A/N: Usual warning, my storyline is VERY A/U by now, so I'd strongly recommend reading "Nowhere to Go, Noone to Help, Nothing to Lose" "Flight of the Privateer" and "Prince Vekar Joins the War" otherwise you may get lost.

Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T-There will be mild adult themes and language.

As the Red Galleon soared through the sky, heading to the Rangers' next destination, they took the time to get some training in, while Tensou worked on the scanners, looking for some sign of unusual energy signatures. Even Jordan had appeared in his projection form to watch the Rangers train.

Noah was standing on the main deck, his sword in his hand, facing off against Emma. She twirled her sword as she walked around him, getting ready to begin.

"Are you sure you don't want to switch it up?" Emma asked him. "I mean, now we have our old powers' Ranger Keys, you do have access to the Shark Bowgun again."

"Yeah, I don't need to hide behind that thing anymore." Noah said confidently, resting his sword across his shoulders. "Hiding behind long-range firepower is SO last season!"

Although all of the Rangers had changed on their journey, none of them had changed more than Noah. Back when he was still in Harwood, he had trained, of course, but since their weaponry had been changed up, forcing them into a more short-ranged form of combat, he had spent a lot of the time he would have spent on his science experiments training to get stronger for the team. As Emma just shrugged and lunged towards him, beginning the bout, Noah spun out of the way, deflecting her blade with his own, and smiling as he took up a guard.

"Noah looks pretty good." Jordan commented, watching the sparring bout as it went on.

"He's really taking all this sword stuff seriously." Jake commented. "I swear, any time he's not eating or checking out the database, I find him practicing. That guy is seriously a MACHINE!"

Noah and Emma locked blades on the middle of the deck as the others watched on. Emma strained for position, but found that as Noah leaned into her, she couldn't really out-muscle him. He just smirked at her as he started to force her blade back towards her. Jake wasn't kidding about Noah's new training regimen, the last three months of obsessive workouts had an impressive effect on his physique. Whereas before he had a healthy, but skinny physique, he now had an impressively toned look to him now, one borne of a strictly structured workout plan he had created for himself from endless database searches to create as close to his idea of a perfect blend of strength, speed and flexibility as he could attain. He had been careful not to just work out on his strength and end up gaining a lot of weight that would slow him down.

As she struggled, Emma could see his shoulders, arms and chest straining against his t-shirt, and couldn't help thinking how different it was from only a few months previously. She wasn't especially huge, but as a result of her years of riding BMX, that she was pretty toned herself, and Noah would not have minded in the slightest anyone pointing out that physically he was the weakest member of the team. As he strained against her, she felt her grip faltering and realised that was no longer the case.

She quickly threw herself aside, rolling back to her feet, and looked back to Noah as he levelled his blade her way.

"Noah, stop going easy on her." Troy called over. Emma just looked to Troy, and then back to Noah. "We're here to train, not play."

Emma went for Noah again, their swords clashing in the air between them. However, after a moment, he hooked her blade, turned it under his own arm, and locked it in place, before ripping it from her grip. Spinning back around, he caught her sword, holding it towards the deck, while his other was pointed straight at her heart. Emma just held up her hands.

"You...you were going easy on me?" Emma asked him. Noah just tirled her sword around, and approached, handing it back to her.

"I know you're still cut up about your dad." Noah explained.

"That's real gentlemanly and all that kind of thing, but we'll never improve if we hold back on each other." Troy assured Noah as Emma came over, and he put his arm around her. "Jake, and..."

"I'm good." Noah stated, hefting his sword up. "I can go a little while longer."

"Alright, if you're sure." Troy sighed. "Jake, step on up."

Jake headed towards Noah, carrying his sword and his pistol, which he had set to a minimal power setting that Jordan had created purely for training purposes. He knew that it wouldn't harm anyone seriously. Noah left his pistol resting on a table as he headed back out onto the floor.

"Aren't you bringing your pistol?" Jake asked him. Noah just smiled and shook his head.

"I don't need it." He replied.

"Your loss!" Jake rushed out as he began. He fired off his first couple of shots, which Noah managed to avoid by throwing himself out to the side. He moved across the distance alarmingly quickly, getting to Jake and knocking the pistol from his hand, before slamming the hilt of his sword into his gut, staggering his friend.

"How did you...?"

"Reaction speed across the first sixteen feet is pretty significant." Noah told him. "A skilled swordsman should beat someone armed with a gun in that distance."

He went for Jake, their blades ringing out as they fought. Jake was still a fair bit bigger than Noah, and grabbed him, trying to muscle him into position, but before he knew what was happening, Noah had flipped him to the ground, and was pinning him there with his arm twisted painfully, and his foot resting on the back of Jake's head. Jake just fell silent as he felt the point of the sword pressing against the back of his neck.

"Not bad for the scrawny nerd that couldn't lift your Snake Axe huh?" Noah asked as he helped Jake up.

"How did you...?"

"Technique is everything." Noah told him, slapping him on the shoulder as Jake left to take a seat.

"Well, now the macho portion of this demonstration is over, how about you try that against me?" Gia asked, picking up two swords as she stepped up. "I think you'll find I'm a lot tougher than Mr Brainfreeze there."

"Hey!" Jake protested.

"I don't know, I think I have a pretty good idea of your moves." Noah told her as Troy offered him a second sword. Noah just refused it politely with a hand. "In fact...I bet I'll beat your two blades with only one!"

"Loser has to get the next clue from Tensou and wear the suit for two hours?" Gia asked, getting inspiration as she saw Tensou flying up onto the deck to join them. Noah just smiled.

"Sure, why not?" He asked her, gesturing her forward. "Let's see what you have!"

As Gia went for him, things slowed down for Noah. One of the many gifts he had was his analytical nature. He had found that he could apply his scientific and mathematical knowledge to his fighting style. The theory behind combat was basically applied physics, with elements of biology and mathematics. As he saw her move towards him, he could quickly ascertain her movements, and anticipate where the blades would come for him. The first swing was a feint, designed to put him off-balance, and get him to concentrate there, keeping his own sword busy for the return with the other hand to score the point. However, he already knew exactly how far back he had to step for her to miss, while still keeping his balance, and in position to parry the return strike.

He parried her, before shoving her past him, turning to face her as she steadied herself on her feet.

"Not bad Noah." She said, looking to him as she prepared for the next attack. "Was that what you were showing Quinn while Jake was running around town dressed like a giant snow cone?"

"Can we not focus on that?" Jake asked. Noah smiled in response.

"I could tell you what I was showing her." He responded. "But a gentleman never tells."

"Ew!" Emma complained. "Thanks for the mental image Noah!"

"So, while I was being chased through town by gangsters you were hooking up?" Jake asked, looking to Noah incredulously. He just shuddered. "OK, I'm with you Emma."

Gia also got that mental image, and is stirred something in her, anger. It was only a short time since her girlfriend Cat had called an end to their relationship, telling her that she had found someone else. It wasn't easy for Gia to let go, and she had held it together for the sake of the team, but to hear that while they were checking on their loved ones, that they were ensuring the city was preparing to rebuild after the siege, he was spending that time hooking up with Quinn? She prepared to advance, adjusting her grip on the swords.

Noah saw this subtle shift in her grip, and prepared for what was to come. Gia had perfected a technique that the others, himself included didn't really favour, the Cable Sabres. The swords had extending cables within them that allowed them to be used as medium-ranged flail weapons. Seeing her prepare the cables subtly, he knew exactly what to expect.

As the cables extended, and Gia swung the swords, Noah stood and watched the movement of the swords, parrying them where he needed to while he figured out the pattern of the swings. As soon as he did, he made his move.

His first strike sliced through one of the cables, sending the sword spinning through the air, slamming into the mast right between Jake and Emma, sticking there as it hit. As the other came around, he cut through its cable sending it spinning over the edge of the ship.

"My sword!" Gia called out.

"I'll get it!" Tensou rushed out as he flew over the edge to retrieve it before it fell to the ground and killed someone. Gia felt the point of a sword at her throat, and got up, looking at Noah, who had an arrogant little smirk on his face.

"That Cable Sabre thing works well on X-borgs." He told her. Gia just swatted his blade aside, before storming away from him and down the stairs into the ship. Noah just held up his hands. Emma went with her. "Oh come on, there's no need to be a bad loser!"

"I don't think it's losing that bothered her dude." Jake told him. Noah just looked a little confused as Jake left.

"What did I do?" He asked. Troy just shook his head as Tensou arrived back with the sword in his beak. He dropped it on the floor.

"What do you have for us Tensou?" Troy asked.

"We're almost there." He stated. "We'll be touching down in Blue Bay Harbour within the hour."

"Any luck finding our 'Lion Hearted defender of the law?'" Noah asked him.

"It seems the ninja have more tricks at their disposal than I gave them credit for." Tensou said sadly. "I've scanned the mountains, but I can't find any man-made objects, or power signatures or anything! They must have some means of concealing the school."

"I guess that was kind of the ninja's MO." Noah sighed. "If they didn't want to be found..."

"That really isn't helpful." Troy answered. "Let's just land and rest up. We can start asking around in the morning, see if anyone knows anything about the ninja."

"I guess I'll head down and start on dinner." Noah replied with a shrug. "None of the others looked like they were in much of a mood to cook."

As he left, Jordan just looked between Noah and Troy.

"He...he really doesn't get why the others are pissed does he?" He asked. Troy just shook his head.

"I'll speak to him later." Troy answered. "In the meantime, anything you can bring up about the ninjas would be really helpful."

"I'll see what I can find." Jordan replied as he disappeared.

Meanwhile, a few miles from Blue Bay Harbour, some men were working on a building site, preparing the ground for works to begin when they were interrupted by a loud car horn. The foreman turned around to see a black Mercedes pulling into the lot, parking nearby. Some of the other workmen all looked as a man got out of the car.

He was a tall man, about six feet, wearing an expensive black suit, with a white shirt, and a red silk tie. It had a golden tie pin, with a lion's face set into it. As he approached, he pulled off his Ray Ban sunglasses, and took a leather bag from the passenger seat of his car.

"Alright, everybody stop what you're doing!" He called out as loudly as he could. He pointed to a guy in a digger. "Hey, buddy, kill the engine! Everybody, put down your tools! Stop working!"

"Hey, what gives?" The foreman asked as the rest of the workmen started to put down their tools, confused as to what was going on. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Who the hell are you?"

"Dustin Brooks." He replied, handing the foreman a business card. "I'm from Magsavia, Martin and Brooks legal services."

"You're a lawyer?" The foreman asked. Dustin just pulled a set of document out of his case and handed them to him.

"I'm serving you with a cease and desist order." Dustin told him. "There have been a number of complaints against the building works here. Numerous clients of mine have made claims of threats of violence and intimidation against them for access to the site for study."

"What the...?"

"The court granted permission for a geological survey, archaeological survey and an environmental impact assessment to be performed. By refusing access to these surveys, you are in direct violation of a court order." Dustin continued, completely unfazed. "Failure to comply with these surveys before commencing work is a crime."

"Look, I don't know who you think you're dealing with here." The foreman told him. "Do you know who runs this site?"

"I do, and frankly, I don't care." Dustin told him. "You can't intimidate me. If you so much as break ground on this development, I'll have all of you charged. In addition, I'll slap an injunction on this development that'll tie it up in court for years until those surveys are done."

"You really think any of that will work?" The foreman asked him. "Mr Winchester has friends in city hall. He'll have all that paperwork signed sealed and delivered..."

"If you're referring to Councillor Roberts, then you and I both know he has a gambling problem, and a really bad habit of playing high-stakes poker." Dustin told him. "While I can't prove that, I can delay anything done here until long after my clients get a chance to do their surveys. Them, not some non-existent stooge in Winchester's pocket, but someone I know will actually do the studies."

"Alright, look, what do you want?" The Foreman asked. "I have Mr Winchester's number on speed dial. I'm sure we can figure something out..."

"Is that an offer to bribe me?" Dustin asked him. "You're lucky I don't have any witnesses here."

"That's a good point." The foreman replied, clicking his fingers. The other workmen started to gather around. "You don't have any witnesses do you?"

"You're seriously doing this?" Dustin asked him. "I should warn you, I don't scare as easily as my clients."

"I just thought you should know, building sites are dangerous places." The foreman warned him. "Sometimes, bad things happen. Sometimes people just...get hurt."

"Alright, just...give me a second." Dustin replied. He went to his car, putting his case and his sunglasses inside, before heading back to the foreman. "Alright...this is your last chance!"

The foreman took a swing for Dustin, only to find himself driven head-first into a port-a-potty. Another eight of the site workers all attacked, but they were no match for him. Dustin might have taken on a career in law since his Ranger days, but he was still a sensei of the Earth Style in the Wind Ninja Academy.

As he dispatched the last of his attackers with a hard right cross, he looked around to make sure none of them were getting back up. He went over, picking up the court order and dropped it onto the site foreman's chest.

"Since I have no witnesses, and I'm pretty sure the security footage from the cameras will be corrupted before I call the cops, we'll just forget this happened." Dustin told him. "Call Mr Winchester and tell him that if he so much as disturbs one blade of grass before my clients perform their studies, I'll be back, and next time I won't ask so nicely."

With that, he got into his Merc, and replaced his sunglasses, before pulling a three-point turn and leaving the building site and the injured builders behind him.

A/N: Well, there we go, the next cameo has made his appearance! Dustin Brooks, everyone's favourite Yellow Ninja! Congratulations to everyone who figured that out.

In case anyone's interested in trivia, my decision to make him a lawyer here is inspired by the fact that in real life, Glenn McMillan who played him actually did become a lawyer in real life! I just loved the idea. Who wouldn't want a Wind Ninja defending them in the courtroom? He has since confirmed he has left the legal profession and gone back to acting, but I just loved the idea so much, I've decided to run with it. Hope you all enjoyed it!