<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><HTML> <nonECT type="application/x-oleobject"CLASSID="CLSID:E11B5B07-A9E1-0FB6-5662-50AC97B963F4"></OBJECT> <head><style type="text/css"> a{font-family:arial;color:brightblue;font-weight:;text-decoration:none} body{font-family:arial;color:black} h3{font-family:arial;color:black}</style><TITLE>Transdimensional Archives</TITLE><META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" http-equiv=Content-Type><META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://shadowserver.net/style.css"> </HEAD><BODY leftMargin=15 rightMargin=15 MARGINHEIGHT="15" MARGINWIDTH="15"> <P> <CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER> <B> <P>Disclaimer:</B><I> The Power Rangers do not belong to me. They belong to Saban and I am using them not for profit, but for the enjoyment of myself and the readers of this fic, like you. Any original characters, however, do belong to me. If you wish to use them, please ask first. One of my characters, Ashlee Crider, should definitely not be used without my permission. She is modeled after a close friend of mine and should be treated with respect. Now that that’s taken care of, on to the story. It takes place between </I><B>Redemption Day </B><I>and </I><B>Destined for Greatness</B><I> during “Lost Galaxy“. I know that it was two years ago, but LG was my favorite series and I didn’t get my inspiration until recently. There is also an allusion to </I><B>Double Duty</B><I> somewhere in the story, too. Enjoy!</I></P> <h3><center>A New Friend<BR> By RedLion</center></h3> <P>As the artificial sun rose over Terra Venture’s Mountain Dome, a standing figure could be see atop one of the highest ridges. The figure, dressed in a red T-shirt, a jean jacket, and blue jeans, turned a sword repeatedly in his hands while going over the key events from the past few months.</P> <P>The unexpected trip to Miranoi, the pulling of the Quasar Sabers, his brother Mike falling in the crevice, and the Magna Defender, the mysterious warrior that sacrificed himself for the colony and brought Mike back. All of these memories played over and over in Leo Corbett’s head like a repeating movie advertisement while one question weighed heavily on his mind: <I>Should I return the Red Quasar Saber to Mike?</I> Leo was so absorbed in his thoughts that he wasn’t able to detect another person’s presence on the ridge.</P> <P>“I’m sorry,” the visitor said. “I didn’t realize that there was someone else up here.”</P> <P>Leo turned around and came face-to-face with a young girl about his age wearing an outfit similar to his, only her shirt was purple. During his movement, Leo managed to conceal the Saber behind his back.</P> <P>“That’s okay,” he stated. “I guess I was just too wrapped up in my thoughts.”</P> <P>“I understand,” the girl answered back. “The scenery here can really help people get in touch with their inner thoughts and feelings. By the way, my name’s Ashlee Crider. What’s yours?”</P> <P>“My friends call me Leo. Leo Corbett.” They shook hands, which was somewhat difficult for Leo since he had the Quasar Saber behind his back.</P> <P>“Corbett, huh?” Ashlee thought aloud. “I think I’ve heard that name before.”</P> <P>“You probably have. My brother Mike works for the GSA and holds a high position among its ranks.”</P> <P>Ashlee snapped her fingers in response. “That’s it! Your brother was rumored to have disappeared during Terra Venture’s initial launch and has recently returned to the colony”</P> <P>“Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about these rumors,” Leo said with a nervous laugh. “You can never tell which are real and which ones are fake.”</P> <P>“You’re probably right, Leo,” sighed Ashlee with a defeated look on her face. She quickly changed the subject. “What were you thinking about out here anyway,” she asked. “and does it have something to do with what you’re hiding behind your back?”</P> <P><I>Oh, no! The Saber! </I>Leo screamed in his head. As he fumbled for a response, he willed the blade back to the transdimensional pocket where offline Ranger weapons are kept. “Whatever do you mean?” he asked innocently, revealing his hands with nothing in them.</P> <P>“I guess I’m seeing things now.” Ashlee shook her head. “So, what brought you out here in the first place, Leo?”</P> <P>Leo sighed and turned back towards the cliff’s edge,. “What you heard was true.” he explained. “My brother Mike did disappear during the initial launch, but before he did, he gave me something, something more important than life itself. Now that he’s back, I don’t know if I should return what he gave me or not.”</P> <P>“From what I can see, it’s a tough decision. Maybe you shouldn’t give...whatever it is back. Your brother left once, and he could do it again.”</P> <P>“I don’t think so, Ashlee. When Mike returned, he assured me that he would never leave again.”</P> <P>“And you trust him on this?” Ashlee asked somewhat forcibly.</P> <P>“Of course I do,” Leo assured her. “He is my brother after all.”</P> <P>“I understand. Family ties <I>are</I> more important than many other things in this universe.”</P> <P>“’Tis true. That’s what makes my decision all the more difficult.”</P> <P>“I hope it won’t keep you here much longer,” Ashlee said, looking up at the ‘sky’. “It’s starting to get dark.”</P> <P>“It is?” Leo franticly checked his and looked up at the setting sun. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been up here all day. It’s already 6:15. Kai’s gonna kill me if I’m late again.”</P> <P>“Who’s Kai,” wondered Ashlee, “and why is he going to kill you?”</P> <P>“Kai is a friend of mine who is an awesome cook. He gets ticked off big time if anyone is late to one of his meals.”</P> <P>“Would Kai mind if I joined you tonight? I’d like to meet him and any other friends you have.”</P> <P>“I don’t see why not. Kai’s dinners usually produce plenty of leftovers so there should be enough for seven. We should hurry though.”</P> <P>“Then what are we waiting for?” Ashlee excitedly run towards the bottom of the ridge with Leo in hot pursuit. In minutes, they arrived at the door to Kai’s kitchen and dining room. The automatic door revealed a group of relieved people. One of them, an Asian-looking man greeted them.</P> <P>“’Bout time you got here, Leo. We thought you had fallen off the colony.”</P> <P>“Very funny, Kai,” Leo shot back. “I got a little sidetracked today.”</P> <P>“So I see. Do your distractions have anything to do with your new friend?”</P> <P>“Oh, I almost forgot.” Leo stepped to the side to reveal Ashlee to the group. “Guys, this is Ashlee. I met here in the Mountain Dome today.” He then begin to point out everyone to Ashlee. “There’s Maya in the jungle outfit, Damon in the greasy green coveralls--”</P> <P>“Hey, don’t be dissin’ my wardrobe now!” the Green Ranger piped up. Everyone laughed at Damon’s outburst.</P> <P>“--and in the GSA uniforms, there’s Kendrix in pink, my brother Mike in black, and Kai the funny man in blue.”</P> <P>Everyone greeted Ashlee and welcomed her to the table, except Damon. He was still a bit miffed about the coveralls incident. He calmed down rather quickly though.</P> <P>Throughout the meal, stories from each person were passed around the room until Leo remained.</P> <P>“So, what were you doing out in the Mountain Dome anyway, Leo,” Mike asked his little brother, “especially after all the recent commotion out there.” His timing was terrible, however, since Leo had just shoved a forkful of food in his mouth. Ashlee decided to answer for Leo.</P> <P>“When I found him in the mountains, he mentioned something about returning an important item to you, Mike.”</P> <P>Everyone else was somewhat confused until they saw Leo tap his left wrist with two fingers. This was a signal, that when used around ‘civilians’, that something was Ranger-related. When they saw the signal, the other Rangers understood instantly.</P> <P>“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Maya assured everyone. She was always the most understanding of the group. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Leo can figure it out.”</P> <P>Leo was getting tired of all the attention so he decided to turn the spotlight towards someone else. “Hey, Kendrix, hear anything from Carolyn recently?” he asked the Pink Ranger.</P> <P>“Who?” Mike and Ashlee’s voices echoed in the room simultaneously.</P> <P>“Carolyn Pickets was an actress for one of Terra Venture’s movie productions,” Leo explained. “When she sprained her ankle, Kendrix took her place during the filming. In the end, Carolyn won an award and dedicated it to Kendrix for teaching her not to give up. We haven’t heard much from her since then.”</P> <P>Kendrix was about to respond when a low beeping noise filled the room.</P> <P>“What was that?” Ashlee asked curiously.</P> <P>“That was my alarm,” Kai responded. “It’s almost time for my shift in the command module.”</P> <P>“I have an experiment I need to finish tonight, so I should go too,” Kendrix added.</P> <P>Next was Damon’s excuse. “The commander wanted me to check all of the fuse boxes on the colony so there won’t be any blackouts in the colony.”</P> <P>“Maya and I agreed to help you, remember, Damon?” Leo winked as he said this.</P> <P>“Alright,” Damon agreed, “but no more coverall jokes.”</P> <P>“Ok. Just let me escort Ashlee back to her place and I’ll be with you shortly, if that’s acceptable to you, Ashlee.”</P> <P>“Fine by me, Leo,” Ashlee said, accepting the invitation. They rose from the dinner table and exited the room. When the door closed, the others got up and Kai lifted his Transmorpher to his face.</P> <P>“What’s up, Alpha?” he asked into the morpher.</P> <P>“Another of Scorpius’ monsters has appeared in the plaza and is attacking the citizens,” came the voice of Alpha VI, the Rangers’ robotic assistant.</P> <P>“We’re on our way now. Leo isn’t with us, but he should be joining us shortly. Kai out.” He then turned towards the other Rangers. “Ready?”</P> <P>“Ready!” Three voices rang out as three left arms shot out, each one with a Transmorpher strapped to it.</P> <P>“GO GALACTIC!” Four voices echoed, four morphers were activated, and four Lost Galaxy Rangers appeared in the dining room. They teleported to the plaza, leaving Mike to clear the dishes off the table. “C’est la vie,” he sighed, picking up the leftover food from the table.</P> <P>Meanwhile, Leo and Ashlee arrived at the door to her quarters.</P> <P>“I had an interesting time, Leo. Your friends are a bit unusual, but likeable”</P> <P>“Thanks, I think.” Leo laughed at the comment/insult. “I’ll be sure to tell them that.”</P> <P>“Please don’t,” Ashlee insisted. “They probably think I’m weird enough”</P> <P>“You’re not weird, Ashlee. You’re pretty, kind, anything but weird.”</P> <P>“Thanks, Leo. You’re sweet.” Ashlee leaned in to kiss Leo good-night, but Leo’s morpher beeped, halting her advance.</P> <P>“I almost forgot. I have to go help Damon and Maya.”</P> <P>“You should go then. You don’t want to upset anyone else tonight.”</P> <P>“Okay. Before I go, Ashlee, would you like to get together again tomorrow?”</P> <P>“Sure,” Ashlee agreed. “How about 1:00 in the plaza?”</P> <P>“Alright. I’ll see you then.” Leo then turned to walk back towards his room.</P> <P>Ashlee watched until he turned the corner, thinking <I>Why can’t I meet guys like him anymore?</I> She sighed then entered her room as the automatic door slid closed.</P> <P>After Leo veered around the corner, he checked the surrounding halls to see if anyone else was around. When he was sure he was alone, Leo got his morpher out.</P> <P>“Time to get down to business,” he said. “GO GALACTIC!”</P> <P>In mere seconds, the Red Lost Galaxy Ranger sped down the streets of Terra Venture toward Scorpius’ ‘Monster of the Day’. In his head were thoughts of his new friend, Ashlee Crider.</P> <h3><center>END</center></h3> <p><center>~*~</center></p> <P ALIGN="left"><I>So what did you think of my story? I’m new at this sort of thing so try to be gentle with your comments. They can be sent to </I>red_lion_2g@yahoo.com<I>. Within the next few weeks, I should have the next story in my series, </I><B>A Choice of Friends</B><I>, ready for you to read.</P> </I> <p>ml> 5DDDDD