Disclaimer- Saban owns everybody except the Real Ghostbusters, who are owned by DIC. This story is number 24 in the Personality Conflicts series, and is number three in a probably five part story arc. (Unless it's six!) This fanfic is rated PG-13

by the Motion Picture Association for violence, language, and deep stuff that may be disturbing to some. For more information, see the other disclaimers. Oh, and the Starrunners (except for J'neth) are all obscure cartoon references. Can you identify them?

Split Decisions
by : Ellen Brand

"Carlos, left!" Tommy's voice had barely died away before Carlos Vargas spun in the gunner's seat and obliterated two Dianth fighters. Surveying the battle

scene before him, he bit his lip. It was becoming frighteningly easy for him to take a shot at anything silver that entered his airspace. Andros had said that the fighters were computer-controlled, so it wasn't as if he was actually shooting at people.

Still- a real war shouldn't be so much like a video game, should it?

"Don't think about it," a voice drifted back from the cockpit. Carlos couldn't see Chris' face, but the tone in the other boy's voice was very serious. "If you want to get through this with your sanity intact, just think of them as blips on the screen."

Carlos nodded, forgetting for a second that the other could not see

him. "If you can do it, I can do it. Let's kick some tail."

The Gunstar plunged back into the fray with the speed of a diving falcon. Nearby, other ships spun and fired on each other, turning the battle into a dizzying kaleidoscope of metal and laser fire. Out of the corner of his eye, Carlos could see the other Rangers, each one identifiable from his or her flying style.

Tommy was a hot dog, pulling off incredible stunts with ease. Jamie

and Jason, his constant wingmen, had a tendency to shoot at anything that crossed their range. Rocky was just this side of reckless, while Billy preferred to lure his opponents

into traps and take as many out with one shot as possible.

Kimberly's style involved a lot of acrobatics, since she could make

a ship practically turn on its tailfin. Lillian was acrobatic as well, but favored

sudden dives as opposed to loops. Andros was almost as much of a hot dog as Tommy, but his longer experience showed in some of his stunts. As for Chris… As far as Carlos could tell, the new Silver Astro Ranger was following in the footsteps of WW II fighter pilots.

Although the Ranger pilots were never far from each other, there was a great deal of cooperation between their group and the Starrunner pilots they were assisting. A persistent Dianth Fighter that Rocky could not shake off his tail was suddenly blown away. "Thanks, man," Rocky sent.

"No problem," the Starrunner chuckled. "I'm not losing ANYBODY I fly with, even if I did just meet him."

Between the Rangers and the Starrunners, it looked as if the Dianth

ships were finally routed. Suddenly a green laser shot from the front of the main flagship, narrowly missing a clump of fighters.

"Whoa!" Chris cried. "Nobody told me we were going up against the Death Star!"

"Everybody all right?" Ashley's voice asked over the comm system. The Rangers who were unable to fly had spread throughout the ~ Starfire,~ taking over as

many tasks as they could, freeing more of the Starrunners to join the battle. Ashley had gotten herself installed as Communications Officer for the Rangers, and was helping direct

the battle from the bridge.

"Singed my tail feathers, but I'm okay," Jamie responded.

Kimberly added, "That thing packs one heck of a wallop."

"If we don't do something about it soon," Jason finished, "we are toast."



After all the explanations and introductions were finally finished,

the assembled heroes of Earth decided to head to Angel Grove Park to try and relax. The assorted members of the support staff remained behind to discuss the current situation, and probably, Ryan thought, to offer more realistic, less hopeful appraisals of

their situation.

Currently, the blond leader of the VR Troopers was sitting under a tree, watching one of the strangest games of Frisbee he'd ever seen. Drew was attempting to snag the disk with his telekinesis, Roland was outrunning everybody, and Jo and Fred

had teamed up, the smaller girl lifting the Red Turbo Ranger into the air to grab the disk. Meanwhile, Kaitlin, JB, and Dex, the Masked Rider, were using their superior height to

try and beat the others to the Frisbee. However, the Turbo Rangers were small and fast, with excellent jumping skills. It looked to be anybody's game.

Finally Kaitlin withdrew from the competition, pleading exhaustion,

and sank gratefully down on the ground next to Ryan. "Did we have that much energy at their age?" she asked, leaning back against the tree. He shrugged.

"Remember what we did to the Professor's lab when Grimlord made us kids again?"

"Good point." She shook her head. "I can't believe this. The twelve

of us are the only thing standing between this Shadowborg and Earth, and half of the defense force isn't old enough to vote!"

Ryan chuckled. "That's kind of a sore spot, Kaitlin. How would you feel if everyone kept second-guessing you, just because of your age?"

"I understand, I guess. But- this isn't exactly an activity I'd recommend for people their age."

"Well, they're obviously good at what they do," Ryan answered. "I mean, the Beetleborgs have been at this as long as we have, and they're still alive."

"Yeah, I guess." They sat in silence for a moment, then she got to her feet. "Well, I'm going to go play some more Frisbee. You coming?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm going to sit here for a while. You go on."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged, and headed out into the field again.

"You like to be by yourself a lot, don't you?" Ryan looked up to see Drew watching him. Ryan grinned.

"Geez, do you turn invisible, too? I didn't even see you leave the Frisbee game."

Drew smiled, but there was a slightly bitter cast to it. Sitting down next to Ryan, he shook his head. "No, I'm not the one who turns invisible. And you didn't

answer my question."

Ryan winced. "Touche," he acknowledged. "I guess I do like to be by

myself. It helps me think." Quickly, he changed the subject. "I still can't get over how two of Earth's major hero teams aren't old enough to drive. No offense, but I just thought

you'd be- older."

"There are days I feel like I'm fifty," Drew offered. "Does that count?"

Ryan laughed. "I know exactly what you mean."



On the bridge of the ~ Starfire,~ Ashley watched apprehensively as the Ranger pilots discussed how to best deal with the newest threat.

"I have an idea!" Billy announced suddenly.

"We're all ears here, Billy," Lillian replied.

"It looks as though it takes that laser array some time to power up. Andros and Chris are our best pilots. We wait until that thing fires again, then the two of them get in there and take it out."

"Wait a minute!" Chris objected. "You want me to fly through about a hundred pirate ships, directly towards the biggest laser this side of Vegas? Are you crazy?"

"Come on, man," Carlos teased. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I left it in my other pants," grumbled the Silver Astro Ranger.

"You guys are the best we've got," Tommy informed them. "If you don't go through with this, it's gonna be Rangers flambe."

"You'll have to hurry," Billy continued. "When that thing fires, you'd better get going like-"

"Like my hair was on fire and my ass was catching?" Chris interjected. "Billy, you aren't even going to see me move!"

Ashley chuckled. Chris certainly had a way with words. Suddenly a bolt of green energy shot from the Dianth Flagship again, this one aimed directly at the ~ Starfire.~

Quickly, she grabbed for a console as the bridge rocked around her. "You'd better hurry, guys!" she cried over her headset. "We can't take another shot like that one!"

"Already on our way," Andros sent back. "Somebody keep those fighters off our tails!"

"Come on, guys!" Jason yelled. "Let's plow the road!"

With the other Rangers covering them, Andros and Chris made it quite close to the main laser array. "Lock on weapons!" Andros ordered. "And- Fire!" Two lasers shot out, obliterating the array in a huge explosion. Unfortunately, Andros and Chris

were not far enough away, and were caught up in the shockwave as well.

"Shit!" Chris cried. "My systems are out!"

"Mine too!" Andros replied. "We've been caught in the gravity well of that planet!" The two ships began to spiral down into the atmosphere.

"We're toast!" Carlos cried. Chris sounded calmer.

"Re-entry's gonna be a real pain in the-" A burst of static cut him

off as the two ships spiraled out of contact and were gone.

"CARLOS!" Ashley cried, jumping to her feet. "We have to save them!"

J'neth, also stationed on the bridge, shook his head. "That's Onyx,

a planet completely controlled by villains. We'd never make it. If they survive re-entry, they'll have to find their own way back. We've got problems of our own."

"Like what?" Ashley followed his gaze to a computer screen. It read

"Unauthorized teleportation into main hold."

"I think," he replied grimly, "we've just been boarded."



Fred Kelman had no sooner grabbed the Frisbee than his communicator

went off. Distracted, he didn't quite get his feet under him as he touched down, and consequently landed hard on his butt. Any injury he suffered was immediately forgotten as the rest of the group clustered around him. Justin had promised to make up enough communicators for the entire group, but until then, the Turbos were the only ones that had them.

"We read you," Fred responded. "What's up?"

"Shadowborg," Egon Spengler replied succinctly. "He's downtown, causing a great deal of rather random destruction and chaos. I'm quite sure this is some sort of challenge to you."

"He's calling us out," mused JB.

"We'd better get down there now," Drew informed the others.

Suddenly Ray Stantz's voice interrupted them. "Hold up a minute, guys. Franklin, there's- something you should know."

A chill shot up the Green Turbo Ranger's spine, and he swallowed hard. "What?"

"Apparently Shadowborg has crossed paths with the Angel Grove Police Department. He has a group of cops pinned down inside a parking garage. We think there's injuries, but- we can't tell how many or how serious."

Seeing Franklin's face go death-pale, Dex shot Rosa a curious look.

Rosa bit her lip. "His dad's a cop," she explained. "On the 'Monster Squad.'" Reaching out, she wrapped an arm around her green friend's waist. He squeezed her shoulders gently, not really seeming to notice that she was there.

"If your dad's the Detective Park we met this morning, I wouldn't worry," Drew told him. Jo seconded the idea.

"Yeah, that guy looked like he could eat Crustaceans for breakfast."

Franklin smiled slightly. "Let's just get down there and stop Shadowborg before anybody else gets hurt," he responded. Fred nodded.

"Right." Breaking up into their respective teams, the twelve assembled heroes moved slightly apart.

"Shift into Turbo!"

"Databonders!"

"Ecto-phase Activate!"

"Trooper Transform!" Angel Grove Park was treated to a light show the likes of which it had never seen, a feat in itself, considering all the things that had occurred there. Then, with another brilliant flash, the defenders of Earth were teleported downtown.

"Well," Yellow Turbo grimaced. "I don't think we're going to have any trouble finding him." A wide trail of destruction surrounded them, leading off down

the street.

"Just so long as he doesn't find us first," Blue Trooper replied, scanning the area.

"Everybody be very careful," Titanium Silver stressed. "This guy can take just about anything we can dish out."

Following the swathe of crumpled mailboxes, slagged lampposts, and shattered concrete, the heroes quickly found their target, almost idly trading shots with the police still trapped in the garage.

"All right, guys," Red Turbo said quietly, calling his companions into a huddle. "Our first priority is to get those cops out of that building, and out of the war zone if possible. Frank, that's your job." Green Turbo nodded, an acknowledgment both of the command and of the fact that he wouldn't be good for anything else. Not, at

least, until he knew his father was safe.

"I wouldn't recommend going alone, though," his leader continued. "We haven't seen any foot soldiers in this attack, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. Besides, you might need help with the police. Who do you want with you?"

"Roland? We make a pretty good team," Green Turbo suggested. Titanium Silver nodded. "I think I'll take Tasha, too. She can bully them into cooperation,

even if they're in shock."

"I have experience in working with the police, and some first aid training," White Trooper volunteered.

"Great," Red Turbo nodded. "You guys get in there, get the cops out, and then get your butts back here as fast as possible, understand? We are going to need all the support we can get against this guy."

The four nodded. "Right." Taking care not to draw Shadowborg's attention, they slipped off.

"Now it's our turn, right?" Blue Turbo sighed. "We get to be the distraction."

"Could be worse," Platinum Purple replied cheerfully.

"How?" Even while bickering quietly, the two of them were moving to

surround Shadowborg, along with the other six. No sooner had the eight of them formed a semicircle around their target than Shadowborg turned slowly.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled coldly. "Eight against one. And I thought Earth's defenders were supposed to fight with honor."

"This is as fair a fight as you deserve," Chromium Gold snarled, surprising the others with the venom in his tone.

"So we meet again, Drew. I must say, I like the new look better than your old blue one. Yellow is definitely your color."

Feeling her brother stiffen beside her, Platinum Purple put out a hand. "Don't…" she whispered.

"Still taking orders from your little sister?" Shadowborg asked with mock politeness. "No wonder you were nearly displaced by that snotty little upstart."

"That's enough," Masked Rider interrupted. "We came here to fight, not to listen to you run your mouth."

"Then it's a fight you shall have!" With that, Shadowborg leaped forward. Cries echoed through the square as eight heroes and one very nasty villain did battle.

Brushing blond hair out of his eyes, Rick Winslow regarded his partner sardonically. "Trevor, sit still. I have to bandage this up, and I can't do

that if you keep moving."

"It's just a little laser wound," Trevor replied absently. He had his head craned, trying to see through the small holes between the cars that formed their shelter. "You'd think he took my arm off or something." The police detective frowned. "What

is going on out there? I don't recognize half of those voices."

Rick opened his mouth to make another sarcastic comment, but never made it. Four forms dropped from an upper level, instantly finding themselves the targets of a number of police guns.

Titanium Silver raised his hands. "It's okay, really. We're the good guys."

Green Turbo couldn't reach his father's side fast enough. "Da- Detective Park. Are you all right?"

"It's just a scratch," Trevor replied, indicating the bandage on his arm. "You'd better see to the guys who are worse off than me."

White Trooper crossed to where a blond woman, whose badge identified her as a lieutenant, was supporting the head of another man. The man's leg was bent in the wrong place, and White Trooper winced as she knelt beside them. "Is this broken?"

she asked quietly.

The policewoman nodded. "Damn thing snapped it like a twig," she growled. "We never stood a chance."

"We're the 'Monster Squad,' Spinelli," the injured man grinned weakly. "What else could we do? The Rangers were out of action."

"Well, reinforcements have arrived," White Trooper informed him. Looking around the garage, she saw Green and Yellow Turbos bandaging wounds and moving the injured into the center of the room as gently as possible. Spotting Titanium Silver, she waved him over.

"We're going to have to set this leg before we move him anywhere," she said in a low tone. "You distract him, okay?"

Titanium Silver nodded, moving to take the injured man's hand. "So-

what's your name, man?" he asked.

"Sergeant Charles Maddox. People call me Chuck."

"Got any kids, Sergeant Maddox?"

Chuck smiled. "Two. You know, they're going to flip when they hear about this. They think the Beetleborgs are the greatest thing since sliced bread." Just

then, Lieutenant Spinelli and White Trooper squeezed his leg, moving the bone back into position with a sickening crunch. Chuck's face went pale, but he did not cry out.

Titanium Silver was impressed. "Tell you what," he said lightly, trying to cover his reaction. "When all this is over, the three of us will sign a Beetleborg comic for them, okay?"

"Sounds- good to me," Chuck panted. Gently, White Trooper and Lieutenant Spinelli moved him into the center of the floor, where the rest of the police had gathered.

"Power Chamber, get ready to teleport to the hospital on my signal," Green Turbo instructed. "Detective Park, can you take care of all the admissions stuff?"

Before Trevor had a chance to answer, Rick stepped in. "~ I~ will take care of the admissions stuff. Trevor will be admitted with all the other walking wounded." He grinned. "I'm just dirty. Besides, if I let you spend one minute without medical care, your wife would put ME in the hospital."

"You're probably right," Trevor admitted. Looking at Green Turbo, he grinned. "We'll be fine." With that said, the group of policemen dissolved into white light and were gone.

"All right, enough moping around!" Yellow Turbo declared. "The others need our help. Let's get out there and kick some Shadow Butt!"

"Ohhh, man," Carlos groaned, slowly waking up. "I can't believe it.

I'm alive!" Re-entry had burned out most of the Gunstar's systems, and had caused extensive damage to the outside of the craft, but somehow it had managed not to kill them. "Chris? You alive up there?"

"I don't think being dead hurts this much," came the muffled reply.

"Think the air's breathable?"

"Since I'm staring through a hole in the canopy, I'd say yes," the Black Astro Ranger replied wryly. "Pop the top, will you? We have to find Andros."

"Not to mention a way OFF this rock." After a few tense moments, the Gunstar's canopy unsealed, peeling back from the cockpit. Gingerly, the two boys climbed down the side of the ship. Looking at the wreck, they winced in unison.

"I don't think we can fix her," Carlos sighed. Chris nodded.

"If she was a horse, we'd have to shoot her. You think Andros made it down in one piece?"

"I don't know, but I do know that he's been flying a lot longer than either of us. My question is, how are we gonna find him?"

Chris pointed over Carlos' shoulder. "My money is on that column of

smoke over there. Come on!" The two of them took off running. As they crested a rise, they saw Andros standing a few yards away from his destroyed fighter, watching as what was left of the wreckage smoldered.

"You all right?" Carlos asked, coming up beside his leader. Andros nodded.

"Yeah, Carlos. Come on, we'd better get out of here before the wreck explodes, or before the people of the planet come to investigate." He began walking. Exchanging a glance, Chris and Carlos hurried to catch up.

"Where ARE we, anyway?" Chris asked, coming back alongside Andros. "I didn't exactly check the map before we crashed."

"We're on the planet Onyx. It's a sort of haven for villains. The UAE- United Alliance of Evil," he explained to Chris, "the UAE took it over millennia ago for use as a rest and recreation zone. It's the most crime-ridden, dangerous hellhole in

three galactic sectors."

"Great," Chris grumbled. "Shot down over the galactic equivalent of

South Central."

"How do you know so much about this place?" Carlos pursued.

Andros sighed. "After the loss of KO-35, I followed Dark Specter for almost a year before he went to Earth. This was one of the places that I followed him to." In the distance, a town was approaching. Andros smiled slightly.

"Figures. This is Port Town, the main- heck, the only center of civilization on Onyx. Our ships must have tried to bring us in here, since it's the best landing site on the planet."

"Looks like the backlot for a bad sci-fi Western," was Chris's appraisal. It was a fairly accurate one. The streets were full of strange creatures, but the architecture seemed to be straight out of "Gunsmoke." Andros ducked into an alley, pulling the other two with him.

"I'm going to scope out the town and see if I can't find us a way off this planet," the Red Astro Ranger told his teammates. "You two stay in this alley and be

ready to back me up if I need you." Reaching behind a loose board on a wall, he pulled out a wine-red cloak. "Well, what do you know? Still here." Dusting it off, he covered himself in it.

"How will we know if you need us?" Carlos asked.

Andros chuckled. "Trust me, Carlos, you'll know." Pulling the hood over his head, he slipped out into the street and was gone.



A loud clang resounded through the street as Blue Trooper slammed into the nearest wall. Instantly, Masked Rider was at his side, helping him up. "Are

you all right?" the insectoid hero asked, concerned.

"I think so," the Trooper replied, standing gingerly. "Man, that guy packs one heck of a punch."

"Tell me about it."

While his auto-repair circuits took care of the damage inflicted on

him, Blue Trooper watched the battle raging in front of him. Pink Turbo had taken position on top of a dumpster, and was launching bolt after energy bolt from her bow. Unfortunately, none of them seemed to connect, and a blast from the Shadow Laser sent her flying.

Platinum Purple had summoned her Metallix Baton, a staff with prongs on the ends. She darted in for an attack, only to be knocked away by a casual kick. Masked Rider and Blue Trooper stopped her before she could hit the wall, but all three of them tumbled to the pavement.

No sooner had Shadowborg dispatched Platinum Purple, however, then Chromium Gold attacked. This match was far more even, as the two of them traded powerful blows back and forth.

"Wow," Pink Turbo breathed, limping over to help Platinum Purple to

her feet. Nearby, Masked Rider was doing the same for Blue Trooper. "Drew is PISSED."

"I've never seen him this bad," Platinum Purple told them. "He's beginning to scare me."

A fast kick to the midsection sent Chromium Gold sprawling. He continued the motion of his roll, barely dodging as the Shadow Claw bit into the concrete

where his head had been. Suddenly a bolt of blue energy sent Shadowborg staggering back, just long enough for Red Turbo, Blue Turbo, and Black Trooper to interpose themselves

between Shadowborg and his target. Meanwhile, Platinum Purple and Blue Trooper rushed to help Chromium Gold up. A powerful blast from the Shadow Laser sent the entire group down.

"Looks like you guys could use some reinforcements!" Green Turbo's voice called. The downed heroes looked up to see the last four members of their team rushing out of the parking garage. Quickly, the newcomers arrayed themselves around their fallen friends, giving them time to get to their feet.

"I think it's time we doubled the odds!" White Trooper declared. "VR Kaitlin Doubleteam Command, NOW!" In a flash of light, another figure appeared beside White Trooper. The newcomer was an exact duplicate of White Trooper, down to the white and red armor she wore.

Shadowborg just laughed. "Thirteen, my lucky number." Pointing towards White 2, the claw shot from his wrist and buried itself in her chest armor. Laughing coldly, he reeled her in as a fisherman does a bass, then grabbed her arms and sent electric shocks coursing through her. The other heroes tried to move in and break his grip,

but Shadowborg just used the Trooper in his grasp as a shield to keep them away.

However, White 2 was not out of the fight yet. Twisting her wrist, she summoned one of the double-ended sickles that were her main weapons. "Laugh it- up, ugly," she growled. Then with a powerful shove, she embedded the kama in Shadowborg's chest plate. Releasing her, he staggered back a few paces. White 2 began to collapse bonelessly to the ground, but Blue Trooper was right there, and caught her as she began to fall. The rest of the team moved to form a wall between them and the Shadowborg.

Looking down, Shadowborg reached up and casually pulled the weapon out of his chest. Regarding it for a moment, he tossed it contemptuously aside. Still,

the heroes could see sparks flying from the hole it left, proof that the injury was a bit more serious than had first appeared.

"One battle does not win a war, heroes," Shadowborg informed them. "I'll be back, when you least expect it." Turning, he walked into the nearest shadow and was gone.

"Are you going to be all right?" Blue Trooper asked White 2. The girl nodded.

"Sure. Once we retroform all the damage will be gone. After all, SHE'S the original." Blue Trooper cocked his head at the bitterness apparent in her voice, but said nothing.

"It's over for now, guys," Chromium Gold sighed. "Let's go back to the Power Chamber."

"Right," agreed Red Turbo. "Beam us up, Scotty." The thirteen heroes vanished into flashes of light, four of them with strange circuitry patterns.

"Turbo Rangers Power Down."

"Backblast."

"Masked Rider Power Down."

"Retroform Command, now." The weariness that all four teams felt was obvious from the lack of force in their back-transformation commands. However, no sooner had the power around them cleared than a new problem presented itself. Ryan and

JB simply stared, speechless, at the place where TWO Kaitlin Starrs stood face-to-face.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "I take it this is not normal?"



"This is the last place I want to be," TJ grumbled. "I feel like an

extra in 'Aliens.'" TJ, Skull, Adam, and Cassie, being the best shots currently on board, had been assigned to the team dealing with the boarders in the holds. Currently, they were making their way through the dark corridors that formed the lower levels of the ~ Starfire.~

Skull grinned.

"Well, at least here you only have to worry about pirates," he chuckled. "Not facehuggers."

Suddenly Adora, the Starrunner in charge of the eight-man team, raised a hand. "Shh. I think we've found them. There, in Hold 6A. Weapons ready, everybody." At her signal, the team moved into the better-lit hold.

"Don't move!" Adora snapped, leveling her laser at the nine Dianth pirates. Of course, none of them listened. Instead, they all dove for cover, drawing their own lasers and opening fire.

"Duck!" Adam yelled, taking cover behind a stack of metal crates. The rest of the team did the same. Cassie winced as one bolt came a little too close for comfort.

"Forget 'Aliens,' Teej. We just walked into 'Lethal Weapon!'"

Quickly, Adam leaned around the corner of his shelter, snapping a volley of shots off at the attacking pirates. As he ducked back to safety, he noticed Skull

doing the same thing. It was sort of funny, he thought, how the only member of the Rangers

who had never used an energy pistol was a crack shot. That was Skull for you, though, always full of surprises.

TJ ducked as a volley of laser shots went screaming over his head. "This is getting us nowhere," he remarked. "We could trade shots like this all day."

"You have a better idea?" Jayce, the Starrunner beside him asked. The young man was a little younger than TJ, and had brown hair with a white streak running through it.

"As a matter of fact, maybe I do," TJ grinned. "Come on!" The two of them dashed across the hold, to where a stack of barrels stood. "What's in these?"

"Dragontail Brandy. Expensive, but not deadly- well, unless you drink WAY too much," Jayce replied, seeing what TJ meant to do. "Besides, the barrels are

very strong, and it won't hurt the drink too much."

"Good. Help me push!" The two young men set their backs to the stack and began to push. For a long second, nothing happened. Then the barrels began to quiver, and toppled- right in the direction of the Dianth pirates.

It worked just as TJ had hoped. The rolling barrels knocked pirates

left and right, and directly into walls. Those who weren't KO'd by the barrels found themselves disarmed and dealing with Starrunners and Rangers all at once. Suddenly, an arm slipped around TJ's throat, cutting off his wind. The barrel of a laser pistol placed against his temple kept him from struggling.

"Give it up, Dianth," Adora snapped, drawing her pistol and pointing it at TJ's assailant. "You're outnumbered and have nowhere to go."

"Oh, I have plenty of places to go," the pirate sneered. "Back to the ~ Demon,~ for example. How much do you think a Power Ranger would go for on the galactic slave market?" Before this could register, TJ and his captor were enveloped in sparkles of light and then disappeared. Starrunners and Rangers looked at each other.

"Shit," Cassie grunted. That pretty much said it all.



The ship shuddered again as Chelsea ran onto the bridge. "What the heck is going on here?" she asked, slipping smoothly into the navigator's chair.

"Obviously, we're under attack," Ecliptor retorted. "Can you take over the radar?"

"Already on it," she replied, flipping switches. "Trey, what are you up to?"

"I'm weapons detail," the Gold Ranger responded, not looking up.

"So, who's chasing us?" Chelsea inquired. "All I see are blips on the screen."

"Varox," Trey ground out. "I'm more convinced than ever that this is a set-up. Whoever hired these guys to get me in the first place has got to be behind this."

Ecliptor grunted, dodging laser blasts as he flew. "I told you, my old enemy Darkonda is behind this."

"Yeah, but the only Darkonda ~ I~ know of is a respected member of the Council. I've never heard of this guy you're talking about."

"But you have, Gold Ranger. The Darkonda I speak of IS the one you know. In recent centuries, the Council has grown lax in checking the background of its members. And Darkonda is very, very good about hiding his past."

"But- why me?" Trey shook his head. "It's not like my arrest would gain him anything."

"It would gain power, young prince. Control over an ever-expanding portion of the Council. The Gold Ranger is the only holder of the power to also be a ruler among his people. Imagine, if he could have you declared unworthy of the powers, and therefore unworthy of your post."

A chill shot up Trey's spine. "And he'd surely have a suitable candidate already picked out- suitable meaning one he could control, whether by greed, or fear, or spells."

"And Triforia is one of the major powers in the galaxy. A Gold Ranger and a number of allied planets, all under his control…"

"He could use the economic and political power as a bludgeon to get

the rest of the Council to do whatever he wanted," Chelsea broke in somberly. Both men darted her sharp glances. "Hey, we do have politics on Earth, you know. And it doesn't

seem to work much differently out here. I made A's in Political Science, thank you very much!"

Trey grinned, shaking his head. "You never cease to amaze me, Chelse."

"Mmm…" Chelsea raised an eyebrow. "Ecliptor, I can't find these guys anywhere. They've just dropped off my screens. Do you think we lost them?"

The ship suddenly shook violently, as a blip appeared and disappeared, directly behind them.

"I'd say that's a 'no,'" Trey replied dryly, swinging the cannons around and firing.

"They're cloaked," Ecliptor growled.

Another shudder shook them, and suddenly the weapons panel exploded

in a fiery display of sparks. "TREY!" Chelsea yelled, leaping out of her seat to go to

her fallen boyfriend. Ecliptor gritted his teeth.

"Hang on to something!" he yelled. "I've got one more trick in this

thing!" Suddenly the world around them began to blur, and Chelsea realized that Ecliptor had shifted them into hyperspace. She had no attention to spare this information, though. Her entire brain was focused on the man who lay unconscious beside her on the floor.

Slowly the world returned to normal, but Chelsea didn't notice. She

was too busy checking Trey's pulse- irregular and far too fast- and his breathing. He had first and second-degree burns on his torso and arms, which had shielded his face at the moment of explosion. His pupils were dilated, and she was afraid he had a concussion.

"How is he?" Ecliptor asked, coming to her side.

"Bad," Chelsea replied, keeping her voice steady with an effort. "If we don't get him medical attention soon-" she broke off, unable to finish.

Ecliptor was silent for a long moment, then sighed. "I have an idea." Reaching down, he picked the unconscious Gold Ranger up off the floor as if he weighed no more than a feather. Once again, Chelsea was forcibly reminded of how strong Ecliptor was. If he decided she was a liability… She forced that out of her mind, following the crystalline being down the hall.

Ecliptor's strides brought them quickly to the medical bay. A small

room with a single bed, Chelsea wasn't sure how anything there could help a condition as serious as Trey's. "Take the mattress off the med bed," Ecliptor instructed. Chelsea did so, and found a cabinet beneath, just deep enough for a humanoid to lie in. Gently, Ecliptor set Trey down in the cabinet and pressed a button. A blue glow sprang into being around the unconscious man, pulsing gently.

"It's a stasis field," the crystalline warrior explained. "It will keep his condition from deteriorating until we can get him somewhere that he can get treatment."

"Do you have anywhere in mind?" Chelsea asked. Ecliptor regarded her for a moment. She had immediately reigned in the fear and uncertainty she felt, and was all business again. He chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, I do. And for now, you're my co-pilot."

Chelsea couldn't keep from making a small face. "Oh, joy," she muttered.



In the Power Chamber, shock had given way to questions, as everyone

wanted to know exactly what happened with Kaitlin. Finally, Ryan raised a hand to still the clamor. Taking a deep breath, he began to explain.

"To make a long, ugly story short, Grimlord created a device that took Kaitlin's reflection and made a sort of – virtual copy, who went by Kaitlin 2. She nearly destroyed us, but we managed to break through the control Grimlord had over her, and she joined us. Unfortunately, she and Kaitlin began to dissolve, thanks to a sort of- molecular decay process. After a few misadventures and fights, we retrieved Grimlord's mirror crystal and rejoined the two Kaitlins. Only Jeb knocked the mirror to the floor and broke it, keeping Kaitlin 2 from dissipating totally."

"I existed in a sort of- virtual buffer zone," Kaitlin 2 explained.

"When Kaitlin was transformed, she could call me into being as you saw, but once she stopped inhabiting virtual reality, I went back to the buffer. I could see everything that went on around her, but there wasn't anything I could do about it."

Ryan turned to her, surprise in his eyes. "That must have been awful. I wish we had known- maybe we could have done something."

Kaitlin 2 shrugged. "It was more like I was dreaming, so it wasn't that bad." The expression on her face hinted that she was holding something back, but Ryan

didn't push her any further.

"So, what happened to bring you into the real world?" Jo wanted to know. In unison, Ryan and both Kaitlins turned to look at JB. He shrugged.

"Darned if I know. Professor, you want to take this one?"

The virtual image thought for a long moment. Appearing to be a black man in his early sixties, Professor Horatio Hart had been a close friend of Ryan's father, Tyler Steele. The two physicists were in fact the creators of the VR Trooper technology, although most of the ideas had been Tyler's. It had been that technology that had attracted the attention of Grimlord, an evil being from Virtual Reality, who had nearly killed Professor Hart, forcing Tyler to download his mind into a virtual computer. Later Grimlord had kidnapped Tyler, hoping to use his intelligence as a weapon to conquer reality. Instead, he had just given Ryan one more reason to see him brought down.

"I believe I have the answer," Professor Hart mused finally. "Kaitlin 2, when Shadowborg attacked you, his claw cut into some of the circuits that control retroforming. Apparently, it shunted the energy so that you simply formed into a normal human, rather than returning to the buffer zone."

"So, we don't have to worry about decay?" Kaitlin asked hopefully.

"No. Kaitlin 2 is a completely normal human being."

"In that case," Peter interrupted, "we probably ought to have something better to call you than just 'Kaitlin 2.' Establishing an identity, you know."

Kaitlin 2 thought for a moment. "How about Katie? It's close enough

to Kaitlin for me to remember to answer to, but no one has EVER called you Katie that I remember."

Kaitlin nodded. "Works for me."

Lita watched in amusement as Ryan looked from one woman to the other in confusion. Suddenly the thoughts that had been chasing each other around all day made contact and she stood up straight. "You said your last name was Steele?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Ryan asked cautiously.

"You said you were eight years old when Grimlord kidnapped your father, right? And you were left with your grandparents? Did they ever send you to a psychiatrist?"

Ryan blinked. Twelve years had blurred some of the details, especially of the time right after his father had disappeared, when he had been trying to forget most everything. Suddenly, however, a memory snapped into focus and his jaw dropped. "That was you, wasn't it? Geez, I'd forgotten all about that!"

"I had too, until just now. You certainly don't look much like the eight year-old boy who sat on my couch and ignored me for hours."

Ryan blushed. "I've grown up since then."

The semi-surprised silence lingered for a while, and then Peter grinned. "Well, this has been a day for surprises."



Andros made his way into the Onyx Tavern almost unnoticed, heading over to the bar. Only a few watchful stares marked his passing, something that subtly reassured him. It was impossible to go completely unwatched on Onyx- villains were not trusting people. However, he was unobtrusive enough not to draw a great deal of attention. Making sure his Astro Morpher was carefully tucked under the sleeve of his cloak, he levered himself onto a stool.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked, polishing a glass in time-honored fashion.

"Onyx Fruit," Andros replied, the voice changer in the cloak causing the words to sound husky and low.

The giant ant regarded him for a long moment, then shrugged. The juice of the Onyx Fruit had mild euphoric properties, but nothing nearly as strong as some of the other concoctions behind the bar. Still, a man who wanted to keep his wits about him was nothing new, and the bartender fetched the drink without comment.

"Buy a lady a drink?" a low voice said in his ear. Andros turned to

see a humanoid woman sitting on the stool next to him, wearing the rather minimal costume of a dancehall girl. He chuckled to himself. She was certainly pretty, with pale skin and shining aquamarine hair, and a year ago, he might have been tempted to carry through with the flirtation. Now, however… ~ She's got nothing on Cassie,~ he thought to himself.

"Sorry," he rasped. "You're not my type."

The woman fixed him with a pair of violet eyes. "Perhaps I could interest you in- another sort of transaction, then. I know a great deal about almost everything. My- customers are often careless with their knowledge."

Andros cocked his head. "I- might be interested in some information," he replied cautiously. "What would you be expecting in return?"

"That depends on you, traveler." As the bartender came around, she ordered a glass of Meelar water. She took a long swallow. "What would you be willing to give me?"

That was the sixty-four dollar question, as humans said. At the moment, he was flat broke. He generally didn't keep Galactic script on him anymore, and certainly not during a space battle. Suddenly an idea hit him.

"Information for information," he chuckled. "Something someone in your business would find most useful."

"What type of information? I can't do much with the price of grain on Shilharia, you know," she told him, amused.

"Information about the way the balance of power in the Alliance may

be shifting soon. Are you interested?"

She smiled. "I am indeed, traveler. But let us find somewhere a little more private for this conversation." Taking his hands, she led him up the stairs to the second floor, to the sound of a few catcalls from below. Leading him into a bedroom on the second floor, she shut the door behind him.

"Now, traveler, what information do you wish?"

"I need to know what ships are in port, preferably the ones with small crews and light guards."

She raised an eyebrow. "Planning to steal a ship, are we? Well, there are a number of single-person fighters down at the launching pad. You could pretty much take your pick."

"No good," he shook his head. "I need something that at least seats

three people."

Her expression suddenly changed. "You- you came down on those ships! Lady Stars, you're from the Council!" She lunged for the door, but he moved even

faster, spinning her into his arms and covering her mouth with one hand.

"I'm not from the Council, and I don't mean you any harm," he rasped in her ear. "All I want is to get off this planet and get back to my friends. Now, I'm going to let you go. Please, don't scream or I'll have to do something we'll both regret. Okay?" She nodded, and he carefully released her.

"Who are you?" she asked, backing slowly across the room. All hint of her seductive manner had vanished, and he saw that she couldn't be too much older than he was. Taking a chance, he slid the hood off his head, exposing his face.

"My name is Andros," he told her. "What are you called?"

"Kylora," she replied softly.

"Kylora, I don't want to hurt you. That's not my intention at all. All I want is to get my friends and go home. Now, what is in port that I could- appropriate for my own uses."

"Well," she thought slowly, "there is one ship in that has the capability of breaking out through the defense grid, one that doesn't require a huge crew. It was an- acquisition from the KO-35 Space Navy during a battle a number of years ago."

"The Delta Megaship?" he gasped, astounded. That was the only craft

he knew of that had been stolen from the Space Navy, at least in recent memory. Kylora

nodded.

"Yes, that's what it's called. It's currently in the possession of Ichori, a fairly nasty bounty hunter. If you can get the Battleizer away from him, the Megaship could certainly get you off the planet." She hesitated. "But my price has changed."

Andros raised an eyebrow. "What is it now?"

"Take me with you," she responded. "I don't intend to spend the rest of my life here. I never wanted that."

"Deal," Andros replied immediately. "Can you fight?"

Kylora grinned. "Quite well, thank you."

"Good. Now, we need to get the Battleizer away from Ichori, and I have a plan. This is what we'll do."



"Katie?" Ryan asked hesitantly. The heroes assembled in the Power Chamber had begun yet another of their strategy meetings, discussing every possible aspect of the last battle, trying to find some flaw in Shadowborg's armor. Suddenly, Ryan had noticed that Katie was no longer in the group. Going on a hunch, Ryan had headed for the

tunnel that led to the main doors. Sure enough, Katie was standing on one of the cliffs

outside the Power Chamber, watching as the sun slowly sank down in the west. She looked

up at the sound of his approach, not seeming very surprised.

"Oh, hi, Ryan," she smiled. The expression did not reach her eyes, however, which seemed troubled and so very tired.

"What's the matter?" he asked, concerned. Quickly, he crossed to stand beside her at the end of the cliff.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Everything. It's like- I just woke up

from a dream. What am I supposed to do now? I have no life, no past, no family- I'm not even a good copy of Kaitlin anymore. Enough has happened that we're different people."

"That's true," Ryan allowed. "But with all the computer geniuses we

have around here, creating a past for you should be a snap. We can't do anything about a family- but you'll always have the three of us. You may not be Kaitlin, but you ARE our

friend. We would never just abandon you, Katie."

"I know that. I'm just afraid that real life may be even harder to bear than a dream."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, do you remember what happened when we first met?"

"I'll say," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You threw me

over a desk."

She chuckled slightly. "Only after my attempt to distract you didn't work."

"You were going to distract me by sparring with me?"

"Not exactly." She shook her head in amusement. "You are a sweet guy, Ryan Steele, but you can be EXTREMELY obtuse."

"All right, so what am I missing here? What were you planning to do?"

For a moment, she didn't reply, just looked at him. Then she reached out, and before he could react, she drew his face to hers and kissed him soundly. Then she released him, watching him apprehensively.

Ryan blinked. "I get it, I get it." He regarded her keenly. "Was that just a distraction, or what?"

Katie bit her lip, looking at him askance. "Well- I thought you were pretty cute, actually. I didn't want to hurt you, really, but you didn't give me much of

a choice." She sighed. "This is why I both want to be here and don't want to be here. Do you know how hard it was, watching from that buffer zone as Kaitlin spent all that time within arm's length of what I wanted so desperately, and never even noticed? It was driving me crazy. But now, I have a chance- and I also have to worry about rejection. In some

ways it was just easier being a virtual image."

Ryan was speechless for a long moment. "Katie," he began carefully,

"before I say anything else, how do you feel about me?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "I love you, you idiot," she admitted. "I have since the moment I laid eyes on you, since coming into the world."

Ryan was silent for so long that Katie was forced to open her eyes and look at him. He shook his head. "I don't know what to say," he began. She deflated.

"You don't have to say anything."

"No, I don't think I do." Turning her gently to face him, he kissed

her softly. They held that pose as the sun set, the light turned gold around them- and Lita Kino hauled three interested Beetleborgs back into the Power Chamber.



"Oof!" TJ sprawled flat on his face as his captor pushed him into a

cell. He picked himself up just in time to see an energy field flash across the door. "Jerk," he growled.

"Thank you," the pirate laughed. "Enjoy your stay, Ranger. It won't

be TOO long. I'm sure Dark Specter would be more than happy to meet any price we ask." Still laughing, the man walked away.

"Hello, stranger," a woman's voice greeted him. "What are you in for?"

Turning, TJ saw an attractive young woman standing behind him. She was apparently in her late twenties, with long black hair and twinkling blue eyes. Looking her over, he couldn't help raising an eyebrow at her outfit. She was wearing a bodysuit of space blue, with a silver star over the left side of the chest, and a pair of black boots, all normal enough. Completing the picture was a beat-up leather jacket, exactly

like any you might find on Earth. Somehow, though, it looked a little out of place with the rest of the outfit.

"My name's TJ. I'm a Power Ranger, and I managed to get on the wrong side of these guys in a fight. How about you?"

She smiled. "Lt. Daystar Dianthan, Intergalactic Police Force. And you're obviously an Earth Ranger, or you would have recognized the insignia. I am in for having a sense of morals- and the bad luck to be General Havoc's daughter."

"Who?"

Daystar sighed. "Um- you know who Divatox is, right?"

TJ nodded. "Although there are times I wish I didn't."

"I know what you mean," Daystar agreed. "Anyway, Havoc's her brother. He's a cyborg now, ninety percent mechanical parts, but twenty-five years ago, he was still mostly organic. My mother was an ordinary member of a trader's crew, one that the Dianth clan attacked. Havoc took a liking to my mother, and a year or so later, I was born. My mother was determined that I wasn't going to grow up a pirate like

everyone else on this ship, and finally, when I was five, she managed to sneak me out when we made planetfall for supplies." Her expression grew a little grimmer. "She wasn't so lucky. Anyway, I grew up as a street kid, stealing to survive, living one step ahead of starvation. One day, when I was about twelve in your years, I picked the wrong pocket, the head of the IGPF Academy. He gave me a choice. I could go to a Children's Home- and

let me tell you, to a street brat, those places were worse than a regular jail- or my other choice was to enter the Academy and become a cop. He thought I could do it, and I would do just about anything to avoid the Home. So, I entered the Academy and passed with

flying colors. At sixteen, I graduated, the youngest in my class, and the youngest

ever. Unfortunately, the entire Dianth clan considers me a traitor, and there is a HUGE price on my head. I knew my luck would eventually run out and," she shrugged, "here I am. I'm just cooling my heels in here until they get around to calling all the elders back for my execution."

TJ raised an eyebrow again. "You seem pretty calm about the whole thing," he observed.

"Well, panicking never solved anybody's problems," she replied. "Besides, I'm a big fan of your Earth police movies. That's where I first saw one of these jackets. ~ Those~

guys never panic- it's bad for the image."

TJ chuckled. "Well, I'll agree with you about not panicking, but I don't intend to just cool my heels in here. There has got to be some way out of this sardine can."

"They bring in dinner in about half an hour," Daystar offered. "But

there's three of them, and two are armed with neural stunners. Nasty things, leave you with pins-and-needles for half an hour."

"Hmm," TJ mused. "Good thing they didn't search me." Reaching into his pants pocket, he pulled out a Swiss Army knife. "Never leave home without one. I THINK I have an idea."



The Power Chamber has a lot of doors. For security reasons, most of

them only open out, or blend into the rock, or come out two miles down the mountain range, but still, it has a lot of doors. That made it very easy for Kaitlin Starr to slip out to the eastern side of the building, without ever coming near Ryan and her lookalike. Now safely alone, she stared blindly at the stars beginning to appear in the clear desert sky

and let the tears come.

~ WHY?~ she asked herself, agonized. Why hadn't she ever said anything to him? She knew the answer to that one, actually. She had been afraid it would change things, wreck the friendship they had built between them over the past twelve years. Besides, she had never really thought he'd find someone else. It wasn't as if he had never tried- both of them had, actually. She grimaced, remembering all the failed dates and aborted relationships the two of them had found themselves in over the years. Ryan Steele had emotional armor a foot thick, thanks to his father's disappearance and then

later to Grimlord's continual hounding. Even after Tyler Steele had been rescued, that wariness and distance had not lifted. Sure, Ryan flirted with anything that looked vaguely interested, but there was never a serious threat there. It took a special person not to be scared off by walls Ryan put around his heart, and Kaitlin had never thought another girl would make it. There were days she was surprised she had.

But now- they had all seen Ryan and Katie in each other's arms, oblivious to everything else. They'd only wanted to make sure the two of them were all right, but had gotten a definite eyeful. What hurt the most, somehow, wasn't just that she

had finally lost her chance at Ryan's heart, but that she'd lost it to a person who was almost herself. She couldn't help wondering- if she'd had the courage to tell him, could that have been her in his arms? Now she'd never know.

"You want to talk?" a quiet voice asked. Kaitlin whirled, dashing tears from her eyes as she did so. When her vision cleared, she saw Drew McCormick, leader

of the Beetleborgs, regarding her with a sympathetic expression that seemed far older than the rest of him.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," she managed, sniffling slightly. Drew shrugged.

"I'm no psychiatrist, but like I told Dr. Kino, this is a subject I

know a lot about." Coming to stand beside her, he sank down to sit on the rocky ground. Kaitlin did the same, not exactly knowing why. There was something about the boy that reminded her of Ryan. Part of it, surely, was their uncanny physical resemblance. With white-blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin, the two boys could have easily been brothers. It was more than that, though. Both radiated a quiet surety that went far beyond their years.

"What subject is that?" Kaitlin asked, unsure of what he meant.

"It's pretty obvious that you're in love with him, Kaitlin. I figured it out inside of ten minutes, and I'd bet Lita and Peter knew it the minute they saw you. It

must hurt a lot to know that he's found someone else, and even worse to have that someone be almost a replacement for you."

Kaitlin raised an eyebrow at his almost word-for-word articulation of her thoughts. "No offense, Drew, but you're fourteen years old. How could you know about this sort of thing?"

He smiled slightly. "Let me tell you about this girl I know. Her name is Heather. She's smart, nice, pretty, brave- and she thinks I'm a great friend. A friend and that's it." He sighed. "People are always telling me I'll get over her, but I don't think so. It doesn't feel like just a crush- I've had those before. This is different, more powerful." He shifted. It was obvious that the next part of his story made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Now let me tell you about this guy I know. His name is Josh. He's fifteen now, taller, stronger, and just all-around more impressive than I am. He's brave, he's a good leader, and Roland, Jo, and Heather think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. He was even a Beetleborg for a while. In fact, he was the reason we defeated Shadowborg, and he lost his powers doing it, so now he's practically a martyr. Next to Josh, I'm just a piece of the background. Trust me, Kaitlin, I know what it's like to lose someone to the "new and improved" you. But you have to remember, you can't help who you fall in love with. They didn't do this to hurt you- they didn't have much of a choice. And they'll always be your friends, no matter how much it hurts to see them together now."

Kaitlin regarded him for a long second. "You're sure a lot more grown up than you look," she chuckled.

"Sorry to break up the therapy session," Lita interrupted, poking her head out the east door, "but it's getting late, and we have to decide on how we're going

to work sleeping over."

Drew got to his feet, extending a hand to Kaitlin as he did so. She

rose as well, and the two of them headed back inside.



"Ecliptor, where are we?" Chelsea asked quietly, looking at the planet in the screens before her. Except for the different continental shapes, it looked a great deal like Earth."

"This is Briallta," Ecliptor explained. "It's been neutral in the war between the Council and the Alliance since anyone can remember. Anyone who lands here has to put aside factionary quarrels for the duration of their stay, by planetary law.

This may be the only place in the galaxy that we can get Trey medical attention without him

being arrested by the Council or assassinated by the Alliance."

"How are we going to pay for this, anyway? I'm not carrying anything but $2.85 American. I don't think that's gonna cover a medical bill."

The crystalline warrior chuckled. "I have that covered. There's a healer in one of the port towns who owes me a favor."

"Dare I ask for what?" Chelsea inquired dryly, strapping herself into the co-pilot's seat as she did so.

"Depends on how delicate your sensibilities are," replied Ecliptor absently. He was beginning the craft's entry into the atmosphere, and was only giving her half his attention.

Chelsea shook her head. "I don't think I want to know. Just tell me- do you think he can help Trey?"

"It all depends on the severity of the Prince's condition. He's a skilled healer, but-"

"He can't work miracles," Chelsea finished. The two of them were silent as the scout craft made its way down to the planet. Rising from his chair, Ecliptor stretched.

"Come on. I'll take you to see Sholtor, and then I'll give you the grand tour. We'll be here for a while- y