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

on Terra Venture?

It is logical that someone is responsible for the Galaxy Book. It's been magically locked; a spell is stopping us from understanding most of what's written. Translation programs have only been able to decrypt random passages, because the languages that appear in the Book switch often and suddenly, even in the middle of a sentence. It's a miracle we've made any headway at all with our research.

There's no sense in archiving the priceless secrets of any number of galaxies if no one can read it. Therefore, the answer is simple: one person can. This Guardian.

"That's ridiculous!"

I'm distracted by Maya's angry outburst. "How could he be the Guardian of the Book? If that's true, where has he been? We've had the Book for months!"

Maya does have a point. In fact, the Guardian's sudden appearance now, when we're desperate to find very specific information, almost sounds too good to be true.

"He said the Book was stolen," Kai explains. "Remember that power shortage? It was caused by scientists reciting the beginning of a very powerful spell. That spell was a signal that drew the Guardian here."

Curious, I take a moment to study the team's reactions. Maya is clearly outraged by the very idea, and Damon looks more than a little skeptical.

Leo looks…thoughtful

. Perhaps he's thinking along the same lines I am. Wondering about the possibilities.

If this man truly is the Guardian, then he must be able to read the Galaxy Book. And if we can convince him to help us, we will know once and for all exactly what information it holds about the Nexus.

As for Kai… his face is still carefully neutral.

"What do you think, Kai?" I ask him point-blank. "You're the only one who's met him. Did he give you any evidence to back up his claim?"

Kai meets my gaze for a moment before taking a seat on the chair across from us. "He didn't give me any hard evidence; but he has this presence… it feels ancient and powerful. It's hard to describe, but even before I actually saw him I sensed he was there." He takes a breath, his eyes falling to his morpher. "And he knew I was the Blue Ranger, just by looking at me."

"Anyone working for Trakeena would know that," Maya comments.

"Plus, he tried to steal the Galaxy Book, so we can't take his story at face value," Damon points out. "If he knew you were a Power Ranger, he should've come to you for help first, right? Instead, he tried to break in and take the Book, and now that he got caught he's trying to manipulate you into helping him escape." He folds his arms. "We have to be careful."

They all have good points, and the discussion ebbs as we all turn to our leader, looking for some direction. But for all appearances, Leo seems wrapped up in his own line of reasoning, his brow furrowed and elbows braced on his knees. "What I don't understand is, if he is the Guardian, why would he try to take the Book from us? He knows you're a Power Ranger, so he knows we're the good guys. We're no threat to the Book."

Kai's eyebrow rises. "You're joking, right? That Book is going to get us all killed

, Leo. Since we've had it on board, we've been Trakeena's primary target. Not to mention all the wonderful little accidents we've had since the Science Division started experimenting on it."

"But without the Book we wouldn't have found the lost Galactabeasts," Maya notes. "It's an ancient tome of the universe's secrets; if we're careful and respectful, it won't do us any harm."

"Kendrix wasn't looking

for a deadly weapon, but she found the Savage Sword, didn't she? Look how well that turned out!"

Kai stops short, grimacing as if he swallowed something bitter. Leo takes a deep, audible breath, sinking deeper into the couch. Maya turns her gaze to the window, looking out into the infinity of space. Damon's eyes seem transfixed by his fingers, watching them anxiously twist together.

It's really something to behold, and I would find it fascinating if it wasn't so sad. Now that Kendrix's name has been mentioned, a gloom seems to have been cast upon the entire group, draining the energy these same people demonstrated in heated debate just seconds ago.

Kai is the one to break the unnerving silence, though his tone is so soft, I hardly recognize him. "Look…the Galaxy Book is the most dangerous weapon we've ever encountered. Yeah, it's done some good, but its potential for harm is off the scale. We're better off without it."

It's the raw emotion on Kai's face, on all their faces… loss, sorrow, failure…that urges me to open my mouth.

"But, what if the Galaxy Book is the key to finding Kendrix?" No sooner do I utter those soft words do I feel attentive stares on me from all angles. Immediately I stand up, moving far enough away from the others to face them all at once.

I want to see their reactions when I tell them of our progress. "We know she's in the Nexus, right? What if the Nexus is documented in the Book as well?"

I surreptitiously glance at Leo, seeking his input… but his reaction brings me to a grinding halt. He's staring at me, his eyes alarmed, discreetly shaking his head.

I can't read his thoughts, but I can clearly discern the message. No.

He doesn't want me to tell them about our discovery; about the Nexus. But, why?

Why are we being so secretive? Why aren't we searching for Kendrix as a team?

Confusion gives way to aggravation, and I try to hide my anger from my attentive teammates. These are questions I'll have to ask Leo.

"You think the Nexus might be in the Galaxy Book?" Damon comments with a thoughtful frown. "It makes sense..."

I consciously keep my eyes away from Leo, trying my best to couch my thoughts in hypotheticals. Until I speak to Leo, I won't directly reveal what we've found in the Book to the others. "It's a possibility we should consider. The Galaxy Book might still be useful to us; but if we surrender the Book to this Guardian, we might lose our best chance of finding Kendrix."

Kai shakes his head. "That's a long shot. It would be a miracle to find the right passage, not to mention translating the damn thing." He runs his fingers through his hair wearily. "And while we're searching, we just might trip some other weird trap, like that spell that shorted out the whole station, or the Savage Sword. I want to find Kendrix…but we can't casually risk Terra Venture's safety like that."

Then, Kai turns to gaze out into space again. "If this guy really is the Guardian, then we should cooperate with him and give him the Book."

I manage to stifle a knee-jerk protest. If we do turn over the Book, we may never

understand that passage about the Nexus. We may never find Kendrix. There's no way Leo will let this opportunity slip through our fingers, no matter what's going through his mind. "Leo?" I prompt.

He stands up from the couch, much to my relief, but I notice that he doesn't look at me.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves," he states. "The first step is to find out if this guy really is the Guardian. Kai, did he show you he could read the Galaxy Book?"

"No, he didn't even get to touch the Book before I stopped him."

"Do you think maybe we can meet him?" Damon asks. "I'd like to get a look at this Guardian myself; ask him a few questions."

Kai smirks. "He's in a cell, Damon. I think I'll have a hard time explaining why civilians need to see him."

"But it won't be hard explaining why the Power Rangers would want to talk to him," Maya suggests.

"I'm planning to visit him at 0700 during the breakfast round," Kai notes. "That'll be my chance to see if he can prove he is who he says he is. I'll let you guys know what I find out right after. If it makes sense, the next logical step will be to tell the Commander that the Power Rangers want to interrogate the attempted thief. He was a tough nut to crack when he was arrested; the Commander might welcome some help."

Leo then looks at the wall clock. "It sounds like we have a plan, then. So, the five of us will meet here at 0800. That should give Kai some time to find out what he can. We'll plan our next move from there. Okay?"

"Sounds good," Damon answers, standing up and stretching his back. "See you guys in a couple hours."

Kai nods briefly before heading to the bedrooms as well, and Maya rises from the couch, catching a yawn with her hand.

"Maya," I reach out to tap her shoulder to catch her attention. "You go ahead without me; I want to talk to Leo for a minute."

Maya gives me a curious look, but she nods. "Okay, but you should get some rest tonight. It looks like we have a busy morning ahead of us."

I grin in answer as my roommate leaves through the sliding doors. Once the doors close, I turn around, noticing that Leo has moved to the kitchen, his face hidden by the refrigerator door.

"Leo, I think we should talk."

Chapter Forty-Six

-Leo-

I had a feeling Karone would stick around. She's been staring at me all night, trying to figure out what I'm thinking. It'll be easier for the both of us if we just talk it out.

So I pull two sodas from the fridge and walk toward her. "C'mon," I tell her, handing her one bottle while nodding toward the door. With both Kai and Damon settling down to sleep just a few feet away, the living room isn't the best place to talk.

Side by side we walk the darkened halls of Terra Venture, keeping a leisurely pace and remaining silent for a few minutes.

"Where should we go?" Karone wonders.

"The