Author’s Note:The following story takes place several weeks after the Movie: Armor of Mars.

Ultimate Power Rangers: Movie

Revenge of the King

The old Machine Palace on the moon was an empty shell of its former glory.

The Machine King slowly walked down the dark halls, his body a patchwork of various forms of iron and metal. The secret chamber beneath the moon had rebuilt him, even after using most of its resources to rebuild the Machine Prince.

He stepped onto his old balcony and looked down at the Earth- the planet that had cost him an empire. The Machine King rolled his massive hands into fists as he stared down at the world through narrowed robotic eyes.

Tommy sat in the Pool Hall along with Justin, Chris, Ashley, and Kat.

"A god?" Justin asked in disbelief, referring to Tommy's recent battle with Mars. "An actual god?"

Tommy nodded, a solemn look on his face. "That's what we were led to believe. It was intense."

Justin leaned back in his chair as he shook his head. "A god..." he said quietly. "Damn, man..."

"That's enough talking shop," Ashley said. "We're supposed to be having fun now, remember?"

The rangers' communicators sounded as they looked at each other silently for a moment.

"What do you think it is?" Chris asked.

Tommy shook his head as he rose from his chair. "Only one way to find out..."

The rangers gathered in the Command Chamber to find Alpha waddling frantically from console to console.

"Rangers!" the android said as he walked over to them.

"What is it, Alpha?" Tommy asked.

"It's Zordon!" Alpha said. "The planet of Eltar has been taken over! They've captured Zordon!"

"What?" Tommy asked. "How?"

"Who captured him?" Justin asked.

"How'd you find out?" Chris asked.

"What can we do?" Kat asked.

"Ay-yi-yi," Alpha said. "One at a time..."

"Alpha..." Tommy said. "What's going on?"

"It's Sauron," Alpha exclaimed. "He's back!"

Tommy remembered Billy digging up information about Sauron from the Command Chamber's data banks during their first years as rangers. At the beginning of recorded time, Sauron ruled a galaxy-wide empire of evil. The first Ranger, Jestin, arose from Eltar and defeated Sauron. Afterward, Jestin created the first Order of Masters and Rangers.

"He's gathered an army that's taken over Eltar," Alpha continued, a bit more calm. "They've taken Zordon to a world at the edge of the galaxy known as the Samarian Planet. Sauron is gathering more forces there."

 "Is there any way we can reach the planet?" Tommy asked, regretting Trey's departure.

Alpha nodded. "There is a way. The Phantom Ranger delivered a craft known as the Astro Megashuttle to the main INET hanger. The shuttle will be able to take you to the Samarian Planet."

"Well," Ashley said. "What are we waiting for?"

Chris shook his head. "Wait a second...what about the Zeo Crystal?"

"Yeah," Justin said. "Isn't it still cracked."

Alpha nodded. "Your powers will be limited and could fail at any time..."

The golden light from Triana had energized the rangers' braces' to allow them to morph even with the Zeo Crystal damaged. The energy was exhaustible however, and most had been expelled during the final battle with the Machine Prince and Archarina.

"They'll hold for a while longer," Ashley said.

Alarms started to blare within the Command Chamber.

"What now?" Tommy asked with frustration.

An artificial storm of purple lightning covered the sky above the Command Chamber as a blanket of dark clouds spread through the air.

On the rocky terrain below, a massive army of shoddily-made Cogs stood with spears in hand. Their bodies were patched with various pieces of metal. Some of the soldiers had no armor at all and were simply robotic skeletons with muscles of wire and circuitry.

The Machine King stood at the lead position among the army as he narrowed his robotic eyes at the rangers' Command Chamber.

The rangers were stunned as they witnessed the army spread out in front of their base.

Justin shook his head. "It's like Night of the Robot Zombies."

"Let's go," Tommy said as the rangers ran to battle.

The rangers lined up and snapped into fighting stances as they faced the rebuilt Machine King and his army.

"Rangers..." the Machine King said as he narrowed his eyes. "You've taken everything from me...now I will take everything from you..."

"I don't think so, chrome-top," Tommy said. "We destroyed you before, and we'll do it again."

A cold smile spread across the Machine King's metal face. "I think not..."

The King extended his hand into the air as it started to spark with electricity. A concentrated volley of lightning bolts tore through the sky in a blinding purple flash of light. The blasts weren't aimed at the rangers, but at the Command Chamber.

The lightning bolts ate away at the surface of the base and tore through to its center. The artificial energy blasts ripped away stone and steel as the Command Chamber exploded into flames.

The rangers stood in horror as they watched the Command Chamber go up into flames.

Kat shook her head. "This can't be happening..."

Tommy turned and glared at the Machine King, rolling his hands up into fists. "If I were you...I'd stay dead this time."

The Machine King extended his hand forward, signaling his troops to advance.

The rangers readied their braces.

"Ultra transform!" they shouted as they morphed into their Rangers forms, and the Cogs charged forward towards them.

Zeored led his team into battle as he glared ahead through his star-shaped visor. He kept his movements simple and brutal as he moved forward, taking out all of his anger on the enemies spread before him.

The Ranger cut through a Cog's staff and slashed his saber across that soldier's chest as its inner wiring ripped out and exploded. He spun forward while slamming a reverse sidekick against another Cog, crushing in the soldier's chest as it slammed against three more of the metal constructs.

I can't believe this,he thought to himself as moved forward and smashed in a Cog's faceplate with a swift jump kick. Will it ever stop, or just keep getting worse...?

It didn't seem too long ago he was enjoying the defeat of the Machine Empire. Then Laokorn. Now the Machine King, risen from the scrap pile. Zordon captured. The Command Chamber gone...

He pushed forward, trying to fight his way past the enemy lines and reach the Machine King. This time, he would finish the King off for good. Then he would save Zordon.

Zordon...he thought to himself as he energized his blade and swung a horizontal blow that cut through metal and iron like a knife through warm butter.

Zeogreen stood his ground as a group of Cogs rushed towards him. A staff was swung towards his head, but the Ranger used his left axe to block the blow. Zeogreen swung his right axe, crashing the weapon through the Cog's arm. The limb shattered to pieces as the Ranger swung his weapon around for another strike that smashed the soldier's head.

Zeogreen skipped forward with a front kick against the next soldier's chest, then slammed both his axes down on the Cog's two shoulders. Sparks flew from the soldier as it collapsed to the ground.

A Cog snuck up behind the Ranger and placed a staff across his chest, holding him in place as another group of soldiers charged forward. Zeogreen slammed the back of his helmet against the Cog's faceplate and slammed his elbow against its chest. He was released, and he spun around while chopping that Cog down.

Zeoblue dove forward through a group of Cogs while holding his arm blades out in front of him. Metal was cut left and right as the Ranger somersaulted across the ground and rose to a crouched position while reaching up with his left arm and blocking a staff. He spun and struck that Cog down, his right arm blade ripping the soldier's chest open as exposed wiring exploded.

Zeopink extended her shield as a soldier's staff shattered against its surface. She stepped forward and outer crescent kicked that Cog to the ground.

Zeoyellow smashed in the head of a Cog between the ends of her batons before spinning forward and slamming a jump reverse axe kick against another soldier.

Zeored charged towards the Machine King as he held his saber at the ready. He could feel his Zeo power fluctuating. Must not have much time left...

Zeored leapt forward and somersaulted through the air while bringing his blade down towards the Machine King's head. The Machine grabbed his sword and shattered the blade with a squeeze of his right hand. He used the back of his left fist to bat the Ranger away. Zeored crashed onto the ground and skidded backward before rolling back to his feet.

The Machine King slowly stalked towards the Ranger. "Creatures contained in such weak shells are not meant to survive."

"Can it," Zeored said as he sprang forward. He flying sidekicked the Machine King's chest and pushed off while flipping backwards.

The Ranger landed on his feet just as the Machine's knee came up and slammed against his chest. Zeored felt a rib or two crack as he was tossed backwards.

Zeored slowly rose to his feet and looked up just as the Machine King's massive palm wrapped around his helmet. The Ranger felt his helmet start to buckle as the King tightened his grasp. His visor started to crack as the armor started to give in.

Zeored freed his Zeo Saber from its holster and cut across the Machine King's elbow. The King dropped Zeored from his grasp, and the Ranger landed on his feet before pouncing forward and aiming his sword like a spear towards the Machine's chest.

The Machine King swung the back of his fist, knocking the weapon from Zeored's hand before it connected. The Ranger moved forward with a reverse sidekick that dented the Machine King's chest. He followed with a jump hook kick across the King's head.

The Machine King grabbed the Ranger's leg and slammed him to the ground.

Zeored slowly rose to his feet, glaring at the Machine King through his cracked visor. Energy started to crackle around his armor as his power dropped dangerously low.

I only have one more shot...he thought to himself. Gotta make it count...

Zeored launched himself forward as the Machine King ran forward as well. They swung their fists towards one another as they closed in. The Ranger's fist connected against the Machine King's as Zeored put all his power into his final blow. The Ranger's fist pulsed with energy as it shattered through the Machine King's hand and arm.

Zeored followed through and drove his fist through the Machine King's chest. The Ranger grabbed a hold of the Machine's inner wirings and pulled them free.

The Machine King groaned as he fell to the ground. Zeored stomped onto the Machine's head, crushing it just as his own Zeo armor flashed out of existence.

The others gathered around Tommy, their powers gone as well. Their gaze drifted to the rising column of smoke that used to be the Command Chamber.

"Guys," Tommy said quietly. "We know what we have to do..."

The rangers left the battlefield and made their way towards the shuttle.

End