Disclaimer: Saban owns these characters, and I'm told it's Toei that owns a lot of the footage… Thanks to the Martin factor for keeping me awake enough to write last night :)

Power Up
by Starhawk

Although from Earth orbit the Megaship saw dawn arrive sixteen times a day, sunrise does not occur in deep space, so to say that Ashley woke before the dawn would be misleading. She did, however, open her eyes more than an hour before DECA's voice would have roused her from sleep. 

She stretched, reaching above her head until her hands hit the metal edge of her bunk. She sighed happily, enjoying the feeling of a whole hour until she had to get up--until she remembered what the day held.  

*Zordon…* The name echoed in her mind. She wondered again if they would find him, or end up chasing phantoms as they had so many times before. *Even if we do find him, what are our chances of freeing him, really?* 

She pushed the thought out of her mind with an effort. There was no time for dwelling on negatives. *We're the Power Rangers, after all. Who else is there who can try?* 

Rubbing her eyes to clear the sleep from them, Ashley turned her head to look around the room. Her gaze fell on the telekinesis ball that Andros had let her keep, and she smiled. With one hand, she snagged it off the chair beside her bed and held it in front of her face. She stared at it until it started to expand, unfolding outward into a sphere twice its original size. 

Taking her hand away, she watched it float there for a minute. She remembered Andros's face last night as he stared at the ball, the way his eyes narrowed in concentration when he pushed it toward her. She felt again his presence near her, and then his body pressed against hers as he leaned forward and put his arms around her to demonstrate. 

*He pretty much destroyed my focus right then,* Ashley thought wryly. She could count on one hand the number of times they'd been that close to each other, and their relationship was new enough that it still surprised her to feel his embrace. Delighted her, yes, but surprised her at first as well. 

*I wonder if he's awake yet,* she mused idly, the colors of the ball barely visible in the dim lighting of her room. She pushed against it with her mind, and, after a moment, it started to drift down the length of her bunk. *Not that I have to see him,* she assured herself. *But… it would be nice, just for a few minutes before we have to go save the universe, to talk to him alone…*

 Ashley shook her head. *You,* she told herself firmly, *have fallen way too hard.*

 She'd had a crush on Andros from the first day they'd met, but he'd always been so distant that she hadn't had the courage to say anything. When the feelings hadn't gone away, she knew there was more to them than an infatuation, but she hadn't wanted to scare him off. Lately, though… she knew she'd been broadcasting worse than usual; she had caught herself staring at him at odd moments, or watching out for him on Earth as well as in battle. 

Finally, when she'd seen him alone and so obviously haunted by something, she hadn't been able to stay quiet. Ashley smiled at the memory--able to do so now only because that kiss had started something wonderful. At the time, though, she'd been desperately afraid that she had alienated him for good. 

There was a soft click as the telekinesis ball bumped against the end of her bunk, and she blinked in the darkness. She reached out with her right hand, pointing two fingers as Andros did, but she couldn't seem to bring it back. She tried for a few more seconds, then gave up with a sigh. 

"DECA? What time is it?" 

"It is one minute after six a.m.," DECA replied, her camera light blinking on briefly.

"Thanks," Ashley mumbled, stretching again. *I really should just get up,* she thought, sighing again. *I'd rather be awake for whatever we're going to face, and that means doing *something* to get my adrenaline going…* 

She pushed the blanket away from her and sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk. "DECA, would you turn the lights up?" 

The computer obliged, and Ashley squinted a little in the ensuing brightness. "Thanks," she repeated. 

DECA's red light blinked once, than went out. Ashley smiled to herself. Even as she insisted on thanking the onboard computer for performing minor tasks, DECA returned the favor by granting her privacy without her having to ask. 

Ashley pushed herself to her feet, glancing around her room. There was enough room to go through a kata in here--barely--but she wasn't as into martial arts as some of the others. *Cheerleading, though,* she thought, smiling to herself. *Now there's a sport with a purpose.*

 She had to acknowledge that hers was not a common opinion, but she missed being a cheerleader. Rangering left little time for extra curricular activities, even when they *were* on Earth… 

*No reason I can't enjoy them on my own,* she thought firmly, looking for her old workout clothes. *Especially if I'm going to spend the rest of the day on one of Divatox's ships tracking down interdimensional distortion signals.* 

Ashley had left many of her clothes in her room on Earth, but she found a pair of stretch shorts and a yellow crop top, both well-worn and comfortable. Neither were really wearable in public, and combined they were a little revealing. But she didn't plan on anyone seeing her, either, so that wasn't an issue. 

"If anyone's up at six o'clock on summer vacation," she muttered to herself, letting the sentence trail off. She shook her head, remembering a time when she wouldn't have opened her eyes before ten. 

She grabbed a scrunchy and her sweatshirt and headed for the door, remembering the telekinesis ball at the last moment. Turning back, Ashley saw it still floating over the end of the bed, rotating slowly and silently in the otherwise motionless room. Just for fun, she gave it a mental nudge, and watched it inch toward the wall. 

She tried again to pull it toward her, with no more success than she'd had before. Exasperated, Ashley made a face. She walked over to the ball and grabbed it out of the air, feeling it collapse in on itself the instant she touched it. Turning it over in her hands, she tried to imagine Andros as a little boy, playing and laughing with his sister. She found she couldn't--Andros's solemn air was such an integral part of his personality that she couldn't picture him being carefree.

She set the telekinesis ball down on her bureau, wishing she had known him then. It occurred to her to wonder, suddenly, what color his sister had been. He had said both he and Kerone were to be Rangers for KO-35--he was red; what color was Kerone? She had a sinking sensation that she knew. 

*Is that why he was so uncomfortable around me at first?* She turned away from the remnant of Andros's childhood, moving more slowly toward the door than she had before. The light spilled out into the shadow-filled hallway with her, and, as an afterthought, she reached back through the doorway and hit the light control pad. 

The shadows closed in, and she shivered as the door behind her slid shut. In the dimness, Kerone's spirit was that much closer. How often must it haunt Andros? 

She tried to shake the feeling off, but it was easy to be spooked this early in the morning. The lights were low, and the Megaship practically deserted… 

"Stop it," Ashley said aloud, her voice sounding overloud in the quiet hallway. "Kerone is still alive, somewhere. We *will* find her." She continued down the corridor, determined to put thoughts of Kerone, Zordon, and anyone else they might have any obligation to out of her mind, just for a little while. 

The Simudeck was deserted, as she'd expected at this hour. She activated the park program, and watched as trees and grass and sun shimmered into existence around her. *I bet it's a beautiful day in Angel Grove,* she thought, a little wistfully. 

She knew even as she walked into the sunlight, though, that she wouldn't trade her place on the Megaship for anything. The stars had become a second home to her, as she suspected they had always been for Andros. Staring up into a clear blue simulated sky, she knew something would always have been missing inside her if she hadn't been able to go into space. 

*And if I had never met Andros…* the thought came unbidden to her mind, and she had to grin. *Will I be able to do anything this morning without thinking about him?* 

"No," she answered her own question, sinking to the ground to start working her split out. *And I wouldn't have it any other way…* 

Since two days ago when she had kissed him and he had responded, she had been on an uphill spiral. It seemed like all she wanted was to be with him, and the more time they spent together, the more her feelings intensified. Just thinking about Andros made her smile, and being around him had her grinning like a fool. 

*But he's so sweet,* she thought, leaning forward to wrap her fingers around one extended foot. She couldn't help sighing when she remembered his arms around her last night, and Ashley had to laugh at herself. 

"When did I turn into such a hopeless romantic?" she wondered aloud. Swinging around to stretch in the other direction, she had to admit that, embarrassing as it was, the answer was obvious. "The day I met Andros…"  

Ashley giggled suddenly, glad there was no one there to see her mooning over their team leader. *I sound like a complete idiot.* 

She put her legs out in front of her and leaned forward again, feeling her calves and hamstrings twinge a little with the new direction. She counted to ten before relaxing and flowing to her feet. Managing to get Andros out of her mind for more than a few seconds at a time, Ashley finished stretching and tipped her head back to brush her hair out of her eyes. 

Gathering it into a ponytail, she twisted the scrunchy around her hair. Pulling off her sweatshirt, she tossed it on the ground next to an old oak tree and stepped back to survey the clearing in front of her. 

Ashley took a deep breath. *It's been a long time since I went through one of these routines,* she thought--though once she had run through them almost every afternoon. 

*No hesitation,* she reminded herself, thinking of the cheerleading motto. Pausing mid-routine would, at best, get you out of step with everyone else, and, at worst, cause yourself or someone else serious injury. 

Ashley threw herself a handspring, launching her body into the air with the confidence brought on by long practice. The trees and sky whirled through her view in quick succession, and the grass caressed her bare feet when she returned to Earth. Once the first leap had passed, the rest came easily, the memories returning as needed until she found herself reaching toward the cloudless sky in a final, triumphant pose. 

She felt a grin spread across her face, and she bowed to an imaginary crowd. Turning with a flourish, she went to bow in the other direction--and stopped short at the sight of a red-clad figure standing across the clearing, near the holographic entryway. 

"Andros!" she exclaimed, blushing as she straightened up. "I didn't see you there…"

"I'm sorry," he said, backing up a step. "I shouldn't have come in while your program was running." 

"No," she said hastily, "I don't mind; I just didn't expect anyone else to be up this early."

 He didn't answer right away, and she suddenly remembered what she was wearing. Ashley folded her arms across her chest, trying to act nonchalant. *I did tell him I didn't think anyone would be up,* she reasoned, but she couldn't help feeling a little more embarrassed. 

Andros blinked, meeting her eyes again. "I asked DECA to wake me up early," he explained, shrugging his shoulders and shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. "I wanted to work out a little before breakfast today." 

"Yeah," Ashley agreed, hearing the words he left unspoken--they all needed to be as alert as possible, and some of them just weren't when they first woke up. Walking over to where he stood, she added, "That was my thought, too." 

"So I see," Andros said, glancing around the park, and she blushed again. 

She knew she probably didn't want to know, but she couldn't help asking, "How long were you standing there before I saw you?" 

"Not very long," he said, staring out into the prismatic sunbeams of this picture perfect simulation. "Just since the beginning of your last routine." 

"You saw the whole thing?" Ashley's mind flew back over all the things she'd done wrong, even though he couldn't possibly know how it was supposed to look. 

Andros nodded. "You looked great," he told her, his eyes flickering back to hers.

 "Thanks," she said, unable to keep from smiling at the praise. He looked away as soon as she did, and Ashley frowned a little. 

"If you want to work out," she offered, not knowing what else to say, "go ahead and use the Simudeck. I've had it for a while; I'll just head back--to… my…" 

She slowed and stopped as he turned his gaze back on her, something in it that she couldn't identify. He stared at her for a moment, and she looked back, surprised by his sudden intense regard. 

He looked down as abruptly as he had looked at her, and she didn't understand why he moved back another step. "I don't want to interrupt," he said finally. 

"You could always spar with me," Ashley suggested slyly. She swung a hook kick at him in slow motion, an impish grin on her face. 

Andros's fist came up, and he went to block automatically, stopping just short of actually touching her. As they stared at each other, one corner of his mouth quirked in a half-smile, and he extended his other fist. 

Her right foot found the ground again and she stepped back, catching his wrist and tugging him off-balance. Before she could throw him, though, he moved forward and twisted her arm--gently--forcing her onto her toes. With a quick spin, she broke free and aimed a blow at his head. 

He brought his arms up to block, and the speed of their mock-battle increased as they tested and were tested in turn. Ashley had never fought another Ranger, and she wondered now if it was something they should have tried long ago. It was certainly instructive. 

Still pulling their punches, they worked their way close to full speed. Ashley spun to avoid an uppercut and had half a second's warning before Andros's hurricane kick came at her. She was almost completely on instinct now, as a good fighter ought to be when challenged, and she ducked out of the way. The kick slowed as it went by overhead, and she knew he was still prepared to halt at any moment if necessary. 

Ashley went on the offensive for only a moment before he turned the tables on her again, and she found herself dangerously close to being in a choke hold. She caught his arm before it could close around her neck and pulled downward, canting her body forward to send him tumbling past her shoulder to the ground. 

Not willing to surrender the advantage, she didn't let go of his arm as she followed. Grabbing the other one as well, Ashley managed to pin both his arms down. He didn't struggle, just lay there staring up at her. Breathing heavily, she grinned down at him. "Give up?" 

The look in his eyes should have warned her, but she was taken by surprise as, instead of pushing upward as she had expected, he flung his arms outward. Her support gone, she collapsed on top of him as he rolled, taking her with him and reversing their positions. 

"Does the winner get a kiss?" Andros asked, his voice husky from the exercise. 

"Always," she agreed, heart pounding as he leaned closer. She closed her eyes, feeling him release her wrists at the last minute so she could pull away if she wanted to. Then his lips covered hers, and she knew that was the *last* thing in the world she would want. 

In the fleeting moment before the kiss ended, she wondered what he would do if she tried to turn the gentle touch into something deeper… but then it was over, and she chastised herself for the thought. *Don't push,* she reminded herself, but with his face only inches from hers, it was hard to remember the promise she'd made to herself to let him set the pace. 

They stayed there on the grass, looking into each others' eyes, for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, Ashley couldn't stand it anymore and she reached up to tug playfully on his ponytail. The gesture turned into a caress, and she ran her fingers through his hair, freeing it from its red elastic and watching it fall forward in his face. 

Andros said nothing, but seconds later he drew back, sitting up and drawing his knees up to his chest. He looked oddly vulnerable, and he would no longer meet her gaze. 

Ashley regretted her action instantly, but there was no changing it now. "I'm sorry," she said contritely, propping herself up on her elbows. "I shouldn't have done that… please, forgive me?" 

Andros shook his head, and her heart clenched. *I couldn't help it!* she cried, in the privacy of her own mind. *I can't *think* straight when I'm around him…* 

"It's not you," Andros whispered, staring at the ground. "It's me--I can't think straight when I'm around you…" 

Her eyes widened at his unknowing echo of her words. "I'm going to do something stupid, I know," he continued, oblivious to her reaction. "You'll never talk to me again--and I'm not sure I could live without you anymore." 

His gaze met hers, and the pleading look there startled her more. It was an expression she had seen only once before on his face: yesterday, when he had told her about KO-35. Now, as then, she felt that she was seeing straight through the defenses he had so carefully constructed and into his very soul.

"Andros," Ashley said softly, pushing herself up the rest of the way, "there is *nothing* you could say--or do--that would make me never speak to you again. Nothing at all." 

He looked up at her uncertainly, and she smiled, kneeling forward to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. Unconsciously, he repeated the gesture, and their hands touched. Unfolding his legs, he drew her a little closer, and she leaned the rest of the way to hug him. 

"Then… can I tell you that you're really beautiful?" he whispered in her ear.

 She giggled. "Anytime." 

He didn't answer, and Ashley pulled far enough away to look at his expression. "You were serious," she realized, and Andros nodded. 

"I'll have to wear my old stuff more often," Ashley teased. 

"It's not your clothes," he protested, glancing down at her outfit. Andros blushed suddenly, and when he met her eyes again, he admitted, "Well, maybe a little. But--you have a beautiful spirit, Ashley Hammond."  

Touched, she could only smile at him. "So do you, Andros. The most beautiful I've ever known…" 

He took a deep breath, giving her a nervous look, and she knew he was about to kiss her again. Hands still on his shoulders, she scooted closer. Before he could move, she had pressed her lips to his, and this time she didn't pull away. 

*So much for letting him set the pace,* her mind thought distantly, but she ignored it. She felt his arms go around her, felt his hands on her bare skin, and relaxed against him even as her pulse skyrocketed. 

"It's seven o'clock," DECA's voice broke in, and they both started. 

Ashley sighed. "What a reality check," she murmured, not willing to move away just yet. 

Smiling at her, Andros lifted one hand to smooth the stray curls of hair away from her face. "You're my reality," he told her softly, and she rested her forehead on his shoulder, an answering smile on her face. 

"You're unbelievably romantic, you know that?" she asked, fondly amused. 

She felt his free hand stroking her hair. "I try," he replied, and she giggled, not sure why it was funny but unable to keep her sheer delight from bubbling over. 

At last, she shifted slightly and looked up at him, aware that they could sit there for hours if someone didn't move. "I guess we should go," she said reluctantly. 

Andros nodded. "I still have work to do on the equipment we're taking with us. And I should probably change," he added ruefully, holding up his arms for inspection. 

"Haven't you heard that grass stains are the newest fad?" Ashley kidded, plucking at his sleeves.

 "Grass stains, maybe," Andros said, looking pointedly at her outfit. "But I think that if *you* don't change, I'm going to have some competition." 

Ashley slapped his shoulder lightly. "As if I've even looked at anyone else since I met you." 

Andros's head came up, and she tried hard not to blush, realizing she'd given away more than he had known. "Since… when?" 

"You're going to make me say it again?" Ashley shrugged uncomfortably beneath his gaze. "I've liked you since we first met… I just didn't know how to tell you." 

There was an almost unbearable pause--then Andros drew her into a fierce hug. "Me too," he confessed quietly. "But I didn't know it until a few days ago." 

She hugged back, certain she could never be happier than she was right now… 

She knew he had to let go eventually, but she was still disappointed when it happened. Andros scrambled to his feet and offered her a hand, which she took gratefully. Not because she needed it, but because it prolonged contact with him a little longer. 

"I'll get your sweatshirt," Andros said, but she stopped him. 

"Don't be silly," Ashley chided. "You have more to do than me; go get started. Thanks for the thought, though," she added, and was rewarded by his smile. 

"I'll see you at breakfast," Andros said, his intonation making it almost a question.

She nodded, smiling, and he backed away slowly. Finally, he turned and strode toward the door, but she saw him glance over his shoulder once more before heading out into the corridor. A grin spread across her face, and she practically skipped over to her sweatshirt. Scooping it up, she hugged it to her chest and closed her eyes, reliving Andros's embrace in her mind. 

She was still thinking about him when she returned to her room, and no matter how often she tried to focus on something else while she showered and changed, her thoughts always came back to Andros. Finally, she gave up and let herself daydream as she made her way to the Glider holding bay. 

"Hey, Ash!" Carlos greeted her as she entered. 

"Hi," Ashley answered with a contented sigh. 

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "You sound… happy." 

"Probably because I am," she called over her shoulder, as she went to the Synthetron.

"Sleep well?" he asked, and she smiled. 

"As a matter of fact, yes. How about you?" 

There was a pause, and she pulled her dishes from the Synthetron and turned in time to see him shaking his head. "I had the weirdest dream," Carlos said. "About Dimitria, and Zordon… I think Phantom was in it, and the Blue Senturion. Even Justin." 

Ashley winced as she set her plate and tumbler on the table. This mission was one Justin would have wanted to be in on, even if it was just to know what was going on. *How long since any of us have talked to him, I wonder?* 

"Justin says good luck," TJ's voice volunteered sleepily from the doorway, and Carlos and Ashley both looked up. 

"Morning, Teej," Carlos greeted him. 

At the same time, Ashley asked, "When did you talk to Justin?" 

"Yesterday," TJ mumbled, walking over to the Synthetron. "Right after the news broadcast with the Aquitians. I figured *someone* on Earth should know what was really going on." 

Ashley smiled to herself. Leave it to TJ to think of details while the rest of them were freaking out over the main issue. "Speaking of which," the Blue Ranger continued, looking around the room as he returned to the table, "Where are Cassie and Andros?" 

Not sure how that related, Ashley nonetheless answered. "Andros had some work to do on the scanners and the homing devices. He should be here soon, though." 

Carlos frowned. "I thought he did that last night." 

"No," Ashley replied, trying to hide a grin. "He was… involved with something else." 

She saw comprehension dawn on Carlos's face--he had, after all, been the one to find them playing with the telekinesis ball. He said nothing, though, and the exchange seemed to have gone right over TJ's sleepy head. 

TJ proved that he had been paying some attention, however, for when they paused, he inquired, "What about Cassie?" 

Ashley noticed that he didn't ask about Phantom, and she wondered if the omission was deliberate, or simply a product of his obvious drowsiness. She looked at Carlos, who shrugged.

"I'll go find her," Ashley volunteered, somehow not ready to sit down and do something so mundane as eat breakfast yet. 

"She'll probably be here in a minute," Carlos said, but she shook her head. 

"I don't mind. Back in a sec!" Ashley darted out into the hallway before either of them could come up with a logical reason for her not to. 

Pausing outside the lift, she couldn't help peeking onto the Bridge. Andros stood at the auxiliary scanner console, fiddling with something tiny and metallic. Ashley smiled, noticing his hair was still loose. 

She ducked into the lift without saying anything, not wanting to interrupt. "Deck four," she requested, and DECA's voice confirmed. 

It did occur to her that Cassie might actually be in her room, but that possibility struck her as highly unlikely. Even assuming Cassie had not woken up until seven, when DECA woke *everyone* up, she would have had plenty of time to get down to the Medical bay and check on Phantom. 

Sure enough, when the lift doors opened, Ashley could hear faint voices emanating from the open doors of the Medical bay. She walked toward them, pausing as she approached to listen more closely. The voices had stopped, and she frowned. 

As she peered into the bay, her eyes widened. Cassie stood facing the door, eyes closed. Phantom was directly behind her, arms encircling her as she leaned back against him, her hands on his. 

Neither seemed aware of her presence, although Phantom was looking almost straight at her. Maybe his eyes were closed, too, or maybe he saw her and simply didn't want to disturb Cassie. Either way, Ashley wasn't going to be the one to disrupt the peaceful scene. 

She tiptoed back the way she'd come, and waited for the lift doors to close before she gave a destination. The Bridge was empty this time, and, returning to the holding bay, she found Andros just sitting down next to her empty place. 

"Good morning," Ashley said, for all the world as though she hadn't seen him just fifteen minutes ago. 

He looked up as she sat down. "Morning, Ash," Andros said with a smile, and she grinned back, knowing that they weren't fooling anyone but not caring. 

"So where's Cassie?" TJ asked, looking up from scrambled eggs smothered in ketchup.

 "And Phantom," Carlos added. 

"They're… talking," Ashley said, figuring it wasn't entirely untrue. "They'll be here soon."

She saw TJ and Carlos exchange glances, but she didn't say anything. It gave her a chance to sneak a look at Andros, and she found him doing the same thing. Their eyes met, and she smiled again. 

He smiled back, and she felt his hand fumble for hers under the table. Their fingers touched, and she squeezed his hand. He returned the gesture, and she realized she was staring at him--had been for several moments now, in fact.  

Ashley tried to go back to her breakfast as though nothing had happened, but she didn't miss the second look that passed between Carlos and TJ. *Those two could seriously get on my nerves,* she thought, but was too happy to let it bother her for long. 

Luckily, the arrival of Cassie and Phantom prevented any overt questioning. Cassie went over to the Synthetron, and Phantom lingered for a moment in the doorway. 

"Will you join us for breakfast?" Andros asked, but Ashley got the feeling he was only asking because someone had to, for politeness' sake. 

Her suspicion was confirmed when Phantom shook his head. Morphed, one could go for a long time without eating, and Ashley assumed he had been planning to take advantage of that--since, as Andros had pointed out, he didn't demorph around anyone, and demorphing would be something of a requirement in this situation. 

"I must make sure my ship is properly stabilized," Phantom said, turning his head to watch Cassie cross the room. "It will not take long; inform me when you are ready to leave, and I will come." 

*In other words,* Ashley thought, *he's going to go off by himself until we're ready to actually do something, thereby avoiding any unnecessary socializing.* 

Cassie waved as she sat down, and Phantom nodded to her before he turned and left. *And yet--he must have been planning to do that all along,* she realized. *Which means he walked Cassie up here for no reason except to keep her company…* 

"So?" TJ demanded, as soon as Phantom was out of earshot. 

"So what?" Cassie asked innocently, around a mouthful of toast. 

"You know what I mean," her friend retorted. "Is he going to make it through the day?" 

Cassie stopped, swallowing hard. "That wasn't funny, TJ." 

TJ looked puzzled at first, and Ashley heard Andros draw in a breath, getting ready to jump in if necessary. Then TJ's expression cleared, and he apologized immediately. "That's not what I meant, Cassie, really. I was just asking if he's up to an infiltration assault like the one we're planning for today." 

She continued to stare at him for a moment, then she lowered her gaze, and Ashley saw her eyes slide shut. "Sorry, Teej. I didn't mean to jump on you like that." 

TJ looked around the table, and Ashley shot a sympathetic look in Cassie's direction. He nodded. "Hey, don't worry about it. I wasn't very clear, and you've been under a lot of stress lately." 

"Yeah…" Cassie said softly. Ashley wasn't even sure they were meant to hear it. But Cassie looked up at last, her eyes open and clear, and maybe just a little too bright. "I think he'll be okay. There's nothing we can do, anyway; it's his choice to go or stay." 

"But it's your choice, too," Andros said. "You don’t have to go with someone if you don't think they can watch your back." 

"Oh, I'm going," Cassie said vehemently. "*Someone* has to keep him from getting killed."

 The word hung over the table ominously, but Cassie didn't even seem to notice. She tore off a piece of toast and crunched on it, clearly lost deep in thought somewhere. 

Ashley glanced at Andros. *We're not going to die,* she protested silently. *We're the Power Rangers. Rangers don't die.* 

*But what if--* She cut off that train of thought before it got any further. Suddenly realizing that Andros was speaking, she tried to put images of destruction out of her mind and focus on the issue at hand. 

"TJ and Carlos will take the other ship," he was saying, pushing his plate away. "Ashley and I will board the nearest one, and anyone who finds any evidence either way for their signal is to contact DECA immediately. She'll alert the rest of us the next time we check in, and we'll have to improvise the rest as we go." 

"How often are we checking in?" TJ asked. 

Andros paused. "Every fifteen minutes," he decided at last. "It seems like a lot, but believe me, fifteen minutes can be a long time when you're injured, captive, or otherwise threatened. 

"All you'll have to do is push a button on your communicator to let us know you're doing all right. Whenever you can, you should also establish an audio link with DECA so we can pass information back and forth, but when you're in a sensitive location--which will probably be most of the time--just use the carrier frequency to let the Megaship know you'll be in touch as soon as you can." 

"What about the homing beacons?" Carlos wanted to know. 

Andros produced the miniature devices seemingly out of thin air. *He *has* to have pockets in that uniform,* Ashley thought, not for the first time.  

"Hide them on you somewhere," Andros said, passing them out. "It doesn't matter where; Astronema doesn't search anything very carefully. But it's probably best for everyone not to have them in the same place." 

Ashley heard the unspoken thought behind his statement: *in case some of us are captured, there's a better chance of a least one of the captives keeping their homing device that way.* 

The rest of the meal was somewhat subdued, and Ashley couldn't really blame anyone for not talking. She didn't feel that cheery herself, not after their previous conversations. 

They all trooped up to the Bridge afterwards, only to find that calling Phantom was unnecessary, as he was already there. Ashley had time to wonder about that, while Andros gave every other person a scanner and reviewed basic operations with them. She did pay attention to his explanations, in a half-hearted way, knowing that he would be reading it most of the time and confident that she could figure out anything she needed to know. 

The six of them gathered together while he talked, drawing support from each other's company as much as the technical reminders. Finally, there was nothing left to say, and they all just stood there, looking at each other. 

"Good luck, guys," TJ said at last, putting his hand out into the middle of the group.

"Be safe," Carlos added, covering TJ's hand with his own. 

"Let's find Zordon," Cassie chimed in, extending her hand as well. 

"See you at lunch," Ashley remarked flippantly, adding her hand to the pile. 

"Let's do it," Andros said, putting his hand on top of hers. 

They all looked at Phantom. Without a word, he did the same, and the circle was complete. They looked at each other, counting down simultaneously in their minds. *Two… one…* 

"Power Rangers!" the team exclaimed, and Ashley, TJ, and Cassie jumped, hi-fiving each other and then the rest of the Rangers. 

Andros turned away from the group to alter something on the console, and when he looked back, they were all waiting expectantly. He nodded to Cassie and Phantom, and the two stepped a little apart from the others. Cassie flipped her morpher open, and the numbers *three*, *three*, *five*, sounded clearly in the quiet room. 

A trail of pink sparkles obscured her form briefly, and the Pink Ranger stood, morphed, at Phantom's side. She looked up at him, and he returned the gaze for an instant before they both, at some unspoken signal, turned toward Andros and nodded. He punched another series of buttons on the console, and the two of them disappeared in a flash of shadowy pink.  

TJ and Carlos punched their morphing codes into their astromorphers simultaneously, transforming in a hail of blue and black sparkles. TJ saluted, and, at Carlos's nod, Andros triggered the teleportation sequence from the console. Cobalt flared and vanished, leaving Ashley and Andros alone on the Megaship. 

Ashley touched the catch on her morpher, but Andros caught her wrist before she could enter the numbers. "Ash…" 

Surprised, she looked up. He was regarding her with a worried expression, and she wondered what could be wrong. *Other than this mission…* 

"Be careful, all right?" he said at last. 

She smiled. "That's what you're along for, isn't it?" 

His mouth quirked, but he insisted, "I'm serious. Don't get hurt, all right? I don't want to find out what I'd be like if something happened to you." 

"Same goes for you," Ashley murmured, stepping forward to put her arms around him.

For the first time, he returned her embrace without hesitation. "Be safe," she whispered, repeating Carlos's earlier admonition. She didn't see him close his eyes, but she felt his grip tighten just before he let go. 

He stepped back, and they stared into each others eyes for a moment. *Please be safe,* she repeated silently, vowing to stay at his side for as long as it took to see them both through this.

Finally, Andros looked down at the console. The last thing she saw was his fingers tapping in the teleporation sequence before her world was enveloped in a haze of glimmering gold.