Secret Plans

Secret Plans is the thirty-sixth episode of Power Rangers: Lost Ninjas.

Summary
After a bizarre reaction to Zart's attack on the Earthlight Rangers, Xumara is forced to reveal her ultimate plan to Korassil.

Last time we saw the Terra and Shinobi Rangers
Alex finally turned on Nico, attacking him in his house and killing him while Chris was out of town fighting a monster. Returning, Chris broke into the crime scene and was dragged away by the police. Some time ago, Korassil and Xumara had argued about Lothor's leadership, Korassil chastising his wife for questioning it, and Zart had revealed to Alex that Xumara was up to something.

February 25th, Castle Ridge Community Hospital, 1:22 am
Luciana Ramirez sat in bed, staring at her hands. Bruises and bandages dotted her body, and an IV ran from her arm to a bag dangling from a metallic tree beside her bed. Even though it was early in the morning, she'd left the TV on, and quiet bustle carried from the halls. Her roomate, an older woman, snored soundly in medication-induced sleep from the windowside bed. Luciana didn't seem to hear any of it.

The door opened, and in stepped a man who looked very out-of-place in a hospital. He was obviously muscular, and moved with crisp, military precision. The hood of his black jacket was up, casting his face in shadow. Noticing him, Luciana looked up.

"You're Mark Nero?"

The man came closer. "Doctor Eisner said you had a job for me."

"Did he tell you what it was?"

"It's always the same story. Someone's hurt you, you want revenge."

Luciana nodded once. "Kill the Obsidian Power Ranger. Is that more than you can handle?"

Nero shrugged. "Doesn't matter if it is, so long as you can pay."

"I can."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

"His real name is Alex Slater. He's . . . I think he's Canadian. Blond hair, slightly long, light skin, handsome—constantly going after girls—and he's a killer."

Nero let out a snort. "I've dealt with his type before. Anything you want me to bring back as proof he's been taken care of?"

Luciana hesitated. Slowly, she drew in a breath, and looked up at Nero. "He took something from my son. Like a bracelet, blue and black, with a coin embossed with the head of a cougar. If he still has it when you kill him, bring it back."

Nero nodded in acknowledgment. "I was never here."

With that, he slipped back into the shadows. Slumping back against the pillows, Luciana gazed steadily out the window at the dark town. A few scattered lights twinkled, but between the late hour and the monster attacks, far fewer than there should have been. Behind her, the door clicked shut once more.

A moment later, Luciana was startled to hear someone knock. She looked around. Slowly, the door slid open, and Chris stepped into the room. He looked tired; dark circles underscored his eyes and he shuffled his feet.

"Who are you?" Luciana asked, voice sharp with suspicion.

"I'm the guy who was supposed to save the day." Chris leaned on the back of a chair, hanging his head. "Sorry about the time, cops wanted me to answer some questions."

"Silver Ranger."

"I fell for a stupid trick and I wasn't there when you both needed me. I should have known better." Chris finally looked up and met Luciana's gaze. "I know it's not enough, not even close, but I came to say I'm sorry. Korassil and his cronies won't hurt you again."

Luciana said nothing, but her hands tightened on the sheets until her knuckles turned white. Her dark eyes flicked downwards.

"Nico was probably right," she said at last. "Those monsters aren't interested in this city, just the ninjas. Without Nico, you're the only target left. You should get out of here, while you still can."

"I'm not going to run away."

"Don't even play that card. Look."

Taking up the TV remote from the nightstand, she started switching channels. At last, she found a news channel and stopped, though the sound was still an indistinct mumble. Chris studied the wobbly footage. He could make out three brightly colored figures battling the monster; red, yellow and blue.

"This is Blue Bay Harbor in California. There are other Rangers there; together you'll be stronger," Luciana said, and switched the TV off. "Don't take this the wrong way, but everyone will be safer if those monsters don't know where you are."

"And the sooner I'm gone, the better," Chris said slowly, following her logic before she could even say it. Luciana nodded. Drawing in a deep breath, Chris turned and walked out of the hospital room. He only just remembered to close the door behind himself.

February 25th, Korassil's Ship, Castle Ridge Airspace, 8:45 am
"Alex? Alex Slater, report to the bridge," Korassil's voice crackled through the intercom system.

With a grunt, Alex rolled over and sat up in bed. Blue-green Earthlight shone through the windows of the cabin, giving the pale skin of his bedfellow a blue sheen. She stirred a little but didn't wake up. Combing his loose hair out of his face, Alex got up and crossed the room to the intercom, wading through clothes crumpled on the floor. He wore shorts, but nothing else.

"Here."

"Bring me Ramirez's morpher. Now."

"Sure, I'll do that, give me a couple minutes," he said.

"I gave you all night." By his tone, Korassil's patience hung by a thread.

"What, I'm not allowed to celebrate a hard-earned victory?" Alex retorted, heading back to the heap of clothes and pink-orange armor in the middle of the floor. He pulled out a pair of pants, realized they were for a woman, and quickly went through the pockets. Finding a small green data card, he kept it as he collected his own clothes.

"Not until your mission is complete, which technically it is not."

"Look, I have a perfectly reasonable explanation, which I will deliver to you once I have pants and am on the bridge." Alex dressed as he spoke.

"I see no reason for it to wait," Korassil replied.

"It's . . . I want to be sure about something first," Alex said, sounding suddenly hesitant. "And it's not something I'd like to discuss over shipwide communications."

Korassil didn't say anything. At last, the intercom turned off. Relaxing, Alex tucked the data card into his own pants pocket. He collected Nico's morpher from the nightstand, and rubbed a little dried blood off its surface. The woman stirred again and rolled over. Opening her oddly pale blue eyes, she pushed herself up on an elbow and looked around sleepily.

"Is he always this cranky?" The woman asked.

Alex grinned at her, pulling on his shirt. "Depends. Is Xumara?"

"We agreed not to talk about work, Alex," the woman said in a mock-hurt tone, pouting at him.

"You're right. Sorry." Alex crossed the room to give her a peck on the cheek. "I'll be back," he whispered, and then left.

The walk up to the bridge was quick; the dark halls were all but empty, save for a few Kelzak Berserks and monsters running errands. Alex whistled as he walked, tossing Nico's morpher and catching it as he went. Entering the bridge, he crossed to the central console. Korassil sat in the captain's chair, but he rose as he saw Alex.

"Here," Alex said, slapping the morpher into Korassil's extended hand. "What do you plan to do with it?"

"Find a new, more pliable wielder," Korassil replied. "What was it that you thought too 'delicate' to discuss over the intercom system?"

"One second," Alex replied, turning back to the console. He pulled the data card out of his pocket and slotted it in. As the computer recognized it, he started copying the data. "Have you met Kiaris?"

"Your latest conquest?" Korassil asked, disdain plain in his voice.

"Nice girl, works the comms systems for Xumara's ship." Alex seemed to grow distracted by the data that appeared on the screen. A concerned frown darkened his face. "Oh. That's . . ." Alex turned off the screen as Korassil came up behind him, quickly withdrawing the data card. "It's out of context, probably. I should go return this. She doesn't even know I borrowed it."

Korassil drew himself up, folding his arms. "What are you hiding from me, Shadow Ranger?"

Alex's shoulders slumped. "Kiaris mentioned something odd last night, something she'd heard while monitoring the comms. A lot of communications from Xumara's private quarters to Lothor's other generals. She was able to catch this one and record most of it, though it's encrypted. It's probably nothing."

"Nothing? What is it that you want to hide from me so badly?"

"I don't want to hide anything from you. I . . . I just don't want to spread rumors that might turn out to be false anyway." Alex looked distinctly nervous now, playing with the data card and glancing around the room to avoid Korassil's gaze.

"Speak. If my subordinates know it then I should too."

Alex drew in a deep breath, and met the red, clustered eyes of Korassil's helmet. "Do you trust your wife?"

With a snarl, Korassil seized Alex by the collar and slammed him into the console. The data card flew out of his hands and clattered to the floor. Alex seized Korassil's wrists and tried to loosen his grip. The general's hands wrapped around his throat and began to squeeze. Alex's weight activated several buttons, and screens popped up across the console, all flashing and babbling at once.

"How dare you!" Korassil roared.

"You—forced—me to tell you!" Alex managed, clawing at his grip. Swinging him around, Korassil hurled him to the floor, where he rolled and caught himself. Coughing, Alex picked himself up. He checked his lip, and found blood. "So that's my reward for not lying or going behind your back? For trying to investigate a rumor, make sure we were secure? I'm sorry I bothered. I won't make that mistake again."

Shaking his head, he picked up the data card. He pocketed it and turned to leave, one hand still on his throat. His back to the Ranger, Korassil turned off the programs he'd accidentally activated. Both hands on the console, he lowered his head. A sigh rumbled through his helmet.

"Wait." Korassil didn't sound angry anymore. Slowly, Alex turned, and Korassil faced him. "I apologize. You were wise to inform me of this."

"No. No, I understand. She's your wife, of course you trust her," Alex said. "It was a dumb question."

Korassil held out his hand. "Give me the data card. I will decrypt the message."

Alex put a hand over his pocket. "Sir, it's probably nothing. You don't need to waste your time on it."

"Xumara aside, someone else aboard ship may have used her private intercom to send a message. It is better to be certain," Korassil replied.

"I've already made a copy of the data card so I could return it before Kiaris noticed. It's in the system," Alex said, gesturing towards the console.

"Of course." Turning away, Korassil brought the copy up on the screen and got to work. "You are dismissed."

"Yes sir."

Alex returned to his quarters. As he left the bridge, his slight stagger faded, but his expression remained carefully blank. Opening his door, he saw Kiaris pulling on her clothes. He grinned and darted into the room, tackling her from behind onto the bed. It took her a second to recognize him, but she giggled when she did, rolling over to look up at him.

"You didn't think I'd let you leave without saying goodbye?" Alex asked teasingly.

"I have to get back to Xumara's ship for my next shift," Kiaris protested, as he kissed her neck.

"That's in, what, six hours? We've got time."

That made Kiaris giggle again. "What's put you in such a good mood?"

"Just happy to see you, that's all."

Terra Academy, 10:30 am
Whispered conversation rumbled like distant thunder over the field, full of the students and teachers of Terra Academy. Korassil's ship hovered above the school building, casting a dark shadow over the crowd. Even before Korassil had issued summons, people had begun to gather. News of Nico's death had spread rapidly through the city.

Korassil teleported onto the sparring ring platform, though the ropes had been removed. At his appearance, everyone fell silent at once.

"I won't waste time on what you already know; have you already chosen one of your members to join me as Blue Ranger?" No reply. A breeze picked up, making the Terra banners around the field ripple. Korassil's tone grew darker. "You made your choice, Ramirez made his. Do not waste my time."

There was a bustle of movement near the front of the crowd, and out stepped Sensei Blackfeather. His expression was stony.

"As you wish, General." Sensei Blackfeather held up his fist, on which gleamed a ring with a black gemstone. For a second, nothing seemed to happen. A high-pitched humming filled the air, and with a pop, the jewel leaped out of its casing and shot towards Korassil, glowing violet. A Kelzak Berserk leaped in its path, and the rock shot straight through its body, making it explode. The self-sacrifice gave Korassil time to move, and he drew his sword.

As if Blackfeather's attack had been a signal, every single ninja in the field attacked - some turned to stone or liquid metal and tackled the Kelzak Berserks, some summoned geysers of scalding water, others energized and fired off jewels as Blackfeather had done. The teachers honed in on Korassil, and the crowd made way for them.

However, the warlord was already on the defensive. "Slater! Send down the isolation bubbles, now!" He roared into a comm device.

"Already done."

Within seconds, enormous blue energy balls, like the ones that had taken all the other schools' ninjas, shot down from the ship. Snatching up students and Kelzak Berserks alike, they slowly emptied the field. Korassil stabbed at Master Giry, but her body liquidated to allow the blade in, hardening around it. Instead of trying to pull free, Korassil pushed, sending his opponent off-balance. He used his momentum to swing Giry around into the Stone Master, and they both fell. However, they quickly recovered and lunged at him again. The sharpened edge of Master Giry's body sliced through Korassil's cape and chipped his shoulder armor, drawing blood.

An isolation bubble seized Sensei Blackfeather as he energized another gemstone. He managed to fire it at the last second, catching Korassil's helmet and splintering it. He doubled over, trying to shield his face and eyes. The broken helmet exposed a human-looking, tanned face and bald head. In his distraction, Giry hesitated, and Korassil dropkicked her into another isolation bubble. A burst of steaming water caught Korassil's extended leg, and he stumbled back with a shout of pain. By now, however, the battle was as good as over. The last of the Terra ninjas were soon taken prisoner.

Panting, Korassil teleported back to the ship, where he collapsed into his chair. Alex was already at his side, shouting for a medic. Korassil let him; his shoulder alone told him he needed it. A monster was soon fussing over him, working him out of his armor. Without it, Korassil was a bald man who looked to be somewhere in his forties, with a hooked nose and dark eyes.

"What happens now?" Alex asked. "Somehow I don't think we'll get any more volunteers from that place."

"Not when asked together," Korassil replied. The monster pressed a wad of whitish stuff to his facial wounds, and he held it there. "One by one, they might be more pliable."

Alex nodded. "And then what?"

"We will wait for reassignment by Lothor. I suspect we will join Xumara."

"Good," Alex said a little too quickly. Korassil gave him a sharp look, drawing a little worried babble from the medic, who turned him back again. Alex seemed to catch himself. "I mean, she's the only one still dealing with a team on her own, correct?"

"Correct."

" . . . Did you decode that message?" Alex asked, moving back a little as he spoke.

Rather than answer, Korassil gestured to the central console. Walking up to it, Alex brought up the frozen screen. It showed Xumara and one of the fleet's other generals, a sharklike creature, frozen in mid-word. With a glance at the medic monster, Alex turned the message on.

"—know there's little love lost between you and Lothor," Xumara was saying.

"I'm hardly the only one," the shark monster said, folding his arms. "Your point?"

A smile crept across Xumara's face. "Can you keep a secret, Vexacus?"

Alex cast an alarmed glance towards Korassil. The general's exposed face was grim, his eyes flinty black. Behind Alex, the recording continued to play, and he slowly turned back to watch the rest.

Allies

 * Luciana Ramirez
 * Sensei Blackfeather

Villains

 * Korassil
 * Kiaris
 * Xumara