Power Rangers In Space/Power Rangers Lost Galaxy by Heather Ray (romantic novels to read TXT) 📕

Megaship," I answer, turning a corner.

We don't pass a soul during our walk, so I get comfortable enough to begin what I know won't be a pleasant conversation. In a cautious whisper, I prompt. "What's on your mind?"

"Why are we keeping our research from the others?"

She knows how to get to the point.

I take a breath, unscrewing the cap on my soda. It's a question that's been on my mind for weeks now.

"You weren't here when we first lost Kendrix." I can't keep the grimace off my face as I think back on that miserable day. "It hit all of us really hard. I just…don't want to get anyone's hopes up just to disappoint them."

She stares at me. "Disappoint them? But, we found an account about the Nexus!"

"Yeah, and what did we learn? That the one person who escaped ended up dead." I shake my head firmly. "It doesn't exactly give me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside."

"Leo, that account was half-translated at best!" She raises her voice loud enough to make me look around to confirm there's no one in sight. "Now we have someone on board who might be able to translate the entire account; or even find other accounts that can give us a better picture of what exactly the Nexus is."

"I understand that, but what's the harm in keeping this project between the two of us?"

"Because we can't do it alone." Karone rubs her forehead, exhaustion creeping into her voice. "Kai and Mike have security clearance to access the Galaxy Book, which is something neither of us has. Damon is a brilliant engineer; I'm sure he can help us decode the text. And Maya is familiar with ancient legends in sectors of the galaxy that I'm not. The entire team can make contributions if we let them."

She grabs my wrist, forcing us to stop in the perimeter corridor wrapped around the residential wing. "And if we don't let them, we risk letting them inadvertently hinder us. Kai sees the Galaxy Book as a threat to Terra Venture. You heard what he said, right?"

I have a hard time meeting her eyes, so I take a long sip of my soda. Or, in other words… I stall.

"Leo, talk to me," Karone pleads. With a tired sigh she leans against the panoramic window. "I need to understand what you're thinking. It's been two days since we read about Jun-ha, and we never talked about it. And now that the Book has been targeted, our window of opportunity is closing."

I wince at her words, at the accusation in them. I didn't talk to her about it because I didn't want to talk about it…because I've been confused, angry, depressed…a whole mess of feelings.

"What if…" my tongue isn't cooperating; it's nearly impossible to get the words out. "What if Kendrix is better off where she is?"

My voice is hoarse and uneven; and I speak directly into my chest. But, judging from the naked shock on Karone's face, it's safe to say she still hears me. "What?"

"Did you ever think about that possibility?"

She stares at me incredulously. "Of course not!"

"Well, I have," I confess, my hand awkwardly rubbing the back of my head. "I can't stop thinking about Jun-ha's story. The Nexus is a perfect paradise, right; Heaven on a plate? Maybe… maybe I should just be happy knowing that."

"I can't believe this," Karone mutters, shaking her head. "Okay, you know she's not trapped in a dungeon, but she's still a prisoner!"

"And what's the alternative?" I counter. "Let's say we do find the Nexus, and we do rescue her. But what kind of life are we bringing her back to? Disappointment? Misery? Even worse?"

It hurts to say it. It hurts to even think it. But it's selfish of me to think that she would be happier, better off, here on Terra Venture.

Karone's voice is almost pleading. "Leo, we don't know that will happen. We can't just assume that Kendrix will share Jun-ha's fate."

"We may not know for sure, but it's a strong possibility." I lean my head against the hard panel wall, fighting the urge to bang my head against it. "It was hard enough losing her to the Nexus, but at least we know she's okay." My voice is strained, as I voice my deepest fear. "What if we bring her back… and we end up killing her? What would it be like if she died because of a decision I made?"

I don't know if I could live with that kind of weight on my shoulders.

It takes me a few moments to realize that the hall is dead silent. I can't hear anything except my own breathing. I look up, hesitant, but at the same time curious to see Karone's reaction to my logic.

She's frowning at me.

"I'm disappointed," she states.

My eyebrow rises; I didn't expect that. "What?"

"I didn't think you were the type to unilaterally make decisions for others. And that's exactly what you're doing now, by giving up on Kendrix."

That raises my hackles, and it's all I can do to stop myself from yelling. "I'm not giving up on her. Didn't you hear what I said? I don't want to risk anything worse happening to her!"

She doesn't flinch. "I heard everything you said. You've convinced yourself that, by deciding exactly what risks are worth taking, you're acting in Kendrix's best interests. But what you're actually doing is underestimating her."

She lifts her arm, drawing my attention to her morpher. Kendrix's morpher. "You forget how strong Kendrix is. How determined she is. Can't you see that she might want to come back to her friends, her life's work, her mission?"

Karone's words hit me like punches; frustrated, I defend myself. "I know who Kendrix is," I insist with a scowl, "but how can reality… how can this --" I sweep my hands to indicate the huge, though isolated, space station, "compare to a life of peace and happiness?"

"And how can you make that decision for her?"

I grind my teeth in irritation. "I'm…I just…" I'm even more upset by the fact that I can't think of a good answer to her challenge. "I want her to be safe."

We wind up in a silent stand-off, staring at each other. I wait for her condemn me, to call me a coward or a quitter…or whatever other insults are going through her mind.

Instead, she sighs, looking away from me. "I know you do, Leo. I understand that you're worried. I am too, you know. I'm not suggesting we take thoughtless risks, or intentionally put her in danger."

She bows her head. "I'm not saying we should drag Kendrix out of the Nexus. All I'm saying is she deserves the choice. She is our comrade, and we respect that she is able to make the decision that is best for her. Right?"

I suddenly feel like Karone sprung a trap on me. I don't know what to say to that, so I don't say anything.

"Leo, we should research the Galaxy Book," she continues. "Find out what we can. Find a safe way to open the Nexus. Explore the possibilities. Do our best to give Kendrix the chance to choose whether to come home, or whether to stay where she is."

She makes… a lot of sense, actually. But right now, I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to think too clearly.

With a sigh, I push away from the wall. "I'll sleep on it."

She stares at me for a while longer. It's obvious she's not happy with my compromise when she turns away from me.

Without another word she heads back to her room.
Part Twelve: Possibilities

Chapter Forty-Seven

-Zhane-

The setting sun is warm on my back as I steer the glider towards the capitol city of KO 35. The quiet dirt roads of the country soon give way to paved streets as I adjust my speed to better accommodate the urban traffic, and I take my time weaving my way back to the complex that houses KO 35's Ministry.

Kinwon should be back from Parnis by now.

The past week has crawled by like a slug. I should've known from the get-go that I'm not the patient type – sitting and waiting, even for a few days, didn't sit well with me.

I'll admit, it took me some time to simmer down after my last, er…conversation

with Karone. It felt like I was clocked on the head with one surprise after another, and I couldn't think straight. All I could do was, well, mope. Kinda embarrassing, looking back on it. Me, a hero of KO 35, dragging my feet through the hallways like a kicked puppy. No wonder everyone here gave me a lot of space.

Once I was able to look passed my own hurt and actually think about what Karone had said, I was able to shake off my slump and start thinking about a solution.

Now, I'm just frustrated with myself for not figuring it out sooner. I've wasted time and energy, but I couldn't really do anything until Kinwon got back from his conference.

At least I tried to make myself useful while I was waiting. I loaned my considerable expertise to the tech team working on the MegaWinger, and I gotta admit, it's impressive that they managed to improve the design on such a great Zord with limited time