn't see much of anything still. Much of it is covered in green...as if the planet itself was alive. However... one particular site on its surface stood out from the rest of the planet. In the midst of the jungles and creatures, stood a city of modern design. It resembled many a city from Earth, if not a bit more advanced in their technology. In the center of this metropolis stood an impressive tower that overlooked the city from all sides. Adjourning the sides of the city were large wall constructs which were mainly used to keep dangerous wildlife out. All in all, it was a safe environment. Even if it was foreign to some still, it was a place to call home. For this was the colony set-up by the inhabitants of Terra Venture, a space exploration colony which crashed on the planet of Miranoi years prior and this same colony was now under seige from a mysterious bout of sabotage. Whenever the people River End, named because of its geographical position next to the Mari river, tried to expand and create new cities...their equipment mysteriously went missing or was broken. Two explorers, whose job it was to map out the jungle for future sites of production, recently happened upon one such site. The first, a young man in a blue-greased top and gray uniform, walked over to the wreckage of what was once apparently some kind of building equipment. "That's the fifth one this week. What do ya think caused this?" His companion was a blonde woman in a similar outfit, only her top was spotted with a very dark pink. She bent down next to him and examined the debris closely. "Hmm...looks like it was attacked with something with sheer brute force. Maybe a wild animal?" The young man in blue shook his head. "I doubt it... an animal wouldn't attack these sites in particular. I mean, look around..." He turned to face the jungle behind him. "The surrounding jungle is untouched. A large animal would have left some kind of tracks." She glanced around to look for herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the shadow of a figure who had moved through the trees. She turned to her friend in blue. "Well, Kai... we should stay with the construction site then. There's one more in the area. If we keep watch, then we can see for ourselves who or what is behind this." The young man, addressed as Kai, replied positively. "Sounds good, Kendrix. I just need to contact Commander Stanton before we go any further." Setting up the case with the video feed, Kai set out to work on getting it started up. In the meantime, Kendrix occupied herself by looking through the trees for that mysterious figure she saw only moments before. Nothing in the jungle was moving, however... but she could feel it. They were still being watched. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tranquility of Miranoi was disturbed, yes, but it wasn't the only thing being so. Flashing through the galaxy at speeds only told in the realms of fiction, was a giant ball of light. If anything...it resembled a shooting star. Its path was erratic but seemed to be guided towards the emerald sheen planet. Inside the shooting star of sorts, appeared the silhouette of a ship... a very ancient ship that may have been used centuries ago. Cracks lined the vessel's bottom and the sails were slightly tattered from years of fighting fierce winds. As the ship approached Miranoi, a deep, grave voice boomed over the star, bathing it in a red glow. "Ah...I have finally returned to this wretched rock. But this time... there is no one to stop me!" The voice cackled as the shooting star entered the planet's orbit. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Understood, sir. We'll report what we find immediately." Kai replied to his Commander as the feed cut with both of them performing a respectful salute. He turned his head, his eyes wandering to Kendrix, who was now walking in the direction of the next site. Kai quickly closed the case and ran over, somewhat concerned. "Kendrix...what's wrong? You're spacing out." She shook her head, putting on a grin. "Oh...it's nothing. Just had a bad feeling. Must be this jungle heat." Kai wasn't thoroughly convinced, but he wouldn't press the issue. Instead, he walked alongside her as they continued to the next spot. From a tree a few yards away, a pair of wild, untamed eyes were trained on them. The figure who they belong to frowned at their presence. Jumping into the next tree, the mysterious one continued to follow them, plotting their next move. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Many miles behind the traveling duo and their mysterious stalker, there was another crisis being handled in River End. Everyone in the perimeter of the expansive tower that loomed over the city was especially in a state of overwhelming panic. Several screens popped up showing images of a large mass of crimson energy getting bigger every moment. "Sir, the object is coming in faster than we anticipated, and gaining speed. It'll reach the colony in less than 20 minutes." Reported a man in the same suit as Kai. He was slightly taller than the Asian and his outlook on their current situation was grim. The Commander, on the other hand, was easily the most senior in the tower. He had his hands folded as his gaze traveled from the monitors, back to his officer, then back again. He took a moment to respond. "Do we know its trajectory and exact landing position, Officer Corbett?" Officer Corbett, or Mike as he was often called by his friends, nodded. "Yes, sir. It's going to impact the river that flows through the city. There are no buildings near it, though, so the damage to the colony itself will be minimal." The Commander processed this and shook his head. "Let's not leave anything to chance. We need the Rangers." Mike saluted and replied quickly. "Yes, sir. I'll contact them immediately." He disappeared out of sight leaving the Commander to stand up and walk over to the rather large windows aligning the outer walls. As he looked into the skies, a large red dot began to come into view, clearing itself in focus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Yes! Full speed ahead!" Thundered a deep voice as the star was nearing the colony at insane speeds never thought possible by mere mortals. Bypassing the tall walls of the city, the star shot right into the lake, leveling the little arbor life that was there. Everything was singed, smoking and charred. The lake itself turned a blood red for a few seconds until it reverted to a crystalline blue. After that, it was as if nothing had happened. The trees were restored and the flames were swallowed whole. Running onto the scene of the crash were three multi-colored figures. Their chests were white, trailed with a black, horizontal zig-zag pattern. The gloves and boots were of similar design to that of the chest, mostly white. Their helmets had the motif of different animals. The one in red twisted his head to survey the area, but he could find nothing out of the ordinary. This confused him and his voice reflected it. "That's weird. Mike said the thing would crash here... but I don't see anything at all." The one in green was looking around as well as he replied, "Yeah, everything looks normal. What do ya think is going on, Leo?" He shook his head and replied. "I don't know. Maya, you have any ideas?" The one in yellow didn't answer because she was too busy looking over the edge of the lake. "Maya?" She bent over placing a hand on the lake's surface and shook her head. "I can't explain it; it feels like there's something's here that shouldn't be." The other two nodded. They've been around the yellow ranger long enough to know that Maya's intuition about these things were usually, if not always, right. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inside the lake, or rather, at the base of the lake, the star had dispersed most of the energy that had surrounded it so only the ship remained. It stayed at the bottom of the lake, as if resting. The inhabitants of the ship were not happy and the most powerful of them let out a thunderous roar that rippled through most of the lake. "I WANTED TO LEVEL THIS PLANET IN ONE FELL SWOOP!" Shouted out an infernal figure, his body glowing a brilliant red. He was the epitome of what some would call devilish. His entire appearence, from his bloody-armor to his four glowing golden eyes, seemed to suck the life straight out of the lake. "N-Now please, Lord Reapus, we would have been obliterated in that blast if you had released all of your power." Pleaded a significantly smaller figure. This one was draped in robes of imperial ages and had the head of what could be considered a squid. In the corner of the large room within the vessel was a woman. She wore a large headdress which covered most of her eyes and was also entirely covered in robes, down to the leather-like gloves she wore. She steadily played her precious shamisen; the music that came from each strum of her pick across the strings wafted through the air like feathers in a breeze. "You think I can't control my power. Is that is Kalamax?" He loomed over his cowardly subordinate like a vulture would fresh road kill. The side-order to go was terrified. "Oh, no! Of course not, Lord Reapus! Oh, how funny you should even suggest that. I mean really, can't control your power! Who would even think such a thing?!" He laughed nervously. Reapus, who remained completely unemotional in terms of face, simply turned his back and said, quite roughly, "That's what I thought." The female member of their little group decided at the moment to stop playing her instrument. From her position in the room, she suggested softly, "Reapus...if you destroyed the entire planet now, you wouldn't have been satisfied. I know you. You love to hear tortured screams." The heck-clad figure took this into consideration and finally nodded. "I suppose you're right... send a monster to the surface then. I sensed a couple of weak energy signals that may be protecting the planet. Destroy them." With nothing more than a flick of the wrist, the ships began to emit an ominous wail. Shooting out of the ship, zipping through the water was a spectral apparition that stopped and hovered just before the city's Command Tower before taking shape. It was dually colored, with red on the upper half and blue on the lower; the lower half was a large face that resembled a demon's mask. The upper half was a fish-like samurai with appropriate head gear. With an aquatic undertone, it said merrily, "Ah! Now we can have some fun!" He grinned, unsheathing his relatively large swords. He proceeded to approach the tower, which was easy considering how large it was. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upon arriving at the next site of construction, the two forms of Kendrix and Kai made it their business to inspect everything. Needless to say, it was all in order much to the relief of Kai. "That means our friend hasn't been here yet. That's good." Kendrix nodded. She was still looking behind them, wondering if that person she saw was still following them. She was about to tell Kai about what she saw...until the sound of a breaking twig caught both of their attention. She looked towards the jungle on her right with Kai's back to hers. They both took defensive stances, wondering just what was tailing them. From his right, Kai caught sight of a fast-moving figure jumping out of the trees and into the light of the site. She was, for all intents and purposes, a real jungle girl. She wore slings of multi-colored beads around her neck and a vest made of rough animal skin that was dyed pink with the color of berries. Her hair was wild and filppant to match her personality. She wielded a primitive spear but did not attack straight away. Curiousity piqued, Kendrix asked calmly, "Are you the one who's doing all this?" The amazoness woman, when she answered, spoke in a different tongue than either person knew. "Tey. Voy tyug fra hnikam tiht uenalp zrc." Kai had a weird mix of rememberance and confusion. He turned to Kendrix, "Do you know what she's saying?" Kendrix shook her head. "I don't recognize the language...but I felt I've heard it before." The young woman charged them with the spear. She was preparing to deliver the death blow when a small shot was heard behind them. Moments later, as if she was made of stone, the jungle woman dropped like big game, her face to the forest floor. Kendrix cautiously walked over to the woman and saw that caught in her shoulder blade was a very heavy tranquilizer. Looking for the origin, Kai spotted two more people on the horizon. Walking through the trees towards them were two young men; one wore an open gray sweater, with a red tee underneath and the other favored a blue long-sleeve. The red one waved to them, saying, "Oh, hi there!" He was beaming. Kendrix grinned back at him while Kai focused on the one in blue. The one in red tilted his head and held out his hand for them to shake. "I'm Byron. My friend over there is James. We heard there was some kind of monster out here, so we came to catch it or something." He couldn't help but be embarassed. James shook his head. "More like this idiot dragged me. I didn't even want to come out here in the first place. We've been lost for two days! It's a good thing we found you guys." He glanced down at the unconcious girl. "Good thing, too. Looks like we found your monster." Byron looked disappointed that the monster was nothing more than a young woman. Kai shook their hands, all the while saying, "I guess so. We'll have to haul her in for questioning, though...even if we can't understand her." Kendrix nodded. The group of four, plus the culprit, went back through the jungle from whence they came. Once they reached the city wall, the communicators on their wrists began to beep. Kendrix and Kai both looked at each other and quickly said, "Please take care of her and bring her to the tower. We have...business elsewhere." Shrewdly, the two then ran off leaving Byron and James who was still shaking his head. "You are too helpful for your own good, Ron... way too good." He sighed, but Byron lit up. "Aw, come on, James; they asked us to do something important!" Ce beamed. With some arguing and hesitation, the two of them carried their unconcious passenger into the city. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Hold it right there!" Cried out Leo, as he once again donned the red spandex, but this time, his entire team was there with him. The monster turned and laughed. "Oh, please! You guys are nothing! I won't even have to break a sweat." In a flash, the monster rushed them, swords at the ready. The rangers charged him as well, grabbing the handle on their belts and releasing a full length sword. Meeting in the middle, the rangers began to do battle with the creature. Kendrix and Damon slashed down, aiming for the monster's quite bare torso. Seeing their attack, he dodged and made a quick slash against them, throwing them back after some sparks escaped their suits. "Kendrix, Damon!" Cried out a concerned Maya. She gripped her sabre and made a stab to the monster's chest. Instead of blocking it, the monster sidestepped and trapped the blade inbetween his arm and chest. Maya, in desperation to pull it out, tried to throw a punch at him. Smirking, he let go of her blade, making her stumble for a few seconds giving him ample time to attack her. Unleashing both of his blades, he slashed an X. Maya cried out in pain as she fell back. Kai and Leo, the last ones standing, powered up their sabres, hoping to take him down with this attack. The monster turned to face them, quite curious about this turn of events. Leo shouted out as their sabres shone brilliantly, "FIRE!" From their sabres they fired two energy slashes, one red and one blue. The monster threw up his swords and blocked both of the beams, struggling to fight them off. Leo and Kai stared in shock and amazement as the one in blue said, "He's... fighting it!" And this was true. The blasts were barely moving him back. He stood their for a few more moments, until... "NnnnNNNNnnnrrrggghhhhhaaa!" Shouted out the monster as he slashed his swords up, deflecting the blasts. The other three rangers managed to walk over, damaged. Leo looked at his team and said finally, "Okay, guys. We've got one shot left." The team agreed and knew what he was thinking. Throwing their hands into the air, the group shouted out, "Lights of Orion, Activate!" Instantly, the rangers were enveloped in a brilliant flash of golden light. The monster stepped back a few steps. "O-Orion?" The rangers stepped out of the light, their suits slightly changed by the addition of bits of armor, like the arm-band embedded with an emerald, the wild claws attached to their hand opposite the sabres, and their belt becoming slightly larger. Performing a group attack, the five rangers ran side by side, energizing and combining into a single ball of light whose intensity rivaled the stars above. The monster dropped his swords and wanted to run away. The rangers were only a few seconds away from victory... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, back on the ship of our villains, Reapus was besides himself with fury. He began to roar and pierce the hulls of the ship repeatedly. "ORION! I SENSE HIS POWER!" With a flame of hatred as strong as the underworld itself, he disappeared from the ship. Kalamax and the slightly older woman stood by. Kalamax was sweating. "Oh, my! Lord Reapus has that old flame back! This planet is as good as done for now! Isn't that right, Crescenda?" The woman continued playing her instrument, reminiscing. She spoke softly still, "Yes...he hasn't been this angry since the war with Orion and those rangers." Kalamax nodded. "Ah, yes...those rangers. We should be thankful that they were killed in the war along with Orion before we were sealed away in that lost galaxy. Otherwise, Lord Reapus would have been unbearable to serve." Crescenda said nothing more on the subject and continued to play her sad song... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Right between the monster and the major burst of energy the rangers had fired, a bloody fire appeared. Wielding a giant sword, Reapus swung his mighty power striaght towards the rangers. The blast stopped when it came into contact with his sword. With some ease, he batted the rangers out of the ball, making them scatter on the floor. Reapus tilted his head, surveying the rangers. He grumbled and walked over to them. He put his foot on Leo's chest and started to crush his ribs. "AGGGHHHH!" The red ranger shouted in pain. Reapus spoke gruffly. "You guys made me think Orion had come back! YOU WON'T LIVE TO REGRET THAT!" He positioned his sword to cleave off the young ranger's head. Kendrix, moving on sheer willpower alone, tackled Reapus off him. She didn't get far though since he swung his mighty sword down. She held up her sabre to block, but it was like a hot knife through butter; the sabre broke in two as she felt the impact of the sword. Falling down, she started to disappear in a white light. Maya and Kai ran forward to their fallen comrades. "KENDRIX!" Screamed out a broken Maya. Out of pure rage, she raised her sabre and brought it down on him. Reapus paid her no mind and simply grabbed the blade, crushing it in his bare hands. He gave her a swift stab with the sword's hilt. Maya flew back hitting a cement wall. She slumped down, also fading in white light. Kai and Damon, after making sure Leo was fine to stand on his own, dashed over. Charging their sabres, the blue and green rangers fired their energy slashes at Reapus. He held up his sword horizontally and stopped the blasts in mid-air. The colors of the slashes turned black and red, emitting powerful lightning. He fired them backwards, with double the power. The two rangers flew back from the explosion, their sabres cut into pieces by their own attack. Leo, clutching his chest, tried to reach for his friends. "KAI! DAMON!" He tried to move forward, but fell over. He looked up and saw both of them disappear in the same way as the girls had. Reapus was unbelivably bored out of his wit. He looked lazily at the red ranger and sighed. "This is disappointing...and you guys had some of Orion's power to boot." He dragged his sword on the ground and, once again, raised it in a executioner's fashion. Leo rolled over as the blade went into the ground, making deeps scars in the surface, sort of like its own crater. Leo, eyes blazing with his own hatred for this demon, gathered all of the power that his facets could muster, making his sabre glow gold. It poured out flames of such intensity, one would think a supernova was occuring. Reapus shook his head. "You're a pale stand-in for Orion, boy." Leo didn't care what he said. He focused only on one thing: revenge. He rushed forward and gave almighty heave. Reapus casually held up his own sword, expecting to block it again. When their swords clashed, he was startled when Leo was actually pushing him back. "W-What is this?!" Leo broke the contact between their swords and gave a heavy slash downwards, slashing Reapus down the middle. The demon howled in pain. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! YOOOOOOUUU INNNNNSOLEEEENT CURRRRR!" He backed away from the red ranger. There was a singed wound in his skin from the impact of the sabre. He clutched it and pointed to him. "I won't forget this...never." He disappeared in the same bloody flames he appeared in. Leo, glad that he was able to inflict a fatal wound, dropped his sabre, which broke into pieces as it hit the floor. He himself fell, flashing in a white light as he disappeared. ... From the broken and shattered sabres, five lights, similar to their owners' ranger colors, shot out of the remains. All the way into the atmosphere they flew until they streaked down at breakneck speeds. They raced back down into the city of River End, breaking up to scatter... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At one of the only schools, a young woman was busy cleaning the exterior of a very large blackboard. Her auburn hair was up in a neat bun as she looked outside the window. As she watched her students enjoy their recess, she smiled a little before continuing her duties until a whoosing sound made her look towards the window again. Racing towards her was a yellow-streaked light. Her brain told her to run, but her body couldn't obey, no matter what command it gave. As if it were a spectre, it phased through the glass and hit her with full force. A warm sensation started to fill her, a familiar kind of sensation which she embraced and in a matter of moments...it was over. But the warmth remained. She was confused, but felt comforted at the same time. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the Command Tower, the jungle woman was sitting in a cell, not talking. The Commander and various subordinates had tried to talk to her, but no one had the courage to even continue so she sat in silence. In a moment, she jerked her head up and looked to the ceiling. From several floors above came down a pink light that enveloped around her and she instantly was reminded of something far off Somewhere in her memory, something had triggered. In a brief moment, she felt happy for the first time in a long while. After the light had died down, she sat back down, quiet as ever... but holding onto that sudden feeling. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just above the Tower, adjoining the rooftop, there was a young man in a green long-sleeve wearing a plaid vest-like coat. He was in the middle of reading a book on something of no consequence until he saw it, a green flash hit the roof spot on. Dropping the book momentarily, he was filled with a sudden rush of nostalgia as memories swept over him. They weren't clear or easily remembered, but they were his. He knew that instinctively. He tried to reach out and pull the memories closer, but they vanished with the light. He lightly grasped his hand and wondered what it was as he sat in silence to ponder it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Walking outside the Tower, Byron and James were deep in discussion. "Honestly, I don't know WHY I let you talk me into these things. Especially since I don't even KNOW you that well." Byron smiled as he replied, "True...but I can tell you're my friend. That much I know." James sighed. "What kind of logic is that?" Byron shrugged. "It's not something you can apply logic to. It's something that you feel...y'know?" Before James could comment further, two flashes, one red and one blue, fell from the sky and impacted the ground the two stood on. Byron and James were now floating in the energy, overwhelmed by it. "What is this...?" Wondered aloud James. Byron hugged what he could of it and said quietly, "It's warm..." Then, as if a film was playing, cycles of memories started to play over and over. They weren't distinct, but they could tell they were important. Before they could make any more sense of it, the sensation ended. The young guys looked at each other and nodded in agreement. They needed to know where that light came from. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, just outside the planet's orbit, there was a sparkling crystalline star. It was radiating brilliance, but it was cool to the touch. The surface was of such quality that it could have been compared to the most valuable diamonds. Inside the star was a hollow cave. It was massive in and of its own right. In the main chamber, however, there were five pods. Each of them housed a different Galaxy ranger... Leo, Kendrix, Kai, Damon and Maya. They were resting peacefully in these pods. Overlooking them was a woman with pale skin who shone almost as brilliantly as the star itself. She was wrapped in various white fabrics, satin and silk among them. She turned from her charges to the big screen that over looked Miranoi and spoke softly, "At long last... the seal has been broken. The war will now enter its second act...and this time.... it'll have a conclusion." TO BE CONTINUED....