Re-Assignment

Posted on Thu Dec 2nd, 2021 @ 5:45am by Damien McGinnis & Kilena Keithron
Edited on on Tue Jan 4th, 2022 @ 7:04pm

1,417 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The Invasion
Location: Briefing Room, Earth Patrol Base
Timeline: 1800 Hours, November 3rd 2050

Damien stood in the Briefing room along with a few dozen other cadets. A few people down, he'd clocked Kilena earlier. At the front of the room, the Commandant's attache was stood, a data recorder in the brown-haired woman's hand.

"Well, it's that time. New assignments. Specifically, who's going to be leading each cadet squad." She said, pacing across the front of the room "Alpha Squad will be led by Kendra Landers. I understand you've made your squad selection already?"

"I have." A young mixed-race woman said with a nod "I'll hand it over later."

"Very good." The attache said "Next, Cadet Drovu will lead Beta Squad. Is your selection ready?"

"Indeed it is." An Aquitarian man said.

"Excellent. Now for Delta Squad... This must be a joke." The Attache said, pressing a few controls and shaking her head "Commandant's orders. Cadet Damien McGinnis will lead Delta Squad. God help us all..."

"You're shitting me, right?" Damien asked, "I literally got fired from running Gamma Squad and now you're giving me it's superior."

"The irony isn't lost, Cadet." The Attache said through gritted teeth "I expect your selection within the next few days."

"Kilena and the probie." Damien said without missing a beat "If they don't mind?"

Kilena stood exactly where she thought she would be missed by the red ranger having been avoiding them since the fight. She couldn't believe that the crystals had chosen those Damien, it was improbable the likelihood of their success. She had been tempted more than once to just go to the Commandant Office and just own up to the fact she was one of the power rangers but she didn't have a clue how to even start that type of conversation at all. Her head-first whipped round from talking to Landers to look at the attache at the naming of McGinnis as the leader of D Squad but that he wanted her in the squad. "I mind." She whispered under her breath.

"See, she us cool with it." Damien grinned "So we can go now, right?"

"The rest of the team leaders have yet to be announced, Mr McGinnis." The Attache noted, before pressing two fingers to her ear and sighing "You're being asked for by the Professor. Go on, take your team."

"Thank you." Damien smiled "Kilena you're with me."

"This is not going to go well," Kilena said with a roll of her eyes as she followed them annoyed at the prospect of being stuck more with the pair. The Pink Ranger stayed sullenly silent the whole way to the lab refusing to even make eye contact as she fumed about ways to get out of the team.

"What's up, doc?" Damien asked as they walked into the lab, sitting on a table and having his crystal materialise in his right hand, beginning to toss it and catch it.

"Thank you for coming." The Professor said, his expression serious "I'm afraid it's not good news. I was running an inventory and... Well... Two of the crystals are missing."

"Which ones do we have and which ones do we not have?" Kilena wondered looking at Damien as she moved to a seat and used it for the correct purpose.

"Well, red, blue and pink, obviously, and yellow." The Professor said, "Silver and Black are missing."

"Those creeps took them. How did we miss them doing that?" Kilena hissed wishing they knew who the pair had been more than anything. It would make it easier to track them down and arrest them.

"We were trying to solo them." Damien grimaced, tossing his crystal in the air as it dematerialized with red lightning "We started off fighting as individuals rather than as a team. That was their shot."

Kilena shook her head. "We aren't a team. I don't know why we were picked but I don't think we are a team at all." The woman said looking at the professor. "Can I resign? Will the crystal unbond?"

"The only surefire way to unbond you would be to kill you." The Professor grimaced "Not an option I imagine you'd consider..."

"Not yet," Kilena muttered looking back at the male rangers.

"Come on, pinkie. You joined up, which means you must want to help people. Can you think of a better way to do that than as a literal superhero?"

"I joined up to help people but this is going to get us and others killed. We need support." Kilena commented.

As if a prayer was answered the door opened and in walked Aliena Delivek looking at the three as much to say should have known. "Now I understand." She said sharing a look with the Professor.

"Say what now?" Damien asked, "Anyone want to fill me in on why she's in here for our private meeting?"

"Because I called her." The Professor replied "Damien, you can't act as some... Some guerrilla warfare unit."

"Sure we can." Damien said, turning to Aliena "What do you think you bring to the table?"

"No you can't Cadet." The woman said coming into the room further. "Some experience and some idea of what is going on in the greater universe. What do you bring to the table apart from the fact you have the red crystal? You know that doesn't make you a leader right?"

"Jason Lee Scott. Tommy Oliver. Connor McKnight. Jack Landers. Sky Tate. See, I'm not just a pretty face. History was one of my best subjects in my first year. Those five were all Red Rangers and they were all leaders." Damien rattled off the list "Of course, Oliver was also white. And green. And black..."

"Yeah, but can you walk in their steps?" Aliena said in a soft voice. She was a hard ass but she could be compassionate. "Can you really lead people into a fight knowing you will win? Could you lead her?"

"I can do it. We can do it." Damien said, pausing "Of course, the giant robots would help. Ooh, do you think we'll get the giant robots? I want the giant robots!"

"Zord. They are called Zords and we don't know where they are. We didn't even know these crystals activated." Aliena looked at the professor and indicated that he needed to speak up and explain the crystals.

"According to legend, the crystals were forged millennia ago by a sorcerer. Of course, in legend, sorcerers and wizards are usually just scientists. Or floating heads." The Professor began "The legend goes that, when they're needed, the 12 crystals will choose warriors to fight for the rights of all sentient beings. We found six crystals, and the legend also makes mention of additional crystals, saying that when they're all gathered, the warriors will finally be able to rid the universe of whatever threat causes them to awaken."

"So we have 12 rangers in number eventually?" Kilena wondered saying something in a less harsh tone than usual. "My parents found these ones didn't they?" She said thinking on why she was sent to the training academy now instead of going on the dig.

"Indeed. On both accounts." The Professor nodded "However, we've lost the black and silver crystals in the attack, and still have no idea where the orange, gold, silver, purple, cyan or crimson crystals are."

Kilena slammed her hand on the bench and said something in a foreign language that made Aliena raise an eyebrow but the woman didn’t comment.

"Can we get that in English please?" Damien asked, shrugging as the Professor looked at him disapprovingly "What? I suck at languages..."

"No, you may not," Kilena said with a sigh. "Can I go now?" She wondered wanted some alone time. She didn't want to talk it out with the people here.

"Yes. All of you, get some sleep." The Professor said, "Training day starts tomorrow."

"Training day?" Damien said, looking to Aliena "Wait, is that what you meant by bringing the experience to the table?"

"That and so much more." The woman said watching as Kilena left without another word. She wanted alone time to rest and to maybe sleep but most to sleep.

Damien rolled his eyes as he walked out. He was pissed at the Professor for calling Aliena in after he'd promised not to tell anyone about the crystals. He needed to go clear his head. He knew exactly how.

"I need a ride." He said, pulling out his communicator "Take me to the juice bar."

 

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