His feet hurt.
That was the first thing that registered when he woke up that morning. That his feet still hurt from the time he had spent walking around the planet Inanis. Inanis had gravity waves that made his Galaxy Glider inoperable, resulting in his having to walk everywhere, looking for traces of Zordon and the forces of Dark Specter. Unfortunately, Inanis had nothing else to offer other than the gravity waves. The search had proved fruitless.
He climbed out of his bunk and dressed in a clean flightsuit. As he reached for his boots, he hesitated. They weren't exactly the most comfortable things to wear with sore feet, and it wasn't like anyone would see him... No, he couldn't do it. There was no excuse in being lax in his mission, however petty it was. And his mission now was to defeat Dark Specter and bring his people home to KO-35. He reached for his boots again.
"DECA, what is the next planet to investigate?" he asked as he made his way to the Synthetron for breakfast.
"According to the most recent intercepted transmissions, it is very likely that Dark Specter's forces are meeting on the Cimmerian planet to discuss the fate of Zordon."
"Okay. Set in a course."
"Course plotted. Select speed."
"At hyperrush 5, when would we arrive?"
"In approximately two and a half hours."
"And at 9?"
"Ten minutes."
"Then hyperrush 7. It's not that urgent, since we don't know when this meeting would take place. If it even happens."
"Course set. Estimated arrival in one hour."
"Thank you DECA."
As he ate, Andros suddenly remembered just why he had spent the entire day walking around Inanis, instead of coming back to the MegaShip the first time his Galaxy Glider crashed. Yesterday had been her birthday. Karone's birthday. His baby sister's seventeenth birthday.
It had marked the thirteenth time that he'd celebrated it without her, and the second time that he'd celebrated alone.
His hands instinctively moved to his locket, and for once, he didn't try to stop them. He normally limited himself to viewing the holo-image twice a year. On her birthday, and on the day she was kidnapped. However, for some reason, in recent months, he had felt the urge to view it every few weeks.
He stared at the two pictures. She looked so young. He knew that wherever she was, she would look quite different. However, in his mind, she would always be the little girl with unruly hair and an interest in headbands. The one who adored her older brother and his best friend and followed them everywhere.
Recognizing that in his current mood, he wouldn't be able to accomplish anything anyway, he opened the back of the locket and inserted the disc, watching the images come alive.
He and his sister were playing with the telekinesis ball. At age six, he had already grasped the fundamentals of telekinesis and had moved on to the advanced levels. Karone, at four, was still in the beginner stage. The telekinesis ball was the perfect way to for the beginner to perfect their skills.
As he watched, he couldn't help but remember that fateful day in the park. Karone had shown a surprising amount of improvement, and he hadn't been putting enough effort into blocking her. With an excess of force from her side, the ball had gone spinning away.
Young Andros ran after the ball, leaving Karone all alone. The security camera in the park that had been monitoring them left him and switched back to Karone, just as a blurry monster snatched her away. As she screamed, the camera switched back to him as he reached the ball. Desperately calling out for his sister, he ran back, only to find the area deserted. He'd never seen his sister again.
"It was my fault."
Andros finally spoke the words that he'd believed since that day. The words that had never been said to his face. The words that were on the minds of his parents, friends and the other adults in his life.
Why hadn't he allowed Zhane to join them that day? Zhane had wanted to help with Karone's training, and Karone had always enjoyed his presence.
Why had he gone to get the ball alone, leaving his four-year-old sister all by herself? He knew better. He had been told time and time again that Karone was never to be left alone, and he'd done exactly that.
Why had he insisted to his mother that day that he could watch Karone all by himself, when he was only six years old? Why did he think that because he would one day be the leader of the Power Rangers mean that he should be left in charge of his young sister?
He had barely been able to gasp out the story when he arrived home. His mother had fainted on the spot; his father had contacted Kinwon. Ten minutes later, his mother had regained consciousness and Kinwon had gotten the park surveillance video. They discovered what Andros hadn't known - Karone had been kidnapped.
That night, when he had been trying to relax enough to fall asleep, he'd heard his parents talking. It was hard to hear them, but he did manage to make out his mother's words.
"We shouldn't have left her alone with Andros."
He had vowed that night, thirteen years ago, that he would find his sister and restore his mother's faith in him. And every time he re-watched the copy of the surveillance video, he renewed that vow.
"I'll find you Karone. If it's the last thing I do."
He removed the disc from the player and set it back in his locket. "DECA, what's our status?" he asked, bringing himself back under control. Now was the time for business, not the time to dwell on the past.
"We are currently ten minutes away from the Cimmerian planet."
"Who is expected to be there?" he queried as he made his way to the jump tubes.
"Dark Specter, who called the meeting."
He punched in on the Synthetron a quick snack to keep his energy levels up. For all he knew, he could be stuck there for days. "Who else?"
"Rita and Zedd and Mondo and Machina. They have been followers of Dark Specter since they failed to conquer Earth."
"What about Divatox? Didn't I hear that she just did?" he asked, after swallowing.
"Divatox has allegedly destroyed the base of command of the Earth Rangers. She will be there to bask in the glory."
Taking a drink, he remembered something. "What about that new villain? The young one with purple hair."
"That is Astronema. It is rumored that she is the next in line after Dark Specter."
"That can't be good. Guess it's a good thing that I've only run into her the few times."
"We have arrived."
Andros looked at his remaining meal. There was no time to finish it. "On my way. Thanks DECA."
Standing at his jump tube, he allowed one last thought of his sister. Maybe this time I'll find her. Maybe she'll be at this meeting. "Karone, I will find you. I can guarantee that."
With that, he turned and slid down the tube onto his Galaxy Glider, determined to complete his mission. No matter what.