They didn't even wait until he left to start arguing, and that bothered Carlos. It wasn't that he had never seen Zhane and Andros fight; it was just that he had never seen them so serious about it. They teased each other mercilessly and they bickered over trivialities like there was no tomorrow, but he had rarely seen them on opposite sides of an actual debate.

"It is good for them," Aura murmured, her head resting on his shoulder as they paused in the hallway outside her room. Her voice had the dreamy quality of someone who wasn't more than half-awake at best, but she was clearly aware enough to be reading his mind.

He made a noncommittal sound as he punched her code into the keypad beside her door. Aura's perception of the situation was arguably skewed by her teammates' odd relationship. She also hadn't known the Kerovans as long as he had; she couldn't realize that the unified front they presented to the universe wasn't a front at all, but a real reflection of their feelings.

Carlos had long suspected Zhane of supernatural qualities when it came to dealing with Andros, for no one seemed to reach the Red Ranger the way his best friend did. He had patience that exceeded Ashley's and an easy persuasiveness that had worked in the team's favor more than once. It was an unspoken truth among the Astro Rangers that if you needed Andros out of the way you went to Ashley. If you needed him to change his mind, you went to Zhane.

Unfortunately, that truth now seemed months out of date. Things were changing, but Carlos wasn't sure how or why. Was Andros pushing them away on purpose, as Aura seemed to think? Or was he just too overwhelmed by responsibility to see what was happening?

"Neither knows where the other stands anymore," Aura insisted. His support was all that kept her from collapsing on the bed as he sat down beside her, and the way she mumbled was charming if not particularly convincing. "Without confrontation, they will only drift farther apart."

Carlos suspected it was too late to prevent that, but one look at her convinced him that now was the not the time for rational discussion. "No offense," he told her gently, "but you'll be more believable when you can keep your eyes open."

Her fingers clenched on his shirt, forcing him to lean forward as she slipped out of his arms and fell back against her pillows. "You would be more believable," she said, very clearly, "if you would stay here with me where you belong."

His breath caught in his throat. Reaching up to disentangle her fingers, he was unprepared for the sensuous slide of her hands on his as she abandoned her grip on his shirt. "Aura--" His voice rasped and he stopped abruptly, embarrassed.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Aura, I have to go." He would have dearly loved to kiss her senseless, but she would be on call in three hours and he needed to sleep before classes started. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right?"

"Tomorrow," she mumbled, letting him go with a sigh that was almost his undoing. He trailed his fingers down her arm before he turned to leave, wondering if the incident would rate a mention in the morning. Once before she had asked him to stay the night in her bed, and then as now he had managed to avoid answering the question directly.

He wasn't sure what made him look up when he stepped out into the hallway. The route was so familiar that he could have found his way to the control room with his eyes closed, but maybe that was what tipped him off. He wasn't consciously paying attention to his surroundings, but something tickled the back of his mind nonetheless.

He glanced around, trying to pin the fleeting sensation down. There was no one else in the hallway, but that wasn't unusual. Cool muted light washed the walls with a faint violet glow, and the hum of the generators provided a faint but noticeable background for the peaceful setting. His gaze flitted across the lettering over Billy's door, absently translating the alien alphabet as he tried to find anything out of the ordinary.

His mind caught up with his eyes and he froze. He turned, a chill icing its way down his spine as he stared at the letters again. They didn't spell out "Billy," or any variation thereof. The design over the Blue Ranger's door was a completely unfamiliar combination of corners and curves.

Almost unwillingly, his gaze slid sideways down the hall. "Delphinius" was a hard one, but it didn't take more than a glance to know that the brief inscription over the Black Ranger's door couldn't be his. Cetaci's door was at such an angle that he couldn't even see the lettering by her room, let alone read it, but he had no desire to investigate.

Carlos took a step back, expecting an unfamiliar face to come bursting through one of those doors at any moment. The sight of Cassie fading before his eyes sprang into sharp relief in his mind, and he took another step backward. Aura's door, still unlocked, slid open behind him, and he backed through it slowly as though he could erase this vision by retracing the steps that had brought him here.

As Aura's door slid shut again, it suddenly occurred to him that he had just made a huge mistake. Wherever he was, it was obviously not the Ranger dome he knew, and this was no longer Aura's room. He swallowed, steeling himself to turn around and face a stranger outraged by this invasion of privacy.

Aura was curled on her side, in the same position he had left her just a minute ago. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was almost imperceptible. He studied her for a long moment, not convinced until he realized her mermaid necklace had slipped free when she lay down. The silver pendant glittered against the pillow where it had tangled in her hair, reassuring him that at least one thing remained constant.

He glanced back at the door, but for all he knew the unnerving vision still waited for him on the other side. He didn't know what had prompted it, so who was to say what would happen the next time he walked out her door? Maybe this time he wouldn't be able to leave.

Screw class, he thought, reaching down to yank his sneakers off. Dropping his belt next to his sneakers, he put both hands on Aura's bed and pushed experimentally. When she didn't stir, he climbed in beside her with a single, nervous glance over his shoulder. He slipped an arm over her stomach and buried his face against the back of her neck, closing his eyes as he did his best to forget that anything else existed in the world.

***

"Andros." DECA's voice intruded on the holding bay for the first time since the others had left, silencing Andros and Zhane's discussion. "You wished to be notified when the Kerovan Council publicly announced its intentions."

Kerone exchanged glances with Ashley. That could only mean one thing, and even she knew that it wasn't good. None of them had spoken to the Council since Kinwon left a recorded message for Andros that morning, and whether she agreed with their decision or not, it was simple courtesy to involve the Astro Rangers before the Council went public.

They turned as one to catch Andros' reaction, and her curiosity turned to regret when she saw the dark look on her brother's face. Andros was long past the point of dealing with the situation objectively, and he stormed out of the holding bay without a word. Zhane started to follow him, but Ashley's voice stopped him.

"Zhane..." She sighed when he didn't turn around. The Silver Ranger was frozen by the door, clearly waiting for her to speak, but just as obviously not willing to engage in a lengthy conversation. "This isn't the way."

Zhane didn't answer, but neither did he move to leave.

Ashley tried again. "He'll only make things worse if he talks to them now."

"Don't you think I know that?" Zhane snapped. He whirled at last, his eyes alight with anger and repressed hurt. "Don't you think I see what's happening? There's nothing I can do!"

Kerone wasn't even aware of her own wide-eyed stare until he glanced her way and visibly deflated. "I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. Moving back into the room, he reached out to Ashley and she returned his hug fiercely. "It isn't anyone's fault."

Not sure what to say, Kerone let him embrace her in turn. "I know he's handling it wrong," Zhane said, still speaking to Ashley as he let her go. "But even if I can't make him see that, he needs me... and at least someone else will know what's going on."

Ashley nodded mutely, and Zhane shot her a smile before he strode out of the holding bay. It was a smile that saddened Kerone for it was made of equal parts sympathy and wistfulness, and it was so far from his usual devil-may-care expression that it looked out of place on his face. Being at odds with Andros was tearing him up inside.

"He doesn't care about the morphers, does he," she said softly.

Ashley gave her an odd look. "Zhane?" She considered that for a moment, then shook her head. "I guess not," she admitted. "He just wants whatever Andros wants, and he knows this isn't the way to get it."

Kerone frowned. "What is the way?" she wanted to know. "How do we get what Andros wants?"

Ashley hooked one hip over the edge of the table and wiggled her way onto it, the fact that she didn't just hop a testament to how tired she must be. "First," she said with a sigh, "we'd have to figure out *what* Andros wants. And I'm not sure anyone knows what that is anymore."

"He wants the team to stay together," Kerone suggested.

Ashley caught her eye and smiled slightly. It was an odd smile, for Kerone got the feeling that she had just amused her friend somehow. "Maybe," she agreed.

DECA's hologram shimmered into existence, and Ashley actually started at her appearance. Kerone gave her an inquiring look, and DECA folded her arms. "Maybe Andros doesn't want things to change," she offered. "Maybe he doesn't know how to be anything other than the leader of the Astro Rangers."

Ashley obviously didn't feel compelled to soften her opinion when the remark came from DECA rather than Kerone. "He was alone for years, DECA. I don't think it's fear of abandonment that's making him act so strangely."

"I disagree." DECA's impassive tone made the words neutral no matter what the intent behind them. "It is precisely that remembered isolation that makes him afraid to let go of what he found with the Astro Rangers."

Kerone studied DECA's holographic form, surprised to hear such a decided opinion coming from the Megaship's computer. DECA was never reluctant to jump into a conversation, and rarely did she hesitate to offer observations about anything. But unsolicited opinions from her were new, at least as far as Kerone could remember.

Ashley, too, looked thoughtful, though Kerone suspected it was the sentiment rather than the source that made her pensive. "But he still has us," she said at last, looking to DECA for support.

The computer didn't answer, and Ashley frowned. Before she could say anything, though, footsteps in the hallway drew their attention to the door. Zhane poked his head in a moment later, a worried expression on his face. When he realized they were all looking at him, the expression faded a little and he joined them with a sigh.

"Kinwon wasn't there," he said, by way of explanation. "Andros left him a nasty message and went to the Simudeck to work out."

His voice had very little inflection, and it occurred to Kerone that he wasn't so much relieved to see them still here as he was just trying to cover up his concern. Zhane pulled one of the stools out from under the table, folding his arms as he sat down next to Ashley. "What are we going to do?" he asked the room at large.

No one said anything, and finally Ashley ventured, "What did Andros say to Kinwon?"

Zhane grimaced. "He told him that only Rangers can transfer Power. The Council shouldn't have made a decision like this without us, and Andros basically refused to abide by it."

"Ranger law?" Kerone suggested quietly, aware that she was treading in uncertain territory.

Zhane caught her eye. "There's no such thing," he said bluntly. "There's an unspoken understanding between Ranger teams and planetary governments that the Rangers know what they're doing when it comes to military action, and they leave civilian life to the civilians. But no one is willing to say that Rangers are the highest authority there is, so 'Ranger law' is just an expression."

"And yet Andros can get away with it," Kerone pointed out. "If he doesn't want to hand the morphers over, he doesn't have to."

"Just because he can doesn't mean he should." Ashley looked upset, but Kerone couldn't tell whom the agitation was directed at. "But the Council shouldn't have done what it did, either."

"They didn't even consult us," Zhane agreed. "I think they deliberately waited until we weren't at a Council meeting to discuss this. Whether the Rangers have ultimate authority or not, the Council definitely doesn't, at least when it comes to the Power Rangers."

"The Kerovan government has not dealt with active Rangers since you and Andros defended KO-35 three years ago," DECA remarked. "And you were always a somewhat unorthodox team."

Ashley smiled at that, but Zhane appeared to take her seriously. "You're saying they don't know what they're doing," he said, his tone making it a question.

DECA's image shrugged, which Kerone thought vaguely that she ought to find funny. "I am merely pointing out that the Kerova system's first chosen Rangers were five-year-olds. Its first active Ranger morphed when he was ten, and you and Andros were eleven the first time you fought together."

"You think they're treating us like kids?" Ashley asked, somewhat doubtfully.

Zhane just sat there, staring at the floor. "We always answered to Kinwon," he muttered, as though he was talking to himself. "He told us where and when, and we showed up."

Kerone tossed her head, irritated on their behalf. "The way he's doing now."

Zhane frowned, lifting his head to stare at the jump tubes. "But they're right," he said softly. "They do need a resident team, even if..."

"They're behaving as badly as Andros?" Kerone frowned too. "Can the Alliance be counted on to act more responsibly than this, or will we soon have three groups of children fighting amongst themselves?"

For once, Zhane didn't leap to Andros' defense. "You tell me," he said simply, his gaze sliding toward her. "You're the one who worked with Saryn all that time."

She hesitated, but Ashley and DECA were waiting on her answer too. "No?" she said finally. "I guess they won't see anything but their own interests either."

"The Alliance was formed as a way of protecting its members," DECA reminded them. "Its function is to defend the allied worlds, and if Earth's interests are threatened then the Alliance has no choice but to act."

"But to act how?" Ashley sounded troubled. "What will they do? And what do we do?" she repeated, glancing over at Zhane as she echoed his original question. "We can't be in both places at once."

"No." Zhane propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his fists. "We'll have to split the team up."

Kerone looked over at Ashley and found the Yellow Ranger looking back. "More than it already is?" Ashley asked at last, seemingly at a loss for words.

As though it was too much work to lift his head, Zhane just tilted it from one side to the other in an approximation of a headshake. "Exactly how it already is. Any of the Rangers who want to live on KO-35 already do. We have to stop pretending to be a team and accept that."

Kerone gazed at him. "And the morphers?"

Zhane shrugged. "Even Andros admits that morphers belong to the people who hold them. The Council can't just randomly reissue them; I agree with him there. So they're just going to have to deal."

"You wish to do nothing," DECA surmised.

Without moving, Zhane glared over at her holographic form. "If you have a better idea, I'm listening."

"You more than most know that the astromorphers are not the sole Power conduit available," DECA commented. "Split the team if you must, but do not limit yourself to your current circumstances until you have considered all the options."

Zhane stared at her for a moment before his gaze swiveled toward Ashley and Kerone. "Has she always been this assertive?" he wondered aloud.

***

They were lying out in front of the building on a blanket, soaking in the warmth of the sun before the day got too hot. Cassie smiled down at her friends, wondering how long it would take them to notice her if she didn't say anything. In the end, she decided not to find out.

"Hi guys," she said cheerfully, throwing herself down on the blanket beside them. "Slacking already? It's only the first day!"

TJ's eyes snapped open, and he stared up at her in surprise. "Cassie! What are you doing here?"

"Some welcome," she teased. "Whatever happened to 'we're so glad to see you'?"

"We're so glad to see you!" Tessa exclaimed with a giggle, scrambling over her book to give Cassie a hug. "How are you? We haven't seen you in ages! You look so tan!"

Cassie laughed, hugging her back. "I'm great. How are you guys?"

"We're still in shock from your sudden arrival," TJ informed her. "Do I get a hug or what? How long are you staying? Did you decide to try college life after all?"

"I should have," Cassie said, letting go of Tessa to wrap her arms around him. "Look at you guys, lying out in the sun! Do you actually do anything, or is this homework for Beach Bums 101?"

"I went to class," TJ rejoined. "Unlike Ms. Lab Rat here!"

"Labs don't meet on the first day," Tessa replied, unperturbed. "I don't have class until tomorrow."

"Then what are you reading?" Cassie wanted to know, reaching over to grab Tessa's book. She flipped it over to look at the title, and gave TJ's girlfriend an amused look. "Hyperspace?"

Tessa shrugged, not looking the slightest bit embarrassed. "A friend of mine recommended it."

"Yeah, Jay, who thinks exotic matter and the tenth dimension are light reading," TJ put in. "You should see me when we got out to dinner with her friends. They're talking about temporal physics and I'm like, 'Yeah, I'm in remedial counting. Anybody taken that?'"

Cassie giggled, handing the book back. "I think I'll stick to music theory. At least I know what the words mean."

"Yeah, you're singing now, aren't you?" Tessa asked eagerly. "What's it like? How are things going? Tell us about Elisia!"

"It's still there," Cassie said with a grin. "It's hot. And strangely rainy. Saryn says it's a winter thing, but every night we fall asleep to the sound of rain on the roof and it just seems wrong. But everything's growing, so that's cool. I guess it's almost springtime, but I have no idea what to expect."

"Robins?" Tessa suggested impishly. "Are there native birds? What about flowers? Where do you live? Is it big?"

Cassie laughed again. "There are birds, but I don't think they're native. There are lots of flowers. And it's not a mansion, but it's big enough. All the Rangers live in this group of buildings on the edge of the city... you'll have to come visit, both of you."

"Right now?" Tessa made a move to get up, then giggled at TJ's expression. "Just kidding. But say the word and I'm there."

"I'd like to see it too," TJ admitted. "I feel like we haven't even talked to each other in months. At least Ashley and Kerone showed up on our doorstep every few weeks," he added, giving her a good-natured glare.

She held up her hands to ward him off, but she couldn't stop smiling. "I missed you too," she shot back. "You could have called!"

"It's called 'work'," TJ informed her. "Plus I can never get the time difference straight."

"So wake us up," Cassie suggested. "I can't keep track of it either, but no one seems to care. We all have voice mail, which is good since Saryn never answers when he's there alone anyway. Just leave a message."

Tessa glanced at TJ. "I don't know about you, but my communicator definitely doesn't reach that far."

Cassie blinked, a little taken aback. "I forget about that," she confessed. "Can you use the one at Ashley's house? Or Tommy's?"

"It's easier to ask Tommy than Ashley's parents," TJ put in. "They're kind of... Well, they always want to know what's going on."

"Nosy?" Cassie offered, smiling. "I know. That's the nature of parents, I think. Maybe Rocky would let us set something up at the dojo."

Tessa brightened. "That's a good idea! Ask him tomorrow?" she suggested, and TJ leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied good-naturedly. "Will do.

"So Cassie," he added, turning back to the Pink Ranger. "You didn't come all this way to tell us to call more often, did you? Is everything all right? How are you feeling after last night?"

Cassie shrugged, playing with the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm fine. Saryn's a little freaked, though. He's not too good with the whole disappearing thing."

"Yeah, where is he, anyway?" TJ looked around as though he expected Saryn to hiding behind the bushes. "I'm surprised he let you out of his sight."

Cassie smiled ruefully. "He doesn't know I'm gone. He had to leave before I got up this morning, so he thinks I'm at the fair again."

"The fair?" Tessa repeated. "What fair?"

"It's a spring festival," Cassie told her. "Basically it's just an excuse for the whole city to throw a party, but I'm not complaining. I've been singing there almost every day since it started. Today I told them I had to do Ranger stuff."

"Like?" TJ prompted.

"Like catching up with my friends!" Cassie retorted playfully. "What, that's not enough of a reason for you? You sure know how to make a girl feel unappreciated!"

"I don't believe you." TJ lunged forward, knocking her back onto the blanket as he tickled her without remorse. "Tell us the truth! What's worth sneaking out on Saryn for?"

"I didn't sneak!" Cassie protested through her giggles. "I came to see my friends!"

She was having trouble breathing when he finally let up, and her eyes were tearing as she pushed herself up on her elbows. "Tough crowd," she gasped, trying to stop laughing long enough to form a coherent sentence. "See if I ever come visit you again!"

"You'd better," TJ warned. "Or it's more of the same for you!"

"Don't scare her away," Tessa scolded. "She'll never talk to us again!"

TJ didn't press the subject any further, and Tessa's questions redirected the conversation almost immediately. She didn't know how long they sat out in the sun just talking, but it was long enough to make her miss their easy companionship. Cassie lost all track of time until one of the passersby paused next to their blanket, and the three of them looked up to find Kerone standing over them.

"Hello," she said, curiously polite. "DECA said you wanted to talk to me."

TJ turned an "aha!" expression on Cassie, and she grinned sheepishly. "Hi, Kerone," she said, waving to the other girl to sit down. "TJ and Tessa were just explaining how hard college is."

"It does look difficult," Kerone agreed, sprawling across the blanket beside Tessa. "And you say it takes four years to complete this rigorous course of study?"

"Some people take longer," Tessa put in. "Five or six years, even."

"I see." Kerone rolled over on her back and closed her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "Do I have to be a citizen of Earth in order to participate?"

"No," TJ said cheerfully. "That's the beauty of it. If you can't get in yourself, all you need is a friend with a room and a meal ticket. I used Tessa's all last year."

"And my guest pass is still suffering from the abuse," Tessa added, smirking at him. "I hope you know how many times you'll be taking me out this semester to make up for it."

"Oh, like girls ever eat two thousand dollars worth of food," TJ scoffed. "I'm doing you a favor."

"And saving money which you can then spend on me," Tessa chirped. She gave Kerone a wink. "It all evens out in the end."

TJ rolled his eyes at Cassie, and she tried not to giggle. TJ and Tessa had to be the most normal couple she had ever met. It was a strange thing to think, but then, only when it came to the Astro Rangers could normal seem strange. And she had thought she was different *before* she joined the Power Rangers...

"So is this conversation with Kerone something that we're not supposed to overhear?" TJ asked, breaking into her musing. "It's our blanket, you know, so if you expect us to come up with a polite excuse to disappear--"

"No," Cassie interrupted with a laugh. "No, there's no reason you shouldn't hear this too. I was looking for Kerone because I wanted to give her something, and you guys should know what it is."

Kerone opened one eye, her expression only mildly curious. "You came all the way from Elisia just to give me something? It's not explosive, is it?"

Cassie smiled, digging into her pocket. "Not usually," she said, pulling out her morpher and offering it to Kerone. "It has its moments, though."

Kerone opened her other eye, looking at the morpher and then lifting her gaze to Cassie's face. She didn't move. "I don't need your morpher," she said at last. Her tone wasn't incredulous, or even angry, just a statement of fact and nothing more.

"I know," Cassie agreed carefully. "But I can't keep it anymore, and you're the person I trust the most. I'm not asking you to use it unless you want to, I'm just asking you to keep it safe."

Kerone frowned, but she held out her hand without another word. Cassie put her morpher in her hand, and Kerone's fingers curled around it reluctantly. "I won't take your Power," she said, searching Cassie's expression.

Cassie shrugged. "You don't have to. But it's there if you need it."

Kerone looked up at the device in her hand, holding it in front of her face before turning her head to the side to squint at Cassie again. "You know that if I don't morph, it will never transfer."

"You don't have to take the Pink Power unless you want it," Cassie repeated patiently. "But I need you to have my morpher before the situation on KO-35 gets any more out of control. I can't be a part of the Astro Rangers from Elisia, and I won't put Saryn and his teammates in the middle of this fight."

"Cassie..." TJ didn't look thrilled with this plan. "This isn't going to solve anything."

"If you'd seen Saryn's face last night, you wouldn't say that," she said softly. "I'm not trying to fix KO-35's problem, TJ. I'm just trying to keep it from touching Saryn. He doesn't need anything else to worry about right now."

TJ stared at her. "You're going to give up your morpher so that Saryn won't worry? No offense, Cassie, but I think he can handle it."

"Do you really want her to keep it for herself?" Kerone asked unexpectedly. "Or are you worried that KO-35 will have four morphers to your two?"

"Wait a minute," Cassie interjected before TJ could respond. "This is my decision, you guys. I'm giving Kerone my morpher because I'm an Elisian citizen now. I can't defend Earth, I can't defend KO-35, and Elisia already has five Rangers. Kerone is the most deserving person I know, and I don't care which planet she comes from. She should be the Pink Astro Ranger."

Kerone was still sprawled on her back, but she raised her hand at that. "Excuse me? Did I mention that I don't want to be a Power Ranger?"

Cassie sighed. "Consider it first refusal, then. Whether you use the Power or not, it's your choice to keep it or pass it on. I won't be a Ranger anymore either way."

"The Alliance won't like it," TJ warned.

Cassie threw up her hands. "I don't care what the Alliance thinks! The Alliance wouldn't have been happy no matter what I did! I'm just passing it from one Border planet to another, so it's none of the Alliance's business.

"Did you hear about Kerova's announcement last night?" she added, hoping to divert them a little. "The Council managed to insult Earth at least three different times."

"Four," Kerone corrected, absently wrapping Cassie's morpher around her wrist. She, at least, had stopped protesting. "Zhane and Ashley and I watched the broadcast together. It wasn't so much that they intentionally insulted Earth as they just ignored its existence."

"Ashley told us about it," TJ agreed, still frowning. "She said the Alliance is expected to respond sometime today."

"The news networks want to hear from Earth," Cassie told him. "You're lucky you're out of the loop; it's really crazy out there."

"Is Earth going to make a statement?" Tessa asked uncertainly.

"We are Earth," TJ said dryly. "You and me and Carlos. So no, not unless you want to go in front of intergalactic cameras again."

"It may come to that." Kerone twisted her wrist experimentally. The astromorpher turned into a metallic wristband, then back to a morpher when she twitched it again. "The Alliance will want to know where you stand before they say anything. It may not change their position, but I'm surprised someone hasn't already tried to contact you."

TJ and Cassie exchanged glances. "Would we know if they had?" he asked dryly.

Cassie smiled at that. "How do you get in touch with a planet that doesn't even have interstellar communication?" she countered. "That's a good question."

"The Mega V zords?" Kerone suggested. "Or Aquitar? I bet they'd go to Aquitar, figuring your neighbors would know how to reach you."

TJ looked around as though a transmission might come out of thin air straight to his ears. "Where is Carlos, anyway? I haven't seen him since last night. He'd have had to walk right past us on his way back from class."

"Maybe he didn't come back to the dorm." Tessa craned her neck to follow his gaze. "He could have gone to the library or the dining hall or something."

Cassie made a face. "It's times like this when I can't believe you don't miss your communicators."

"We have communicators," TJ said, reaching into the pocket of his shorts. "They're called phones. You've been on Elisia too long," he added, flipping open his cell phone and pressing a couple of buttons.

From her prone position on the edge of the blanket, Kerone shrugged. "I miss them," she remarked to no one in particular. She was still rolling her wrist idly, making the wristband flicker back and forth between communicator and morpher.

"I'm just waiting for someone to look over and see you doing that," Tessa commented, watching her play with the little device.

"He's not answering," TJ said, sounding surprised.

Cassie shrugged. "Maybe he's busy."

"No, I mean his phone isn't answering." TJ frowned. "I'm not even getting his voice mail."

"Out of range?" Tessa suggested. "He couldn't still be on Aquitar, could he?"

"I hope not." TJ closed his phone and shoved it back into his pocket. "I can't think of anywhere else he'd be, but missing the first day of classes can't be a good thing."

***

A high-pitched beeping was the first sound she identified as external to her dream, and as Aura tried to roll over she realized she wasn't alone. There was someone else in bed with her, and it was a very familiar someone. It was also, she was beginning to suspect, the source of the beeping.

Carlos wore his communicator on his right wrist, which also happened to be the arm he had draped over her in his sleep. The communicator in question was making a very strange noise, and she thought she ought to recognize it. Unfortunately, she hadn't paid as much attention as she'd meant to when Billy was explaining the device to them.

"Carlos," she mumbled, taking his hand as she rolled over. She squinted at the communicator even as it stopped beeping, causing her to abandon her attempt to decipher its message. Instead, she twined her fingers through his and clasped them closer as she turned on her side to study his face. "Carlos," she repeated, watching him stir slightly. "Wake up."

He tilted his head back toward the ceiling before he opened his eyes, and she had to prop herself up on one elbow to see his expression. He squinted in the muted glow of her room, contemplating his surroundings and what they might mean. Only then did he glance back at her, and his face was so inscrutable that her telepathy was sorely tempted.

He saved her the trouble a moment later. "What time is it?" he muttered, stretching his arms above his head. He yawned as soon as he moved, and he shook his head before she could answer. "Never mind. I probably don't want to know."

"You stayed," she murmured. It was the only significant thought she could associate with his presence right now. She watched as he stretched again, his dark eyes closing as he arched his back against the nest of bed cushions and covers. "I thought you were going back."

Carlos sighed, squeezing his eyes shut again before opening them wide and giving her an apologetic look. "So did I. Sorry to crash here without even asking."

"You are long past the point of asking," she chided, studying his expression. There was a reason he wasn't supposed to be here, and she couldn't for the life of her remember what it was. "You are always welcome--did you not have someplace to be today?"

He grimaced up at the ceiling. "Yeah, you could say that. I probably slept through at least one class, and I feel like that doesn't really start the semester off on the right foot."

"Perhaps not," she said carefully, not quite daring to settle down in case he was about to get up. She wanted to curl up next to him and close her eyes again, and she couldn't help being a bit miffed that he hadn't decided to stay until after she was asleep. She hadn't even been able to enjoy his presence. "It starts my day off on the right foot, though."

He turned his head back toward her, smiling unexpectedly. "Yeah, I like this," he admitted. "Did you sleep all right? I hope you had enough room."

"I require far less room than you," she pointed out. She was secretly delighted by his response, and she wondered what had made him change his mind. "I was not crowded."

"Good," he said, yawning again. "I suppose we'd better get up eventually. I need to check the scanners for any dimensional weirdness last night... I saw something really strange just after you fell asleep."

She frowned, noting that he didn't make any move to get out of bed. "Something like what Cassie saw last night?"

He hesitated. "I guess."

Aura waited, and he continued uncertainly, "When I went to leave, the hall was... different. All your names were gone from the doors, and other peoples' names were there instead. I don't know--it sounds kind of silly, now."

"That was what made you stay," she surmised, careful to keep her tone neutral.

When he nodded, she sat up the rest of the way. "If it was real enough to frighten you, it isn't silly," she told him. "I will go with you to investigate."

Carlos pushed himself up, leaning back on his hands as he studied her. "Do you want to change first? I can wait in the hall."

"Are you implying that my appearance is unacceptable?" she countered, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

For answer, he leaned over and kissed her gently. "You're beautiful and you know it," he whispered, kissing her again. "But I know you won't go anywhere until you brush your hair. I'll meet you in Control."

She almost laughed at the conspiratorial look he gave her as he pulled away, and she threw a pillow at him as he got up and headed for the door. "Scaredy-cat!" she called after him, using one of his own epithets.

"Hydrophobe!" He ducked out into the hall before she could throw another pillow, and she smirked at his retreating form. He would pay for that later.

By the time she joined him in the control room, Carlos' tall form was already bent over the scanners. Delphinius stood next to him, another black-clad figure in an otherwise deserted room, and she tried to remember whether Cetaci was on call with them today or not. The White Ranger had requested several personal days at once, and Aura hadn't paid attention to exactly when they began.

"Have you found anything?" she inquired, sidling up to Carlos and peering around his shoulder. "I understand the scanners detected nothing yesterday when Andros experienced this same phenomenon."

"They did not," Delphinius agreed. "However, Andros was not in the Ranger dome at the time. I hoped Carlos' proximity would make a difference, but it does not seem to have had any effect on the results."

She felt Carlos' arm slide around her waist, and she leaned against him as she considered the readings they were scrolling through. "There is no aberration in the scans? I find that unlikely."

"You and me both," Carlos agreed. "You'd think anything that could phase an entire section of the dome would show up somehow. But there isn't even an interruption in the scanner feed from that hallway. It's weird."

"You are certain you were not just tired," Delphinius ventured. "It is not your native language, after all--"

"I know what I saw," Carlos interrupted firmly. "Even if I wasn't reading it right, I know what your names looks like. Especially yours--there's no way the word over your door was long enough to be 'Delphinius'."

Delphinius cocked his head. "And you say this has happened elsewhere?"

"Yeah." Carlos sounded amused. "What, you think it's just some strange effect Aquitar's been having on us lately? Ashley and TJ and I were on Earth when it happened the first time, and Cassie saw something on Elisia last night."

"So it is specific to the Astro Rangers," Delphinius mused. "How odd."

"You have just described everything that happens to Carlos' team," Aura pointed out. "I find incidents such as this quite normal, in fact."

"Very funny," Carlos muttered, squeezing her tighter. "You won't say that when it starts happening to you. It's probably contagious."

"I would not be surprised," she agreed. "That would coincide with the level of strangeness I have come to expect from you and your friends."

The door to the living quarters slid open before he could retort, and her curiosity about Cetaci was satisfied when the White Ranger came through to join them in Control. Their team leader strode up to the console from the other side. Bracing her hands against the panel, she looked Delphinius straight in the eye and announced, "I hate you."

He returned her gaze without flinching. "Do you expect me to react to that in some way?"

"I expect you to explain the message that was on my vid terminal this morning," she shot back. "What point is there in directing such information to me in particular, rather than to Control itself?"

"No one in Control cares except for you," he informed her. "Besides, it doesn't apply to anyone else. I thought you'd want to see it first."

Cetaci narrowed her eyes at him. "I will *never* have your child." With that, she spun around and headed for the lift, disappearing into it without another word.

Aura felt Carlos lower his head to look at her. "What was that about my friends?"

She hid a smile, trying to keep her expression blank as she looked at Delphinius. He caught her eye as though he expected her gaze, and he gave her an innocent shrug. "I hope you don't assume that I am to blame for her outburst."

"She didn't say she hated me," Aura retorted. "What have you done this time?"

The comm chimed, and Delphinius' serene look lightened with amusement. "I did nothing," he told her, moving over to the comm panel. "Why don't you help Carlos with the scanners? I will take care of this."

"Of course you will," she muttered. "He does this on purpose, you know," she said, pretending to address Carlos. "He deliberately upsets her, and the rest of us are left to face her wrath for no cause of our own."

Delphinius ignored her, and she was about to turn back to the scanners when she saw the seal of the Alliance appear on the screen in front of him. That sight, while not unusual in and of itself, was enough to inspire mild curiosity. She exchanged glances with Carlos and by unspoken consent they remained silent, waiting to see who would reply to Delphinius' greeting.

The speaker was no one she recognized, but when it inquired after the Astro Rangers she caught Carlos' eye again. Delphinius didn't even hesitate. "I'm afraid I can not put you in contact with the Rangers of Earth at this time," he said smoothly. "However, if you will state your intent, I will pass your message on to them."

The Rangers of Earth. Her mouth formed the words silently, and she saw Carlos raise an eyebrow at the phrasing. It was well known that the Astro Rangers defended multiple worlds, and she had not heard them deliberately referred to as either "Earth" or "Kerovan" Rangers in some time.

When the transmission ended, Delphinius considered the blank screen for a moment before turning to face them. Giving Carlos a searching look, he inquired, "You expected this, I assume?"

"That the Alliance would want us to fight the Kerovan Council?" Carlos sighed. "It crossed our minds. I just didn't think they'd be quite so fast about it."

"I am surprised that Andros has done nothing to stop this," Delphinius said slowly. "I did not think he would let it get as far as it has, and I certainly did not expect to see it on intergalactic news networks."

Carlos gave him an odd look. "It's in the news?"

Aura turned her gaze on Delphinius too, puzzled by the reference. Surely she wouldn't have overlooked a story that mentioned the Astro Rangers, no matter how they were portrayed. "Did something occur yesterday of which I am unaware?"

"You did not hear Kerova's broadcast last night?" Delphinius looked genuinely surprised. Their expressions must have convinced him, though, because he elaborated without prompting. "The Kerovan Council declared their intent to become a fully integrated member of the Frontier Defense, up to and including the presence of a resident Ranger team. References were made to 'their' astromorphers, and it was clear that they are not content with the situation as it stands now."

Carlos swore under his breath. "I'd better go," he said, letting go of her as he straightened up. "Andros is probably ticked, and the rest of the team should know about the Alliance. Thanks for screening that call, by the way."

Delphinius inclined his head. "It was a matter of reflex more than anything else," he admitted. "Now I am glad you did not try to answer questions for which you were unprepared."

"Yeah, we're going to have to figure out what to do," Carlos muttered. "We didn't get anywhere last night, but we didn't know KO-35 was going to go public so soon, either. This isn't good."

"You are a team," Aura reminded him. "The Astro Rangers are a team, no matter the circumstances. Government interference does not override your right to make independent decisions."

"Does that mean the Rangers are autonomous?" Carlos fixed a curiously intent look on her. "Can KO-35 take our morphers from us if we don't want to give them up? How much authority does the Kerovan Council have?"

"With the backing of the Frontier Defense, the Council will be quite influential," Delphinius answered. "They could bring considerable pressure to bear, and their legal authority includes the right to disown the Kerovan team. Nonetheless, there is no existing government with the authority to take the Power from those it has chosen."

"Ranger law," Carlos muttered, glancing from her to Delphinius and back again.

"Indeed." Delphinius looked thoughtful. "I am not aware of any precedent for this situation. I will be interested to know what you decide."

"So will I," Carlos said with a sigh. "Thanks for your help. I'll get back to you when we figure out what to say to the Alliance."

"If there is anything we can do..." Aura left the sentence unfinished, but his grateful smile was answer enough.

"Thanks," he said, reaching out to take her hands. Their fingers entwined and he squeezed gently, adding, "I'll call you later, all right?"

She nodded once, and he leaned down to kiss her before taking a step back. He triggered the "teleport" command from his communicator, and he vanished into a water molecule shape identical to Delphinius'. The shadow whistled out of the room through the ceiling, and she knew he would be stepping out of the teleportation stream on Earth almost as soon as it disappeared from her sight.

She stared after him for a moment, before Delphinius' movement distracted her. She turned on him, deliberately narrowing her eyes. "What did you say to Cetaci?" she demanded. "She didn't even wait until Carlos was gone!"

He gave a dismissive shrug. "One of the historical tiers completed a ceremonial Ranger genealogy," he said vaguely. "I thought she might want to see it."

Aura stared at him, torn between chastising him and laughing. "You know how sensitive she is about Ranger genes!" But of course he did; that was no doubt what had prompted him to do it in the first place.

The look on his face only confirmed it, and she shook her head. The first in her family to hold the Power and the youngest Aquitian Ranger in generations, Cetaci would never have been considered to lead the team were it not for Delphine's intervention and her own confident assertiveness. Her relationship with the rest of the team was almost impossibly competitive, and her history with Delphinius only made things more interesting.

"At least we will never have the problem that the Astro Rangers face," Delphinius remarked, as though it were a bright side to Cetaci's temperament. "Our White Ranger would quit before allowing anyone in authority to tell her how to run the team."

And she had, Aura knew. Cestria had once implied that someone else could do a better job leading the team, and Cetaci had quit then and there. Only Delphinius had been able to talk her into returning. Still...

"Is it possible that she is not the only one?" Aura wondered aloud. "I do not see Andros taking the Council's decision lightly. Especially if he was not consulted."

Delphinius sobered quickly, but he didn't appear to give the idea serious consideration. "Andros is more the Red Ranger than he is Andros himself. He will not give that up."

"No," Aura murmured, unconvinced. "Perhaps not."