"Where's Baby Blue, General?" Pink's voice dripped with dark humor, her eyes gleaming mischievously as she leaned back in her chair. She paused, then shook her head slightly, as if reconsidering. "No, that doesn't quite fit anymore, does it? Maybe... Old Man Blue?" A playful chuckle slipped from her lips as she rolled the name over, savoring the way it sounded. "He's so distinguished now. So handsome."
Red fought back a smirk of her own, mentally chuckling at Pink's assessment. She's not wrong, Red mused. Blue had come back from those lost years looking more rugged, more seasoned. But as she listened to Pink's teasing, her thoughts soured when the conversation turned towards Kassens.
Pink's smirk shifted, her gaze sliding over to Kassens, eyes narrowing with a hint of wicked amusement. "Not like you, though..." She tilted her head, the smirk stretching wider. "Blue looks great. What happened to you? Not long for the Grim Reaper, from the look of things. Maybe I should introduce you two?"
Red couldn't help but wince slightly at the jab, knowing Pink had crossed a line. That's a bit much, even for you, Pink, she thought, though the amusement lingered. Still, she knew better than to interrupt—not when Pink was on a roll.
Pink laughed again, a low, mocking sound, before leaning back further and tapping a finger against her lips, as if contemplating. "Nah, let's go with something that matches the new him... Blue Steel. Yeah, that has a nice ring to it." Her grin widened, pleased with herself, while a shadow of something more genuine flickered in her gaze—like she was savoring the shift from memory to reality.
Kassens' expression tightened, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he forced himself to remain composed. His eyes, cold and calculating, shifted from Pink to Red, then back to the star map on the holo-screen. "As amusing as this little sideshow is, we have more important matters to discuss," he said, his voice flat, clearly trying to regain control of the room. But the tension between the Rangers and Command lingered like a shadow.
Red straightened in her seat, her demeanor shifting back into something more professional, but she couldn't resist a final glance at Pink. The other Ranger was still smiling to herself, clearly pleased with the reaction she'd provoked. Classic Pink, Red thought, the corner of her mouth twitching ever so slightly. Always knows how to push the right buttons.
General Kassens cleared his throat again, trying to regain control of the room after the interruptions. "First, I'd like to welcome each of you back to the Confederate Alliance and Earth's Defensive Force," he began, his voice steady but clipped, as if trying to maintain a sense of formality amidst the tension. "As of now, you're reinstated with your previous ranks. Red, you are reinstated as Captain. Pink, Yellow, and Black shall remain Lieutenants."
Kassens paused, his gaze moving from one Ranger to the next, weighing their expressions. For a moment, his voice softened, carrying a rare hint of something almost like respect. "After this meeting ends, access to your AIs will be restored. Wireless only." He allowed the words to settle, gauging their reactions. "Your morphers are still under review by Alpha. He'll want to check your synchronization rates before they're returned."
Red's eyes narrowed at the mention of synchronization rates. Her mind immediately zeroed in on the implication, recalling what Blue had uncovered after Ceres. For most Rangers, 25% was the minimum required to morph, with 50% allowing access to their unique suit abilities. But why bring this up now?"
"General," she interjected, her tone firm, cutting through the lingering amusement in the air. "You mentioned synchronization rates. What does that have to do with Alpha keeping the morphers?"
Kassens paused, studying their expressions, then decided to elaborate, his voice taking on a more measured tone. "Let me clarify what I mean by synchronization rates, specifically above 50%—since that's where things get... more complicated."
He tapped a few controls on the holo-table, and a series of data points appeared, glowing in midair. "You all know that 25% is the threshold to morph. At 50%, you gain access to your unique suit abilities. But there's more. At 60%, agility, strength, and endurance increase significantly, making you faster and more resilient than even most enhanced soldiers."
Black's brow furrowed as he listened, his focus sharpening. Pink, now paying more attention than she let on, seemed to hang on Kassens' words, her smirk fading slightly. Even Yellow leaned forward, the faint ripple of curiosity shifting through her Aquitarian features.
Kassens continued, his expression growing more serious. "At 70%, Rangers can tap into advanced weaponry integration. Your suits become capable of harmonizing with equipment that would normally be considered unstable or incompatible. But here's the critical part—at 80%, the ability called 'Grid Walking' becomes possible."
The room went silent as Kassens' gaze swept over them, gauging their reactions. "Blue reached this level sometime after Ceres – though I couldn't tell you when. He could traverse the Grid in a way that allowed him to access the unique powers of each of your suits in the simulator, as if they were his own. But here's the thing—he could never test it in the field. He had no idea if it would even work in real combat... until the jungle."
Red's breath caught, her mind racing as the implications settled in. He could use our abilities? She remembered the subtle shifts in Blue's tactics, the way he seemed to anticipate and react with a precision that had felt almost unnatural. It wasn't just a skill. It was the Grid.
Kassens pressed on, his tone growing heavier with the weight of what he was revealing. "And that's why Alpha needs to verify your synchronization rates before handing over your morphers. We need to understand what we're dealing with."
Pink's expression twisted into something between disbelief and grudging admiration. "Wait, wait, wait... you're telling me he just picked this up out of nowhere and used it like a pro? Like, on the first try?"
She snorted, leaning back in her chair, her eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint. "Damn, Blue... what did they do to you out there?" Her voice carried a low, warning edge, like a knife slipping from its sheath. The implication lingered, sharp and unspoken—and who do I need to make pay for it?
Yellow's voice was quieter, but the shock was clear in her tone. "It always seems like he knows more than he let on... but to access our abilities like that?" She shook her head, a faint blue-green shimmer rippling across her skin. "No wonder he was so different after our return."
Black, as usual, remained unbothered on the surface, but Red caught the way his hands tensed slightly against the table. "The guy always had a knack for figuring things out. But if he was pulling off moves like that without any practice, then what else did he pick up while we were gone?"
Red's thoughts churned as she connected the dots. Makes sense he didn't tell me in the interrogation room, she mused bitterly. He probably wouldn't have told us at all if he had a choice. Kassens is being too loose-lipped here. This is paradigm-shifting information—should be for Ranger eyes only. The realization deepened her wariness of Command's intentions. They're playing with fire, and they don't even realize it.
Red barely resisted a smirk at his words, though her mind was already racing ahead. This makes sense, explains why he wrote so many dangerous simulations. Blue had always prepared for something they couldn't see coming, always bracing for the worst. And now Command was trying to unravel his work piece by piece.
She turned back to Kassens, her expression hardening. "You're not going to get your answers by keeping us grounded. If Alpha's testing is done, we need to get back into the field and be ready for what's coming."
Kassens met her challenge with a steely gaze but nodded once, his tone flat. "Alpha's analysis will determine when that happens. Until then, you'll work with the simulators. Understood?"
Red's jaw clenched, but she forced herself to nod. "Understood, General."
Kassens' tone sharpened, his frustration seeping through the measured edge of his words. "Blue grew frustrated with our attempts to regulate him, to control his training. So, he designed these simulations as train-for-failure exercises. These aren't the standard drills you're used to. They're designed to adapt—to your presence, your communication patterns, even your fatigue. Every time you think you've found the edge, the simulations shift, creating new problems."
He scanned their expressions, letting the gravity of what he was describing sink in. "Some scenarios have deliberately wrong descriptions, leading you to expect one thing while the simulation throws something entirely different at you. Others are built to jam outside signals, cutting you off from any support or backup. There are those that alter the terrain or even your senses, making you doubt what you see, hear, or feel."
As he listed each new danger, a thrill visibly coursed through Pink. Her eyes gleamed, and she leaned forward in her chair, a grin spreading across her face. The mention of shifting gravity drew a soft, eager chuckle from her. "Tumbling into the sky or getting crushed to the ground... now that's a workout."
Kassens' voice grew colder as he continued, oblivious or indifferent to her reaction. "You might find yourself in a scenario where the air becomes toxic without warning, forcing you to adapt your suit's filtration systems while under fire. Some simulations will send out false distress signals, making you think you're rescuing allies when you're walking straight into an ambush."
Pink's grin widened, her excitement barely contained. She glanced toward Red, her expression practically glowing with anticipation. "Sounds like fun, doesn't it, Red?" she teased, her voice a low purr. "Good old-fashioned chaos."
Kassens didn't acknowledge her enthusiasm, pressing on with the list of dangers. "There are even scenarios where your weapons will malfunction deliberately—your blasters overheat, or your energy shields collapse just when you need them most."
Pink gave a low whistle, savoring the thought of being pushed to the brink. "Guess we'll find out who's really creative under pressure, then."
He leaned forward, his gaze hard as it swept over each of them. "You could find the simulation warping its own parameters mid-mission—reinforcements that were meant for you turning hostile, safe zones collapsing into death traps. One scenario, in particular, is designed to cut off the lights and introduce sound-based enemies, forcing you to navigate in complete darkness. And don't expect your suits' HUDs to work properly—sometimes they'll show phantom enemies or erase the ones right in front of you."
The room fell silent, the weight of Kassens' words settling in—though not with the same effect on everyone. Pink's grin remained fixed, her pupils dilated, almost as if she was savoring each dangerous possibility. Black shot her a sidelong look, catching the intensity in her eyes, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. "You would love this," he muttered under his breath.
Beside them, Yellow's skin shifted to a deeper shade, a ripple of nervous energy betraying her usual calm. "It's no joke, Pink. You could lose more than a fight in those conditions."
But Pink only shrugged, the thrill coursing through her too strong to hide. "Where's the fun if there's no risk?" she replied, her voice low and full of anticipation. "Blue might have finally built something that can surprise me."
Red's unease deepened as she watched Pink's reaction, her own thoughts spinning. He wasn't just training himself, she considered, but was he preparing for something... or running from something in his own mind? The simulations felt less like mere drills and more like a deliberate assault on their weaknesses. A gauntlet meant to break them down and rebuild them, tougher and more relentless than before. Yet the shadow of uncertainty lingered—what was he truly fighting against?
Kassens let the silence stretch before delivering his final warning. "If you get caught in the wrong scenario without help, it will kill you. Make no mistake—Blue didn't build these to teach you how to win. He built them to see how far he could go before he broke."
Pink's grin faded, replaced by something more somber, her voice dropping to a near whisper as she spoke, concern threading through her tone. "I bet it sucked... winning every time." Her words hung in the air, a rare glimpse of genuine emotion from her, and for a moment, it was clear that beneath her thrill-seeking exterior, she understood the kind of isolation Blue must have endured, facing endless scenarios that were never meant to let up.
The Imperator's voice cut through the tension in the room, smooth yet edged with authority. "Blue is currently being held in an interrogation room within Ranger operations."
Red's brow furrowed in confusion, her mind struggling to process what she'd just heard. Interrogation? Her pulse quickened, and she couldn't hold back the question burning on her tongue. "Blue's in interrogation? Why?"
A heavy silence settled over the room, thick with unspoken questions, before Yellow finally spoke. Her voice was calm, almost eerily so, but beneath the surface, there was a depth of emotion that Red recognized all too well. Her skin rippled subtly, shifting through a spectrum of darker hues—a physical manifestation of the turmoil within her. Anger. Betrayal. Rage. It was a sight Red had seen before, but never directed at a teammate.
"He's in interrogation," Yellow said, her tone cool but carrying a barely restrained edge, "because he sabotaged the mission on Ceres." She hesitated, then continued, her voice gaining a sharper, more dangerous tone. "And the alliance backs this claim. Aquitar, Triforia, KO-35, and Edenoi—all of them support my testimony. Their protocols and reviews found no discrepancies. They've each reviewed my account, and they stand by it."
The final blow came with a grim finality: "He's being charged with treason."
The word struck like a physical blow, reverberating through the room. Treason. Red's mind spun as she tried to align the Blue she knew with the accusations now hanging over him. Sabotage? Treason? The implications twisted in her gut like a knife, feeling impossible, unreal.
Her breath caught as she studied Yellow's expression—resolute, unyielding, her skin shifting in darker, stormy tones. If Aquitar, Triforia, KO-35, and Edenoi are backing her... The thought tightened in her chest, leaving her struggling to breathe. This wasn't just an accusation; it was a formal charge with the weight of the alliance behind it. It couldn't simply be dismissed or ignored.
"Treason?" Pink's voice cut through the tension like a razor, sharp and incredulous, but her tone carried a fierce edge. There was no humor left in her expression—just raw, unfiltered anger that twisted her features. Her fists clenched against the arms of her chair, knuckles whitening, her whole body trembling with barely contained energy. "You've got to be kidding me. Blue? Detention?" Her voice dropped, turning into a low, dangerous growl as she leaned forward, eyes blazing. "Who the hell put him in a cage?" A protective fury burned through her words, her loyalty to Blue turning her into something feral. "He doesn't do well in small rooms. You all know that!" Her eyes darted from face to face, a challenge in her gaze that dared anyone to deny her.
The intensity of her reaction made the air feel colder, her rage palpable, and even Red could feel the weight of Pink's concern crashing into her like a wave. She's right, Red realized. Small spaces. Isolation. It had never been easy for him, and now, they had locked him up again?
She swallowed hard, turning to the Imperator, her voice low but urgent. "If he's in interrogation, he shouldn't be far from his morpher. And from Nova." The warning in her tone was unmistakable. "You know how dangerous it is for him. He needs them."
Black, while less openly volatile, couldn't mask the frustration tightening his features. He let out a sharp breath, his jaw clenched as he absorbed the weight of Yellow's words. "Figures," he muttered, his voice carrying a dark undercurrent. "But where's the proof? Where's the footage, the evidence? You're basing this on memories? Testimony?" He shook his head, glaring at Yellow with a smoldering intensity. "You expect us to just take this at face value?"
Yellow turned to meet his gaze, unflinching, her voice unwavering. "Aquitarian testimony isn't like Earth's. Our people do not lie, Black—not to each other, and certainly not about matters like this. When I gave my report, it was the truth as clear as day." Her skin shifted to a darker, stormy shade, emphasizing the firmness in her tone. "Trey's endorsement stands with mine. And Triforia, KO-35, and Edenoi have verified the findings. This isn't just an accusation—it's a judgment."
Her words landed heavily, casting a shadow over the room. Red struggled to maintain her composure, but the dread gnawed at her insides. She glanced toward the Imperator, who finally spoke again, her voice calm yet carrying a weight that chilled the air. "Given the findings, it is imperative that we take these allegations seriously. The Rangers are Earth's first line of defense. We cannot afford to be compromised. Blue Ranger is being held for review—his morpher and AI are in Alpha's hands for evaluation. We will get to the truth, one way or another."
The room fell into a tense, uneasy silence, each Ranger processing the revelation in their own way—anger, confusion, disbelief. And through it all, the shadow of Blue's absence loomed, casting long doubts across the table.
Red leaned forward, fixing Kassens with a piercing stare, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. "So what's your plan, General? Treason? I could understand if you just wanted to get to the truth, but what, you're gonna execute him? Or is the idea to keep him on ice until you decide he's useful again? Maybe just let him out every time the Elvanurus come knocking?" She scoffed, shaking her head, her frustration spilling over. "You'd be lucky if he ever let you take him again."
Her gaze sharpened, the tension in her voice palpable. "Hell—even if the morpher reset and looked for another partner. There's no guarantee it'd ever select another person. You know that as well as I do."
Before Kassens could respond, Pink leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light as she aimed her next words like a dagger. "Let's stop pussyfooting around, shall we?" She turned her gaze slowly across the room, her smirk twisted with a darker edge. "You want to try executing him? Well, I'll save you the trouble." Her voice dropped, carrying a threatening purr. "I'll gut anyone who tries—slice them open like a fish."
Her gaze flicked over to Yellow, the hint of a wicked grin playing at the corner of her lips. "Isn't that right, Yellow? I bet even you'd appreciate a good, clean cut." There was a twisted humor in her tone, but the malice behind her words was unmistakable. It wasn't just a joke—it was a warning.
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of Pink's words settling heavily on everyone present. Red kept her attention on Kassens, but she could feel the shift in the air, the undercurrent of danger that rippled through the room. Pink doesn't make empty threats, she thought, her own sense of unease growing. She didn't doubt for a second that Pink would follow through if it came down to it.
Kassens' expression remained stony, but a flicker of unease crossed his eyes as he registered the intensity of the pushback. Red's challenge, Pink's threat—both left little room for negotiation. It was clear that any attempt to move against Blue would come at a steep price.
Kassens let out a weary sigh, running a hand across his face as if trying to wipe away the tension. His voice, when he spoke, had lost some of its earlier sharpness, replaced with a tone of begrudging explanation. "The tribunal had already decided to bring Blue in for questioning and examination. It wasn't my call alone—it was a joint decision by the alliance."
He paused, glancing briefly at Yellow before continuing, the lines of frustration etched deeper on his face. "When they came for him, Blue reached for his morpher. Yellow intervened before he could morph, but his decision to even attempt it... that changed everything. What should have been a peaceful and fair tribunal turned into a direct violation of orders, an escalation that pushed the situation into an act of treason."
Kassens' eyes swept over the Rangers, landing heavily on each one of them. "Not abiding by a joint decision of the alliance in a matter like this—it's punishable by death. Those are the rules, plain and simple."
The words hung heavily in the air, the reality of what he was saying sinking in. Red felt her breath catch, a cold knot of anger forming in her chest, while Pink's expression darkened further, her hands clenching into tight fists.
But before the tension could spiral further, the Imperator interjected, her voice calm yet carrying an authority that filled the room. "However, given his service, his record, and his unique status, I have convinced our allies to pursue a different course." Her gaze was steely, making it clear that her intervention had not come without effort. "He is to be placed under strict observation, with limits placed on his extracurricular activities."
She paused, allowing the gravity of her words to sink in. "If, after thorough examination, his morpher and Nova come back unmanipulated and secure, he will be released—after serving some administrative lashes as a formal consequence of his actions."
There was a faint glint in her eyes, and her lips curved into a thin, almost sardonic smile. "Far overdue, if not for this incident, then definitely for the bar fight at The Grid."
Pink's hands relaxed slightly, though her expression remained hard, eyes still flashing with that protective fire. But the promise of the Imperator's words, the thin thread of hope that Blue might be released, tempered some of the fury that had roiled through the room moments earlier.
Kassens' sigh came again, a weary sound that matched the exhaustion in his eyes. "This is the best we can do under the circumstances. It's not ideal. But it keeps him alive."
Kassens straightened, the weariness fading from his expression as he resumed his authoritative tone. "Now, onto your orders," he said, his voice firm, as if to remind them all that, despite the tensions, he was still in command. "After the press conference that reintroduces you to the world, the four of you will be sent home. I'm sure you all have loved ones you'd like to catch up with."
His gaze moved between each of the Rangers, his tone carrying a note of finality that left little room for argument. "You'll be given a limited time to reacclimate, to reconnect with whatever is left of the lives you put on hold. But understand this: it's not an indefinite leave. You'll be recalled for active duty as soon as the situation demands it."
He turned his attention specifically to Red, his expression hardening. "And Red, while you're with them, you will update your team on the status of the Elvanurus. They need to understand the severity of the threat we're facing now, and what it means for us moving forward."
Red met his gaze evenly, feeling the weight of his order settle on her shoulders. Of course, he'd put that on me, she thought, a flicker of irritation crossing her mind. But she nodded, accepting the responsibility. It was better that her team hear it from her, rather than being blindsided when the situation inevitably escalated.