[ShinySephiroth]

Chapter Seven: The Added Threat

Sentinel Knight looked at the masters. He knew each of them at that moment was apprehensive to know the Zeo Crystal's fate. He was as well. He knew, though, that there were other matters that needed their attention.

"Magnus, you now have the floor." Sentinel took his seat and watched the big warrior approach the holographic monitor at the podium. Magnus turned to face the masters.

"Recently, a cargo ship disappeared near Mirinoi. Upon further investigation, the source was found near the entryway to The Lost Galaxy. It is some sort of... entity. Here is the transmission we received yesterday..." He turned to the podium as a hologram began playing.

The hologram showed an Alliance War Star ship's command deck. The captain was standing, facing a monitor showing the space surrounding the ship. The captain turned and motioned for whoever was holding the camera to point it at the large, flat monitor.

The image on the monitor was of a giant mass. It resembled a cloud. Suddenly, large tendrils of smoke appeared from the cloud, stretching out toward the ship. There was no sound from the recording: just the image of the crew fleeing their seats as the tendrils hit the ship. At that point, the hull was observed to break, and the crew started floating into space. As they did, more tendrils appeared and dragged each person into its large, smoky mass. These scenes could be interpreted from the camera, which was rolling in space after its holder was taken by the entity. The images ended when a tentacle of smoke grabbed the camera, pulling it into its dark core.

Magnus turned back to the council. "Amidst Vile's attempts at the Zeo Crystal, this new threat has appeared. Its origins are unknown. It is unknown whether it is sentient. What I do know is it must be stopped. It is slowly inching toward Kouevn, my world, and also Mirinoi. Both civilizations do not have the means to fight off something like this... Our astronomers say it is merely a matter of time before it reaches either planet." He clenched his fist and raised it up.

"It must be stopped." He continued in his grainy voice. "I sacrificed and fought to ensure my people had a planet to colonize. I plan on cultivating my new world. I plan on having a family. I do not ask for us to spread the Alliance thin: I ask only for one of you to offer your resources. Please."

Kamen looked around, then stood. "Ever since Dregon rebelled when Lexian did not choose him to be prince of Edenoi, my people have needed to worry about their safety. Without Alliance support, I truly believe Edenoi would have succumb to Dregon. I know the importance of Alliance support. Magnus, my military is at your disposal."

Magnus, looking grateful, closed his eyes and bowed his head toward Kamen. "Thank you very much. I ask that you and some of your troops meet me as soon as the Zeo Crystal has been secured." Magnus thanked the council for their time before returning to his seat, his crimson robe billowing behind him as he did. Sentinel Knight then stood to continue the meeting.

. . .

"Storm Blaster: stop." Tria commanded the vehicle when she thought they were sufficiently far from the battleground. She turned to look at Filcar. He was still out cold.

She felt odd, speaking to a machine. The technology Zordon created for the contraption to behave as it did astounded Tria. When she was an Academy cadet, and even as a member of The Top, her focus was history. She never felt like she had the mind of a scientist, though she did read many scientific articles.

At that particular moment, Tria recalled one of her favorite moments of history: the Morphing Masters had been fighting to protect the jewels of the Corona Aurora. During a particular battle, one master stayed behind to be the crown's defender. He figured he could sacrifice himself to cast a protective barrier around the jewels, using his own lifeforce. How the story ended, however, is that another member, Sentinel Knight, returned to defend that master. The two were able to escape the enemy hoards together with the Corona Aurora. Sentinel Knight had been its keeper since that point, having earned the confidence of the other Morphing Masters. The story was commonly told to children as an illustration of loyalty.

Tria looked into the sky and saw a fleet of Vile's ships leaving Solaris 8 and entering the atmosphere of the moon on which they found themselves. Tria thought on Sentinel Knight's example. She thought of her comrades. She thought of Zordon who was thrust into the mission, and if he fell there, of all of the inventions the universe would lose. She thought about Zedd, and how unfair it was that his findings had turned him into a soldier. She thought about how they did not deserve to fall there.

She deliberated within herself.

<We must go back. We must stand by our comrades.> Tria of Courage announced.

<We need to secure the Zeo Crystal. Nothing must happen to the fragment of the Morphing Grid.> Tria of Wisdom said.

<Our friends need us.> Tria of Heart counseled.

Coming together in her mind, Tria realized she needed to compromise. But what am I to do? I don't have the power to stop anything! All I have is my weapon...

She summoned her staff. It was given to her by the king of Triforia. It was to be a symbol that she was picked by royalty to defend Triforia. The staff had a universal symbol on the top which signified "king", representing the king of Triforia's stamp of approval. She never showed it to anyone, keeping it sacred to herself. She had never even used it in battle.

She sighed in frustration as she saw the fleet drawing closer to Orion and the others. She didn't have the power to fight them back.

Or do I? She looked at the Zeo Crystal. Her mind was directed by Tria of Wisdom back to the events during the M51 Galaxy war. Of the division within the scientific divisions of the Alliance about whether or not the Morphing Grid should be tapped to create weapons. As a Morphing Master, she knew how to manipulate the Grid for her purposes, but even that could only get her so far against forces which were able to defeat all of the Masters together, destroy one, and simultaneously defeat the entire Alliance military.

She then recalled Zordon's presentation from a day earlier. His words about using totems to power soldiers. What better totem than an actual piece of the Morphing Grid itself? It seemed to her that all three of the beings which comprised her conscious self were saying, "Yes... this is the way..."

She walked toward the back of Storm Blaster. As she did, she checked to ensure Filcar was still unconscious. She felt bad needing to do this all in secret. These actions weren't normally in her nature.

Tough times call for tough decisions. Tria thought. She pulled the crystal out of the trunk. She felt it glowing at her. She raised her staff and, lifting it in the air, propelled it down. A spark of energy shot out as a substantial chunk separated itself from its source.

It was glowing a black and gold hue. Totems... She thought, thinking back on Zordon's words. She began to concentrate, feeling her connection to the Grid power up her body. She willed the power to concentrate into her arms. She followed that by sending the currents of Morphing Energy into the staff. She then touched the staff to the Zeo Subcrystal.

The staff had become a conduit for the subcrystal. She looked down to the ground to see the subcrystal had disappeared. She looked at her staff. Its glow was like a flare of golden sunlight. The glow was so strong that at certain angles, she could make out circular rainbows. She averted her gaze until the shine subsided.

She gripped the staff tightly and concentrated on it. As she did, she felt the energy from the staff fill her body. She focused on the energy until she had completed the process. She had junctioned herself to the staff, which was now the source of the Zeo Subcrytsal. Once the junction was complete, she staggered, leaning on Storm Blaster for support. She felt her limbs aching. Her head throbbed. She felt as if she were underwater for a moment.

"Vwomp-vwomp! Vwomp!" Storm Blaster cried out in panic.

Tria composed herself. Perhaps I took a piece which was too large? She shook off the thought, for she didn't have time to dwell on it. What's done is done.

After catching her breath, she turned to Storm Blaster and placed the remaining chunk of the Zeo Crystal in its trunk. She then walked to the vehicle's front to give it instructions.

"I need you to drive to the next moon and wait there. When you receive a transmission with my voice, you come back to this spot. Understood?" Tria looked at the machine, awaiting a response.

"Vwomp-vwomp." Storm Blaster's blinkers flickered on and off as it responded.

"Keep the soldier and the crystal safe. Now, here is the frequency I will contact you on." She reached into Storm Blaster and pushed some buttons on his dashboard. She tuned the vehicle's frequency to match that of the private frequency on her wrist tech.

She patted the machine's hood and waved it off, smiling at it as it pulled around her. She then turned and started walking away. She heard the machine fly away behind her as she slowly approached the battlefield, ready to embrace her destiny.