Tales of a Darkened Past

Tales of a Darkened Past is the 17th episode of Power Rangers Take Flight.

Transcript
DR. BERING (voice-over): Previously on Power Rangers Take Flight: [ Fade in to EXT. SNOWY MOUNTAINS (NIGHT) - In the dead of night, a bright moon (nearly a week after a full moon) illuminates a snowy night in the mountains. ]
 * Dillik explaining why Trask was shot down by the Larians (having been a space pirate who freed hundreds of lifeforms) (13)
 * heroes' new house (15) as Casey (in voice-over) announces her brother has found them a place (14)
 * Swallow Five staining the sky with smoke (as Chris's voice-over speaks of a few technical glitches lately) (16)
 * Lisa telling Luke about the detective asking about him (14), Blue Ranger doing a double-take after Frieda tells her "he's out for a walk" (16)
 * Sasha telling Trask the Earth and Rangers are hers (15)
 * Trask finding Strife behind him as his biomass gun is aimed at Sasha (he then backs down) (16)

[ TRASK trudges through the snow and feels searchingly along a rocky cliff face (compare with episode 10). He appears unable to find what he's looking for. ]

TRASK (remarking to himself): It's gone...

[ TRASK takes a step back from the rock and surveys the landscape. ]

TRASK (cont'd, inwardly): Where are you now, Princess?

[ INT. HOUSE, DINING ROOM (MORNING) - In a dining room adjoining both the kitchen and the living room, LUKE eats from a bowl of cereal at the dining table, where a basket of fruit serves as a centerpiece. In the background, a back door leads to the back yard. In the kitchen, MAGGIE prepares a bowl of ramen noodles. ]

[ LUKE speaks between bites: ]

LUKE: I just don't understand how she found out.

MAGGIE: I guess you could ask her.

LUKE (noncommittally): Yeah...

[ CHRIS enters and grabs a banana from the fruit basket. ]

CHRIS: Morning.

LUKE: Hey.

MAGGIE: Hey, Chris.

[ CHRIS gestures toward the front of the house. ]

CHRIS: So, we ever gonna get that door fixed for real?

LUKE: Hey, you did a good job...

CHRIS (humbly): Please. I put a couple of screws in it. The next gust of wind that comes along...

MAGGIE: I'll call Mr. Patterson this afternoon.

CHRIS: Good idea. See you guys.

MAGGIE: Bye!

LUKE: See ya.

[ CHRIS exits. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION CORRIDOR - DILLIK explores the corridors of the space station, puzzled by something we don't yet hear. On his way, he passes a few NOBODIES stationed in the halls. ]

[ In time, we begin to hear distant metallic clangs and clatters, as if some sort of large machinery is being torn apart. ]

[ Drawing closer to an open doorway near the end of one particular corridor, DILLIK exlcaims: ]

DILLIK: Not the engine room! (rushes forward)

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK appears at the doorway and is horrified by what he sees within (off-screen). ]

[ We see TRASK tearing into a large, futuristic apparatus on one side of the room with his sword. The apparatus is in a state of considerable damage as innumerable pieces, large and small, litter the floor. Among the debris are several particularly large metal shapes, perhaps having served as an outer casing for the apparatus. ]

DILLIK (off-screen): Trask!! W-- W--

[ DILLIK is nearly unable to form words. ]

DILLIK (cont'd): What are you doing to the wormhole generator?!

[ His sword embedded in the apparatus, TRASK cruelly pries it out, pulling more mechanical guts from the structure. ]

TRASK: I'm not taking any chances.

DILLIK: Of what?!

TRASK: Of Sasha bringing Magda back. She's an unacceptable wild card.

DILLIK: B-- But what about Lord Omos' plans?! Do you even have any idea what he's going to do to us when he gets here??

[ Unconcerned, TRASK takes another stab. ]

TRASK: We'll be fine, Dillik.

DILLIK (pacing, in a panic): How do you know we'll be fine? You don't know we'll be fine! I don't feel fine! Do you feel fine?

[ TRASK halts his work with a sigh. He turns to DILLIK. ]

TRASK: Dillik, sit down.

[ DILLIK stops suddenly. ]

DILLIK: Huh?

TRASK: Just sit down.

[ DILLIK skeptically takes a seat on one of the larger metal pieces. He listens intently. ]

TRASK (reluctantly): (sighs)  There is no Lord Omos.

[ DILLIK chuckles disbelievingly. ]

DILLIK (amused): What are you--

TRASK (blankly): There is no Lord Omos. I made him up.

[ DILLIK blinks. Stunned, he opens his mouth, but no words come out. Finally, he manages to speak: ]

DILLIK: No... Omos...?

TRASK: Well, there was an "Omos," but... not who you think.

DILLIK: I-- I don't understand...

[ TRASK sighs, dispels his sword, and takes a seat on a nearby hunk of debris. ]

TRASK: Why don't I start from the beginning?

[ Dissolve to EXT. ALIEN VALLEY (DAWN) - We pan across a what was once likely a verdant valley, filled with tall trees. Many, however, are browning, and some entire regions are dead. In the heart of the valley, a cluster of dome-shaped hills hide partially subterranean homes. Their architecture consists of primitive materials such as stone and earth, but their design is noticeably alien. ]

TRASK (voice-over): On my home planet, my clan was facing extinction. The winds had shifted, and our valley was dying.

[ Dissolve to INT. TRIBAL COUNCIL - Inside one of the larger stone-walled domes, three young adult Vampirians stand before a council of five ELDERS. The dome is dimly lit by torches in stone ventilation shafts along the walls. ]

[ The three young adults, all equally chalk-skinned, are dressed in flowing, gray garments. They consist of VIR, a muscle-bound male; KORA, a maroon-haired female; and TRASK, the tallest of the group. They stand coolly as the ELDERS lecture fiercely them (no audio). ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Several of us knew we had to leave, but the elders forbade it.

[ A tapestry on the wall stylistically depicts an army of copper-colored humans armed with bronze age weapons. The borders of the tapestry resemble the stone walls of a fortress. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Legends spoke of the Builders, savage men who lived in daylight, building weapons and fortresses. It was said they killed on sight.

[ EXT. DESERT EDGE - At the edge of a forest, VIR, KORA, and TRASK emerge, barely recognizable in dark gray cloaks, their faces concealed in cloth. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But my comrades and I were naive and impetuous. We set out in secret during the day...

[ Beyond lies a vast desert. ]

[ EXT. DESERT (SANDSTORM) - VIR, KORA, and TRASK weakly trudge through a vicious sandstorm. Finally, VIR falls. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): ...but the elements cut us down.

[ KORA stops to help VIR, but TRASK, briefly glancing back, continues on his way. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I don't know if the others survived.

[ EXT. DESERT CLIFF - His cloak now somewhat tattered, TRASK stops at a cliff. ]

[ Below, we see a sprawling "city" seemingly built of hardened mud. All structures, from central clusters of tall, skyscraper-like spires, to vast fields of single-story dwellings, have been sculpted from the earth by seemingly inhuman origins. Round window-like openings dot the sides of every building. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Eventually I came upon a civilization.

[ In a closer shot of one of the streets below, we see gentle-looking four-legged creatures interacting. They resemble a cross between turtles and manatees. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): They were builders, but not the monsters of legend.

[ EXT. MUD HOUSE (NIGHT) - In the night, one of the aforementioned creatures, smaller in proportions, wanders in a perhaps curious manner away from the rear of a single-level mud dwelling. ]

[ Still in his gray cloak (but his head now uncovered), TRASK emerges from the dark corner of the property, apparently startling the creature. He projects a steady torrent of green energy from his hand, causing the creature to squeal briefly before going limp. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I survived leeching energy when I could.

[ TRASK disappears into the shadows once more, and the creature soon struggles to recover. ]

[ EXT. MUD CITY CENTRAL (DAY) - TRASK lurks behind a mud wall, fully bundled up in his cloak. ]

[ The object of his attention is a sleek, ivory-colored spacecraft (nearly identical in design to his own future ship, color aside). A short distance from the ship, and around whom a large crowd of the mud city inhabitants are gathered attentively, is a tall, slender creature with six legs and triple-jointed upper arms, draped in a white robe. He gestures animatedly (no audio) for the benefit of the enrapt crowd. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Ultimately, salvation came in the form of a Vessit missionary.

[ The ship's boosters ignite, and the craft lifts off from the ground, bathing the crowd and the startled missionary in a dust cloud. ]

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT (UNMODIFIED) - Poised uncomfortably in the cockpit (which lacks the subsequent ad-hoc modifications described in episode 13), TRASK nonetheless works the foreign controls as best he can. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): That was the day I became a space pirate.

[ EXT. MUD CITY CENTRAL (DAY) - Above the city, the spacecraft wobbles in the air. It then rockets off into the sky. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - TRASK continues his story. ]

TRASK: In a stolen ship, I hopped from outpost to outpost, trading goods for sustenance.

[ EXT. ALIEN MARKET (DUSK) - In an outdoor market, mixed alien races (none of them close to appearing human) buy and sell goods. Lamps burn in locations throughout the market. ]

[ Dressed in his customary leather outfit, TRASK saunters through the crowd. He casually and indiscriminately removes several pieces of equipment from a table (including, it may be noted, a BIOMASS GUN). As the alien vendor reacts, TRASK vanishes with a ripple effect. Several aliens nearby react to the disappearance. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Each time my supplies were depleted, I stole what I could and fled to the next settlement.

[ The roof of a nearby wooden building explodes into splinters when blasted out by blue laser pulses from within. TRASK'S SHIP, now gunmetal black, flies out from the gaping hole and darts off into the sky. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): This was my existence.

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT - In his cockpit (now in its modern, customized state), TRASK removes the BIOMASS GUN from his coat and inspects it curiously. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But it was during this time that I discovered biomass.

[ INT. VILLAIN SHIP, CARGO HOLD - In a rear cargo portion of his ship, TRASK is seen stacking silver canisters (those traditionally used for biomass) against the wall. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): With a portable source of sustenance, I was free to explore the galaxy.

[ INT. WATERFALL CAVERN - In a cavern behind a waterfall, TRASK kneels politely before an upright creature with feline features but smooth, dolphin-like skin. The creature kneels on a wicker mat and converses with TRASK (no audio). ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I met many sapients on my travels.

[ EXT. BALCONY (TWILIGHT) - On a Romanesque balcony constructed from smooth, white stone, TRASK stands close to DAE, a slender, graceful-looking creature with an approximately humanoid body frame; her body is covered with very fine white fur or down, and both she and TRASK wear blue silken robes. The couple admires the purplish sky some time shortly after sunset. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I even lived among the Raia on the outskirts of Magda's empire. I was... happy.

[ INT. RAIAN CITY HALL (DAY) - In a similarly Romanesque governmental building, a panel of ornately dressed Raia (of the same morphology as Dae) are riled by the arrival of a pack of heavily-armored, blue-skinned reptilian soldiers. The soldiers' weapons, an assortment of blades, are not drawn, but their presence nonetheless appears hostile. Each suit of armor bears a unique purple emblem, the EMPIRE SIGIL. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But then Magda's forces arrived.

[ EXT. BATTLEFIELD (DAY) - In a grassy valley overlooking a Raian town in flames, Raian soldiers in gold armor clash with the blue-skinned soldiers. One Raia after the next falls to the overwhelming armada. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): The Raia fought back... and were immediately laid to waste.

[ EXT. CLIFF EDGE (DAY) - Standing within the shadow of his ship on an overlooking cliff, TRASK watches the carnage below without emotion. ]

[ Moments pass. TRASK then turns numbly and enters his ship. The hatch seals behind him, and the ship subsequently flies away. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I returned to my wandering.

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT - TRASK examines his monitor. In it, we see a Larian harvester ship, a bulky, pod-shaped craft apparently not designed for aerodynamics. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Ultimately, I encountered the Larians.

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, CARGO HOLD - Inside a somewhat spacious metallic chamber, Trask's sword blade can be seen cutting through the ceiling from the outside. ]

[ Once a roughly rectangular hole has been cut, the blade pulls back, and the thick metal panel then crashes to the floor under the force of TRASK's boot. (Beyond the ceiling, the cargo hold of Trask's ship, tilted on its side, may be seen.) ]

[ Sword in hand, TRASK gingerly leaps down through the hole and scans the room, a malicious twinkle in his eye. ]

[ Cowering in one corner of the room is an assortment of two-legged alligator-like creatures covered with iridescent scales. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Their automated harvester ships were brimming with nutrients.

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, COCKPIT - Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand (now no longer holding his sword), TRASK descends a small flight of metallic steps and enters a small cockpit-like control room with no seating. Computer controls and displays occupy the front of the cockpit, and above them is a wide viewport overlooking the seemingly stationary cosmos outside. ]

[ TRASK approaches the computer and examines one of the displays. ]

[ In close-up, we see a large number of bright blue dots amidst a computer-generated constellation. ]

[ TRASK grins. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): And once I knew where to look, I was set for life.

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK looks away, repulsed. ]

DILLIK: Y-- You didn't rescue any of them...!

[ TRASK shakes his head numbly. ]

TRASK: No. I existed solely to satisfy my urges. But that changed when I found... them.

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, CARGO HOLD - A metal slab cut from the wall crashes to the floor (and in the process, a jagged metal fragment breaks off from the slab). ]

[ INT. VILLAIN SHIP, AIRLOCK - Trying to board from the cargo hold of his own ship (the two ships locked together), TRASK seems to run into an invisible forcefield which prevents him from entering. He is mystified. ]

[ As TRASK examines the entranceway, his hand meeting an almost magnetic repulsion rather than a solid entity, a TEENAGED GIRL cautiously approaches from within the ship. She is of Pacific Islander descent and wears a Samoan lavalava dress, her legs tattooed with webbed designs above the knee. ]

[ Seeing her, TRASK is stunned, recoiling slightly. He studies the girl (off-screen), seeming to try to make sense of the spectacle. ]

[ The TEENAGED GIRL studies Trask (off-screen) as well. Soon, she smiles softly. Without warning, an OLDER WOMAN of Asian descent, dressed in a dusty, worn Zhongshan suit, anxiously drags the TEENAGED GIRL away by the wrist, out of Trask's area of vision. ]

[ Shocked once more, TRASK warily summons his sword with a ripple effect. He tries to peer through the doorway and notices the invisible barrier seems to be gone. He takes a curious step into the harvester ship. ]

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, CARGO HOLD - His sword ready, TRASK eases inside from the doorway and beholds the sight within: ]

[ Clustered near the back of the cargo hold is a small group of HUMANS, male and female, of various ages and nations of origin. Among their ranks are the TEENAGED GIRL and the OLDER WOMAN, while other members of the group include an older Latino man in Mexican vaquero attire, an African woman in a loose-fitting boubou dress and shawl, an elderly Indian man wearing a long shirt with a dhoti around his waist. The final member of the group is a thick-bodied, Caucasian BEARDED MAN simply wearing baggy shorts; he eyes Trask (off-screen) with particular intensity. ]

[ Continuing to examine the humans (off-screen), TRASK soon dispels his sword. ]

[ Several of the HUMANS react with varying degrees of anxiety. ]

[ TRASK approaches slowly and curiously studies each of the humans' faces. They watch him carefully in return. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): They were like my kind... but somehow different. I had never seen such a sight in all my travels.

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, COCKPIT - Descending the metal steps, TRASK approaches the computer console and begins working the colored controls. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I decided to return them to their home. But before I could...

[ Behind TRASK, the BEARDED MAN wails with a broken, feral voice and lunges out from the steps, wielding the jagged metal shard as a weapon. TRASK deftly sidesteps and hurls the man by his arm against the console, smashing it with a burst of sparks. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I was brutally attacked.

[ His body smoking, the BEARDED MAN lies unconscious on the console. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK is apprehensively enrapt. ]

DILLIK: So what did you do?

[ INT. LARIAN HARVESTER, COCKPIT - TRASK removes his BIOMASS GUN from his coat. ]

TRASK (voice-over): I fed.

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT - TRASK returns to his own ship's controls. He sits a moment, puzzled, before engaging his ship's drive. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But what intrigued me was the nature of my murderous cousins. Could they have been the Builders from our legends? I set out to find the answers.

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - TRASK continues: ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): In my travels, I had heard of a Seer. Many believed their kind extinct. Others doubted they had existed at all.

[ EXT. SPACE, GALGA 9 ORBIT - TRASK'S SHIP flies by the camera and approaches a rocky, multi-layered planet, the surface of which seems to have worn away unevenly, like a lopsided jawbreaker. The planet is shrouded in a hazy blue atmosphere which grows more opaque deeper inside the structure. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Ultimately, I found him on Galga 9.

[ INT. OMOS' CAVE - TRASK explores a winding cavern. In various places, the rocky wall (or in some places, the floor) is worn away, revealing a gaping blue void of indeterminate scope. TRASK cautiously steps over one such hole; once clear, he spies something further down the tunnel. ]

[ At the end of the cavern sits OMOS, a shriveled mole-like being with a cane. His eyes are perpetually shut. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): His name was Omos.

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - TRASK continues: ]

TRASK: Omos knew of my journey. He told me of the humans living on planet Earth, and of our shared history... the brutality that had driven my people from the planet. The more I learned, the more disgusted I became.

[ EXT. LAUNCH PLATFORM - On Earth, a NASA space shuttle stands ready for launch. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): What was more, Omos revealed that the humans were on the verge of apogeosis.

[ EXT. SPACE STATION - The space station (in its original form; see episode 1) drifts in Earth orbit. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Once they established colonies beyond Earth, they would be unstoppable.

[ INT. OMOS' CAVE - TRASK sits attentively before OMOS as the mole-creature speaks (no audio). ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I begged him to tell me how I could stop them. He spoke of a device the humans had developed to see across dimensions.

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK gestures to the wreckage. ]

DILLIK: You mean this.

TRASK: Yes.

[ INT. SPACE STATION COMMAND - In the original version of the space station's command center, DR. BERING stands listening to a wall monitor; though she partially blocks the screen from our view, many viewers may be able to recognize a familiar disembodied, bluish bald head in the display. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): They were building ever more powerful weapons under the guidance of an entity on a parallel Earth.

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK responds. ]

DILLIK: That floating head guy.

[ TRASK nods. ]

TRASK: But in their experimentation, the humans had glimpsed the dimension home to the Jinnsects. I vowed to use them to destroy the humans.

[ EXT. SPACE - TRASK'S SHIP is flying routinely through space when a powerful yellow electrical bolt sears through it from off-screen. Debris spews from the ship in zero gravity as it spirals out of control. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But no sooner than I set out for Earth, I was shot down...

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT - As TRASK struggles at the controls, we see a larger, more elaborate version of a Larian harvester ship in his monitor. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): ...by the Larians. It seems they frowned upon my piracy.

[ Cut to black. Moments pass before Trask continues: ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I crash-landed on Dagus 4.

[ Fade in to EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (SUNSET) - TRASK blearily awakens in a dense jungle, most of the area blanketed in shade. Regaining his senses, TRASK spies his charred, mangled ship some distance away, nestled in a thicket of shattered trees. ]

DILLIK (off-camera, pleasantly): Oh, hi.

[ TRASK is surprised to find DILLIK crouched behind him. DILLIK wears his normal yellow and orange suit, but with the addition of a clear helmet, his voice broadcast through the material. He offers TRASK a jar of violet-colored mush. ]

DILLIK (cont'd): Menonberry jam?

[ TRASK eyes DILLIK suspiciously. ]

TRASK: Who are you?

DILLIK (amused by the obviousness of his answer): Well, I'm Dillik! (sets the jar down)  But I guess you were unconscious when I introduced myself.

TRASK (rotating his shoulder stiffly): You dragged me out?

DILLIK: Yep. Put out the fire too. Is-- Is that okay?

[ TRASK rises to his feet with a grunt. ]

TRASK: That's fine.

[ He looks around. ]

DILLIK: You need me to call somebody?

[ TRASK, meanwhile, spies a reptilian-sized creature the size of a rabbit scampering through the underbrush. He quickly removes his BIOMASS GUN and fires an orange beam. The creature melts evenly into a puddle of black goo. ]

[ TRASK returns the gun to his coat. ]

[ DILLIK recoils, horrified. ]

DILLIK: What did you do?? (grimaces, taking a closer look)  What is that stuff?!

[ TRASK kneels beside the puddle. ]

TRASK: Lunch.

[ He scoops up a handful of the viscous substance and cups it to his mouth. ]

[ DILLIK groans, looking ill. ]

[ TRASK swallows with a satisfied sigh, his lips marked with black residue. After wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he summons one of his silver canisters with a ripple effect. ]

TRASK (pleasantly): And the rest we save for later.

[ A broad blue beam from the bottom of the canister draws the black goo from the ground as if it were weightless. The liquid funnels into the bottom of the canister, after which a seal of some sort can be heard closing. ]

DILLIK: W-- What are you?

TRASK (with a smirk): I'm a Vampirian. (offers him the canister)  Biomass?

[ DILLIK winces and shakes his head. ]

DILLIK: A-- Are you going to melt me too?

TRASK (disinterestedly): Probably not. (cradles the canister under his arm)  Tell me, Dillik, do you have a ship?

DILLIK: Well, yeah... (gestures)  I-- It's over that hill. Why?

[ DILLIK looks around in confusion. Trask and the canister are gone. ]

DILLIK (cont'd): Hey, where'd you go?

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, CLEARING (SUNSET) - TRASK stands transfixed by a boxy silver ship slightly larger than a garbage truck, various parts seeming cobbled onto the exterior. In particular, TRASK gazes at the EMPIRE SIGIL emblazoned on the side of the ship. The biomass canister rests on the ground beside Trask. ]

[ Moments later, DILLIK emerges from the brush and watches TRASK for a moment. ]

TRASK (soberly): You're from the empire.

DILLIK: Well, not exactly. (approaches)  My school's in the Yag system, but sometimes I go to the fringes to buy parts. (bashfully)  I get messed with less with the emblem on there.

[ TRASK touches the ship's hull. ]

TRASK: You built this?

DILLIK (with a smile): Well, sure! I was building light drives before I got my spots.

[ TRASK eyes DILLIK with intrigue. ]

TRASK: What else can you build?

[ Dissolve to EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (NIGHT) - TRASK and DILLIK sit on logs, warming their hands over a luminescent crystal on a squat metal stand. TRASK is telling a story (no audio) as DILLIK listens, enrapt. ]

TRASK (voice-over): That night, I told you about the human menace and my mission to stop them.

[ Dissolve to EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (DAY) - DILLIK is working on the hull of Trask's damaged ship as TRASK approaches with a large piece of machinery. He sets it beside DILLIK. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): You generously began repairing my ship with parts from your own. But you still planned to return home in the end.

DILLIK (voice-over): Yeah, that's right... I said I'd call for a tow ship.

[ TRASK turns and walks out of frame, away from the ship. ]

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, OUTCROPPING (DAY) - The sun glints on a rocky outcropping where no trees grow. TRASK approaches. ]

TRASK (voice-over): I wrestled with the notion of needing help, but I convinced myself I could do it alone. To that end, I began experimenting with the sunlight.

[ TRASK slowly reaches his hand into the daylight. The light begins to burn his flesh a bluish tint as smoke rises from its surface. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Omos revealed secrets of my race, known only to a select few.

[ TRASK quickly withdraws his hand and clutches it in pain. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): The pain was unbearable in the beginning.

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, CLEARING (DAY) - In a previously unseen clearing, TRASK emerges from the shade and closes his eyes as the sun beats down on his face. His skin turns entirely blue, and his lips tint red. He soon begins to crackle with red electricity, and a white light radiates from his body. Fade to white. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): In time, I began to tolerate the agonizing light... in small doses.

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (DAY) - In his usual form, TRASK staggers through the jungle in a semi-conscious state. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Unfortunately, my transformations left me extraordinarily drained.

[ TRASK finally collapses to the ground. DILLIK soon emerges from the brush and rushes to TRASK's aid. ]

DILLIK: Trask!

[ Dissolve to INT. VILLAIN SHIP, CARGO HOLD - TRASK sits weakly against one wall, a blanket draped over his shoulders and a jar of black liquid clasped with both hands. As TRASK watches, DILLIK walks from spot to spot in the foreground, repairing wall consoles. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): You took care of me. And though Omos had guided me to a defector aboard the space station, he was a human. I neither trusted nor wished to trust him.

[ In close-up, TRASK wordlessly watches Dillik (off-screen). ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): But I trusted you.

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (DAY) - Standing beside his partially dismantled ship, DILLIK speaks while holding a small communications device to his helmet. ]

DILLIK (timidly): I-- I know... I know... I-- I'm sorry, sir. (pauses)  No, sir. I-- I've been helping a stranded traveler. (pauses)  Yes, sir. (pauses)  I understand, sir. Bye, sir.

[ DILLIK sets the device down and turns to find TRASK nearby. ]

DILLIK (cont'd, with a nervous chuckle): My proctor.

[ TRASK nods. He watches thoughtfully as DILLIK walks off. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): I took note of your respect for authority figures...

[ EXT. DAGUS 4, JUNGLE (DAY) - DILLIK uses a rag to polish the gunmetal black hull, which is now once again smooth and spotless. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): ... and once repairs were complete, I concocted an authority figure of my own.

[ TRASK emerges from his ship's airlock with a sense of wonder. ]

TRASK: Dillik, my friend, I don't know how you did it, but you're in.

[ DILLIK's eyes open wide with wondrous surprise. ]

DILLIK (mesmerized): W-- What...?

[ TRASK merrily puts his arm around DILLIK. ]

TRASK: Lord Omos himself has invited you to be part of the mission.

DILLIK (surprised): M-- me...? (cocks his head)  Wait, who's Lord Omos?

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - DILLIK listens. ]

TRASK (off-screen): From that point on, you did everything I needed.

[ INT. VILLAIN COCKPIT - As TRASK is flying his cockpit, a muffled commotion can be heard from the back portion of the ship. ]

TRASK (voice-over, cont'd): Sometimes more.

[ Gritting his teeth, TRASK turns to shout at the rear door of the cockpit. ]

TRASK (barking angrily): Dillik, for the LAST TIME, sh--

[ With a whoosh of air, the cockpit door slides open, and DILLIK (minus his helmet) emerges with a NOBODY in tow. DILLIK presents the NOBODY proudly as it looks around curiously. ]

DILLIK: Hey, Trask, look what I made!

[ Taken aback, TRASK looks the NOBODY over and then raises an eyebrow, seemingly impressed. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION, ENGINE ROOM - TRASK stands, concluding. ]

TRASK: And here we are.

[ DILLIK rises and begins to pace. ]

DILLIK: So... It really is just us out here.

[ TRASK nods soberly. He then speaks: ]

TRASK: I still need your help, Dillik.

[ DILLIK pauses a moment. He then turns and leaves. ]

[ TRASK stands alone with the mangled machinery. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION, OBSERVATION BOOTH - DILLIK enters and approaches the glass. He looks out upon the landscape of rock below. ]

[ EXT. BIKE SHOP - CHRIS turns off the lights and flips an "Open" sign in the window to "Closed" before locking the door and pulling the metal gate shut. The daylight has not yet faded. ]

[ EXT. SUPERMARKET, PARKING LOT - Wearing his helmet, CHRIS arrives at an urban supermarket on his bike. He gets off near a bike stand and begins to lock the bike and his helmet in place. ]

[ At that point, his AVIMORPHER chimes. Glancing around, CHRIS hurriedly secures the lock and hurries across the parking lot, away from the building. ]

[ EXT. CITY PLAZA (sentai) - HOSER, a monster apparently created from a red and blue canister vacuum, leaps over the camera. A long vacuum nozzle extends from his face like an elephant's trunk. ]

[ HOSER lands in a populated city plaza, causing numerous people to flee the area as he marches toward them. He suddenly twirls around, speaking with a somewhat muffled voice. ]

HOSER: All right, planet Earth, time for a cleaning!

CHRIS (off-screen): I don't think so!

HOSER (turning): Huh?

[ BLACK RANGER strolls through the plaza in slow motion. ]

[ As we zoom out from HOSER, a small fleet of NOBODIES swarms in front of him. ]

HOSER: Meet my cleaning team!

[ US footage - BLACK RANGER shrugs. ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): We can do this however you want to.

[ A cluster of NOBODIES charges toward the camera. ]

[ US footage - BLACK RANGER makes short work of the NOBODIES with hand-to-hand combat. They all soon fall, and BLACK RANGER addresses the monster (off-screen). ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): Now what are you gonna do?

[ HOSER blows a gust of air from his nozzle. ]

HOSER: This! (blows)

[ BLACK RANGER is blown back. ]

[ BLACK flips over the camera and rebounds off a wall. ]

[ In midair, BLACK draws his SKY BLASTER and fires yellow lasers. ]

[ HOSER sparks and flies back, landing in a grassy park area. ]

[ INT. MUSEUM LOBBY - LUKE has a parting conversation (indistinct) with two museum patrons on their way out of the museum. They may be the last patrons of the day. In the background, FRIEDA is working at a computer terminal (appropriate for 1992) at the front desk. ]

[ As the patrons are leaving, LUKE's AVIMORPHER chimes. He anxiously glances back at FRIEDA. ]

[ FRIEDA barely looks up long enough to wave Luke (off-screen) away, indicating he's free to go. ]

[ LUKE frowns, puzzled, but quickly leaves. ]

[ EXT. PARK (sentai) - In midair, BLACK RANGER draws his TALON SWORD and swings. ]

[ BLACK strikes HOSER with four quick slashes. ]

[ BLACK then kicks HOSER, knocking him back. ]

[ After rolling back, HOSER recovers his footing. ]

[ The nozzle extends from HOSER's head. ]

[ Caught by the nozzle, BLACK RANGER struggles, even rolling over a picnic table in the process. ]

[ HOSER yanks on the hose, hurling BLACK RANGER through the air on two occasions. BLACK finally strikes a tree and falls to the ground. ]

[ HOSER fires incendiary blasts from his fingertips. ]

[ Through spark explosions, BLACK RANGER emerges with his TALON SWORD ready. ]

[ HOSER charges, wielding an extension tool as a sword. ]

[ The two combatants strike each other in passing. BLACK quickly turns and attacks a second time, but his blow is blocked and deflected. ]

[ His sword knocked downward, BLACK is struck with two blows from HOSER's weapon, causing him to fall to one knee. ]

[ HOSER delivers an overhead swing, but BLACK RANGER blocks with his TALON SWORD and reaches for his SKY BLASTER. ]

[ Beginning from pointblank range, BLACK RANGER delivers a steady beam of yellow energy from his SKY BLASTER, causing HOSER to crackle with blue electricity as he staggers back. He is finally struck with a spark explosion. ]

[ BLACK RANGER rises and switches his TALON SWORD to his other hand. He then leaps. ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): Yeah! Now let's see how you like this!

[ In midair, BLACK RANGER pauses with a star field and a purple condor emblem behind him. He then continues, performing a gleaming purple X-strike (US effect). ]

[ The purple X-strike (US addition) slashes HOSER twice, causing a spark explosion. ]

[ US footage - A smoking JINNSECT lands in the grass and expands with yellowish-white energy. ]

[ Giant HOSER materializes above from insectoid energy. ]

[ US footage - His TALON SWORD still in hand, BLACK RANGER glances around indecisively before leaping into the air. ]

[ EXT. CITY - Dwarfed by the giant monster, BLACK RANGER leaps up toward HOSER's head. ]

[ HOSER blows a gust of air from his nozzle. ]

[ US footage - In mid-leap high above the city, BLACK RANGER is blown back by the giant gust of air. ]

[ EXT. PARK (US footage) - BLACK RANGER lands on his back in the park, TALON SWORD still in hand. ]

[ Sentai - Above, HOSER lifts his foot to stomp on Black Ranger (off-camera). ]

[ Back on his feet, BLACK RANGER reacts. ]

[ EXT. CITY (sentai) - Suddenly, the MEGAZORD's foot kicks HOSER back. ]

[ HOSER rolls and regains his footing downtown. ]

HOSER: Hey, what's the big idea?

[ EXT. PARK (US footage) - BLACK RANGER looks up to his right. ]

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #44) - Seen from a low angle, the MEGAZORD strikes a ready pose. ]

[ EXT. PARK (US footage) - BLACK RANGER salutes the Megazord above (off-screen) before being beamed up in a green beam. ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): Nice timing, guys! (beams up)

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #45) - BLACK RANGER materializes in his seat from purple energy, two fingers on his wrist. He then grips his controls. ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): Ready!

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #6) - We quickly zoom in on the MEGAZORD as it stands ready. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #9) - RED RANGER pumps his fist. ]

LUKE (Red Ranger): All right, guys, let's finish this guy off!

[ Jetman #38 - In RED RANGER's monitor (composite over sentai), we see a schematic of the MEGAZORD with a blinking red right hand, labeled, "Malfunction." ]

COMPUTER VOICE: Malfunction detected in Owl Three.

[ Jetman #16 - YELLOW RANGER looks up in confusion and BLACK RANGER speaks briefly. RED RANGER pumps his fist and presses his button, activating the Phoenix Blade diagram. ]

PETE (Yellow Ranger): Huh?

CHRIS (Black Ranger): Oh man!

LUKE (Red Ranger): We can do it, guys! Phoenix Blade!

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #23) - The MEGAZORD suddenly sparks violently. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #45) - The RANGERS unexpectedly inundated with spark explosions. ]

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #23) - The MEGAZORD continues to spark heavily. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #34) - The RANGERS continue to be flooded with sparks. RED RANGER looks around during the chaos. ]

LUKE (Red Ranger): What's happening?! (shaken more)

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #26) - The smoking MEGAZORD staggers back, attempting to regain its balance. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #34) - The RANGERS recover as the smoke clears from the cockpit. RED RANGER coughs and then comments. ]

LUKE (Red Ranger): (coughs)  All right, bad idea...

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #21) - The MEGAZORD strikes a ready pose. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT (Jetman #9) - We zoom in on YELLOW RANGER as he presses his button. The Owl Hammer appears on-screen. ]

PETE (Yellow Ranger): The Owl Hammer's working! Let's do it!

[ EXT. CITY (Jetman #9) - The MEGAZORD brandishes the OWL HAMMER. ]

[ Switch back to Jetman #20 - HOSER blows a stream of air from his nozzle. ]

HOSER: I don't think so, Rangers!

[ Hammer in hand, the MEGAZORD staggers back due to the steady gust of wind. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT - The RANGERS are jostled by the wind. ]

[ EXT. CITY - The MEGAZORD continues to endure the wind. ]

[ HOSER's gust reverses and begins to suck air in. (Notable in the background are green gas tanks featured during the Disastros battle in episode 13.) ]

[ Hammer still in hand, the MEGAZORD stumbles forward, drawn in by rushing air. ]

[ The MEGAZORD is unwillingly drawn closer to HOSER. ]

[ INT. MEGAZORD COCKPIT - As the RANGERS struggle, BLACK RANGER thrusts his fist forward and presses a button on his controls. A diagram of the ball-and-chain (with handle) lights up on his monitor. ]

CHRIS (Black Ranger): I've got an idea! Summoning ball-and-chain! (presses button)  Now!

[ EXT. CITY - Amidst the wind, the MEGAZORD readies and hurls the flail (see episode 13). ]

[ The flail plugs HOSER's nozzle. ]

[ The MEGAZORD strikes its hand against the flail's chain. ]

[ A sparking burst travels down the length of the flail's chain and strikes HOSER with a large spark explosion. ]

[ Jetman #26 - An explosion laced with blue electrical bolts billows downtown. ]

[ Jetman #23 - The MEGAZORD limply falls backward and crashes to the earth. ]

[ EXT. CITY PARKING LOT (US footage) - In a parking lot in the midst of the city, the five RANGERS materialize from a green beam from above and land in a heap on the asphalt. ]

[ Collecting themselves, the RANGERS look between each other and the fallen Megazord (off-screen). ]

[ Break. ]

[ INT. SPACE STATION COMMAND - As DILLIK trudges into the command center, we see TRASK leaning against the wall, as if waiting for him. ]

TRASK: Dillik, about that monster...

DILLIK (drearily): I know...

TRASK: Well done.

[ DILLIK perks up. ]

DILLIK: What...? B-- But he lost...

TRASK: Monsters are disposable. The Rangers' Megazord isn't.

[ DILLIK ponders. ]

TRASK (cont'd): We're wearing them down. It won't be long now.

DILLIK (more confidently): Yeah, I guess you're right...

[ A moment passes. ]

TRASK: Dillik... (pauses) ... It's good to have you onboard.

[ DILLIK smiles bashfully. ]

DILLIK: Thanks.

[ DILLIK wrings his hands a moment and eventually speaks up: ]

DILLIK (cont'd): So... You know, I was thinking... M-- Maybe we could be, you know... like... partners or something.

TRASK (with a raised eyebrow): Partners...

DILLIK: Yeah, like... I dunno, like... you... listen to my ideas every now and then...?

[ TRASK crosses his arms and cocks his head, prepared to listen. ]

TRASK: Well, go ahead.

DILLIK: Oh, um... I didn't actually--  (turns toward the door)  I-- I'll let you know.

[ TRASK watches him leave. ]

[ INT. MUSEUM LOBBY - FRIEDA continues to work at the computer. She looks up to see someone nearby (off-screen). ]

[ We see LUKE standing awkwardly, waiting to speak with her. ]

[ FRIEDA lowers her glasses. Her demeanor is professional but not unfriendly. ]

FRIEDA: Oh, Luke. Did you need something?

[ LUKE finally blurts out: ]

LUKE: ... How did you know?

[ FRIEDA smiles and walks out from behind the desk. ]

FRIEDA: Well, might I say, you're lucky I figured it out when I did, or you wouldn't still have a job right now.

[ LUKE shrinks back and puts his hands in his pockets. ]

FRIEDA (cont'd): Every time you disappeared, there was a battle in the news. I realized you had to be either a reporter, a Power Ranger, or a monster.

[ INT. MUSEUM EXHIBIT ROOM - We see security footage of LUKE and PETE evacuating patrons, from episode 4. ]

FRIEDA (voice-over, cont'd): Then I remembered your little heroics that day with the ruby.

[ INT. MUSEUM LOBBY - FRIEDA continues: ]

FRIEDA (cont'd): So I figured, hey... (shrugs) ... Power Ranger.

[ LUKE stands speechless. ]

[ FRIEDA smiles. ]

FRIEDA: Don't worry. I won't tell anyone.

[ EXT. CITY STREET (LATE AFTERNOON) - Parked in an unmarked sedan, DETECTIVE MORALES listens with a headset. He appears somewhat taken aback. Freezeframe. ]

DR. BERING (voice-over): Next time on Power Rangers Take Flight:

[ INT. MUSEUM LOBBY - As LUKE approaches in uniform, FRIEDA grabs a small, folded scrap of paper from beside her computer terminal. ]

FRIEDA: A man left this for you.

[ LUKE takes the paper and unfolds it. ]

[ On the paper is written an address: 5400 Hollis St. ]

[ EXT. FACTORY - LUKE knocks on the rusted metal door of a dilapidated factory. Its windows are boarded up, but some sort of distant machinery can be heard within. ]

LUKE (calling through the door): Hello? Is anybody there?

[ LUKE waits a moment and then turns away, discouraged. He looks across the street absently, lost in thought. ]

[ Just then, the metal door opens, revealing WILL (see episode 11). He wears a protective smock over a dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and on his hands are heavy protective gloves. ]

WILL (impatiently): Yeah? What do you want?

[ LUKE turns. ]

[ WILL studies Luke's face (off-screen). ]

[ LUKE, meanwhile, seems to search for a lost memory. ]

LUKE: Hey, I know you...

[ WILL's face immediately grows pale, and he quickly slams the door shut. ]

[ LUKE rushes forward and finds the door locked. ]

LUKE (cont'd): Hey, wait! (bangs on the door)  Tell me who you are!

[ Cut to black. ]

DR. BERING (voice-over): Next time, on Power Rangers Take Flight.