BtM - Chapter 19: Unexpected
Power Rangers belongs to Saban! :D (It feels so awesome to say that.) So, wow hi! It's been forever since I've written much of anything and I've been stuck on this chapter for a very long time. Mostly because I didn't know where the rest of this was going to go. But thanks to my amazing friend, Tsukino Akume-who let me babble to her for hours, I now know exactly how this part of the story is going to end. This fic has a few chapters more, and then I will start on a second part! Because I realized that it would be easier to just start anew once this arc is finished, and there is still so much that I have planned for this. But the rest of Behind the Mask is plotted and planned, and I will be working on the next chapter as soon as I get this one posted. So, hopefully more very soon. :D
Behind the Mask
by Starlit Purple
Chapter 19: Unexpected
Karone followed the others onto the bridge, catching Zhane's sidelong glance and smiling in return. She wanted to go over to him, but Andros was relaying everything they'd missed from the meeting, and he was supposed to be paying attention. Plus she wasn't so sure how long she could hold her tongue around Andros... She'd longed for her family for so long that even waiting until they were done here seemed like forever.
...What were they doing anyway? How long would this take?
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Ashley, when several things happened all at once. Red lights flashed all over the bridge, along with Deca's voice, warning them of something about a half second before the whole ship shuddered with the force of being blasted.
"Deca, evasive maneuvers!" her brother's voice ordered over the chaos, as he and the other Rangers rushed to their stations. Cassie brushed past her, and, looking back to see Phantom in the doorway, she remembered that they hadn't been on the bridge with them.
"The enemy ship is hailing," the computer's calm voice reported before Karone could wonder more about the relationship the pink ranger had with the Phantom Ranger.
"It's Shade," the yellow ranger called, as she turned to look at Andros. Her eyes then trailed to Karone's, and she was surprised when Andros turned a glance on her too. She blinked at him, wondering for a moment if he wanted her to leave. ...And if she wanted to leave.
"It's okay."
It was the only thing she could think of to say. Shade had gotten rid of the Dark Fortress because he knew she was there, and he'd been on her trail ever since, tracking her down to the Megaship. He was after her, and they all knew it.
Andros' gaze lingered on her momentarily. "If you're sure."
It was unspoken that they would protect her if it came down to it. But... "Do you want me to leave?"
"We don't have to answer," Zhane put in from behind Andros. "We can jump to hyperrush and try to lose him."
Ashley turned to look at the Silver Ranger. "But would that work? I thought his ship was just as sophisticated as the Megaship."
"Well, we think it is, but-"
"The Shadow Dweller is hailing again," DECA interrupted.
"Guys? We need to think of something fast. They're powering weapons," Cassie called over her shoulder.
"Lets try hyperrush," TJ suggested, in a way that Karone could tell he'd been a leader before. He threw a glance in Andros' direction. "If it doesn't work, then we're just back where we are now and we'll figure it out from there."
Movement from the back of the bridge caught her eye, and she noticed the Phantom stepping forward. "And if he's tired of trying to talk by then, you'll have lost your chance to see what he wants and probably end up worse off than you are now. Or will be."
Everyone looked at Andros. He glanced once more at her, and then turned back to the controls with a seriousness she'd known well of the Red Ranger. She knew what he was going to say before he said it.
"Alright, we're going to hyperrush. Let's get out of here."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, when all the power on the ship went down. For a split second, it was completely dark on the bridge, until the backup power and lights came on.
Before anyone could even ask what had happened, the viewscreen came to life, Shade's face taking up the screen. "I hope you weren't planning on going anywhere."
"Oh no, what could possibly give you that idea? You're just the evil bad guy that blew up one of the two most powerful ships around, and have been tracking us for days. Couldn't possibly see why we wouldn't want to stick around for tea," Zhane replied sarcastically.
"What do you want from us?" Ashley asked.
Shade was laughing as his eyes settled on her. "Well certainly not your ship! I have a better respect for it than the Dark Fortress." His gaze moved to Karone, and he glowered at her. "Astronema."
She glared right back.
"Give me Astronema and I will leave your ship in one piece," Shade continued.
"Not an option," Zhane replied.
"We're not gonna hand her over to you."
His eyes shifted to Andros, and a smirk lit up half his face. "Oh I think I have something you might want, Red Ranger." At his words the viewscreen shifted. It was now showing two people, a man and woman, in a cell behind Shade. Karone didn't know who they were, but Andros seemed to recognize them.
There was a look of shock and horror on his face. "Take me," he told him. "Instead of Astronema. I'm just as valuable to you."
Shade stepped back in front of the screen. He looked as if he were thinking about Andros' offer. Then finally, he smirked again. "Fine. You come to my ship and I'll let *one* of them go."
There was a pause, and everyone looked at Andros. He straightened and she was sure he was glaring defiantly. "Deal."
"No!" Her voice wasn't the only one that rang out on the bridge, but it was the loudest. She ignored the look Andros was giving her and addressed the screen in front of them. "What about the other one?"
"Astra-"
"The other one stays," Shade's voice overrode Andros'. "Unless, of course, you come instead of this lousy excuse for a Ranger."
"Not happening," Andros ground out before she could respond. He sounded livid, and Karone figured it was best not to say anything else. "We'll make the exchange in ten minutes!" Hitting the panel in front of him, he effectively ended the transmission and turned a glare on her.
Taken aback, she merely stared back at him.
"Andros."
Zhane put a hand on his shoulder from behind, but he shrugged it off and continued glaring at Karone. "Don't you get it? We're trying to help you! What good is it going to do if you go back over there? You know what he'll do to you."
She bristled a little at his words. "I just want to help-"
"This doesn't concern you!"
"Andros."
Zhane's voice was louder, and mildly threatening this time.
Throwing a glare over his shoulder and then back to her, Andros stormed off the bridge without another word.
* * *
The exchange had gone over probably worse than it could have. Shade had honored his agreement of only releasing one of the prisoners, but neither the one that was released nor Andros agreed with Shade's decision of which one he released.
Astra had tried to go as well, but Andros wouldn't let her, no matter how much he'd protested Shade keeping the woman and letting her companion go.
Cassie had never seen their leader like this before. He was usually smarter than just wildly jumping into things without a plan. Zhane had been the only one he would listen to, and had even given TJ the eye when he tried to stop Andros from jumping into this rashly.
It was only moments after the trade that she and the others understood why...
* * *
"Kieran."
Zhane's voice made the man look up. The guilt in his eyes faded a little as he smiled warmly at him, and in two strides, he was pulling him into a tight hug. "Zhane."
When the two had separated, the older man looked around at them all and then back at Zhane. "I thought- You...you have a full team now?"
"Zhane?" TJ was frowning. His question was obvious, and his eyes trailed to Kieran's.
"Oh, my apologies," the man said, stepping forward. "My name is Kieran. We-my companion and I-are from KO-35."
"Kieran was one of the colonists that escaped KO-35 before the final attacks," Zhane explained. His eyes swept the room, looking at each of them, and finally, settling on Karone, he continued. "Kieran is...Andros's father."
Behind the Mask
by Starlit Purple
Chapter 19: Unexpected
Karone followed the others onto the bridge, catching Zhane's sidelong glance and smiling in return. She wanted to go over to him, but Andros was relaying everything they'd missed from the meeting, and he was supposed to be paying attention. Plus she wasn't so sure how long she could hold her tongue around Andros... She'd longed for her family for so long that even waiting until they were done here seemed like forever.
...What were they doing anyway? How long would this take?
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask Ashley, when several things happened all at once. Red lights flashed all over the bridge, along with Deca's voice, warning them of something about a half second before the whole ship shuddered with the force of being blasted.
"Deca, evasive maneuvers!" her brother's voice ordered over the chaos, as he and the other Rangers rushed to their stations. Cassie brushed past her, and, looking back to see Phantom in the doorway, she remembered that they hadn't been on the bridge with them.
"The enemy ship is hailing," the computer's calm voice reported before Karone could wonder more about the relationship the pink ranger had with the Phantom Ranger.
"It's Shade," the yellow ranger called, as she turned to look at Andros. Her eyes then trailed to Karone's, and she was surprised when Andros turned a glance on her too. She blinked at him, wondering for a moment if he wanted her to leave. ...And if she wanted to leave.
"It's okay."
It was the only thing she could think of to say. Shade had gotten rid of the Dark Fortress because he knew she was there, and he'd been on her trail ever since, tracking her down to the Megaship. He was after her, and they all knew it.
Andros' gaze lingered on her momentarily. "If you're sure."
It was unspoken that they would protect her if it came down to it. But... "Do you want me to leave?"
"We don't have to answer," Zhane put in from behind Andros. "We can jump to hyperrush and try to lose him."
Ashley turned to look at the Silver Ranger. "But would that work? I thought his ship was just as sophisticated as the Megaship."
"Well, we think it is, but-"
"The Shadow Dweller is hailing again," DECA interrupted.
"Guys? We need to think of something fast. They're powering weapons," Cassie called over her shoulder.
"Lets try hyperrush," TJ suggested, in a way that Karone could tell he'd been a leader before. He threw a glance in Andros' direction. "If it doesn't work, then we're just back where we are now and we'll figure it out from there."
Movement from the back of the bridge caught her eye, and she noticed the Phantom stepping forward. "And if he's tired of trying to talk by then, you'll have lost your chance to see what he wants and probably end up worse off than you are now. Or will be."
Everyone looked at Andros. He glanced once more at her, and then turned back to the controls with a seriousness she'd known well of the Red Ranger. She knew what he was going to say before he said it.
"Alright, we're going to hyperrush. Let's get out of here."
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, when all the power on the ship went down. For a split second, it was completely dark on the bridge, until the backup power and lights came on.
Before anyone could even ask what had happened, the viewscreen came to life, Shade's face taking up the screen. "I hope you weren't planning on going anywhere."
"Oh no, what could possibly give you that idea? You're just the evil bad guy that blew up one of the two most powerful ships around, and have been tracking us for days. Couldn't possibly see why we wouldn't want to stick around for tea," Zhane replied sarcastically.
"What do you want from us?" Ashley asked.
Shade was laughing as his eyes settled on her. "Well certainly not your ship! I have a better respect for it than the Dark Fortress." His gaze moved to Karone, and he glowered at her. "Astronema."
She glared right back.
"Give me Astronema and I will leave your ship in one piece," Shade continued.
"Not an option," Zhane replied.
"We're not gonna hand her over to you."
His eyes shifted to Andros, and a smirk lit up half his face. "Oh I think I have something you might want, Red Ranger." At his words the viewscreen shifted. It was now showing two people, a man and woman, in a cell behind Shade. Karone didn't know who they were, but Andros seemed to recognize them.
There was a look of shock and horror on his face. "Take me," he told him. "Instead of Astronema. I'm just as valuable to you."
Shade stepped back in front of the screen. He looked as if he were thinking about Andros' offer. Then finally, he smirked again. "Fine. You come to my ship and I'll let *one* of them go."
There was a pause, and everyone looked at Andros. He straightened and she was sure he was glaring defiantly. "Deal."
"No!" Her voice wasn't the only one that rang out on the bridge, but it was the loudest. She ignored the look Andros was giving her and addressed the screen in front of them. "What about the other one?"
"Astra-"
"The other one stays," Shade's voice overrode Andros'. "Unless, of course, you come instead of this lousy excuse for a Ranger."
"Not happening," Andros ground out before she could respond. He sounded livid, and Karone figured it was best not to say anything else. "We'll make the exchange in ten minutes!" Hitting the panel in front of him, he effectively ended the transmission and turned a glare on her.
Taken aback, she merely stared back at him.
"Andros."
Zhane put a hand on his shoulder from behind, but he shrugged it off and continued glaring at Karone. "Don't you get it? We're trying to help you! What good is it going to do if you go back over there? You know what he'll do to you."
She bristled a little at his words. "I just want to help-"
"This doesn't concern you!"
"Andros."
Zhane's voice was louder, and mildly threatening this time.
Throwing a glare over his shoulder and then back to her, Andros stormed off the bridge without another word.
* * *
The exchange had gone over probably worse than it could have. Shade had honored his agreement of only releasing one of the prisoners, but neither the one that was released nor Andros agreed with Shade's decision of which one he released.
Astra had tried to go as well, but Andros wouldn't let her, no matter how much he'd protested Shade keeping the woman and letting her companion go.
Cassie had never seen their leader like this before. He was usually smarter than just wildly jumping into things without a plan. Zhane had been the only one he would listen to, and had even given TJ the eye when he tried to stop Andros from jumping into this rashly.
It was only moments after the trade that she and the others understood why...
* * *
"Kieran."
Zhane's voice made the man look up. The guilt in his eyes faded a little as he smiled warmly at him, and in two strides, he was pulling him into a tight hug. "Zhane."
When the two had separated, the older man looked around at them all and then back at Zhane. "I thought- You...you have a full team now?"
"Zhane?" TJ was frowning. His question was obvious, and his eyes trailed to Kieran's.
"Oh, my apologies," the man said, stepping forward. "My name is Kieran. We-my companion and I-are from KO-35."
"Kieran was one of the colonists that escaped KO-35 before the final attacks," Zhane explained. His eyes swept the room, looking at each of them, and finally, settling on Karone, he continued. "Kieran is...Andros's father."