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

/> I've taken it upon myself.

But I had to. I know he might be lying… but what if he really is the Guardian? And what if he really is dying? He was arrested in the middle of the night, in peak physical condition. Just a few hours later, he can barely walk. If I waited even an hour longer, would he still be alive?

And it's not like I haven't taken precautions, in case he is lying to me. I chose the Mountain Dome specifically because of its open, barren area, giving me plenty of room to defend myself and the Book if this turns into a fight. The other Rangers are already on alert; we were supposed to meet in another half an hour. One quick call and they'll come running to back me up if I need their help.

The only way to know for sure if this guy is the Guardian is to see what he does when he touches the Book; and I couldn't give it to him in the cell. It was too enclosed, and too public. I'd risk the lives of the guards, I'd risk my identity, and I wouldn't be able to fight in such a small area. This is a much better stage.

I slow down on my Jammer, looking for the Guardian at our rendezvous point, when out of the corner of my eye a flash of light grabs my attention. But the split second of warning isn't enough; I'm still nailed by the laser blast that throws me off my Jammer into the shrubs, sending the vehicle crashing into the nearest cliff.

I come to a tumbling halt, coughing and shaking off the sudden dizziness. I really need to get more sleep; my reaction time is shot!

"Blue Ranger, you have something that I want."

I grab the case, rolling to my feet to face my enemy. I bite down a swear as Deviot aims his wrist-mounted cannon at me again, the barrel of the weapon gleaming in the artificial sunlight.

"What are you doing here?" I demand, though I have a sinking feeling I know the answer. He knows I have the Galaxy Book. He was waiting as I brought it right to him.

There's only one explanation for this.

My free hand shakes with bottled anger. Maya and Damon were right…there is no "Guardian."

He was one of Trakeena's monsters, manipulating me into getting the Galaxy Book away from all the layers of security we have in place to protect it.

Humiliated, I draw my Quasar Saber. "You're not getting this Book, Deviot," I snarl.

He doesn't answer me; he simply fires.

With a wordless scream I charge at him, deflecting what blasts I can with my blade, dodging others as I run. But one nicks my thigh, dropping me to the ground.

I hiss through my teeth at the burning sensation, recognizing belatedly how stupid that move was.

A sharp buzzing noise distracts me from my injury, and I look up to see the twin barrels of Deviot's laser charging. "I wish I could say it's been fun, Ranger."

But before he fires, a flashing sphere of power crashes into the ground almost on top of where Deviot stands, forcing the robot to jump for cover. The resulting shockwave shakes the entire Mountain Dome, causing clouds of dust and chips of rock to fall from the nearby cliffs.

Stunned, I watch the energy take humanoid form, a blue mist crawling around his body.

It's…the Guardian

?

I'm shocked that he saved me, and I notice his appearance has slightly changed. Instead of the overalls he'd been arrested in, he's wearing a long hooded cape and strange woven pants. And there's a gold crest on his forehead, with a design that matches the braided symbol on the Galaxy Book's cover.

He turns to Deviot, and draws an enormous sword.

Deviot actually takes a step backward. "The Guardian? I don't believe it!"

The Guardian's glare is cold as he lifts the sword to strike.

I watch in a state of awe as the Guardian attacks, swinging the heavy weapon with ease and bringing Deviot to his knees in a single, titanic blow. Screaming, Deviot backs up to retreat, but the Guardian doesn't allow it, swinging his sword across the robot's chest. Each attack is powerful and swift, meant to disable or destroy.

But then, he stumbles, and I notice his feet dragging on the dry ground. Lesions spread on his skin…just like before, in the detention cell… and his breathing grows ragged.

I hurry to the Guardian's side, holding out my Saber toward the chuckling robot.

"Guardian, are you okay?" I murmur.

He doesn't answer me, instead charging forward to continue the fight. But his movements are now clumsy and slow, and Deviot is able to catch the sword on its descent.

"Having trouble, Guardian?" he chuckles, aiming his laser for a point-blank blast. "Perhaps it's something in the air?"

The Guardian only manages a wheeze in response, but I'm able to jump in the way just in time. The blast hits my side, hurling me yards across the dry terrain. The energy burns my skin and causes smoke to rise from my uniform.

Even with the ringing in my ears I can hear footsteps approach, and I look up to see Deviot hang over my head. Glaring at him, I manage to rasp, "How do you know about the Guardian?"

He looks at me for a moment with no expression. "I know much more about the Book and its origins than you, human. You are far out of your depth!"

And with that, he grabs the case from my weakened grip.

Chapter Fifty-One

-Zhane-

I sit anxiously at the computer console, staring at the black screen before me as I wait for her to make an appearance.

How long does it take to walk from Terra Venture to the Megaship anyway? I feel like I've been on hold for an hour! Maybe, it's because I feel like I've already wasted too much time.

Finally, the darkness dissolves, and after seven painful days I see her face again. And she looks…horrible

.

"What happened??"

"It's been a tough night,"

she answers; about a vaguely as possible, I notice.

Even though I want to demand every last detail, I decide it'd be counterproductive. Instead, I try to ignore the puffy redness surrounding her attentive blue eyes, and move right along. "Sorry I took so long to get back to you," I begin somewhat sheepishly. "I had a lot of thinking to do."

"Understandable,"

she answers, her tone guarded.

"And, I had some preparations to make."

Her brow furrows just a bit. "Preparations?"

I'm not sure exactly what the best way to do this is. Should I go for dramatic flair, or get right to the point?

Or, maybe I should stop thinking so much about this. "I'm coming with you."

She stares at me for several seconds, her eyes slowly widening. It's funny…I didn't get this much surprise out of her when I proposed! "You're…what

?"

Her shock fuels my amusement, and I smirk at her. "I finally realized that you had a major decision to make…and so did I. I could either wait for you, or fight with you. And I'm not the kind of guy who likes to sit on the sidelines."

She shakes her head just a bit. "But, you left your morpher on KO 35."

Still smirking, I lift my wrist, watching the surprise wash over her face again. "Yes, I did; but apparently Kinwon just couldn't find anyone who could live up to my legacy."

Her eyes are transfixed by the little keypad. "Zhane, are you sure about this?"

I blink stupidly. I was betting my little announcement would wipe the misery right off her face, but instead, she looks even more pained. Shouldn't she be thrilled? "Come again?"

"You left that morpher with Kinwon because you never wanted to wear it again."

Her serious stare never leaves mine. "It was a burden you couldn't wait to shake off your shoulders."

I hold her stare for what feels like minutes, unsettled by the look in her eyes.

"I'm not going to say that I miss being a Power Ranger," I finally respond. "I don't miss war at all. But if I had the choice between waiting uselessly for you to come home, or having the ability and opportunity to make a difference, then I'll take the morpher any day of the week."

I lean forward, watching her face closely. "I know what this mission means to you, Karone. This is an important phase of your life. I want to be part of it."

She stays quiet for a while, making my stomach clench with worry. I don't know if she's in some kind of shock, or what…but she's so exhausted I wonder if she can even hear what I'm saying.

I can't stand it anymore. "Karone, please…tell me what happened. Did you guys run into something dangerous?"

The tears start trailing down her cheek, making me wish I was with her already. "We've gotten…some news about Kendrix that isn't the most optimistic. I can't even guess how long I'll be out here."

"All the more reason why I should follow you!" My face blooms into my infamous smirk. "You know, some say I'm the most powerful Ranger in the universe. Not a bad guy to have as your sixth man."

Her lips quirk a bit. It's not quite a smile, but it's a good sign. "We already have a sixth Ranger. Or…Defender

, if you want to be technical about it."

"Seventh, then. It may be unprecedented, but there's no law against seven, right?"

She turns to the side. I watch her in profile, noticing her chew her lip in anxious contemplation. Did she honestly never even consider the possibility that I'd follow her?

She's got to know me better than that.

She finally meets my eyes, and the smile she gives me...wow

.

I can't believe I ever let something as trivial as a few billion miles keep me away from her. Even for a couple weeks!

"Thank you, Zhane. I can't --"

The audio abruptly cuts off as the transmission suddenly builds static. Her expression turns grave as she responds to her communicator, the jumbled connection making her words impossible to hear.

Then she turns back to me, still coated in static. "Zha…ergency. I'll… --ight back!"

"What's going on?" I demand, scanning the connection log on the corner of the screen. The connection is still unimpeded on my end; all the distortion is coming from the Megaship.

Static swims up the screen, so thick that I can't tell if Karone is even there any more.