The breeze stirred across her bare arms, and the scent of stone warmed by an alien sun wafted by with it. Eyes closed, she heard the unmistakable scrape of metal on rock, and she almost held her breath.

Squeezing her eyes tighter shut, she concentrated as hard as she could. Her magic pushed harder, and the creak of metal grew louder. Pouring as much energy as she could spare into the effort, she could feel the zord shifting upward, defying gravity to rise onto its side.

Levitating large objects had never been one of her stronger abilities, but when it was necessary she could manage. It helped, too, that the object in question had already been resting against the rock face at such an angle that it needed no more than a nudge to be perpendicular with the ground.

She took a deep breath, knowing that no matter her talent, only that fact had allowed her to do as much as she had. The Mega V zords were not velocifighters; they were bigger and much, much heavier. Now, having gotten this far, she was afraid there was only one way she would be able to flip the zord the rest of the way over.

Cracking her eyelids open, she inspected the shadow Mega V6 cast on the ground below. It was safe enough; the zord had been through this much and she doubted it would be damaged more by the impact. But Zhane was another matter.

She shook her head once. There was no choice--she wasn't strong enough to hold the zord indefinitely, and neither could she lower it to the ground on her own.

Giving the zord a last, magic-powered shove, she watched it crash forward. She couldn't help wincing as it hit the rocky ground and actually bounced forward a meter or two before coming to rest. *Zhane?* she asked, for maybe the tenth time since she had arrived.

There was still no answer, and she bit her lip. She could sense his presence, dimly, on the edge of her mind, and it had remained unchanged from the beginning of her effort to the end. The trouble was that she couldn't tell whether that was a good sign or not.

She rose to her feet and climbed over the rocks to stand beside the battered zord. It was in much better shape than it should have been, and she assumed Zhane had had thrusters throughout almost the entire descent. He had managed to crash the ship with what looked like minimal damage, but something must have gone wrong as the surface of the planet neared.

Squinting against the sun, she craned her head upward. The zord had been resting against the cliff face when she found it, and only the rocks themselves had prevented it from being upside down. She didn't know what could have catapulted it into such a position, considering that both the thrusters and the outer hull seemed intact--Zhane should have been able to land without so much trouble.

More than that, he should be responding when she called his name. Zords placed terrific emphasis on pilot safety, and if his ship had held together, he should not only be alive but conscious as well.

She frowned, considering the obstacle before her. While she couldn't see the zord's topside now, she had been able to get a good look on her way in, and there were no real obstructions up there. As long as she aimed too high instead of too low, she should be able to teleport relatively safely.

Summoning to mind the most vivid picture she could conjure of Mega V6's dorsal side and gazing up at what she *could* see, she called on the magic again. Purple sparkles enveloped her, swirling around her form and briefly obscuring her vision. The ground was suddenly gone, and she felt herself falling as the world reformed.

Then the hull was there beneath her feet, and she caught herself to keep from staggering forward. She had indeed teleported too high, but without an exact mental image of her destination, the line of sight teleportation was safer than anything else.

She crouched down, fumbling for the escape hatch that had been blocked by the zord's skewed orientation against the cliffs. It beeped insistently when she tried to release the seals, and she let out her breath in annoyance. It wasn't going to let her in without a Power source of some sort.

*Zhane,* she tried again. *Can you hear me? I need you to release the escape hatch.*

There was no answer, not even the slightest change in the dim glow that lingered just inside her awareness. She couldn't understand the feeling she was getting from that awareness--he didn't *feel* unconscious, but neither was he responsive. He must have been injured in some way she couldn't fathom when his zord went down.

If he wouldn't, or couldn't, open the hatch, she wasn't going to be able to use it. That left only one other way for her to get into the cockpit. She didn't like it, but she had spent a good deal of time in the cockpit of Mega V6. If it hadn't been distorted by the crash, her memory of it would be enough for her to teleport in.

In her mind, that was a big "if". But she could see for herself that the hull wasn't bent out of shape, which boded well for the compartment inside. And if she didn't get inside, she had no idea how she was going to get Zhane out.

Standing, she closed her eyes and remembered standing behind the pilot's chair while he explained basic zord functions to her. He would be right in front of her, with the back wall close behind--

The magic surged in her, and the sun disappeared from her back. The air was suddenly still and sterile, and when she opened her eyes she found herself looking out at the sand-colored stones from the dimness of Mega V6's interior.

A low tone emanated from one of the consoles, and she saw the "Emergency hatch obstructed" alert was stuck on. She waved her hand at it impatiently, and the alert cut off.

Her hand dropped to the back of the pilot's chair, and she forced it around as far as it would go. The blonde head didn't even register until she realized he was still morphed--where was his helmet?

His restraints were still in place, and she leaned forward to free him from them. Zhane was clearly unconscious, though she could still sense him, stronger than he should have been, at the edge of her mind.

She caught him as she pulled the second shoulder strap loose, and she wrapped her arms awkwardly around him. Taking a single step backwards--all she had room for in the small space--she managed to tug him to his feet, at least far enough that she could be sure she was supporting him.

Closing her eyes, she pictured the bare, sun-warmed stones outside, and the magic swirled around them both. Oddly, she felt silver streaking the familiar violet tones, and she had time to hope his Power wouldn't react badly to her sorcery--she had never teleported a Ranger before.

Then there was solid rock under her feet again, and she tried not to stumble with the added weight of Zhane's body. Bracing herself more firmly, she lowered herself to the ground and let him slide from her arms, putting one hand behind his head to make sure he didn't hit it when she let him go.

She couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief when he was settled, and she glanced back at his zord. As soon as there was a lull in the fighting, she knew *someone* would come looking for it, eager for the chance to study some Ranger technology.

She turned back to Zhane. Some instinct urged her not to leave him here alone, but her presence would do him no good if an orbiting ship tracked his zord to this location. She looked him over briefly, finding no external evidence of injury.

*Other than the fact that he's unconscious,* she thought, still at a loss to explain his condition. Aside from the lack of his helmet, his morph had held, and his restraints had done their job--he should be fine.

Shaking her head, she tore her eyes away from him and climbed to her feet again. There was nothing she could do for him now. Healing had not been considered a skill she would need, and without knowing what was wrong it wouldn't have done him much good anyway.

The magic engulfed her, sweeping her into the Mega V4 cockpit, and she ran the zord's preflight sequence as quickly as she could. The Power made the Rangers so aware of their zords that the preflight was unnecessary, but it was a convenience she didn't have. So she waited impatiently for the system lights to flash green, and she nudged the thrusters online.

The zord lifted off, edging closer to its sister ship than she had dared to set it down before. When they were side by side, separated by only meters, she let the thrusters lower the zord onto the rocks once more and power down.

Reaching out to wrap the magic's invisibility around the second zord, she felt it stretch a little, then settle back within comfortable limits. Then she caught herself up in it and rode the violet energy back to the stones outside.

Zhane had not moved since she left him, so she sat down at his side and considered her next move. She had not expected Mega V6 to be in such good condition--she would have to run a diagnostic to be sure, but she thought it might be able to fly.

Zhane was another matter. Without him, there was little chance she could get both zords off this planet and into hyperrush. And if she had to fly them both, there was no way she could maintain the invisibility cloak at the same time.

She frowned down at him, troubled by his continued unconsciousness. "Zhane, wake up," she told him impatiently. "We don't have time for this."

He did not move, and she pushed at the mental glow on the edge of her mind. *Zhane.* Staring at him, she took one of his hands in her own and willed him awake.

It didn't work, of course, but she could think of nothing else to do for him. She turned her gaze out across the rocky slope that rose up to meet these cliffs, deciding she'd be better off to assume he was going to stay this way.

The first thing she needed to do was check out Mega V6. If it could fly, it would be the best vehicle in which to make their escape--Dark Spectre's forces already knew it was here, and if she could get the zord into hyperspace, there would be no reason for anyone to search the planet's surface. She could leave Mega V4 enspelled with stationary invisibility until someone returned for it, and be assured that it was relatively safe.

If Mega V6 *couldn't* fly, they could leave it under the same protective spell, but its chances of being discovered were higher. The surest way to make sure it remained out of enemy hands would be to destroy it, but somehow she didn't think the Rangers would appreciate that much.

"So those are our choices," she muttered. "I have to say I like the one where you're conscious better, Zhane."

She almost jumped when she felt his fingers tighten convulsively on her hand. "Zhane?" she asked, leaning forward.

His head twisted, a frown marring his peaceful expression, and she saw him squinting up at her. "Where…?"

"One of the Rysian planets," she answered. "You crashed, remember?"

He didn't answer, and she prompted, "Andros' zord was hit, and you picked the most suicidal of all possibilities to give him time to recover. You slammed into another ship, it exploded, and you were caught in the planet's gravity. You crashed here, and somehow turned your zord upside-down in the process."

He struggled to sit up, staring around with a look of bewilderment on his face. "I--I must have been knocked out by the explosion. I don't remember anything after that."

She tried not to frown. "You zord would never have landed as well as it did without you controlling it. You must have been conscious until you crashed."

He was silent for a moment, and she realized he was gazing at their clasped hands. She pulled hers free, and he looked up to meet her eyes. "I don't remember," he repeated, frustration evident in his expression.

She studied him critically. "How do you feel?"

He sighed. "Fine. And no, I don't think I hit my head, but since I can't remember, who knows?"

She shook her head, dismissing that. "You'd know. If you'd hit your head hard enough to affect your memory, you'd still be able to feel it."

"Done that before, huh?" he asked wryly.

She felt a small smile escape as she watched him run a hand through his hair. "Once," she admitted.

"And only once, I bet." He glanced around, and a look of puzzlement settled over his features. "Where's my zord?"

She looked over at the two zords, both surrounded by a faint shimmer of violet. "At the base of the cliffs. Here," she offered, holding her hand out to him again.

He took it, and followed her gaze when she turned her head again. "Magic?" he guessed.

She nodded. "I don't want anyone stumbling over us until we're ready to be found."

He gave her a sharp look. "You have a plan?"

"Of course," she replied, a little miffed. "You think I would have come without one?"

His surprise turned slowly to confusion, as though he was only now beginning to suspect what he didn't know. "Wait--why *are* you here? You--it should have been Andros."

"He wanted to come," she told him. "I wouldn't let him. I can only cloak one moving ship at a time, and I didn't want to fight half of Dark Spectre's army to get you out of here."

He frowned. "But what were you doing here at all? Did Andros call you?"

"I was coming to meet Ecliptor," she said calmly.

"What?!"

She had not expected him to respond well to the news, but she wasn't going to hide the truth just to spare his feelings. "Ecliptor has some information for me. I came to collect it. Unfortunately, your inability to think clearly in the middle of a battle delayed me."

"I saved my friend's life," he said indignantly. "I'd say I was thinking pretty clearly."

"Were your lasers offline?" she demanded. "I saw what happened, Zhane; Andros showed me. Why didn't you just destroy the velocifighter?"

"If Andros showed you what happened, you know I was right behind him," Zhane reminded her. "I didn't even have a partial shot; he was in the way until the last second.

"And I *did* destroy the velocifighter--it exploded, remember?"

She knew he was trying to make a joke, and she glared at him. "Your foolish risk endangered both your zords."

He gaped at her. "My… *my* foolish risk? In case you'd forgotten, you're the one walking into an enemy stronghold! Alone, and in a zord no less!"

She drew back, feeling as though she'd been slapped. "This accomplishes nothing," she informed him, her tone cold. "I do not have to justify my actions to you, anymore than you have to explain yours to me. But I promised Andros I would bring you back, and I'm going to keep that promise."

He blinked, looking taken aback. "You're here because you promised Andros?"

"I had to," she retorted. "He probably would have gotten himself killed if he came after you himself."

"Well, I owe you for that, at least," he muttered.

There was a brief, awkward silence.

Finally, she got to her feet and started walking toward their zords, feeling his eyes on her as she went. "Where are you going?" he called after her, when she did not volunteer.

"To run a diagnostic on Mega V6," she replied over her shoulder. "I need to know how badly you damaged it before I know whether it even can leave the atmosphere."

She heard him scrambling to his feet behind her. "I'm coming with you," he announced unnecessarily, his long stride bringing him even with her even as he finished the sentence.

She shrugged, saying nothing. She came to a deliberately abrupt halt next to his zord and couldn't help smirking when he ran into it.

"Very funny," he muttered, catching sight of her expression. "Are you going to let me see it, or not?"

She actually considered it, but he did know more about the zords than she. He could conceivably be more helpful than annoying, so she reached out to touch his face.

He turned his head in surprise, and she let out an irritated sigh. "Hold still," she ordered, and she laid her hand across his forehead. Purple sparkles briefly traced the outline of her fingers, and she saw his eyes widen as Mega V6 came into sudden view centimeters from where he stood.

Glancing up the side, he asked incredulously, "You climbed that?"

She snorted. "Of course not."

She took his hand and concentrated, and a flash of purple was the only warning before the top of Mega V6 appeared below them. Her aim was a lot better this time, but Zhane still stumbled when the hull wasn't exactly where his feet thought it should be.

"You could warn me next time," he said, regaining his balance and giving her a measured look.

She shrugged. "You know I don't need DECA to teleport. How did you think I got you out?"

"Escape hatch," he answered promptly.

She threw a look over her shoulder at him as she crouched down beside the hatch. When she tried to release the seals, as before, it beeped at her, and Zhane looked chagrined.

"Oh." Hunching down beside her, he held his morpher over the Power-sensitive seals. They popped open with a hissing click, and the hatch lifted without further complaint.

She swung her legs around, intending to jump through, but Zhane caught her arm before she could move. "Wait." His tone was harsh, and she turned to stare at him.

His face had gone suddenly pale, and he gazed down at the escape hatch as though he was seeing something else entirely. Something--terrifying. The frightened look on his face scared *her*, and she pulled away from the hatch instinctively.

"What's wrong?" she asked finally, keeping her voice steady with an effort. She had never seen him look like that before.

"Don't go in there," he whispered. "I--I remember."

"What do you remember?" she asked quietly, moving a little farther from the hatch. Maybe they should reseal it and leave the zord altogether…

She gasped, jerking out of someone else's memories for the second time that day. She stared around wildly, looking for the space to reassure herself that she wasn't confined--

And caught Zhane's terrified gaze. "I can't go in there, Astrea," he pleaded. "It won't let me out again."

Her heartbeat started to slow at last as the cold grip of his fear released her. "You're claustrophobic," she breathed, studying him in wonder.

He looked away. She saw him draw in a shuddering breath, his eyes sliding shut as he refused to meet her gaze.

She couldn't believe it. One of the Astro Rangers--the vaunted Silver Ranger himself--had a weakness. A critical one, at that, for she knew now what had caused his zord to flip over like that.

At the last moment, he had not been able to suppress his panic, and the nose of his zord had dipped when he let go of the controls. Striking the rocky surface, Mega V6 had been flung end over end until it came to rest at the base of the cliffs. Only Zhane's restraints had ensured that he was not killed.

"How long?" she asked finally. She had the faintest memory of playing hide and seek with him when they were younger, and she knew he had not always been like this.

"What do *you* care?" he demanded, opening his eyes and giving her a bitter look that made her draw back in surprise. "You're don't even want to be here. You wouldn't have come if Andros hadn't made you."

"That's not true," she protested. Catching herself, she added indignantly, "Andros can't make me do anything!"

The ghost of a smile flickered across his face.

"I came because I wanted to be the first one to yell at you," she added. "And believe me, I had to fight Andros for the chance. How could you have scared us like that, Zhane? How could you *do* something like that to us?"

She had only meant to make him smile a little more, maybe chide him lightly for his recklessness. He just stared at her, though, and she realized her voice had risen as she "pretended" to scold him. It wasn't a joke anymore--she was in earnest, and he knew it.

She tried not to blush, glancing down at the solid metal hull beneath them. "How could you let us think you might die?" she finished, her voice quiet.

"What do you care?" he repeated, more softly this time. His own voice was hesitant, as though he was somehow afraid of the answer.

"You're my friend," she said stubbornly. "I care."

He flinched, as though that was what he had both feared and expected. "Of course," he agreed.

She studied him a moment longer, knowing she had handled that badly but not sure how to correct her mistake. Finally she just turned away, sliding back over to the escape hatch. "I'll be right back," she promised, and he nodded, his eyes tight.

She swung through the hatch and dropped to the floor inside the cockpit. The stillness took her breath away as the dim lighting wrapped around her, and for just a second she felt an echo of the overwhelming fear that had paralyzed Zhane.

She shook it off, taking his place in the pilot's seat and bringing the diagnostic systems online.

***

Ashley pressed the "flash" button and punched in TJ's phone number. Catching her father's eye, she shook her head wordlessly, waiting for the call to go through. It was annoying to have to rely suddenly on Earth technology, she thought, with some amount of amusement.

Instead of ringing, she got a busy signal, and she sighed. Pushing "off", she set the phone down and exchanged worried looks with her father. "TJ's line is busy," she told him, "but Carlos hasn't seen her. He says he'll call if she shows up."

"Could she have gone--somewhere else?" her father asked.

She knew what he was asking, but she shook her head. Cassie had left her communicator behind, and it was currently resting in Ashley's pocket. She would have no way to contact the Megaship, let alone teleport there.

"She's done this before," Cassie's mother interjected, still seated calmly at the dinner table. "It's nothing to worry about. She'll be back in the morning when she gets hungry, or whenever she gets tired of hiding out at her friend's house."

"But she's not *at* a friend's house," Ashley pointed out, irritated by the woman's blasé attitude. "I checked."

Patricia shrugged. "She's probably with that boyfriend of hers. I'm sure a college boy won't want her hanging around all the time--she'll come back before long."

Not trusting herself to answer, Ashley returned to the table and rather pointedly began clearing the dishes away. She didn't think Patricia was done, but she and her father certainly weren't going to eat anything else.

"We'll let you know when she does," Ashley's father said shortly, and Patricia looked somewhat taken aback as Ashley stacked her plate on top of the others and carried it over to the counter by the sink.

"Of course," she said, recovering her poise and rising to her feet. "I'll leave you my phone number at the motel."

Her dad leaned back in his chair, retrieved a notepad and pen from their place by the phone, and tossed them down in front of her. She wrote out her phone number and name, as though they could somehow have forgotten it, and handed it back.

"I must thank you for putting up with my daughter all this time," she added, as she recapped the pen and set it down on the table. "Frankly, I don't know how you've dealt with her."

Ashley, who had been loading the dishwasher and doing her best to ignore Patricia, turned indignantly at that. Her father beat her to the retort, however, and she watched in satisfaction as he glared back at the overbearing woman.

"Cassie has been a joy to have in this house," he said, getting to his feet and using his height to his advantage. "She has never given us any reason to regret offering her a place to stay, and I, for one, am proud of the person she has become while she's been here."

Patricia looked irritatingly unintimidated. "And you see how she's repaid you," she said coolly. "Running off again, without so much as a 'thank you' for your trouble. She hasn't changed."

He stared down at her. At last, he just repeated, "We'll let you know when she comes back."

She nodded once, turned, and swept gracefully toward the front door. Ashley waited until the door had closed behind her to exclaim, "*She's* the reason Cassie took off! And I don't blame her!"

Her father didn't reply right away, but when he caught her eye, his gaze was troubled. "Neither do I, to tell you the truth. That's no way to raise a child. But legally, Cassie is still a minor, and Patricia Chan is her mother, whether she acts like it or not."

"But her birthday's next month!" Ashley protested. "If we told her not to come back, her mother couldn't do anything about it in just a few weeks!"

He sighed. "I'm afraid no one ever signed anything giving us custody of Cassie. If her mother decides she wants her back, there's nothing we can do to stop her. She could even file a kidnapping report, if it came to that."

Ashley stared at him.

"I don't think she will," he assured her, coming over to join her by the sink. "I don't know what she's after, but it doesn't seem to be Cassie. But until we know what she *does* want, we're just going to have to put up with her."

"And Cassie will be miserable," Ashley muttered, reaching for her communicator. "I'm going to ask TJ if he's seen her."

Her father put a hand on her shoulder, and she glanced up at him. "If she wants to come back here, you know I want her to," he said quietly. "This is her home now, and she's always welcome.

"But she's dealt with her mother before. She knows how she thinks, and maybe Cassie has the right idea. If she 'disappears' for a few days, maybe her mother will lose interest."

Ashley studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I'll tell her," she murmured. "If I can find her--if she's not at TJ's, I don't know where to look."

***

"If they kill Beckett, that'll just be the last straw."

TJ turned away from the window, amused by the indignation in Tessa's voice. "All right, I give in. What channel are you on?"

"Channel 5," she replied promptly.

He tucked the phone between his shoulder and his ear and set about looking for the TV remote. He found it buried underneath a newspaper on the counter between kitchen and living room, and, turning it on the TV, pressed "power".

"Oh, this is really annoying," Tessa complained. "They just went to a commercial--sorry."

"That's all right," he said with a smile, flipping to the required channel. "Tell me what's going on, so I'll have some clue."

"Well, it's the first show of the season, and they're changing everything, so no one really knows--"

A tap on the window caught his attention, distracting him from Tessa's explanation. He glanced over his shoulder, and his eyes widened. "Tess, can you hang on a second?"

"Sure," she said, sounding puzzled.

"Actually--" He dropped the remote and motioned towards the door. The figure in the window nodded, and he went to open it for her. "Can I call you back? Cassie just showed up."

"Oh, of course," she said quickly. "I'm going to be up for a while--if you can, give me a call and let me know if she's all right?"

"I will," he promised. "Bye, and thanks."

"Bye TJ," she said, a smile in her voice.

He pulled the door open and gestured Cassie inside, dropping the phone next to the couch as he did so. "Cass, where have you *been*? Ashley called hours ago looking for you--are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, letting him tug her away from the door.

"Don't give me that," he said sternly, closing the door behind her. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he led her over to the couch and made her sit down. "Ashley said your mom was there. Was she that bad?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered tiredly, leaning against his shoulder.

"Well, tough," he said. "You have to at least tell me if I can let Ashley know where you are."

She didn't answer right away, but finally she nodded a little. "Yeah. Tell her I'm sorry I ran out on her like that."

He squeezed her shoulders, making no move to stand up. "All right. Now, what did your mom do?"

"She didn't do anything," Cassie muttered. "She never does. She's just… herself. And then Saryn wanted to know why I wasn't on Aquitar yet, and I know he's been listening to Linnse and she's going to make him hate me…"

"He won't hate you," TJ soothed, patting her shoulder gently. "You know he won't listen to anyone when it comes to you. Here--" He edged toward the end of the couch, drawing her with him. "Lie down, okay? You look like you need some rest."

Cassie accepted the transition from his shoulder to the cushions without complaint, and he got to his feet. "Do you want anything to drink?" he offered gently. "Or eat? Ashley said you didn't have dinner…"

She shook her head a little, making a sound that could have been a negative, and he touched her shoulder again. "I'm just going to go call Ashley," he told her quietly. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," she murmured, her gaze fixing on the TV screen behind him.

He glanced back at it. The show Tessa had been watching was back, and he figured he might as well leave it on and give Cassie something to stare mindlessly at. He picked up the phone and headed for the kitchen, clicking the volume on the TV down a little as he passed.

The phone only rang once at Ashley's house before she picked it up, and he smiled at her breathless, "Hello?"

"Ash, it's TJ," he told her, glad to have some good news. "Cassie's here."

"Is she okay?" Ashley demanded. "Can I talk to her?"

He leaned on the counter, watching Cassie curl closer against the back of the living room couch. "She's pretty tired right now, I think. She said to tell you she's sorry for running out on you, though."

"Oh, I don't blame her," Ashley said, and the fervency in her voice surprised him.

He felt compelled to ask, "Is her mom really that bad?"

"Yes!" Ashley's exclamation startled him, coming as it did from someone who seemed to find something good about everyone. "She's terrible, TJ. She didn't even care that Cassie was gone! If I don't ever see that woman again, I'll be a happy person."

Surprised by her reaction, it was a moment before TJ replied. "She's not there anymore, then, I take it."

"No, thank goodness. She went back to her motel right after dinner."

"Do you want me to call her or something, let her know Cassie's safe?" he asked.

"No," Ashley replied. "Believe me when I say she won't care. We said we'd call her when Cassie came home, and that's exactly what we're going to do--not before. In fact, can you have Cassie call me when she's feeling better, before she leaves your place?"

"Sure," TJ said automatically. He glanced over at Cassie again, saw her unfocused gaze still resting on the TV. "Tomorrow morning. I think she's going to stay here tonight."

"All right. I'm going to have DECA teleport her communicator to you so you can give it to her when she wants it, okay?"

"That'd be great," he agreed, studying Cassie from across the room. He couldn't see her left wrist, buried underneath one of the sofa cushions, but he couldn't help wondering what had possessed her to take her morpher off.

He heard Ashley say something to DECA over her own communicator, and a moment later a sparkle of pink announced the arrival of Cassie's morpher on the counter next to him. "Thanks, Ash," he said, picking up the disguised device.

"Thank *you*," she said. "I'm glad Cassie went to you instead of just wandering around the city all night. I'll let you go now, but remember to have her call me in the morning."

"I will," he promised. "She'll be okay here."

"I know." There was a pause, and then Ashley added, " 'Night, TJ."

" 'Night." He waited until she hung up, then pushed the "off" button and set the phone down.

Glancing down at his communicator, he briefly considered getting DECA to put him through to Aquitar. He didn't know what Saryn had done to upset Cassie, but if there was one thing he was convinced of now it was that the other would never intentionally hurt her. If they just spoke to each other…

But one look at Cassie dissuaded him from that notion. Her eyes were closed and her expression peaceful as sleep finally rescued her from the stresses of the day. He wasn't going to wake her up now. She could work things out with her significant other in the morning.

Walking around the counter, he stopped to turn the TV off before going to Cassie's side. He picked up her left hand gently, watching her for a reaction. When she didn't stir, he wrapped her communicator around her wrist and fastened it there, where it belonged.

Then he pulled the afghan off the back of the couch, whispering, "Sleep well," as he settled it over her shoulders. He turned the living room lights off as he left, and dimmed the ones in the kitchen.

He left a note for his uncle, when he got back, and another for Cassie in case she woke before he did. Then he grabbed the phone off the counter and headed to his own room to call Tessa back.

***

"No!" She jerked awake, staring wildly about her in the unfamiliar darkness. "Saryn!"

"Whoa--" The kitchen lights came on, casting their glow over the counter and into the living room. "Cass, take it easy," a sleepy voice advised, but it wasn't his. He wasn't here; he was in danger--

Then TJ was there, sitting down next to her and trying to stifle a yawn. "Cassie, it's okay," he promised. "You just had a nightmare. Everything's all right."

"No," she whispered, staring at him. "It's not--Saryn's in trouble!"

TJ just shook his head. "You just talked to him a little while ago. He's on Aquitar, remember? He's perfectly safe."

"I told you, I can't come." The echo of her earlier words to him came back to her, and she closed her eyes in dismay. "I have to talk to him," she whispered. "I have to apologize…"

"In the morning," TJ tried to say, but she cut him off.

"No. Now." She reached for her communicator, determined to hear his voice. She had to make sure. "DECA," she said, tapping her communicator, "Can you establish a link to Aquitar for me?"

"Transmission sent," DECA replied calmly. "Aquitar accepts--link established."

But the voice that came back was not any of the Aquitian Rangers'. Instead, a woman's voice answered, "This is Linnse, of the Frontier Defense."

Cassie's eyes widened, and she stared at TJ. What was Linnse doing answering comm signals? "I need to speak to the Phantom Ranger," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

There was a pause from the other end. "Please identify yourself."

She cleared her throat uncertainly, knowing that the incoming transmission would have identified her as an Astro Ranger. "This is Cassie."

"I'm sorry," Linnse said without hesitation. "The Phantom Ranger is unavailable. I'll tell him you called."

The link went dead, and DECA's voice informed them, "Aquitar is no longer transmitting."

Cassie stared at her communicator in shock, then reached trembling fingers out to turn the little device off. She lifted her eyes helplessly to TJ's, feeling tears threatening to fall once more.

His expression went from surprised to angry to sympathetic in the space of a heartbeat, and he put his arms around her and drew her into a fierce hug. "We'll contact him in the morning, Cassie," he murmured. "I promise. If we have to take the Megaship to Aquitar and kidnap him ourselves, we'll talk to him."