[ShinySephiroth]

Chapter Four: Rise of a Tyrant

"Go... go!" The commander screamed as his rogue militia ran through crags. The commander looked around to see if he could spot his pursuers. When he thought they had gained some sufficient distance, he motioned for his squad to follow him into a small enclosure under a boulder.

"Filcar?" The commander asked for his right hand man, who looked up while rearranging his supply bag on his back.

"Yes, Commander?"

The commander looked around and couldn't see an end to the cave in which they found themselves.

"Take two others with you and see if this thing has any end."

As Filcar marched off with his recruits, the commander took his place with his men. While he awaited inevitably being found, he pondered how he got to the point in which he found himself.

It had all started at an archaeologic dig. He was the head of his team. He had found historical data in his studies hinting at ancient activity in a certain area of the universe, so after completing for and finally earning a research grant from the United Alliance (which took four slow years to attain), he was excited to scour the area. Within hours of starting, his team's monitors were surging with power spikes. Thinking he had found something which would put him in the history books, he had pinpointed the energy source and started digging.

As he thought back on the moment he found the artifact, he gripped his blaster tightly. How I wish I could go back. Change it all and stop myself. Everything would have been different...

He remembered the power the artifact had emanated as the crane pulled it from its earthy home. A large crystal structure, glowing with a rainbow of colors. He immediately sent a video to Orion, the then junior member of the Morphing Masters and leader of Research and Development for the Alliance. Within minutes he and a senior Master, App, arrived. The two masters looked over the crystal. Some reported hearing them speak of the Morphing Grid, and power sources. At that time, all the head of the dig could think of was this find's importance, and how his career would be cemented in history.

What he got was far from what he intended. Suddenly he found himself being taken to an Alliance facility, with Alliance officers interrogating him, and telling him that he needed to swear to never share his findings. He and his team were quarantined for months, being trained to become soldiers, to protect the artifact. He was named as the group commander, since he had military training from his time attending the Academy. He had joined to get a military scholarship, having the Alliance pay for his education.

With his team equipped with minor training, the Alliance's intent was to ensure the lowest number of people were aware of the artifact's existence. Those who refused to enlist were threatened with charges of treason and mutiny, a life sentence of solitary confinement dangling over their heads. The passion they shared for their career had led them to be prisoners of their greatest find, which was meant to never see the light of day.

Things never go according to plan, however, when destiny is involved. One member of the team, Novact, decided this was not the career he had signed on for. He could not wait on an undefined time when he would be honorably discharged, or if that time would even come. To free himself from his shackles, he made a deal with the devil.

That devil was a warlord who had parked himself in a main planet of the galaxy in which the artifact had been found. It was once a beautiful world named Decrof; eventually the planet found itself conquered after a grueling galactic war. The Alliance at the time knew not how to handle this empire's power, with generals and creatures unseen by Alliance strategists. Once conquered, as a mockery to those defeated, the planet was renamed by the victors - as Gamma Vile.

Novact surrendered himself to the warlord. To further mock the Alliance, the warlord had introduced himself with the title of master, being known as Master Vile. Now Vile, upon being told by Novact of the crystal, decided it was in his best interest to find the power source to fuel his empire, just as another empire had tried to accomplish many centuries before when they attempted to take the jewels of the Corona Aurora. Vile sent his armies and attempted a covert attack to accomplish his deed at the site his informant gave him. Whether by luck or by tactic they were unsure, but the team was able to escape with the crystal and find their way to a mountain range, where they had been battling and hiding for days, using the terrain as cover.

As these thoughts ran through the commander's head, Filcar could be heard approaching. "Sir! This cave has an exit! Please! Signal an evac team! They will arrive quickly: I know it!"

Filcar's excitement slowly became a ramble of desperation and joy, and with due cause. The commander nodded and tried to hide his own joy. He ordered everyone to start running to the cave exit. He knew once he transmitted any signal that it would be a matter of time before the source would be triangulated, causing the enemy to descend upon them with fury. When his team was out of sight down the cave's tunnel, he walked out a ways from the entrance. He pushed the button on his communicator.

"Alliance: this is Commander Zedd." He gave the coordinates Filcar gave him for the cave's exit and bolted back to the cave, leaving the communicator behind. He planned on Vile's forces appearing at the transmission site, giving the evac team time to arrive while the enemy attempted to figure out the team's location. Zedd hoped that by the time Vile's troops found the cave and followed it to its exit, he and his team would be gone.

All he could do, was hope...

. . .

Zordon sat at chair fifteen. He was not wearing the white metallic robe, though, because he knew he was not in actuality member fifteen.

Not yet, at least... Zordon thought to himself. He knew he would need to assert himself at the Council, yet show some restraint out of respect to let the Masters know he knew his place. He thought on these things because he knew how important this was.

He looked around at those who had already earned their place as a master of manipulating the Grid:

At the head of the council sat Sentinel Knight. He was the oldest on the council and had been through more battles than the rest of the council put together.

Sitting next to him was Ivicar, a talented human war general who was known for holding fast to what he felt was right, while being warm and kind.

Next was a humanoid from a classified species, named Dulcea. Not much was known about her among the Alliance.

Fourth in command wearing the black robe was Tria, an interesting being from Triforia. She was a tri-fold entity like all Triforians. Their origins were a closely-held secret by the Triforian government. They generally were comprised of a being of courage, another of heart, and another of wisdom. The Academy was full of Triforians, making getting into the Academy as a Triforian much more competitive, as the Academy strove for diversity amongst its students.

Following Tria was Gerlit, a Liarian. They were an odd, key wielding race.

Under him in the hierarchy was a king from the Cimmarian planet named Elma Estro. He came from a human race whose people were on the brink of extinction after a massive, and rather tragic, civil war.

Rounding out the senior council was Orion. He had served as the Head of Research and Development for quite a while for the United Alliance.

The junior council comprised of human (or humanoid) members: Delphine from Aquitar; Kamen from Edenoi; Animus, representing his long-displaced people from the Animal Realm; Magnas, from Kouevn; Dimitria, a frustrating being from the planet Inquiris; Michael, from the young planet that, at that time, was designated only as KO-35; and Gosei, from the venerated planet who originated The Morphing Master legacy: Earth.

Sentinel Knight gestured to Zordon. "I would like to recognize the new Alliance head of Research and Development. He is also the candidate to replace our fallen comrade, App." He then pointed to Orion. Orion nodded and moved to the holographic podium in the center of where the council sat. He looked at each person in the semicircle.

"Fellow masters: as you know, I have been coordinating the protection of the Morphing Grid fragment for some time. Zordon, I will fill you in on specifics later."

Zordon's mind was buzzing. Morphing Grid fragment!? But... how?

Orion continued, "We received word from Commander Zedd mere moments ago. This is why I recommended to Sentinel Knight to arrange this meeting." The masters began whispering amongst themselves upon hearing this latest update.

"I am heading down to Zedd's coordinates now with a militia of Alliance troops, ready to head off Vile's army. We will avenge Master App." The masters all nodded in agreement.

Zordon was shocked to hear Vile was involved in App's passing. App had been serving as a Morphing Master for as long as Sentinel Knight, and his destruction had been a great shock to the Alliance.

"Sentinel Knight decided the junior who will accompany me on this mission is not a junior at all, but actually a civilian: we will be using this as the field test for Zordon, who the council voted in yesterday initially with a vote of 11-3 before the unanimous decision..." Orion looked straight at Zordon. Ivicar grimaced, disapproving of Orion's way of telling Zordon not all of the masters were fully supportive when Ivicar had recommended bringing Zordon to the organization.

Ah, nonbelievers... Zordon decided to assert himself now, to take away any doubt which may have been resonating in any of the masters. He stood up and stared at the group. "I, Zordon of Eltar, humbly accept your nomination. I will go with Master Orion. I will fight and defend this fragment from Vile's forces. And I proclaim, in front of this council, that I will do everything in my power to bring back Zedd from the clutches of evil."