"You will show the Dark Princess some respect!" Ecliptor growled. Darkonda rolled his eyes, and bowed more deeply.

"Pleasantries don't matter at this point," Astronema said, "I only took the shields down long enough for a skeleton crew to come aboard. Now we have to disable the shields for good, so we can teleport some Quantrons over to help us scour the ship."

"We don't really need them," Elgar mentioned, "After all, there's only five Rangers to worry about."

"Four, actually," Astromena chuckled, glancing at the Simudeck gate down the hall, "The Yellow Ranger is out of our way for good."

"Then we need to find the four remaining Rangers, and secure the bridge and engineering," Darkonda said, "From either station, we can deactivate the shields and whatever other systems we want for an extended period of time."

"Excellent," Astronema said, "Darkonda, you find the bridge, and Ecliptor, you find engineering. Elgar, you find the brig, and make sure that little robot Alpha is out of commission. I'll search the ship for any more Rangers."

"Yes, Astronema," Ecliptor said, rising to his feet. He then reached out, and handed his mistress her scepter. "I thought you might like to have it."

Astronema grinned, accepting her scepter. Her eyes began to glow brightly as she strode through the hallway. Ecliptor, Darkonda, and Elgar went their own ways, making their way through the damaged vessel.

On the other side of the vessel, Carlos and TJ continued moving through the empty corridors.

"Well, Ashley's not in the medical lab," Carlos sighed, closing the door behind him as he returned to the hallway, "It looks like she hurried out of there. All the files she was studying are all over the place."

"At least the power's back on," TJ sighed, glancing back into the lab, "Maybe we can scan the ship for Ashley and Astronema? It'll be easier."

TJ walked back into the lab, and tried to turn on the computer system there. However, the keyboard sparked as he typed.

"This system's shot," he sighed, "I guess the Megaship sustained more damage during the blackout than we realized."

"There's a computer at the brig," Carlos recalled, "and that's just down the corridor. Let's check it out!"

Carlos and TJ hurried down the hall, and walked into the brig. They were surprised to see smoke pouring out of that chamber once the door opened.

"Oh no," TJ whispered, waving the smoke from his face, "This whole system suffered some kind of feedback!"

"Rrrangers," came a weak, shaky whisper from beneath a pile of sparking debris. Carlos and TJ immediately hurried to the pile, and began unearthing the individual trapped within. Carlos glanced upwards, and noticed the ceiling had caved in completely, creating the majority of the rubble that littered the brig.

"Alpha!" TJ said in relief, pulling the robot into a sitting position. Alpha shook his head, and struggled to his feet.

"Aye yi yi!" Alpha shrieked, "Thanks, guys! I thought I'd be trapped forever!"

"What happened?" Carlos asked.

"During the blackout, there were about four serious hits sustained by the Megaship," Alpha explained, "One of them sent a shockwave through the periphery systems, which ended up causing this computer station to override. It basically exploded, bringing the ceiling down with it."

"Have you seen Ashley or Astronema?" TJ asked.

"Ashley came in here right before the blackout. She went to the Simudeck to make sure Astronema was still inside, but I never heard from her again. When I tried to contact her, the whole ship blacked out."

"We'd better get to the Simudeck," Carlos said, "I doubt there's much chance Astronema is still there, but its a good place to start looking for her and Ashley."

TJ nodded, and the Blue and Black Rangers hurried to the door. TJ paused, and glanced back at Alpha. "Will you be okay?"

"I'm fine," Alpha affirmed, "I'll hold the fort over here."

"Keep in touch," Carlos recommended, and the Rangers continued down the corridor. As they moved, they heard footsteps echoing in the hall. TJ perked at the sound, and grabbed Carlos' arm, forcing the Black Ranger to stop.

"Do you hear that?" TJ whispered. Carlos listened for a moment, and then nodded.

"Could it be Ashley?" he asked. TJ frowned, and stepped closer to the corner of the wall they were leaning against. Quickly, he peeked into the connecting corridor, to see who was making the sounds. His eyes narrowed when he saw Elgar clumsily moving down the hallway, polishing his sword and muttering to himself.

"Find the robot?" he mumbled, "What kind of a pointless mission is that? And the brig? That place gives me goosebumps!"

"That sounds like Elgar," Carlos whispered in disbelief. TJ nodded.

"It is. Astronema's forces must've boarded the ship during the blackout! Who knows how many of them are aboard?"

"He's looking for Alpha," Carlos recalled, "We gotta stop him!"

"He's headed for the brig," TJ said, as both he and Carlos moved quietly back through the corridor and past the brig, "We'll wait 'til he goes in, and then surprise him."

Carlos nodded, and the two Rangers ducked around another corner. They heard Elgar's voice grow louder as he moved closer to them.

"Find the robot, find the robot," Elgar repeated with a sigh, "While Darkonda and Ecliptor get to go to the bridge and engineering?! Why do I get the feeling Astronema doesn't consider me on par with them? Hmm, must be my imagination..."

Elgar shrugged, and walked into the brig. He smirked when he saw Alpha, who was busy trying to repair the systems.

"Boo!" Elgar shrieked. Alpha screamed in surprise, and turned around.

"Elgar!" he shouted, "Oh, aye yi yi yi yi..."

Elgar unsheathed his sword, and pointed it threateningly at the small robot. "Now, what am I supposed to do with you? Astronema didn't specify."

"Uh, how about letting me go?" Alpha suggested innocently.

"Yes," said a commanding voice, "and from where I'm standing, that's the only option you have, Elgar."

Elgar whirled around in surprise, and saw Carlos and TJ standing in the entrance to the brig, both holding their Astro-Blasters with their fingers on the trigger.

"Uh..." Elgar muttered dropping his sword and raising his hands, "you got it all wrong! I'm here under coercion! Yeah, that's it! I'm only following orders."

"Stop babbling," Carlos said, stepping into the brig. He tilted his head towards the vacant detention cell. "Make yourself at home."

"Uh... okey dokey. No reason to get violent here," Elgar proclaimed, walking into the cell and sitting down on the cot where Astronema had been only hours ago. TJ and Carlos lowered their weapons, and TJ activated the energy grid.

"In the hall, Elgar said Darkonda and Ecliptor are on board, heading for the bridge and engineering," Carlos recalled aloud, "They're trying to get a foothold on the Megaship!"

"We'd better get moving," TJ said, "We need to alert Andros and Cassie that they're about to get company. Then, we head for engineering."

Carlos shook his head. "I'm gonna keep looking for Ashley. If she's in the Simudeck, she may be in trouble."

TJ nodded as the two young men hurried out of the brig. Carlos rushed down the hall to the Simudeck, while TJ moved towards the lift to take him to Deck 6, where the main engineering station was found. Once he reached the lift, he activated his communicator. "Andros? Cassie? Do you read me?"

The sound of TJ's voice stirred Cassie to consciousness. She opened her eyes groggily, and startled when she saw sparks flying from the console nearby.

Cassie tried to lift herself from the computer console she was draped upon. That's when the throbbing pain shot through her entire body, causing a groan to escape her lips. Dazed and weak, Cassie managed to push herself back into her chair and activate her wrist unit's communication function.

^Cassie?!^ TJ's voice continued, ^Was that you? Are you okay?^

"We're fine, but Darkonda got the jump on us," she said, managing to focus on TJ's voice rather than the sounds of swordplay that rocked the bridge, "Andros is holding him off, but I think he needs my help. Cassie out."

Cassie deactivated the communicator, and forced herself onto her feet. The resounding pain continued to strain her muscles, but she managed to steady herself.

It had all happened so fast. Cassie and Andros were doing their best to reboot the systems, hoping to be able to run a full scan of the ship and determine where Ashley and Astronema were located. It was then that Darkonda somehow blew in the door, and released random fire into the bridge. Consoles exploded in flames, and Cassie was struck in the back by a rebounded laser shot, throwing her into her console and promptly knocking her unconscious. She was fortunate the beam struck her on the rebound, for it likely would have killed her had it hit head-on.

From the sounds of battle, it seemed clear that Andros wasn't greatly injured by the laser volley that caught the pair by surprise. He managed to morph into the Red Astro Ranger, and was doing an excellent job warding off Darkonda. He was able to beat him back from the bridge itself into the outer room right before the lift. At least there, he wouldn't be able to damage too many systems. However, there was less room to maneuver for both combatants.

"Let's Rocket!" Cassie said, flipping open her wrist unit and pressing a sequence of buttons. In a flash of bright rose-colored light, the Pink Astro Ranger was ready for action. She immediately ran out of the bridge, and saw the Red Ranger and Darkonda engaged in a heated sword match.

"You can't beat me, little Ranger," Darkonda jeered, "I was clashing swords while you were in diapers!"

Andros didn't bother to respond to the derogation. Instead, he continued to block every swing of Darkonda's long broadsword, keeping in mind that the famed bounty hunter was quite tricky, and unbothered by the nuisance of fighting fairly.

"Now I've got ya!" Darkonda squealed, firing a stream of flames from his sword. Andros flipped out of the way, but had little room to land, considering the small size of the antechamber. As soon as he landed, Darkonda struck Andros with the blunt end of his sword in the back of his knees, forcing him to the ground. His sword poised at Andros' neck, he began to cackle.

"Poor little boy, so easily tricked. So gullible..."

Suddenly, Darkonda felt himself sliding backwards. He struggled against the pull, yet he couldn't free himself from the pink force that dragged him away from his conquest.

"I've got him in my tractor beam," Cassie said, her Satellite Stunner continuing to fire upon Darkonda. Andros rose to his feet, and lifted his Spiral Saber.

"Now, let's finish this," Andros muttered, holding his sword high.

"Wait!" Darkonda shouted, throwing his hands up in surrender, "You're not going to kill me, are you?"

Andros didn't flinch. "Why not? You're wanted for murder, theft, treason, terrorism, and hundreds of other charges on planets throughout the Milky Way. There's a price on your head, you know... but I'll take care of it for free."

"But, if you kill me, you'll never know what happened to Kerone," Darkonda pointed out, a grin on his demonic face.

Andros shuddered in surprise. "...what?"

"Come on, by now you've realized Astronema isn't your sister. She's played you for a fool. And as for the necklace... I'm the one that provided it to enhance the illusion."

Andros' surprise quickly transformed into blinding ire. "Where did you get it?!"

"You'll never know if you kill me."

Then, Darkonda began to laugh mockingly. Cassie gazed at the creature, and then at Andros, in confusion and worry. Although his helmet hid his features, Cassie could tell Andros was enraged by the back-stabbing felon.

The laugh echoed in his skull, as if it were a hundred times louder than it actually was. The laugh of triumph, of cruelty and evil, without sympathy. Reveling in the torment of others. He realized he had heard this very same laughter years ago, in a moment of heart-wrenching emotional pain.

"It was you!!" Andros suddenly shrieked, his grip tightening on his saber, "You kidnapped my sister!! Didn't you?!"

Darkonda grinned. "Well, I don't want to incriminate myself..."

"Where is she?" Andros demanded in an impassioned voice, "If you don't tell me--"

"Andros!" Cassie suddenly shouted, "Look out!!"

Andros whirled around in surprise, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid the streak of purple lightning that struck him on the side, throwing him through the doorway into the bridge. Cassie gasped as Astronema walked off the lift, her scepter sparking with energy.

"Nice timing," Darkonda commented, "I'd bow, but I'm unable to control my muscles, at the moment."

Astronema's icy gaze turned to Cassie, who was still holding the Satellite Stunner to encase Darkonda in an inhibiting field of pink energy. She was forced to drop the shield as she threw herself into the bridge, narrowly missing the lavender lightning that struck the ground she was standing on before.

Scrambling to her feet, Cassie raced to the door itself, and smashed her fist into the emergency lock button. The door sealed closed, keeping Astronema and Darkonda outside.

Cassie then pulled herself to her feet, and turned to the door. She knew it wouldn't be able to keep Astronema and Darkonda out of the bridge for long, but everything counted on keeping the Megaship out of Astronema's control.

"DECA," Cassie heard from behind the door, "open the door, please."

Cassie gasped in horror when she heard her own voice disregard her former order. Somehow, Astronema mimicked her voice perfectly.

"Gotta keep them out," she decided, pulling her Astro-Blaster from her holster. She held her weapon poised, ready to fire the instant the door cracked open. To her surprise, it never did.

^DECA is currently offline. Please wait for system realignment.^

Cassie sighed in relief. For the moment, she and Andros were safe. However, not having DECA could pose problems later on.

She barely holstered the weapon before a resounding shockwave shook the entire bridge, accompanied by a resonating clang.

"They're breaking in," she gasped, pulling her helmet off. She raced back into the bridge, and checked on Andros, who was finally orienting himself after his flight through the room.

"Astronema and Darkonda are in the antechamber," she explained, pulling the Red Ranger to his feet, "They're trying to break in."

"All this time," Andros whispered, "Darkonda had kidnapped Kerone..."

Cassie's eyes flared with impatience. "Andros, we don't have time to reflect on that now! We need to figure out how to get out of here alive! And we need to regroup."

Andros nodded, and pulled his helmet off. He rubbed his sore forehead, his eyes narrowed in thought. "What systems aren't operational?"

Cassie raced to her console. "Engines are fried, no internal or external teleportation or communication, no internal sensors, and DECA's program is compromised."

Cassie blinked in surprise. "According to the energy readouts, the only systems functioning within normal parameters are life support, environment, the shields, and... the Simudeck."

"The Simudeck?" Andros repeated, "Can you shut it off?"

"Not from here," Cassie said in frustration, typing commands furiously, "The remote system's malfunctioning."

"DECA?!" Andros called, raising his head to the small projector that served as the DECA interface on the bridge.

^DECA is currently offline. Please wait for system realignment.^

"Damn," Cassie swore, "Who knows how long it'll take DECA to realign? We have to do everything manually."

Andros stared at the sealed door as the pounding continued. "You and I can evacuate the ship via the Galaxy Glider jump tubes, but the others would still be trapped, and that leaves the Megaship in Astronema's hands."

"Then we need to get everyone off the ship," Cassie said, "but how?"

"The shuttle bay," Andros said, "It's on the lowest deck. Hopefully TJ, Carlos, and Ashley can reach it."

"But what about Astronema and her forces?"

Andros frowned, his fists clenched tightly. "I just don't know."

His blood boiling, the Black Ranger continued firing his Astro-Blaster/Lunar Lance combination at the gate to the Simudeck. He held the weapon on prolonged fire for nearly a minute, until the red overheat warning light flashed. Infuriated, Carlos deactivated the laser.

He heard growling within. It was something like a wolf's howl, mixed with a lion's predatory roar. It was strange and blood-curdling, and the young Ranger couldn't place what kind of beast could make that sound. But whatever it was, Carlos was convinced it wasn't friendly.

Carlos disconnected the Astro-Blaster from the Lunar Lance, and holstered the pistol in his belt. Gripping the pole arm with both hands, he hacked at the door as if his weapon were a hammer, mustering all his strength for each blow. He didn't let it hinder him when he noticed all his efforts barely made a dent in the reinforced steel of the door.

"Ah!" he heard from within the Simudeck. A cold chill engulfed him as he wondered what that meant.

"Ashe?!" he called, stopping his brutal attack on the door for a moment, "Can you hear me?"

"Carlos?" she responded, her voice just loud enough for Carlos to perceive through the thick door, "Get me outta here!!"

"I'm working on it," he said with determination, "Just... hold on."

Finally deciding to stop hammering the door, he stepped back and reflected upon his options. Several times he asked DECA to open the door or to end the program, but for some reason DECA wasn't operating properly. He also tried to open the door using the panel on the outside of the Simudeck, but there was some kind of system lockout preventing him from altering the program.

Maybe I can somehow cut the power? he asked himself, grabbing the panel and pulling it off. Sparks flew as the wires and circuit boards behind the panel were exposed. It was then that the Black Ranger realized how complicated the electrical circuitry was aboard the Megaship.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted, tossing down the panel in frustration. An idea then struck him, and he began bounding down the hallway towards the brig.

"Carlos?" Ashley cried, flipping to the side just in time to avoid receiving another deep wound, "Carlos?! Hurry up!!"

Panic began to settle in once again, as she began to wonder if her friend had abandoned her. He wouldn't give up, would he?

No, she decided, Carlos would never leave me behind.

Somewhat heartened by that conclusion, she dodged the Wolverine's claw, grabbed its wrist as it passed her helmet, and while holding it steady, she delivered two powerful front kicks to its ribcage. The Wolverine cried out in pain, and she then tossed it into the two Wolverines that approached her.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Ashley backed away as the three creatures regained their bearings. After battling these deadly monsters for what seemed like hours, she was slowly learning how they fought and moved. Still, for every mistake she made, she received a painful blow.

The problem was, every time a Wolverine was destroyed, another took its place. That's how the Simudeck's practice programs function: a certain number of opponents at a time, without an end until the program is shut off. She was fortunate that the Simudeck was programmed for three opponents, rather than a higher number.

Still, three Vermillion Wolverines at a time was still more than Ashley thought she could handle for long.

A burning pain ran throughout her body, each time a single muscle moved. But that didn't stop Ashley from moving, for idleness would surely mark her death.

Her entire uniform was blotched red with her blood, flowing from many wounds. Most of them were superficial, but a few were very deep. It was a wonder that Ashley was able to move. Only the Power could protect her in that way, coupled with the sustenance of determination.

The Wolverines decided then to attack her from all angles at once. They'd tried that tactic earlier, and while Ashley managed to ward off two, the third sunk its claws into her shoulders, and tossed her through the artificial jungle, crashing her head into a tree upon landing. If she hadn't been quick to pick up a tree branch that fell from the tree as she impacted, she wouldn't have been able to hold the creature off as it tried to take advantage of her disorientation.

This time, however, Ashley wasn't going to let them trick her. She waited, her knees bent to maintain perfect balance, and her left hand tightly holding her Star Slinger. The instant the beasts pounced, Ashley shifted her weight to her left leg, pushing off and spinning on her right foot like an ice skater. As she spun, she fired her weapon in all directions, the roars of pain from her victims bringing a smile of success to her sweaty face. She stopped spinning, and looked around. The three Wolverines were slowly vanishing into nothing, meaning the next batch would be arriving soon. Also, the artificial forest that served as the background was on fire.

"Uh oh," she muttered, realizing she had trapped herself in a holographic forest fire, "this program is a little too realistic for my tastes!"

In addition, three new Wolverines leapt from the burning trees, landing in a row in front of Ashley. She was so startled by their sudden appearance that she was totally defenseless, leaving herself open for a savage swing that dug into her stomach and swept across her entire midsection. Ashley choked in surprise and pain, and collapsed to the ground. She tried to keep her eyes open, but as she saw the monsters close in for the kill, her determination faded, and she awaited the inevitable.

It never came.

"Ashley!" Carlos voice rang, bringing Ashley to force her eyes open. To her astonishment, the burning forest was gone, and the Wolverines had vanished as well. All she saw was the black and green grid of the Simudeck's walls, until the Black Ranger rushed into her field of vision, tearing off his helmet and gazing at her worriedly. She discerned the panic in Carlos' dark eyes, and the sweat on his face.

Ashley was ready to make some wry comment, but she couldn't force air through her lungs. Instead, her mouth moved slightly, and her eyes fluttered closed.

"No!" Carlos ordered, holding her face between his hands, "Stay awake, Ashe! Keep your eyes on me!! Look at me!!"

"Aye yi yi!" Alpha shrieked, kneeling beside Ashley on the other side, "It's a good thing we managed to cut off the power to the Simudeck when we did!"

"Alpha," Carlos gasped, turning to the robot, "we have to get her to the med lab!"

"Contact Andros first," Alpha decided, opening his chest plate and pulling out a small scanner, "I'll start registering her wounds. I have one with me all the time, just in case."

Carlos nodded, and activated his communicator. He had to force himself to remain calm in order to inform Andros what had happened.

As Andros and Cassie continued skimming through the ship's internal offensive programs, the sound of the communicator cut through the continuing clanging of Astronema and Darkonda on the bridge door.

"Andros here."

^Andros, it's Carlos! We got Ashley out of the Simudeck, but she's hurt pretty badly.^

Cassie looked up in horror, and met Andros' shocked gaze.

"How is she?" he demanded.

^I don't know, but the Simudeck was running without the safeties, with program level Sigma.^

Andros' jaw dropped, and he immediately stood up. "What?!"

"What's Sigma?" Cassie wanted to know. For the time being, Andros ignored the question.

"Get her to the shuttle, Carlos," Andros ordered, "and stabilize her in the infirmary. We're evacuating the Megaship."

^What? But we can't let--^

"We won't," Andros cut him off, "Just get yourself and Ashley out of harm's way."

"Where's TJ?" Cassie asked into Andros' communicator.

^He's in engineering.^

^Aye yi yi!^ Alpha shrieked over the communicator, ^What about me?^

Andros' eyes narrowed in thought. "Go with him, Alpha, and help him take care of Ashley."

^You got it!^

Andros turned off his communicator, and folded his arms over his chest. Cassie rose from her seat, and stood beside the pensive Red Ranger.

"Andros, we're running out of time," she said as gently as she could, "Darkonda and Astronema are breaking through!"

Andros nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We need to get Astronema and her gang off the Megaship. If we abandon the ship with them on it, we'll seal Earth's fate."

"Aren't there any emergency systems to fight off invasion?" Cassie asked.

"Almost every program is compromised," Andros reminded her, "All we have are shields, which are barely functioning enough to defend against anything, and the life support and environmental controls."

"Environmental controls," Cassie repeated. Her eyes lit up with inspiration. "Andros, do you think we can run an infestation sweep? Like the one you ran to rid the ship of alien bacteria?"

"If the environmental controls are functioning, it shouldn't be a problem," Andros said. A smile began to tug on his placid face. "Of course! The chemical is poisonous! It should be able to force Astronema off the ship!"

Andros grabbed Cassie's shoulders in excitement. "You're brilliant!"

Cassie shrugged, "Well, I won't argue that."

Andros immediately returned to his station, and began pressing buttons on the computer. However, before he could even open up the environmental controls system, a huge explosion threw the door into the bridge, smashing into a panel alongside the wall and causing it to explode into a powerful fire. Andros and Cassie backed away, and saw Astronema and Darkonda board the bridge.

"Nice try," Astronema said dismissively, pointing her staff at the two Rangers, "but not good enough. Now the Megaship's mine!!"

Cassie and Andros threw themselves to the ground as streams of purple lightning flew over their heads. They rolled behind a console to take cover.

"We can't get to the controls," Cassie whispered, "Now what do we do?"

Andros nodded. "We're not finished yet. There's a control panel in engineering, too."

Cassie smiled with understanding. "We need to reach TJ!"

"Let's get off the bridge first," he said, pulling his Astro-Blaster from its holster. He peeked out from the side of the console, and fired an array of laser beams at Astronema and Darkonda, forcing them to take cover themselves. The Red and Pink Rangers saw their opportunity, and hurried to the Galaxy Glider launch tubes. Andros holstered his weapon, and together the two Rangers leapt through their tubes.

"Cowards," Darkonda huffed, standing up and brushing the dust from himself, "Couldn't meet their fate."

"Those who fight and run away live to fight another day," Astronema reminded him, taking a seat in the center chair on the bridge, "They'll be back."

The Blue Ranger braced himself as a metal column crashed into his body, throwing him into the wall. He pushed the heavy object off and raised his Astro Axe to meet Ecliptor's huge saber at a comfortable distance from his head. Still, TJ couldn't muster the strength to push Ecliptor off him.

"Surrender, and I will make your end quick and painless," Ecliptor breathed, pushing down against TJ's weapon with all his strength.

"I don't much like those terms," TJ countered, grinding his teeth with exertion.

TJ was, to put it mildly, disappointed with himself. He had decided to go to the engineering complex on Deck 6 to stop whatever villain was attempting to sabotage all the Megaship's systems. Unfortunately, by the time he got there, Ecliptor had already managed to somehow re-route DECA's energy input to the Simudeck, increasing the power output of that secondary system to allow it to continue to function despite the ship being in a state of emergency. TJ couldn't understand why Ecliptor would want the Simudeck to be operating optimally, but a nagging feeling convinced him it had something to do with the missing Yellow Ranger.

Not only did Ecliptor disrupt DECA, he also completely destroyed the teleportation and communications systems. The only way for any of the Rangers to contact one another would be their independent wrist units, which didn't rely on the Megaship for power.

"If you do not surrender, you will suffer insurmountable pain," Ecliptor warned, forcing the blade ever closer to TJ's blue helmet.

TJ continued to fight off Ecliptor's weapon by holding his axe perpendicular to the huge saber. Once he felt he couldn't hold off Ecliptor's superior strength a moment longer, he tilted his axe, causing the saber to slide off to the side. TJ immediately rose to his feet and delivered a powerful roundhouse to Ecliptor, knocking him onto his stomach and causing his sword to fall from his grasp. Yet Ecliptor was far from disarmed. He turned his head around, and fired twin beams of energy from his eyes. The beams smashed into TJ's chest, throwing the Blue Astro Ranger off the raised platform portion of engineering and into the lower portion. With a groan of pain, TJ rolled out of the way of the follow up blast, and took cover behind a work bench that stored a variety of tools.

"Stop firing!" TJ shrieked, "You'll blow us all to bits!!"

"I know what I'm doing," Ecliptor snapped, almost insulted by the lack of foresight TJ attributed him.

TJ backed away, taking a moment to catch his breath. Ecliptor didn't see exactly where he was hiding, but it wouldn't take long before Astronema's head sentinel would track him down. As he tried to figure out a strategy, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the four other Astro Rangers.

^TJ!^ a voice called from his wrist. TJ jumped in surprise at the intensity of the communicator's volume, and covered the speaker with his hand, praying Ecliptor didn't hear it. He then lowered the volume to a whisper, hoping the enhanced hearing that came with the Ranger helmet would be more acute than Ecliptor's.

"What is it, Andros?" he whispered, "Where are you?"

^Cassie and I are on our Galaxy Gliders. Astronema and Darkonda took the bridge, and we had to get out of there. Ashley, Alpha, and Carlos are in the shuttle on the lower deck.^

TJ blinked in surprise. "We're retreating?!"

^No. We're getting everyone off the ship. TJ, since you're in engineering, it's up to you to activate the infestation sweep. It'll fill the entire ship with a powerful toxin that no life form that breathes oxygen could possibly endure. And make sure you turn off the shields, so the shuttle can leave the docking bay. Galaxy Gliders are tuned to pass through the Megaship's shields, but the shuttle can't.^

"You're assuming that Astronema and company need to breathe," TJ noted.

^Very few species can exist without air, TJ. Besides, if they didn't need air, it's safe to assume that they would have exploited their advantage by destroying the environmental controls. But they didn't-- the ECs are one of the only systems operating correctly. It can't be a coincidence.^

"Stop hiding, Blue Ranger!!" Ecliptor's voice called, ringing in TJ's ear, "You're only delaying the inevitable! My Princess has taken the bridge! The Megaship is in our control!!"

"Where is the EC console?" TJ whispered.

^Across from the hyperspeed core, right next to the communicator panel. You can't miss it. All you need to do is type in the words Infestation Sweep--1 and place your thumb on the screen for fingerprint ID. Since you're an Astro Ranger, you can access that program.^

"Got it."

TJ deactivated his communicator, and pulled his white glove back over his wrist. However, before he could rise to his feet, two strong arms reached behind the work table and grabbed his upper arms, yanking him from his hiding spot. TJ gasped in surprise, and struggled as Ecliptor held him suspended at arm's length.

"The true hunter always catches his prey," Ecliptor breathed, his grip tightening on TJ's arms, "Now, where were we? Ah yes..."

Ecliptor walked to the nearby row of metal lockers, and slammed TJ into their unhindering doors. He continued to smash TJ's back and head against the lockers until one particularly brutal thrust threw the limp Blue Ranger into the lockers, knocking them down in the process. Ecliptor chuckled when he saw TJ sprawled out bonelessly atop the bent and crushed metal, and looked around for his sword to finish the job. Unfortunately, he had carelessly left it on the second tier of the engineering room. He grunted angrily.

"Don't go anywhere," he said, turning to retrieve his sword. After only a few yards, he heard an echoing voice in his head.

*Ecliptor, did you deal with the remaining Rangers? The Red and Pink ones have abandoned the ship.*

The Blue Ranger is just about taken care of, my Princess, and engineering is secured.

*Excellent. Now that Darkonda and I have secured the bridge, I want you to restore the controls to this station. Also, I want the internal scanners back online, so we can find the missing Black Ranger more easily. Have you heard anything from Elgar?*

No, I have not. Still, even he is no doubt capable of restraining an Alpha-class robot. King Lexian's robots were made as assistants, not warriors.

*We'll worry about that later. Get the scanners operating, so we can find Elgar and Alpha 5 as well.*

Your will be done, my Princess.

While Ecliptor was out of earshot, busy in telepathic communication with Astronema, a small robot crept onto the scene, and managed to quietly drag TJ's prone body off the lockers and behind a protective row of consoles. Once the were securely hidden, he pulled off TJ's helmet, and began running a quick scan to determine the Blue Ranger's condition.

Soon, TJ's dark eyes fluttered open, and he practically jumped in surprise.

"Alpha," he whispered, sitting up and holding his head, "What happened?"

"Carlos and I were on the shuttle, tending to Ashley's wounds," the robot responded, "Once we had the regenerative program functioning, Cassie had contacted us from outside the Megaship, asking us to keep an eye on you. I watched the scanners in the shuttle, since those work, and I noticed that you and Ecliptor were basically on top of each other. Carlos and I decided that it would be best for me to get back on board, since I know how the Megaship operates, and since I'm a robot, the infestation sweep won't affect me."

"We're going to leave you on board?!" TJ said in shock. Alpha nodded.

"Astronema and her goons won't have time to worry about me. They'll have to abandon the ship. And once they're gone, I can reactivate the shields in case the Dark Fortress or those Velocifighters decide to retaliate. The only reason why they're not firing is because Astronema's on board."

TJ nodded, and clasped his helmet back on. "I'll keep Ecliptor busy, while you activate the infestation sweep, and lower the deflector shields."

"I'll page you when the sweep is activated. You'll have no more than five minutes to get to the shuttle before the toxins start filling the ship. Carlos gave me his communicator, since he can use the shuttle's systems to keep in contact with everyone."

Alpha helped TJ to his feet. "Are you going to be alright?"

The Blue Ranger nodded. "Just hurry up. Ecliptor's not a pushover, you know."

Gripping his saber tightly, Ecliptor returned to where he had left the Blue Ranger, expecting him to still be completely unconscious and defenseless upon the lockers. That would make the final kill swift and easy. Yet, to his surprise, he was gone.

"What?!" Ecliptor roared angrily. He spun around in a full circle, watching and listening for any sounds. Where could the lone Ranger have hidden himself so quickly? He was out cold!

Unless... the boy played 'possum, Ecliptor thought bitterly, Perhaps I have underestimated his resourcefulness...

"Coward!!" Ecliptor shouted into the apparently empty engineering complex.

"The Astro Rangers aren't cowards," came an invisible voice, "Not one of them."

Ecliptor followed the sound of the response with his eyes. The electrical door separating engineering from the hallway parted, revealing the Blue Ranger, his Astro Blaster at the ready. As soon as the door parted enough, he let loose on his laser weapon, firing a hail of blue energy at the evil warrior. Ecliptor instinctively rolled out of the way, and blocked the few blasts that almost hit him once he stabilized himself on his knees. Then, the door closed again.

Growling with rage, Ecliptor bounded after the Blue Ranger. Once he was outside the engineering complex, he noticed the Blue Ranger leaning against the wall casually, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Sheesh," TJ quipped, "you're slower than molasses! Even Elgar would've caught me by now."

TJ quickly pushed himself off the wall, narrowly missing energy beams from Ecliptor's gleaming eyes. His Astro Axe again at the ready, TJ deflected Ecliptor's introductory swing, and a match quite similar to the one they faced at their first encounter ensued.

"Fool," Ecliptor grunted, knocking the axe away with a particularly enforced downward thrust, "You've just sealed your fate."

TJ bent to retrieve the fallen weapon, only to meet Ecliptor's foot halfway down. The ferocious kick to the head sent TJ's head back in a whiplash fashion, and threw him several feet down the hallway.

"Oooh," TJ groaned, "that's gonna hurt in the morning..."

"As far as you're concerned, there won't be a morning," Ecliptor declared, slowly moving towards the disoriented Blue Ranger for the final attack. However, before he even reached him, TJ's communicator sounded.

^It's done, TJ, ^ Alpha's voice stated. Ecliptor blinked, lowering his sword.

What has been done? he pondered, his focus on TJ dispersing almost instantaneously. Suddenly, another voice entered his thoughts.

*Its about time.*

What do you mean, my Princess?

*You finally managed to get the shields down, that's what! But I wanted the scanners to be activated first, so we could figure out exactly where the remaining Rangers are hiding.*

The shields are down?! Ecliptor repeated, abandoning TJ and hurrying back towards engineering. However, when he got there, the doors wouldn't open.

"Who's in there?!" he demanded, banging his clenched fist against the metal gate. His efforts increased when he received no answer.

Not far away, TJ once again snapped back to reality.

"Man, this is really one hell of a day," he groaned, straightening his back. He rubbed his neck painfully as he made his way back down the hall to retrieve his Astro Axe. Once he found it, he gripped it tightly in his right hand, and raced through the halls. As he moved, he activated his communicator again.

"Alpha, this is TJ! Come in!"

^Alpha here,^ he responded, ^Aye yi yi! You had me worried when you didn't answer me before!^

"I'm okay. How about you?"

^The shields are down, and there are about four minutes left before the toxins start pumping. Since DECA's offline, there isn't going to be a warning recording playing through the ship, so Astronema and her crew are going to have a big surprise! Also, I think Ecliptor is still banging on the engineering door.^

"He can't get in fast enough," TJ asserted, "I'm coming up to the lift now."

TJ stepped into the lift, and pressed the button to shut the door. His finger hovered over the key to the first deck, where the shuttle was waiting, but then a thought came to his mind.

"Elgar!" he gasped, "He's still in the brig! And if there's no warning, no one will think to get to him in time!"

^Aye yi yi!^ Alpha shrieked, ^You don't have time to go get him, TJ! You only have about three minutes left!^

"I can't leave him to die, Alpha," TJ proclaimed, "and I doubt Astronema will risk her life to save him. And with Ecliptor banging down your door, you can't get to the brig anyway. I've got to give him a chance to escape with his life."

TJ pressed the button for deck 2, and waited impatiently for the lift to reach it.

"Alpha, contact Carlos and tell him I'm on my way, but I'm making a stop on deck 2 first, okay?"

^You got it! Alpha out!^

In outer space, about a quarter of a mile distance from the Megaship, the Pink and Red Astro Rangers wait on their Galaxy Gliders for the shuttle to appear.

"I'm worried," Cassie said quietly, her arms folded tightly over her chest, "I mean, how long can it take for TJ to get the program running and get off the ship?"

"Relax," Andros said, less assurance in his voice than he had intended, "Alpha went after him. He'll be fine."

"And what about Ashley?" Cassie pressed, "Can Carlos tend to her, and get the shuttle ready for departure, all by himself?"

His red helmet hid the tears in his eyes from his companion. Andros could barely keep himself from screaming in lament for how terrible the situation was. And it was entirely his fault. Just like when his sister was abducted, and when his planet was destroyed.

Suffering that could have been avoided... had he acted.

"I'm not waiting any longer," Andros decided, activating his communicator, "Carlos, do you read?"

After a short silence, the other end picked up. ^Carlos here.^

"Where's TJ?"

^Alpha said he's going to free Elgar, who we imprisoned in the brig earlier.^

Cassie startled. "What?! Is he nuts?!"

^If Elgar's stuck on the ship with the toxins, he'll end up dead,^ Carlos reminded the Pink Ranger.

"Then the program's activated?" Andros inquired.

^Yes, and the shields are down. TJ's got about... two and a half minutes to get onto the ship before the toxins start pouring into the hallways.^

"Andros," Cassie said quietly, "what happens if he can't make it out? He's wearing his helmet, so he should be okay. Right?"

"There's a limit to how long a Ranger's helmet can supply air for him to breathe, but I doubt he'll be in there that long. However, so long as he's in there, the shuttle can't depart, and then we can't get the shields back up. I'm positive the Velocifighters will retaliate once Astronema and her gang are off the Megaship, and without the shields, the Megaship's a sitting duck."

"Then there's no other choice," Cassie said, turning her own communicator on, "Carlos, launch the ship."

^But TJ will be stuck--^

"No, I'll pick him up with my Galaxy Glider. At least that way, we can save time. I can go find him inside the Megaship, instead of waiting for him."

"Cassie, maneuvering a Galaxy Glider through the narrow hallways of the Megaship isn't easy," Andros pointed out, "I've been using the gliders longer than you have--"

"Save it," Cassie said, leaning forward on her glider to accelerate, "Besides, Carlos will probably need help with Ashley, and I don't know the first thing about the shuttle's infirmary."

Carlos deactivated the communication display inside the infirmary, and took a quick glance at Ashley. She was still unconscious, but at least the bleeding had stopped. Immediately after he and Alpha had arrived at the shuttle, they carried the unconscious Yellow Ranger to the infirmary. While morphed, Ashley's body was fed with energy keeping her moving. However, once the morph was canceled to tend to her wounds, they realized just how bad her injuries were. Her condition was critical, for broken bones, punctured organs, and a massive loss of blood. Carlos' main concern was keeping more blood from flowing, and so he sterilized and wrapped her wounds, and placed her under the dermal regenerator Alpha had pointed out. He wasn't sure what else to do, so he spend most of the time holding her hand and talking to her, hoping he'd somehow hear what he was saying.

Now he had to leave her, to launch the shuttle. It wouldn't take more than a minute or two, yet he found it hard to part from her, especially since no one else was there to watch her. Anything could happen in two minutes, considering her fragile condition.

Hurrying through the narrow passage, Carlos climbed up the ladder leading him to the main bridge of the shuttle. He strapped himself in, and activated the engines.

"Okay, I'm opening the docking doors," he said to himself, pressing a sequence of buttons. The doors swung open, depressurizing the room and opening the bay to the vacuum of space. Carlos then hit the engines, sending the shuttle into outer space.

^Carlos,^ Andros' voice said over the communicator, ^bring the ship to my position. Once we get Cassie and TJ aboard, we'll hide out in the shadow of the moon until the Dark Fortress departs. There's no way the shuttle can stand up to a squad of Velocifighters.^

"I'm coming your way," Carlos said, typing in Andros' coordinates. On the viewscreen, which was set to magnification, he saw Andros suspended on his glider. Carlos brought the ship to a halt, and waited for the leader of the Astro Rangers to come aboard. Moments later, the Red Ranger walked onto the bridge, tearing off his helmet.

"Okay, what condition is the shuttle in?" he asked.

"Systems are all up and running," Carlos responded, rising to his feet, "Fortunately it wasn't damaged during the Velocifighters' assault."

"Good," he sighed, walking toward the main sensor bank, "Now we can keep an eye on the Megaship and keep a reading of the life forms aboard. Once TJ and Cassie are in the shuttle, we can activate our own deflectors, and once the Megaship's abandoned, Alpha can activate the main deflectors until we're able to board her again."

Andros pursed his lips, and turned around to face Carlos. "How... how's Ashley?"

Carlos took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "I... I really don't know. I mean, she's not getting any worse, which is always a good sign, but so far she's not really getting better. She hasn't woken up yet."

Andros nodded, rolling down his glove. He pressed the de-morph sequence on his morpher, reverting him back into his silver and red space suit. He then walked past Carlos, and climbed down the ladder leading to the middle deck. Carlos followed, and the two young men entered the infirmary.

"Where have you guys been?" came a weak voice from the bed, "It's altogether too quiet in here."

"Ashe!" Carlos exclaimed, hurrying to her side and smiling down at her. She did her best to smile back.

"What's going on?" Ashley whispered, her voice little more than an exhalation.

"Everything's going to be fine," Andros said, slowly crossing the room, "Cassie and TJ are on their way, and pretty soon Astronema, Darkonda, Ecliptor, and Elgar will be on their way home."

"How are you feeling?" Carlos asked. He immediately realized how lame a question it was to someone just inches from the brink of death.

"Well, I'm in one piece," she remarked, her nose scrunching slightly with pain as she tried to raise her head. She lowered it back down into the pillow. "Sort of."

"You'll be fine," Carlos said, echoing Andros' words from before. He gentle squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Thanks to you," Ashley added, a small smile on her face, "Thanks for getting me out of that Simudeck. I just never realized how dangerous holograms could be."

"Don't mention it."

Andros felt his throat close up when he heard Ashley give Carlos her gratitude. It was Carlos' action that saved her life, but it was his own bad judgement that got her in trouble in the first place.

Why was it that every plan he'd ever had led to a friend's pain? Andros searched his heart for an answer, but he couldn't find one.

Cassie leaned back, slowing the pink Galaxy Glider right before it crashed into the end of the hallway. Veering to the right, she turned the corner, and leaned forward again to accelerate.

She had never realized just how difficult it was to fly the glider with real precision, considering she usually had the limitless void of the spaceways to travel through.

She had finally reached the second deck, where the brig was located. After she flew into the docking bay and repressurized it so she could continue into the rest of the Megaship, the challenge began. Flying through hallways was nearly impossible, and stopping on a dime was even more so. The greatest difficulty was getting into a lift to get her onto the second deck, but she somehow managed. She was persistent enough, since her friend's life was on the line.

As she streaked through the empty halls, she noticed white smoke leaking through the vent. She gasped when she realized what it was.

"The purifying gas! Oh no, I'm out of time!"

Cassie was tempted to speed up, but considering how difficult controlling the glider was at a medium speed, steering at a higher speed would be nearly impossible.

"TJ!" she shouted into her communicator for what felt like the hundredth time, "TJ, answer me!!"

Her muscles tensing, she changed the frequency of her communicator, this time to page Andros' communicator.

^Andros here.^

"Andros, TJ's still not answering, and I can't find him! Can you pinpoint his location with the shuttle's sensors?"

^I'm on it, Cassie. Just a moment.^

Cassie continued streaking through empty halls as Andros busily located the missing Blue Ranger.

^He's down the hall from the brig, toward the lift.^ There was an unsettling pause. ^He's not moving.^

Cassie's jaw set, and she continued through the halls. The gas was quickly clouding her view, making it even more difficult to steer within the ship. Still, she didn't let that stop her.

After a little longer, she heard a distinctive groan from ahead.

"TJ!!" she cried as loudly as she could, "Is that you?!"

"Cassie," he answered weakly.

Cassie came to a stop, and jumped off her glider, letting it hover in the hallway. She found TJ leaning against a wall unsteadily.

"What happened to you?" she asked, throwing his arm over her shoulder to help him move quickly.

"After I released Elgar, he blindsided me," TJ admitted, rather sheepishly.

"Elgar got the jump on you?!" Cassie exclaimed in disbelief as the pair climbed onto the pink Galaxy Glider.

"Yeah. I know I'm never gonna live this down. I really didn't think he would turn on me seconds after I saved his life!"

"That's gratitude for you," Cassie remarked, "That's what you get for being a good Samaritan."

"No, that's why I'm a hero," he responded, "And believe it or not, I'm positive you would have done the same if you were in my situation. Wouldn't you?"

Cassie sighed inwardly. "I guess I would. But enough of that now. We've gotta get off this ship!"

Meanwhile, inside the Megaship, Astronema busily reverts her hair from it's brownish shade to her signature lavender color. Once she is done restyling her hair, she taps her foot impatiently.

"Oh, forget it," she muttered, rising to her feet, "Darkonda, prepare to send in some Quantrons. They'll find the Power Rangers, even though the scanners aren't working."

"Astronema," he said quietly, stepping away from his station with his eyes locked on a small vent in front of him, "something's not right with the air ventilation."

"What do you mean?" she asked, following his gaze. She puzzled over the white substance that was quickly filling the bridge.

"What.. what is--" she started, right before her first inhalation of the substance. She immediately fell into a fit of coughs, her lungs and throat trying desperately to remove the burning substance from within her.

"Astronema?" Darkonda said, waving the mist from his face. He felt the burning in his organs, but it wasn't as powerful a reaction as that of the dark princess. He watched her as she fell to her knees, weakened by the hacking coughs that racked her entire body.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not dying over this little game," he muttered, his body vanishing from the bridge. Hatred glinted in Astronema's watery eyes when she noticed her associate had abandoned her. However it didn't last long, as Astronema quickly passed out due to oxygen deprivation.

"My... Princess!" Ecliptor choked, rushing into the bridge. He stared around the fog, and lifted the limp villainess into his arms. He then continued to scan the bridge.

"Well, you got Astronema," Elgar said, following Ecliptor into the bridge, "but... where's Darkonda?"

Ecliptor frowned deeply. "He ran for his life, leaving Astronema behind. He shall pay for that!!"

Aboard the shuttle, TJ and Cassie watch the Megaship on the viewscreen while keeping the ship a few miles from it. A grin crept on Cassie's face as she glanced on the scanners that were programmed to monitor life on the Megaship.

"The Megaship's been abandoned," she announced, "All four life forms that were on when we left have fled, and I'm also picking up a tacheon trail. The Dark Fortress is leaving Earth's orbit."

"That's good news," TJ said, flipping on the communications relay, "Alpha? Do you read me?"

^I read you TJ,^ Alpha responded, ^I'm in engineering.^

"Put up the deflector shields, in case Astronema decides to send another wave of Velocifighters or something."

^You got it.^

"Alpha," Cassie said into the communicator, "what's the status of the Megaship?"

^There isn't a basic function that hasn't been damaged,^ Alpha said grimly, ^but it isn't too extensive. I guess Astronema planned on flying the Megaship once she got command of it, so the damage was just enough to make it temporarily inoperable. Still, we have plenty to do before it becomes fully functional. Since I've turned off all the systems other than lights and gravity, I was able to divert all the energy to the shields, bringing them to 87% functionality. That should be enough to keep the ship in one piece. Also, DECA's mainframe has sustained some minimal damage, but I'm working on that now. Once I get her fully functional, she can help me get the air purifiers back in working order, so we can detoxify the ship.^

"Well, the Megaship may not work, but at least we know its clean," TJ quipped.

"Can you estimate how long it'll be before we can come aboard?" Cassie inquired.

^According to my calculations, it'll be at least 24 hours before its safe for humans to board the Megaship. So I'll get a head start on the repairs, and keep you all posted via communicator.^

"You're the best, Alpha," TJ said with a grin.

^Ha, ha,^ Alpha giggled modestly over the line. He quickly sobered. ^So, how's Ashley doing?^

TJ's grin fell, and he glanced at Cassie.

"She's doing better," Cassie answered, "but she's still in pretty serious condition. Whatever program Astronema activated pit Ashley against some of the fiercest creatures in the known universe. She's got gashes all over her body, broken bones and she's lost a lot of blood. But at least she's regained consciousness."

^That's a good sign. Well, keep me posted. Alpha out.^

"Bye, Alpha," TJ said, turning off communications. He then locked eyes with Cassie.

"Let's go check on the others," he suggested, rising from his seat.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Cassie agreed.

The Pink and Blue Rangers climbed down the ladder connecting the main bridge to the lower deck of the small shuttle, where an emergency medical ward was situated. Ashley was lying on the single cot, bandages covering the multiple abrasions on her arms, legs and torso. She was breathing laboredly, and her eyes were weary yet open. Carlos busily prepared a hypo-spray at the lab table beside the cot, while Andros watched anxiously, his arms folded over his chest.

"Hey guys," Cassie said, as she and TJ entered the ward. Andros glanced at them in passing, and then returned his gaze to the Yellow Ranger. Ashley turned her head slightly, and tried to smile at her friends.

"Hey yourself," she whispered, "How's the ship?"

"It's in one piece," TJ answered, "Well, sort of."

"It's in pretty bad shape," Cassie added, "and we can't really do anything about it for at least a day. The disinfectant mists are still saturating the air, and the life support system's sluggish, so the air isn't being purified too quickly. So it looks like we have the day off."

"Great," Ashley sighed, breathing out slowly, "That'll give me enough time to mend."

"It'll take a lot more time than that," Carlos said, turning to Ashley and holding the hypo, "You've suffered broken ribs, a broken ankle, cuts nearly reaching your bones--"

"Stop over-dramatizing things," Ashley chided weakly, "There's nothing wrong with me that our equipment won't fix."

"That's not entirely true," Andros said quietly, "This medical ward is skimpy in comparison to the lab on the Megaship. There's the right equipment to stitch up life-threatening wounds, but not enough to heal you completely. There's not much else we can do until we get you on the Megaship."

"And that won't be for at least a day," TJ said quietly, "Maybe we should take her to a hospital?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ashley said, "I can hang on just fine until we can get back on the Megaship."

"Okay, gang, that's enough," Carlos said, pressing the hypo-spray to Ashley's neck, "This should dull the pain, and help you sleep."

"Did you give her a Hemophannil syringe?" Andros asked. Carlos looked at the Red Ranger strangely.

"What is that?" he inquired.

"It helps Ashley's body produce more blood, to make up for all the blood she lost," Andros explained, "It's a Kerolian invention, and it's far safer than a blood transfusion. Fewer possible side-effects."

Andros walked to the lab table, and opened a small vial of pale red liquid. "I'll take care of it," he said, "The rest of you can get back to your stations. Astronema may decide to take advantage of our weakened state."

"You got it, Andros," TJ said, as he and Cassie left the ward. Carlos lingered for a few moments, and then followed his friends. Andros poured a small amount of the vial into a petri dish, and took a fresh needle, with an empty container attached.

"I'll need a few drops of your blood to coordinate the Hemophannil with," he explained, wiping Ashley's arm with a cotton soaked with alcohol, "It'll only hurt for a moment."

"I've had shots before," Ashley said with a smile.

Andros smiled back weakly, and gently sank the needle into a visible vein where he cleaned her skin. She cringed slightly, but didn't utter a sound. She then watched Andros as he placed the blood onto a slide, and examined it under a computerized microscope.

"I'm really sorry about what happened with Astronema," she said quietly, "I know you must be very disappointed that she isn't Kerone."

Andros bowed his head, and breathed out slowly. "You have nothing to be sorry about," he said to her, "You tried to keep me based in reality throughout this entire ordeal. You were never convinced that she was Kerone, and you kept trying to remind me that the facts weren't truly on her side. I was foolish and pig-headed, and I didn't listen to you. And you're the one who paid the price. I'm eternally sorry for what happened to you, Ashley."

Ashley shook her head. "It's not your fault. Astronema proved to be more conniving than any of us gave her credit for."

Andros nodded, pressing a few buttons on a connected keyboard. A soft blue light shined from a small lamp onto the tray of Hemophannil, and Andros watched the chemical slightly change color as a result of the light exposure.

"I must say," he said, "I'm very impressed by your survival skills. That training program was never meant for anyone to use without the conventional safeties. The program Astronema set up had you fighting against Vermillion Wolverines. They are some of the most ferocious creatures in the galaxy!"

"I know," Ashley sighed, "I'm a bit surprised myself I was able to hold out until Carlos and Alpha shut down the Simudeck. I never thought I was a good enough fighter to defeat even one Wolverine."

Andros turned around from his work, and gazed at Ashley in shock. "How did you know about Vermillion Wolverines? You have never encountered them before, and I never mentioned them to you."

Ashley narrowed her eyes in thought. "I guess I just stumbled on their file or something. I can't remember how I found out about them. Weird, huh?"

Andros shrugged, pumping the chemical into a fresh syringe, "Yes, it is. But no stranger than the rest of today's events."

Andros walked back to Ashley's side, and held up the exceptionally long needle. Ashley's eyes widened when she saw it, and she gazed at Andros questioningly.

"Where do you plan on putting that thing?"

"The Hemophannil must be introduced to your bloodstream directly from your heart, so it can be pumped easier throughout your system. This needle is designed to penetrate your chestplate, which is why its so long. I'll warn you, this will hurt more than the blood extraction."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ashley asked wryly, biting her lip nervously, "Well, get it over with."

Ashley pursed her lips tightly, and squeezed her eyes shut. Andros gently pushed down the collar of Ashley's paper gown, exposing the upper portion of her chest where her heart was located. After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Andros pushed the needle through Ashley's skin and bone, and injected the liquid into her heart. He then removed the needle quickly, and pressed a cotton over the hole the needle made to absorb the fresh blood. "You can relax, now," Andros said gently, "It's over."

"Yeah," she gasped, "that did hurt more. A lot more."

"Sorry about that," Andros said, dropping the needle in the sterilizing liquid in a flask nearby. After he had put away all the materials he had used, he stole a quick glance at Ashley. He smiled weakly when he noticed she was sound asleep.

"That sedative worked rather quickly," he reflected, pulling the sheet over Ashley's chest. He kept his gaze on Ashley's bruised sleeping face, and his smile slowly fell.

"Thank you," he whispered, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from Ashley's eyes, "Thank you for surviving. I don't know how I would have lived with myself if I had your death on my shoulders. I couldn't take that. After all that I lost because of my foolishness, I couldn't take losing you too."

With that, Andros slowly bent over, and gently kissed Ashley's forehead.

"Good night," he whispered, walking towards the door. He dimmed the light in the medical ward, and entered the hallway, returning to the other Rangers promptly. As he walked, his hand strayed to the two chains that now dangled from his neck. He squeezed them tightly, his green eyes brimming with unshed tears of frustration. He fought them back, and took a deep breath.

"I won't give up," he declared, "I'll find you some day, Kerone. I won't let Astronema's trickery hinder me. Now I know who took you from us, and when I find him again, his life will depend on his cooperation."

Meanwhile the Dark Fortress slowed to a halt just past Mars. Inside the vessel, Astronema was trapped in a fit of coughs, while attendants hurried to restrain the sorceress less she injure herself. Nearby, Elgar lay in a similar condition, but he wasn't attended by anyone. On the other side, Darkonda and Ecliptor lay, coughing often, but not as strongly as Astronema.

"You said... this plan was foolproof!" Ecliptor muttered, glaring at Darkonda with contempt.

"Oh, shut... UP," Darkonda growled, "It's not my fault you couldn't stop the Blue Ranger from activating that poison sweep!"

"You couldn't... even take the Red Ranger," Ecliptor gasped between breaths, "Useless!"

"I'm not to blame," Darkonda maintained.

Ecliptor's head snapped up when he saw Astronema fall into another fit of coughs. She then soon lost consciousness, and lay limp on the cot.

"How is she?" Ecliptor yelled at the attendants. The physician glanced at the general, and shook his head.

"The toxins have ravaged her sinus tracts," he said, "We don't have the equipment to restore her here, so we must return to Dark Spectre."

Ecliptor frowned. "Contact the bridge and inform them to move out, as quickly as this ship will carry us. Astronema's well being is far more important than the Power Rangers."

"Her respiratory system seems rather frail, doesn't it?" Darkonda commented darkly, "It sounds like you're on your way to a promotion, eh?"

After some disquieting coughs, Ecliptor glared again at Darkonda. "You'd better watch what you say," Ecliptor threatened, "Once Astronema does heal, she will certainly remember exactly whose plan this was, as well as who abandoned her on the Megaship. And I doubt she'll be merciful."

Darkonda's small grin collapsed instantly, and he rose to his feet.

"...I think I've worn out my welcome," he said, walking to the door, "Until next crime!"

"Oh no you don't," Ecliptor muttered, snapping his fingers. Six Quantrons hurried into the medical chamber from outside, and grabbed Darkonda's arms and legs. "Send him to the dungeon, to await Astronema's punishment. And make sure it's a particularly nasty cell."

Ecliptor smiled with satisfaction as he saw Darkonda dragged through the halls of the Dark Fortress. His smile soon fell as his coughs once again erupted.

The End?