THE GRAND FINALE TO THE TRI-FOLD MINI-SERIES....

One week had passed since an ultimatum was given from the Triforian government. The planet had sent ships to Earth for the lost ex-Prince, Trey, who had the secret to the heirloom of Triforia:the Golden Power Staff, which could control the ancient Pyramidas, an object that gave its controller the power of the Emperor Warrior, or, as it was called by many, the power of the "Gold Ranger." The usurper of the throne, Zolkan of the Sheena province, was unable to use the object, and had tried to get Trey to give him the secret to its use. Trey had escaped to Earth, but surrendered to Zolkan in an effort to protect the fledgling planet.

The Rangers had been in the Command Center for over a week, eating simple meals out of a food slot in the Power Chamber. Tommy Oliver, the fifth Zeo Ranger, came out of a private room where he had been meeting with the Machine Emperor, Gasket, and Empress Archerina. Gasket and Archerina followed. "Tommy, I have called the fleet to Earth. I'm not going to use cloaking devices. The fleet is large enough that it should draw away all the Triforian forces, leaving the station that they placed in orbit fairly defenseless. With your Zords, you should be able to destroy the station, and Trey can regain his throne." Tommy nodded. "Thank you, Gasket." Gasket nodded, and exited the Command Center with Archerina. Tommy saw the flash of lightning that marked the teleportation of the two robotic rulers. "Okay, guys. Are we ready?" "YES!" the other Rangers said enthusiastically, including Jason, who, through a device, could access the Gold Ranger power, although he could not operate Pyramidas. "Can the Alien Rangers help us?" Tommy asked Billy, who had recently become a resident on the world of the Alien Rangers, Aquitar. "No. Triforia and Aquitar have a treaty that forbids action. Unlike us, the Alien Rangers are government-supported. I'm afraid it would be a crime for them to help."

"Oh well." sighed Tommy. "We'll have to do it on our own."

Zolkan, Emperor of Triforia, surveyed the ornate throne room in his space station. "Very nice!" Zolkan said. His assistant, an old friend who was the commander of the space station that Triforia had set up, spoke. "Yes. The executions have been stopped on Triforia." "True..." Zolkan said. "My lord...the guards...um...they have a right to...um..." "Rape the women?" Zolkan snapped. "Y..yes, sir. I overheard...um.." "That the women were virgins . . .even after you gave them to me for my use?" "Y...yes." Zolkan sat on his raised throne, admiring the controls for a diverse series of weapons for his protection. "Friend, you know my views on sexual behavior. I do not believe in rape..or the principle of Superior Gene Reproduction that the Emperors of Triforia have rights to. That was one of the reasons I revolted. I have a prospective wife on Triforia, whom I will marry when I return. Oh...you might as well hear the news. My dynasty already has an heir on the way." Zolkan smiled.

"Ha ha ha!" Rita Repulsa laughed. "When do you think those Triforian idiots will give us the Crystal, my steel-faced creampuff?" Lord Zedd laughed. "They will...and then Triforia will be mine! Not even the Gold Ranger power will stop me from conquering them all!!!" Zedd beat his chest for emphasis. "LORD ZEDD!!" Finster screamed, smashed between Rito and Goldar on the way to the Chamber of Command. "Ed! The Triforians are leavin'!!" Rito shouted. "WHAT?!" Zedd turned on his visor. He quickly glowed red. "All of them are leaving!!! A fleet from the Machine Empire is headed here!" Rita chuckled. "Perfect. We'll send a monster to capture the Ranger brats...and then attack the station and steal the Golden Power Staff!! Oh, it feels so good to be so mean!!!" Rita shouted.

"They're gone!!!" Billy shouted. "Great. It's Morphin Time!" Adam shouted. "I'll guard the fort." Tommy said. The five Rangers twisted their wrists and clicked the Zeonizers together.

"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!" said Kat.
"Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!" said Tanya.
"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!!" said Rocky.
"Zeo Ranger IV, Green!" said Adam.
"Gold Ranger Power!" said Jason.

The Rangers left the Command Center and raised their arms. "We need Super Zeo Zord power, now!!!" said Jason. A cannon extended from the Command Center and fired out five Super Zeo Zords, giant robots with the Ranger's symbols on their chests. Jason was to drive Tommy's Zeo Zord. He teleported aboard the fifth Super Zeo Zord. The other Rangers boarded their Zords.

"Sis, look!" Rito shouted. Rita went to her recently set-up Repulsascope and looked out. "Oh YES!!! All five Rangers are off Earth!!! Now we party!! Finster!!!!" Rita and Rito went upstairs from the Chamber of Command to Finster's workshop. Rita went up to Finster's workstand, and Rito stood beneath an open tube. "Oh, hello my Queen. I've molded the perfect monster for you. It molds Machine and Monster technology. And now, I present...the Gladitoid!!" Finster pulled a lever, and a clay monster, who looked like an armored man with a naginata and guns on his shoulders and chest, rolled into a chamber. The tube leading from the chamber beeped, and finally a monster popped out of the end of the Monster-Matic tube...and plopped right onto Rito. "OW!!!" Rito groaned. "Well, he has...heavy artillery, eh Rito?" Finster remarked with a grin.

"Guys, this is weird. There aren't any guards in the station." Jason remarked. "Okay. Jason'll rescue Trey, and the rest of us'll get Zolkan." The Rangers teleported to the station.

Adam, Rocky, Tanya, and Kat materialized in a hallway. Adam walked into a large room dominated with an ornate throne. "Well, where is everybody?" "I like to make a dramatic entrance." Zolkan said, as he materialized on the throne. "Welcome, Power Rangers. Welcome to your doom."

Tommy heard the alarm in the Command Center go off. "Oh great. Well, I had figured this would happen." said Tommy.

"It's Morphin Time!"
"Zeo Ranger V, Red!"

Tommy teleported to the city, where Gladitoid and Rita stood upon a building. "What are you doing here?! You're up in space!" Rita yelled. "Correction. My ZORD is up in space. I'm right here." Tommy snapped. "Don't get smart with me, you red-spandexed wimp!" Rita flashed a red ball of energy from her staff, knocking Tommy across the street he stood in. Rita tossed the staff at Tommy, who dodged. The staff lodged in the earth and opened a huge crack in it, releasing evil-smelling gases. Tommy gagged at the smell of them, rolling away from the crack in the street. "That brought back memories." Rita chuckled. "Now, to face my Gladitoid at its full potential!!!" The staff returned to Rita's hand. "GROW, GLADITOID!!!" Rita fired lightning at Gladitoid, enlarging it to a fifty-story tall titan of terror. "Okay, witch. Time to see what I can do now! Red Battlezord, Power Up!!!" Tommy yelled. The cannon in the Zord Holding Bay fired the Red Battlezord. Tommy boarded and locked in his mental control. "Let's go!"

"Okay, Zolkan. Time to see good triumph over evil!" Adam materialized his Zeo Hatchets. Rocky materialized his Tonfas, Tanya her Clubs, and Kat her Shield. "ZEO RANGERS!" Zolkan stood and pressed a button on his throne. Lasers fired at the Rangers, knocking them across the room. "Okay guys! ENERGIZE WEAPONS, NOW!" Adam shouted. Adam's Hatchets glowed green as he lifted them. Rocky crossed his weapons, energizing them blue. Tanya whirled her clubs, and they glowed yellow. Kat raised her Shield, and it glowed pink. Zolkan laughed and materialized a sword. He lifted it, and supernatural lightning energized it. "Come on!" Zolkan leaped at Tanya, the closest. His sword slashed her, and she staggered back. "AGH!" Tanya fell, surrounded by lightninglike energies. Zolkan fired beams at the Rangers, knocking them back and paralyzing them. "All too easy." Zolkan pressed a button on his throne, entrapping the Rangers inside energy cages. "I thought you'd do better. I will take your Zeo Crystals, and take the Red Ranger's as ransom for your lives." "No, you won't." Trey's voice calmly stated.

Tommy's Red Battlezord assumed a fighting pose. Gladitoid slashed it across the chest. "Ha!" the robotic, grating voice of Gladitoid snarled. The monster fired its guns at the Battlezord, knocking it down. "Hee hee hee!" Gladitoid gloated. It then heard large footsteps coming towards it fast.

Zolkan glared at the entrance to the throne room. "HOW DID YOU GET FREE!?" "I helped." Jason snarled. Trey, clad in full Golden suit and all, leaped into the throne room. "Okay, now it's my turn!" Trey raised his hand, and the Golden Power Staff, reclining at the side of the throne, came to his hand. "NO! Goodbye!" Zolkan pressed another control, and beamed out of the chamber in a panic. Trey released the Rangers from the field. "Thanks! Let's get to the Zords and get rid of this thing!" Adam shouted. Jason, now in human form, teleported home. "Wait. I'm going to track Zolkan down." Trey shouted.

Zolkan teleported to a chamber and took a large amulet from a hook. "This might be my last chance. I'd better get to Earth." Zolkan went to an escape pod and jetted to Earth.

The Zeo Megazord, controlled from the Command Center, slashed the Gladitoid with its saber. "All right!" Tommy shouted. "Initiate Zeo Mega Battlezord!"

The Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord clashed arms, and stood back-to-back. The Red Battlezord lifted up, its arms forming cannons, and locked onto the Zeo Megazord. The head of the Red Battlezord locked onto the Zeo Megazord as a helmet. "Zeo Mega Battlezord, power up!" said Tommy. "Bye bye, Gladitoid!" The cannons on the Zeo Mega Battlezord pumped back and forth, and then collected energy from the Zeo Grid. It shot the energy forth at Gladitoid in huge energy bursts. "AAGGGHHH!!!" Gladitoid screamed as its armor was blasted off. "Zeo Megazord Saber power up!" Tommy said as he pressed a button. The Zeo Mega Battlezord's helmet flashed. Its sword came forth and lifted, energizing. It flashed forward onto the unarmored Gladitoid. Gladitoid screamed as the energized saber cut into its robotic circuitry and monstrous flesh. The beast fell and exploded into small pieces. Tommy made a "YES" gesture, and then noticed the fireball coming right before him.

The pod landed, and Zolkan ejected from it. "DIE RANGER!!!" Zolkan took power from the amulet, and fired it at the Zeo Mega Battlezord. The energy from the amulet hit the Zord's head. The head began to shake. "Oh no!" Tommy teleported to a safe position. The head of the Zeo Mega Battlezord exploded. "Billy! What's going on!?" Tommy yelled. "The Zord's power cores are going haywire! They're going to blow!" Billy yelled over the communicator. The two Zords fell apart. Each hit the ground, shook, and exploded. "Aw man! At least we have the Super Zeo Zords!"

The Super Zeo Megazord carried the station to the center of the solar system, the sun. "Okay guys! Let's put this thing out!" Trey, commanding, stated. The Super Zeo Megazord threw the station into the sun...and was carried with it. "Oh, great!" Trey yelled. "What is it?!" Adam yelled. "A magnetic trap. We're going to be melted with the Megazord if we stay in it! Let's go!" The Rangers teleported to Earth. The Super Zeo Megazord fell into the sun with the station.

Trey and the other Rangers materialized in the center of Angel Grove, right near Zolkan. "So, you found me. Ha!" Trey raised his staff and opened the guard. "GOLD RUSH!" Trey fired blasts at Zolkan, who fell to the ground. The amulet melted. "Oh well." Trey powered down from Gold Ranger and took out a dagger. "Zolkan, "Emperor", do you surrender to the true ruler of Triforia?" Zolkan chuckled. "Why don't you just kill me?" "Because I heard about your vigorous reproductive cells. I know you have an heir on the way, and I'm not too keen on him replacing me." "Do you know who the mother is?" Zolkan snapped. "Yes, I do. And, regardless of how you violated her, my sister will not bear the new Emperor." Zolkan snarled. "You idiot. She is to be my wife." "WAS, Zolkan." Trey stated. "WAS." Zolkan sighed. "It was fun. I will give you your throne...if I live to marry my love." Trey nodded. "I give you the throne of Triforia. You have won it honorably in battle, Trey, of the Royal Line of Trifora, First Breed of Triforia." Trey's dagger entered Zolkan's heart. "Thanks." Trey snarled. "What?!" the Rangers yelled. "He will not marry my sister. He will not live, that traitor. Thank you, Rangers, for everything."

Tommy, in full spandex, and Prince Gasket, scavenged the Machine Skybase. "So, what now?" Gasket chuckled. "I will return to the Machine Homeworld, and prepare for an alliance with the Eltarian Federate. But, it will be hard. Many in the government still support my father's path of evil. But, they will learn. I hope." Gasket sighed. "Did you hear about Triforia?" "Yes. It withdrew from the Federate. I wonder why?" "Because the new Emperor didn't want an alliance. Isn't it weird? Zolkan, who was our enemy, wanted to stay in the Federate and aid us, even though he wanted our powers to make an alliance with Zedd to stay off Triforia. Trey, who we thought was our greatest friend, withdraws from us completely and threatens attack if we come near Triforia. Just goes to show you, no one is who they seem. That goes for you too, Gasket." "Thank you, Thomas. You know, I...what is that?!" The two heard weak crying from a pile of scrap. "Come on!" Gasket and Tommy pulled the scrap off of the source of the sound...a tiny mechanical baby. "I don't believe it. This is my...brother." "I thought that was Sprocket." said Tommy. "THAT WAS NOT A BROTHER, THAT WAS AN INSULT!!!!! Sorry, but it's true." Tommy nodded. "He's kind of cute." said Tommy. "Of course he is. He looks like me. What could be cuter than that?" Gasket chuckled. The two took the baby and went to the Command Center.

"Little Prince Buro." Archerina said as she nursed the baby. "Be careful," said Gasket. "He's been unfed for a few weeks." Gasket, who had just nursed Buro, was almost dead from energy drain. "So, what will you do with him?" Tommy asked. "Actually, we worked it out with Zordon. Buro could be taken by my father's allies, and raised to become another evil Machine King like he was. We're going to leave him with you as soon as he's recovered." "Oh. That's nice." Alpha looked at the child. "I always wanted a child, you know. I also wanted a wife, but, oh well, I can't have everything." "Actually, Alpha," Gasket weakly said, "We've got someone who wants to meet you." A robot with a silver head, blue faceplate, and green body (otherwise identical to Alpha) came into the Power Chamber. "Meet Alphine I. We made her for you, Alpha, and you, Rangers, in appreciation for all you've done for us." Alpha and Alphine went into a separate chamber. "Well, Machine Emperor and Empress, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!" Zordon intoned.

NOTE OF THE CARE OF MACHINE CHILDREN: "Nursing" of babies is done through ports on the bodies of both parents, like "nipples" on most other species. The ports are placed on the parents just before the child is built. However, unlike the male humanoid species, whose nipples are fairly useless, the "nipples" of Machine Denizens are usable with both sexes; in fact, males generally nurse children before females do.

NOTE ON THE ZORD DEATH SCENE: Yes, it was pointless. Yes, it was violent. Yes, it's a waste of good metal. Yes, I loved writing it. (They're getting the Turbo Zords anyway; they'll live.)