A Different Path

Chapter 1: Earth's Last Best Hope

The announcement came from space, and was broadcast through the satellites on every TV channel, radio station, and broadcast hub on the planet.

"Hear me, Citizens of Earth. I, Mirloc, have come to conquer your pathetic planet. I will tolerate no resistance. This is your first and final warning. Surrender peacefully, and you will not be harmed. Stand in my way, and be destroyed."

Far below the spaceship of their would-be conqueror, Earth mustered its forces, and Anubis Doggie Cruger, commander of Space Patrol Delta, prepared to defend his home.

A red line streaked through the atmosphere, the small spaceship vibrating under the stress of entry. The pilot skillfully maneuvered the ship, attempting to evade his pursuers. Using the technology stolen from a military base on Altair, he locked the ship's weapons system onto his pursuers, and fired a powerful beam.

The other ship, unable to avoid the blast, was sent spinning away from him. And yet they were not destroyed, only momentarily disabled. He stifled his disappointment. His first impulse was to fire again, to finally rid himself of the hunters that had pursued him across the galaxy.

But the beam had spent too much energy, and he needed all of his fuel to make a safe landing. Escape was momentarily more pressing than revenge, so the alien bent towards his chosen task, aiming for a desolate region on the planet below.

He cast one last, longing look at his enemies' ship. Pieces of it were scattered across the sky, and their shields were down, leaving the crippled ship completely vulnerable to attack. He scowled. It was less than they deserved, but it would have to do. For now.

ooo aboard the second ship ooo

"Brace yourself!" Z shouted, even as they were thrown to the side by the force of the impact. Getting to her feet, she ran to the nearest panel, struggling to reroute power to essential functions before they were destroyed. Typing furiously, she managed to enable the navigational functions, and returned to the front of the ship, where Jack was desperately trying to maneuver their spacecraft.

"I can't escape the earth's atmosphere." Jack exclaimed. "We're going down!"

Taking a seat next to her partner, Z strapped herself in, and prayed for the best.

"D-squad," Cruger barked. "Report!"

D-squad lined up and saluted, their timing slightly off. Cruger frowned in disappointment at such a demonstration of incompetence. "There is an unexplained disturbance at Newlands golf course." Kat stated briskly, moving to stand next to the commander. "It looks like a ship may have landed there."

"An attack by Mirloc?"

"I don't think so," Kat replied, "But we should definitely investigate further." There was a startled moment of silence, and then the D-squad leader stepped forward. "But sir, you said we weren't ready for any assignments ...what about A squad?"

Cruger coughed pointedly. "A-squad is on an extended reconnaissance mission."

"B squad?"

The commander's ear twitched, but he said nothing.

"... C squad?"

Cruger held up his hand to forestall any further suggestions. "B and C squads are preparing for battle against Mirloc. I know what I said, Cadet Tate, but you are the only cadets we have to spare. Can you handle this?"

The D-squad cadets saluted, excited and a little apprehensive to be given some responsibility.

"Yes, Sir!"

Far above the earth, Bridge Carson stood on Mirloc's spaceship, staring out a window at the planet below him.

His empathy alerted him to his mentor's approach, long before the monster actually arrived. "What do you think?" Mirloc asked, coming to stand behind his protégé

"It's beautiful." Bridge replied truthfully, not certain whether it was an appropriate response. His empathic powers were somehow limited when it came to Mirloc, and while he could sense where the alien was, for some strange reason he could never read his mind or emotions. However, Bridge had never dwelled on this curious fact, simply accepting it as something that was. He had no reason to distrust Mirloc - after all, hadn't the alien rescued him from certain death, stranded on a barren moon?

"Perhaps." Mirloc admitted, in response to Bridge's earlier statement. "But its defenses are weak, and it will soon fall before our attacks."

Bridge was silent for a moment. "I know. But I can't help but feel that I've been here before. This place is somehow ...familiar."

"It's probably just another psychic impression." Mirloc said dismissively. "Don't dwell on it." He added, turning away before Bridge could see his troubled frown.

Z stumbled out of the smoking, twisted wreckage of the ship, Jack right behind her. Dragging herself a safe distance, she fell to her knees on the grass and gasped for air, her eyes watering from the smoke.

"Anyone hurt?" Jack asked, his inquiry interrupted by hacking coughs.

"I'm okay." Z replied, getting to her feet. "Let's get out of here."

But even as they were about to flee, they heard the sound of sirens, and were almost immediately surrounded by SPD patrol cars. "Who's in charge here?" Sky asked briskly, stepping out of his vehicle. Z and Jack both looked at each other. "She is." Jack said quickly. Z glared at him angrily, before reluctantly conceding. "I am."

Ignoring them for the moment, Sky lit his flashlight and approached the ship, taking note of the symbols decorating the sides. "Is there anyone else aboard your ship?"

"No... Sir." Z said, adding the honorific as an afterthought.

"State your name and purpose here on Earth."

"We're bounty hunters." Jack said, by way of explanation. "We're in pursuit of the criminal Xinom. You've probably heard of him."

Sky's face remained impassive.

"Or maybe not." Z mumbled, under her breath. "Some crime fighter you are." Sky ignored her and instead pressed a button on his communicator. "Commander, we've got a downed ship and two bounty hunters. They say their names are..." He looked pointedly at the two bounty hunters.

"Z." She replied reluctantly.

"Z what?" Sky demanded, a hint of irritation in his voice.

Z sighed. "...Delgado."

"Jack. Jack Landors."

There was a brief pause, and then a gruff voice spoke over the communicator. "Bring them in, cadets."

"For what?" Z said, outraged. "We haven't done anything!"

"Elizabeth Delgado and Jack Landors, under SPD article 9327 - c, you are under arrest for trespassing and wanton destruction of private property." Sky intoned stoically, used to such outbursts. "Your ship will be impounded..."

"You've got to be kidding me! It's not like we wanted to land here!"

"SPD handbook sections 253 - 4 specifically states that all aliens without a permit must be brought to SPD headquarters for evaluation - especially those who commit a punishable offense."

"So you think we're just going to go along with you to prison?" Jack said, his voice clipped with anger.

"Yes." Sky stated, characteristically unable to detect sarcasm.

"Now come quietly," threatened another cadet. "Or we'll have to make you." Z looked him up and down and scoffed, even as she prepared to make a replicant and run away.

One of the female cadets preempted her, entering a fighting stance. "Don't even try to replicate yourself, Ms. Delgado. We know all about you and your partner's powers."

Startled, Z evaluated the situation. Having lost the element of surprise, she and Jack had little chance of winning a battle against five SPD cadets, despite their youth and apparent incompetence. "I guess we don't have a choice." Jack commented, having come to the same conclusion. Reluctantly standing down, the bounty hunters surrendered, resigned to their fate.

"No," Sky said, as he handcuffed the two trespassers. "You don't."

And with that, Z and Jack allowed themselves to be led away.

"Commander!" The B-squad Red Ranger cried out in desperation, the message interspersed with static. "C-squad... mirrors... trapped... under heavy fire..." The sounds of battle filtered through the communicator. There was the blast of a powerful explosion, and the sound of someone screaming in the background. "We're hit! We're hit. I..." The ranger cried out, and then there was only silence.

The reply immediately came from SPD headquarters. "B-Squad? B-Squad, come in! C-squad, respond!" There was a tense moment of waiting, but only static on the line

"They've disappeared from the morphing grid, sir." Kat said sadly. "I think we've lost them." Cruger said nothing and waited, hoping for some sign, some indication that his cadets still survived. He stood motionless for several minutes, before slowly reaching out, and ending the transmission.

Doggie sighed, suddenly feeling very old and tired. "Keep me informed." He instructed, and left the command center.

Jack and Z were led down the long, winding hallways of SPD to the detention cells, the D-squad flanking their every move. Taking the handcuffs off the bounty hunters, Sky shot them both a distasteful glance, before locking them into individual, adjacent cells.

Z looked around the barren room: The cold metallic walls allowing for no possibility of escape, and the door was barred with unbreakable plastic. The only furnishings in the room were a ledge that served as a bed, and a spotless, but small toilet. Walking over to the toilet, she jiggled the handle, before attempting to flush it. The water gurgled, and nothing more. "Jack?" she ventured, hoping that he could hear her.

"Yes?"

"How long do you think they're going to keep us here?"

Jack shrugged, a gesture invisible to his partner. "I don't know. I guess it doesn't really matter."

Z sighed, and sat down on the narrow cot. "You're probably right. There's nothing to be done about it now."

"Ready? Action!"

Bright lights flashed, and photos were taken as a lovely blonde posed in front of the cameras. Dressed in a skimpy and rather outlandish variation of a military costume, she twirled around the catwalk, flashing a coy grin at her admirers.

"Yes, that's it!" The director cried. "Now pout! Show me the pout!"

Sydney Drew, heiress to the Darsey-Drew fortune, tossed her hair, and gave a sulky look.

"Now throw your head back and part your lips!" The photographer instructed, and then turned to an aide. "Turn on the fans!"

Running her hands through her perfect blonde curls, she transitioned into a dramatic and sensuous pose.

"That's great, Syd! Now, show me a warrior! You are a sexy soldier!"

An aide handed her an old-fashioned rifle. 'It's from the turn of the millennium.' she realized, having learned much from her uncle, an avid collector of antique weaponry. She had taken an interest in such things at a young age, and despite her feminine demeanor, Syd was an expert in several martial arts forms, and knew how to wield a weapon, and look good doing it.

But even as they began taking pictures, a distressed-looking aide, ran up to the director, and whispered urgently in his ear. The director frowned, and made a terminating motion at the photographers. "Perfect!" He said, addressing Syd. "That's enough. Take a break, everyone!"

Syd stepped off the stage, the photographers immediately crowding around her. "That was a great shoot, Syd!"

Syd gave a dazzling smile. "Thank you!"

The director clapped. "She's beautiful, rich, and gracious! What a combination! Oh, there's someone here to see you, Syd." He bent in to whisper in her ear. "They're from SPD! You're sure there isn't something you want to tell me?"

"No!" Syd exclaimed, shocked. "I didn't do anything!"

He shrugged. "I'm sure it's a mistake. But it might be better if your father resolves this."

"But they said they wanted to see me." Syd looked around for any new faces. "Where are they?"

"In the hallway. But... wait!"

Ignoring him, she exited into the hall, and walked up to the waiting SPD cadet.

"Sydney Drew?" The cadet asked, half out of duty, and half out of incredulity to be meeting such a famous person.

"Call me Syd." She said, trying not to be overly intimidating. For a girl of her stature, grace and attitude, that was very difficult.

"Alright ...Syd." He replied, blushing to be around such a pretty girl. "The commander of SPD Earth, has a proposal for you..."

Anubis Doggie Cruger strode purposefully down the hallways, surveying his domain – in this case, the headquarters of SPD Earth. "Cadet Tate." He said, greeting the D-squad cadet. "Just who I was looking for."

"Commander?" Sky asked, surprised and a little nervous. Why would the commander want to speak with him?

"Hmmm." Cruger made a growling noise within his throat, and gave Sky a calculating look. "Where did you put those bounty hunters?"

"Sir, the bounty hunters are in basement holding cells J and K." Sky said confidently, unaccountably relieved.

Cruger began to walk, and gestured for Sky to follow him. "What's your impression of them?"

"They were brought here for committing a crime." Sky replied, startled. "Should I have an opinion?" The commander said nothing, only continued walking - forcing Sky to run to catch up with him.

"With all due respect sir," Sky elucidated, afraid that he had somehow displeased his superior officer, "I don't know them very well. However, I'd imagine that the only things they respect would be brute force, money and each other. I suppose they fight crime in their own way, but overall I think they can't be trusted. Bounty hunters are notoriously opportunistic."

"Yes," Cruger said to himself. "I'm counting on that."

"Sir?"

The commander shook his head. "Nothing, cadet."

Finally arriving at the basement level, Cruger and Sky walked past several cells, each holding recently detained prisoners who shouted obscenities and shook the bars as the commander passed.

Ignoring the others, Cruger and Sky paused in front of Z and Jack's cells. The bounty hunters were waiting dejectedly, looking decidedly unhappy about the current turn of events. Cruger stood where both could see him, and cleared his throat pointedly. "I am Commander Anubis Cruger." He stated calmly.

Z made a disgusted face, and looked like she was about to give him a piece of her mind. Thinking better of it at the last moment, she pursed her lips, and stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to make a statement.

Cruger arched his eyebrows at the temperamental bounty hunter, his estimation of the girl going up a notch. "In light of your talents and your particular," he coughed for emphasis, "...crimes, I'm prepared to offer you a bargain."

"But sir!" Sky interrupted, shocked. "SPD regulation 45.2 - 6 says that no prisoners can be offered..."

"There's more to being an officer than reading the handbook, Cadet Tate." Cruger barked, cutting him off. "Dismissed!"

Sky blushed in embarrassment at the public reprimand, saluted smartly and hastily left the level. Jack suppressed a grin, pleased to see the arrogant cadet put in his place. 'Dissed...' He thought, before turning back to the commander. "Look ...Cruger, was it? You have us in here on trumped up charges. So why don't you just give our ship back, and we'll pay the fine and be out of your ...fur ...by morning."

Cruger shook his head, giving Jack a toothy half-grin. He had seen his type before, and was not going to be intimidated. "We searched your ship. We have more than enough evidence to get you booked as smugglers on top of your current charges."

"So you're just going to leave us to rot in prison?"

"That's up to you." Cruger said, confident that he now had the upper hand. "As I said, I'm here to offer you a deal that both of us might find profitable."

Z lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, pointedly dismissing the SPD commander. "You don't know what profitable is."

"14 Menkalinan crystals." Cruger stated. "A month."

Z and Jack both stood up straighter at the mention of such a large sum. Jack spoke for them both. "What do you want us to do?"

Still stinging from the cutting dismissal, Sky wandered down the hallways towards the quarters he shared with three other D-squad boys. Passing the training rooms, he heard nothing but silence, which was exceedingly odd. 'Why is this place so empty?' Sky wondered. 'Where is everyone?'

He sighed. 'Cruger is displeased with me. Again. I can't do anything right.' Entering the room, he sat down on the edge of the bed, and picked up the picture of his father on the bedside table. In it, his father and Sky were standing together, his dad in the distinctive uniform of the A-squad Red Ranger. "I don't know how you did it, dad." Sky said softly. "I can't even seem to make C-squad. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a ranger."

Turning slightly, he noticed that his desk had a large white box on it, as well as a formal message. Carefully unfolding the note, he read:

Report to the Delta Command Center at 17:30 hours for an important briefing. Your uniform is enclosed.

As he opened the package, Sky's breath caught in his throat. Was that ...a C-squad uniform? No, it was a uniform for the B-squad blue ranger! Sky crushed his burgeoning hope immediately. There must be some mistake. Someone would have told him earlier if he had been promoted.

But this uniform was new, and certainly didn't belong to the current blue B-squad ranger. And if he was getting sent to B-squad, was she being sent to A-squad? He hoped so. She was twice the cadet he'd ever be.

Sky rubbed his eyes, willing himself to wake up. Nothing happened. He didn't know what was going on, but there was nothing to do but go to the briefing and find out.

Syd, Z, Jack and Sky stood in the command center, all dressed in their new uniforms. Lined up in ranking order, they stood at attention, occasionally casting covert glances at their fellow teammates.

Cruger paced in front of them, observing their expressions. Sky seemed vaguely terrified, as if he was in a dream from which he would suddenly awaken. Syd seemed shocked to just be inside SPD headquarters, while Jack and Z looked both sulky and fascinated at turns. Jack squirmed, tugging at the neckline of his new uniform, only to fall in line at a pointed glare from Cruger.

The commander stopped pacing, and turned to face the new recruits. "You have been brought here to serve Earth as the new B-squad. With the A-squad gone, you are Earth's first, last and only line of defense. If you do not stand against Mirloc, no one will. You four are humanity's best hope."

The new Power Rangers all stared at each other, and then gave Cruger comically doubtful looks.

Kat shook her head and spoke under her breath. "We're doomed."

A/N: So...what do you think? Please review!