Power Rangers In Space/Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Heather Ray [best novels ever TXT] 📗

contained. If he'd joined the two halves, I never would've beaten him. So, I stopped him."

"You mean you killed

him."

Kai's accusation is razor sharp, and Karone's grip tightens on her elbows. If her fingertips dig any deeper into her skin, I think she'll draw blood.

"Not exactly. He's...petrified

."

Maya releases a startled gasp of horror, reminding me of her planet's grim fate. Frozen in a living death, trapped for all eternity with morbid fear carved on their faces.

I place a consoling hand on Maya's shoulder, hoping to ease some of her discomfort. Kai's eyes are daggers as he stares at Karone, his back just a little straighter, his grim smile vaguely...smug

?

As for Karone, the poor girl looks nauseous.

I step between Karone and the other Rangers, hoping to draw everyone's focus back to the matter at hand. "Karone, do you think those Keys can restore Leo's power?"

She nods slowly, though her eyes carry a warning. "The Keys should still be where I left them. Not long after I... defeated him...a strange presence filled the cave. My forces were pushed back by fierce winds, and I couldn't pry the Keys from the warrior's frozen hands. I left him where he stood, Keys and all."

Her hand falls upon her wrist, absently tracing the morpher as if drawing courage from its mere presence. Perhaps, on some level, she thought the confession of her previous dark deeds had made the Power abandon her. "Back then, I didn't want to bother with the protective spirit that lingered on the planet, so I asked Dark Specter to place a strict quarantine. No one in the U.A.E. set foot on that planet since that day, and everyone else who knew what happened has died. The Keys should still there."

"And the spirit is probably there too," Damon points out. He shakes his head, leaning against the door. "It's too risky."

"But it might be our only chance to restore Leo," Karone counters. "I'm willing to take the risk. It's only a short flight from here. I can leave and return within a day."

"Don't forget the spirit!" Damon insists. "If it's still floating around, then I'll bet it'll know exactly

who you are. Who's to say it won't attack you to get revenge?"

Kai turns to Damon, his entire posture issuing a challenge. "Who's to say it shouldn't

get revenge?"

Damon's eyes widen. "You're kidding, right? Since when did Power Rangers condone vengeance?"

Kai shakes his head sternly. "We're not in a position to 'condone' anything. Whatever Astronema did to earn that spirit's wrath is none of our business. Who are we to take her side on this?"

"We're Karone's teammates," Maya answers firmly. "She deserves our support."

An angry snort. "She's not my teammate. She just happens to be carrying around Kendrix's Saber. That doesn't change a damn thing."

That's what does it for me. That's what makes my decision. "We're losing focus, Rangers," I interrupt, my voice not quite a shout, but loud enough to get everyone's attention. "The longer we stand around and debate, the longer we leave Terra Venture vulnerable to Trakeena's magnet monster."

I let that fact sink in, and watch as Kai steps away from Damon, his defensive posture easing slightly. Damon exhales loudly before rubbing his forehead.

I turn to our newest Ranger, who remains against the far wall, her arms folded and lips curled. "Karone, you can't go alone," I state firmly. "There's too much of a risk that you'll meet opposition, and you don't have to face it alone. You're the Pink Ranger now. You're part of the team. Period."

Her eyes widen at my statement, but she shakes off her surprise to point out a flaw in my reasoning. "Mike, if we all go, then who will stop that monster if it attacks again? I'm sure Trakeena will be eager to unleash the monster that left the Red Ranger helpless!"

"You're right about that; so only two Rangers will go on this mission." I turn around to face my friend. "Kai, you'll go with Karone."

A stunned silence falls, with everyone's shocked gazes darting around the infirmary like bees in a garden.

Maya quickly shakes her head. "Mike, maybe I should --"

I interrupt before she can offer to accompany Karone. "Maya, I'll need you and Damon with me. When the magnet monster returns, we'll have to respond quickly to minimize any damage it can cause."

"I should stay here." Kai faces me with defiant eyes.

I raise my chin and clasp my hands behind my back, reminding everyone in the room that, while I'm not technically a Power Ranger, I'm definitely the ranking officer. "Kai, you'll go with Karone."

This method of invoking authority would never work with Maya or Damon. But no matter how worked up Kai can get, he never forgets his protocol. I half-expect him to salute in acknowledgement of my command, but instead he offers a shallow nod, and heads toward the door.

Karone wrings her fingers for a moment, before releasing a heavy sigh and following Kai into the hallway. I can't quite tell if she's furious, nervous, or outright terrified.

Once the footfalls of our teammates vanish into the distance, I turn to Maya and Damon. Maya's expression is one of open worry, while Damon seems confused by my actions.

"Do you think that was a good idea?" he asks me. "Chances are they'll kill each other before they get back!"

"Karone and Kai are both dedicated Power Rangers," I remind him. "They know their duty is to protect Terra Venture. We can't accommodate their mutual dislike forever. Kai needs to sort out his anger, and Karone needs to gain his trust. Or else we're all done for."

Maya stills looks dubious, but she nods, accepting my reasoning. Damon follows her example, and puts the matter to rest.

Still, I can't help but wonder if I've pushed Kai too far. I know what happened to him in the Countdown. I know how deep his anger runs. But we can't hope to succeed against Trakeena and her increasingly devious tactics with a fragmented team. There's no room for grudges among us, even if they're justified. We just don't have that luxury.

Still...I hope I know Kai as well as I think I do.

Chapter Thirty-Two

-Karone-

How dare

he?

My anger simply refuses to cool, and hours of flying through the serenity of open space does surprisingly little to quell it. I can't believe he'd be so intentionally hurtful, in front of everyone!

I can accept that he hates me. He has every right to feel that way. Fine. We drew the lines in the Simu-deck, and I was willing to leave well enough alone.

But his hostility is beyond reason. There's simply too much at stake! Leo has been injured, Trakeena's magnet monster is no doubt itching to trample Terra Venture, and Kai insists on jabbing me with an outright insult every chance he gets.

What should have been a discussion of strategy turned into a pointless argument in the infirmary. And while I appreciate Damon and Mike standing up for me, I wonder if it's even worth the time.

That thought brings a soft sigh to my lips. Is this what every team meeting will be like? Every time I'm in Kai's presence, will I have to weather his insults? My guilt has so far held my tongue, but I am not peaceable by nature, and my tolerance for stubbornness is fairly low. Eventually I'll begin shouting back, and before you know it, we'll be at each other's throats.

Kendrix, you've chosen poorly. I'm a terrible Pink Ranger. The Pink Ranger should be the heart of the team. She is the glue that binds it together. And you did just that, didn't you? This team was happy and whole before you... left. But now, instead of helping unify this team once again, I've divided it even worse. Maya and Kai have been at odds since I met them on Guinit...will they stop speaking altogether? Or will Damon and Kai come to blows? I'm like...a disease to this team. Withering away unity, clouding the common goal.

This just isn't going to work. This team can't seem to function with me on it.

Soon, the planet of our destination comes into view, a deep green sphere hanging fairly close to a small sun. I push aside my somber musings and hold on tightly to the steering of the Jet Jammer, waiting for the gravity of the planet to pull me down.

Chapter Thirty-Three

-Kai-

The jungle is as dense as a rain forest, with steam curling between the thick plants. The heat is unbearable, making my GSA uniform remarkably uncomfortable.

But it's not just the weather that's stifling me.

My eyes linger on her as she leads the way, hacking at low-hanging branches with Kendrix's Saber as she follows some sort of overgrown path. A space of only a few feet separates us, but despite that physical proximity, we are miles apart. We couldn't

be further apart.

I want to ignore her. In fact, I'd already decided to spend the rest of Terra Venture's journey ignoring her, until Kendrix finally comes back. Because I can't stand looking at her.

When I look at her, I see that university building crumbling like a house of cards, smothering so many lives in an eye-blink. I thought I had gotten past the horror of that day, but it hit me like a freight train when I met Astronema on Guinit. Since then, the memory repeated like a reel of film, triggered whenever my eyes fell upon the woman whose continued existence is a mockery of all that is good and just in the universe.

But now, my vision isn't quite so simple. The monster isn't all I see. I also see her staring at me, challenging me. And I see my fist fly into her face. I feel her blood on my fingers, and it makes me sick.

Now I also replay that scene on the Simudeck in my mind, over and over. Me, the Blue Galaxy