In a dark, silent expanse filled with drifting asteroids and far-reaching stars, a rainbow-like vortex appeared abruptly in space. At first, it was small—only a few meters wide—but like a widening tear, it expanded rapidly.
Twenty meters… thirty… a hundred… a thousand… until it finally stabilized at ten thousand meters.
Swoosh~ Humm~
The massive vortex resembled a cosmic gate, as if welcoming a beast into the universe. Its swirling motion paused for a brief moment before a large, sci-fi spaceship burst out from within. It shone with bright rainbow light as if announcing its arrival into space.
Moments later, the wormhole collapsed and vanished completely.
A familiar vessel now hovered in space. Compared to the gate, it seemed small—but to any ordinary lifeform in the universe, it was colossal.
It was the Omni-Ranger spaceship.
Inside the metallic giant, Zayne, Tommy, Conner, and Peter jolted slightly from their resting positions as they felt the subtle shift in their surroundings, accompanied by the ship's AI announcement.
[Space-time transition complete. Preparing for automatic flight.]
[Master, we have arrived at Sector-56Gh7UHI, nearest to a civilized galaxy.]
[Master, shall I activate external simulation and lock onto a specific location?]
The emotionless voice startled everyone awake—except Zayne, who had remained alert the entire time. The transition had taken over thirty minutes, and with nothing to do, the others had relaxed. Hearing a sudden, unfamiliar voice naturally made them wary.
Zayne found their reactions amusing, mentally noting the moment for future use. Outwardly, however, he remained composed as he responded.
"Activate 100% external simulation and lock onto XXXXX. Maintain speed at fifty times the speed of light, and enable the ship's stealth function."
[Affirmative, Master.]
Immediately, multiple systems within the ship came online.
Buzz~
The control room hummed as streams of data and code flashed across the panels. The previous rear view vanished, replaced by a complete panoramic display of space.
Asteroids drifted silently. Distant stars shimmered like scattered diamonds. Planets—some even teeming with life—floated in the vast void.
It felt as if they were standing directly in space, with nothing obstructing their view.
Even more impressive, while they could observe everything outside, no one could detect them within.
"Whoa…" Peter muttered, unable to fully express his excitement.
For a science enthusiast like him, this was nothing short of breathtaking. The others shared similar reactions.
Space was strange—vast, cold, and unfamiliar—yet it carried a beauty that was both humbling and awe-inspiring.
Even for Zayne, this was his first time witnessing so many stars and inhabited planets up close.
Then, the ship itself vanished.
Its entire structure blended seamlessly into the void, becoming completely invisible. Unless something physically collided with it, its presence would remain undetected. Perfect for ambushes… and perfect for their mission.
Moments later, the Omni-energy core surged to life, coursing through every system.
Humm~
The radar locked onto a distant trajectory.
Then—
The ship accelerated.
At fifty times the speed of light, space itself seemed to distort around them. From an external perspective, everything blurred into streaks of motion—but within the simulation, everything remained clear and stable.
And just like that, their true journey through space began.
This should take at least five hours of nonstop travel… if nothing interferes, Zayne thought as he reviewed the AI's analysis report.
He understood the risks.
Space was endless, unpredictable. No radar could track everything within it. Even an S-class ship like theirs could only scan up to fifty billion kilometers ahead.
It sounded vast… but in the grand scale of the universe, it was barely anything.
For the next five hours… they would have to stay alert.
...…
Five hours passed quickly. The Ranger spaceship, which had maintained a speed of fifty times the speed of light with its camouflaged frame, began to slow down considerably.
Several hundred thousand kilometers ahead floated a massive T-shaped black spaceship, stretching for several meters in length. Embedded at its center was a core that pulsed between blue and red, depending on its energy consumption. Surrounding it were multiple smaller ships—each about a hundred meters tall, blade-shaped, and filled with hundreds of Dark Elf soldiers.
"The infamous Ark," Zayne muttered, staring at the holographic projection of the Elves' flagship with a solemn expression.
He had seen it before through the base's scanners, but this… this was different.
The pressure it emitted even from such a distance was immense. To any ordinary person, it would have been enough to instill fear and force a retreat. And that was exactly the intention of the Dark Elves—to dominate through sheer presence.
The rest of the team studied the display as well, their expressions ranging from anxiety to readiness.
"These are our targets, huh?" Conner muttered, his tone carrying a hint of awe as he stared at the ominous structure. It wasn't admiration—it was shock at the sheer scale of the army and fleet before them.
If not for the overwhelming capabilities of their own ship, his first instinct would have been to turn back. The oppressive aura alone was enough to make that decision seem reasonable.
"Get ready, guys. We'll be in contact in about ten minutes," Zayne said, turning to them with the natural confidence of a leader. "Prepare for intense action."
His words ignited something within them.
The lingering fear and doubt they had carried vanished almost instantly, replaced by focus and determination.
"The kid's capable, alright", Tommy thought, nodding inwardly. "His control over situations is exceptional. With this, even future internal conflicts within the team can be minimized".
The team quickly checked their gear, ensuring everything was in place. While the spaceship would handle most of the combat, they still had to be ready for any enemies that might slip through or engage them directly.
Under Zayne's command, the ship accelerated once more—this time to a hundred times the speed of light.
It surged forward like a phantom, cutting through space undetected. With its camouflage active, the Ark remained completely unaware of the incoming threat.
It wouldn't know what hit it.
Minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
The Ranger spaceship arrived within striking distance, hovering silently before the Ark.
Zayne knew that the moment he attacked, their position would be exposed. The Dark Elves would be alerted instantly.
But the advantage of a first strike… was worth everything.
Buzz~~
Hatches opened along both sides of the ship, revealing two massive cannons that extended outward with terrifying precision.
Inside the control room, Zayne's eyes turned cold as he fixed his gaze on the "Attack" command.
"Blame yourselves for choosing the wrong planet," he said quietly, before slamming his hand down.
Bang~
The cannons roared to life, charging rapidly with Omni-energy.
Whirr~~~
Then—
They fired.
Twin beams of devastating energy shot forward, catching the Dark Elves completely off guard.
"What?!"
"It's an attack!"
"Raise the energy shields!!!"
"It's too late—run!!!"
Chaos erupted across the fleet.
But it didn't matter.
The beams moved faster than light, carrying destructive power far beyond anything the Elves had anticipated.
Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!
Multiple ships were obliterated instantly, torn apart in brilliant explosions. Hundreds of soldiers perished in seconds, their bodies drifting lifelessly in the vacuum of space.
Some ships were flung far into the distance by the sheer force of the impact, barely surviving the onslaught.
Only the Ark endured, its energy shields absorbing most of the damage. Even then, the impact left visible scars across its hull.
Inside the Ark, panic spread like wildfire.
The suddenness of the attack… the overwhelming power behind it…
It felt like judgment itself had descended upon them.
None of them had ever witnessed such a terrifying strike.
And it wasn't their fault.
Even among S-tier vessels, the Ranger spaceship stood at the very peak. A creation of the Omni-Grid, it represented the pinnacle of power. Its attacks were faster than light, precise, and utterly devastating.
Unless gods themselves stood aboard their ships, there was no way to react in time.
At the center of the Ark, the commander of the mission stood still, his expression grim.
Kurse—once known as Algrim—his pale blue skin tense, his long ears twitching subtly with each passing moment.
The dark, gleaming armor on him creaked faintly under the pressure of the sudden attack.
He stared at the hologram of the destroyed ships before him, his teeth grinding in anger.
"What was that attack? Who did this?" Kurse roared inwardly, struggling to maintain a composed exterior. "This mission cannot fail… it absolutely cannot fail".
As the weight of the mission resurfaced in his mind, his expression twisted further.
Malekith the Accursed—the ruler of the Dark Elves—had made it clear. Failure was not an option. Even if it meant the complete annihilation of their forces, the mission had to succeed.
And now… before they had even reached their destination, everything was already falling apart.
"Scan the surrounding space. Now. Find whoever did this!" Kurse barked, his tone fluctuating between fury and restraint as he fought to stay in control.
The other generals snapped out of their shock, immediately moving to execute his command. One of them, clad in lighter dark armor, began the scan.
Moments later, a hologram flickered to life.
It displayed the Ranger spaceship in full detail.
A chill ran down the room.
Kurse's eyes widened, the anger in them evaporating instantly, replaced by something far more primal.
Fear.
"This… this…" his voice trembled. "Power Rangers?! Pilot the Ark—get us out of here! Now!"
It was as if a buried memory had resurfaced—something deeply terrifying.
"No… no, this can't be…" he muttered, beads of sweat forming on his face as he began to lose composure. His subordinates exchanged confused glances, stunned by their commander's reaction.
Even the one tasked with piloting hesitated. The switch of their commander's composure truly stunned them.
Seeing no one move, Kurse snapped.
He stood abruptly and stormed toward the control console, shoving the stunned subordinate aside.
"Move, you fools!"
Grabbing control himself, he forced the Ark into motion.
"I will not be captured by a Ranger… even if it means abandoning the mission—I cannot!"
The memory in his mind grew clearer—five figures in different colored suits, descending upon him like divine judgment.
His hands trembled as he forced the Ark to turn, pushing its systems to the limit in an attempt to flee.
All this seemed slow, but it happened in an instant.
Inside the Ranger spaceship, Zayne and his team observed the Ark through the simulation, their expressions calm.
They had expected resistance like this.
The fact that the initial strike hadn't destroyed everything didn't bother them. While it would have been ideal, it wasn't realistic given the Ark's defenses.
"Kid, those cannons won't be enough for a mission of this scale," Tommy said, analyzing the situation with precision. "We should deploy the smaller crafts and take out the remaining ships individually. Most of their forces are already gone, so it won't be a problem."
He paused briefly before adding,
"We've already analyzed their internal systems and defenses. We can strike at full capacity without unnecessary risk."
"Mm, I understand, Dr. O. Attacking internally will definitely shorten the mission time," Zayne replied, grasping the logic instantly.
The others nodded, their readiness for direct combat evident.
Zayne felt a flicker of satisfaction at their enthusiasm.
"Good. Then let's—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Through the simulation, he noticed the Ark turning away… attempting to escape.
The rest of the team saw it too.
"Hmph, cowards. They're actually running," Peter scoffed, his tone laced with disdain.
The rest also had the same thoughts in their mind, finding it hard to believe these were the same aliens that wanted to invade Earth and plunder.
Zayne calmly pressed a button on the control panel.
"No need to worry," he said, his voice steady yet sharp. "None of them are escaping. Not on my watch."
His words were calm but they contained sharpness like a blade ready to slash. Murderous and destructive.
That button…
Was the deployment command for the smaller ships.
They were going to destroy them from within.
--- ✦ --
Sorry for the late update, y'all. My grandma has left the world, so I was busy with my family because of the burial preparations. We completed it yesterday, so I am free again...well, till next time something comes up, again.