It took Z a couple of weeks to rebuild her relationship with Leah. Earning her trust back wasn't going to be easy, but it was worth everything to her. Jack on the other hand, was doing one on one training with Cruger.
"Whoa!" said Jack as he flipped over on the ground. Both he and the commander were suited up and a sword had dropped next to him. "Is that all you got?" he asked the commander.
"Honestly? No." replied Cruger. "But this isn't a battle. It's a lesson in swordsmanship. So I'll take it easy on you."
"Don't hold back on my account, boss. You just might be surprised." said Jack, then starts running towards the sirian commander. Cruger jumped and flipped over Jack, before facing him.
"What?" asked a confused Jack and goes again towards the commander. The lesson continued with Cruger encouraging him. "Let's do this." said Cruger as he let Jack by and attacked him in the back. Once he was on the ground, Cruger started laughing and held out a hand.
"Cadet." said Cruger, helping him up. "I think that would be all for today."
"Just one more try." said Jack as Cruger turned away. Jack went straight for him in a sneak attack, like how Leah did but Cruger turned around and cut the sword blade in half.
"I said that is all." Cruger tells Jack.
"Okay. I get it." replied Jack. "Class dismissed."
"Power down!"
"You know, boss, if I had that Shadow Saber, I could probably beat you." said Jack.
"No, you couldn't." he said. "Even if I gave you my sword, and I took what was left of yours, I would still defeat you."
"I bet Leah could defeat you." said Jack.
"No, she couldn't. Leah would harm herself with any sword than just the Shadow Saber." said Cruger. "Your arrogance is blinding. It has you believing that it is the sword that makes the difference and not the swordsman. Dismissed, Cadet."
On his ship, Gruumm had brought someone aboard. "I have found someone capable of defeating the rangers." he said to Morgana.
"I could've found someone." whined Morgana.
"But you didn't. So I did." said Gruumm. "The legendary protector of Kyoto. The samurai, Katana."
"Samurai?" she asked.
"Yes. Katana was not always samurai. He is alien. His spacecraft crash-landed on earth where he was found by a human samurai in Kyoto, Japan." Gruumm started to explain. "He was nursed back to health, and once healthy, took up their ways and became the first alien samurai."
"But how did he get here?" asked Morgana.
"Two words...time portal." he tells her. "Heh heh heh heh. I brought Katana from 160 years ago to present day. He is the prefect weapon to defeat the rangers...with a little help from Broodwing."
"At your service..." said Broodwing as he was standing in the corner. "Emperor."
Back at the base, the rangers were in the lounge. "Hold that thought...okay." said Bridge, using his powers to read Z's mind. "It's coming clearer. Okay, I got it. You're thinking that I lost it, right?"
"You're right." said Z.
"I was thinking that too." said Sky.
"Me three." said Syd, reading a magazine.
"I'm glad I stayed out of this experiment." said Leah, reading one of her books.
"Go ahead and mock me, guys. Thoughts are energy....energy travels. Thoughts are my weapon of the future." said Bridge.
"I wasn't mocking you, Bridge. I honestly think it's a great idea. I just didn't want to be a part of the experiment." said Leah.
"Okay...thought man. Do Jack." challenged Sky.
"Okay." said Bridge as he turns to face Jack.
"Now this I've got to see." said Leah as they turned to face Jack, who was staring out the window.
"'It's not fair. If Cruger let me use the Shadow Saber, I'd beat him. He knows that, too. That's why he won't let me use it.'" Bridge said as he repeated Jack's thoughts.
"Jack. Jack!" Sky called him and Jack turned to face them.
"What?" he asked.
"What were you just thinking about?" asked Z.
"Oh. I was thinking it's not fair. I know if Cruger let me use his sword, I could beat him." said Jack. "He knows that, too. And that's why he won't let me use it."
"Weapon of the future." said Bridge, pointing to his head.
"Brilliant." said Leah. Just then, the alarms started blaring. "Rangers, report to command center, immediately." Kat said over the intercom.
Once there, they found Kat and Cruger at the monitor. "There has been an abnormal temporal energy reading in Kyoto, Japan." said Cruger. "Someone has opened a time portal. My guess, it's Gruumm."
"I've got a visual." said Kat, pulling up video on the screen.
"Where am I?" asked the samurai. "This forest...familiar, yet different."
"Gruumm has pulled a warrior from the past." said Cruger. He then turns to face the rangers. "I want you to go Kyoto, Japan. This warrior wears the garb of the ancient samurai. So don't underestimate his swordsmanship."
"Awesome! Maybe I can check out some of the temples and hopefully talk to some of the monks while we're there." said Leah, getting really excited. "Maybe even pick up some souvenirs."
They all turned to her and looked as if she grew a third head. "What? I've studied all about Kyoto, Japan in school over a year ago. This guy is one of the first aliens to learn the way of the samurai. I wrote a paper on him for extra credit." said Leah.
"And yet, your brain hasn't gotten any bigger than it is already." Sky teased.
"I wonder why it hasn't." said Syd, grinning at the young girl.
"Just because I'm smart doesn't mean my brain has to be huge. I just have my ways of learning." said Leah with a smile as she holds her shoulder bag.
"Anyway....sir, there is no better time. Let me have the Shadow Saber." said Jack.
"It is not your weapon." Cruger tells him, not knowing how to make it clearer. "You have all you need to defeat him. Go."
In Kyoto, Japan, Katana looks out at the city. "What is this?" he asked himself. "This isn't the Kyoto I was sworn to protect. Many strange sights, many strange things. But that is my pledge."
In the outskirts of Kyoto, the rangers were dropped off by transport. "The warrior can be anywhere." said Syd.
"I say we use the weapon." said Sky.
"Me?" asked Bridge. "For real?"
"You can do it, Bridge." said Z. Bridge then walks forward, takes off his glove and uses his powers to find Katana. "This is strong energy." said Bridge. "I'm getting a vocal reading. 'Where am I? this-this forest....familiar, yet different.'"
"That was amazing." said Jack. "We have a samurai to catch. Let's go."
On the road leading into Kyoto, Katana stood in the middle and stops a car. "You in your armored dragons...if you try to come closer to Kyoto, you will face my wrath!" shouted Katana, scaring the people who came out of the car. Everyone started running back to their cars and heading back in the other direction.
"Good. Kyoto is safe." said Katana.
"Hey!" said Jack, making Katana look at the rangers.
"What? Your stance indicates aggression. Are you warriors of some invading tribe, trying to take over Kyoto?" Katana asked.
"No. We're not an invading tribe." said Leah.
"We're S.P.D." said Jack.
"Do yourself a favor and surrender quietly." said Sky.
"I do not surrender my sword to anyone but my emperor!" said Katana. "I am Katana, defender of Kyoto." Clouds had gathered and lightning struck the ground, causing an explosion behind the rangers. "Leave here or face the consequences." said Katana with his sword drawn out at them.
He then attacked first and the fight began. Katana was able to push back Sky, Leah, Bridge, Syd and Z, but went straight for Jack. "No way!" said Jack.
"You are defenseless." said Katana. "I have the advantage." He gave Jack his hand to help him up.
"What's he doing?" asked Z.
"Samurai like Katana never continue a fight of an unarmed opponent. It goes against their code of conduct." said Leah.
"Still have that paper you wrote on him?" asked Z.
"I do."
"I'll read it."
"Your weapon. Very strange..." said Katana as he picked up Jack's gun. Handing it back to him, he then said, "I will not fight an unarmed opponent."
"Thanks." said Jack.
"Now we continue!"
Behind a tree, Broodwing was watching Katana. "I don't like these odds." he said to himself. "Let's make them, lopsided."
He then threw a ball of Krybots at them. "Okay, definitely the emperor he's defending is Gruumm." said Jack.
"That can't be. All samurai are loyal to the emperor of Japan." said Brooke as they fought the Krybots.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." said Katana and puts his sword away. "I will let them have their battle and move on."
During the fight, Sky was able to block a couple Krybots from coming at him with his force field, Jack was able to phase through a tree after being flung a ways by at least four Krybots, Z used her doubles, Syd flipped over a car while Leah and Bridge held their own.
"Good going, guys." said Jack.
"Yeah, but Katana slipped away during the fight." said Bridge.
"He won't get far. We'll find him." said Sky.
"In the meantime, I'm at least getting a few souvenirs and some pictures. I'm not leaving here without them." said Leah.
"Don't forget about the monks." said Syd.
"Oh yeah. Thanks Syd."
"What's going on, Jack?" asked Z.
"Huh?" he said, confused.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Nothing." Jack replied. "But he had me. And then he gave me my laser back."
"I do not understand this." said Katana as he ran into the city. "What has happened to my beloved Kyoto?" Suddenly, Broodwing appeared in front of him.
"Ha! Come with me, friend." said Broodwing. "I will explain all."
"What do you want, strange one?" Katana asked.
"You have been brought to the future by a great emperor to defend Kyoto." said Broodwing. "Those invaders want to destroy your beautiful city."
"No! I have sworn an oath to protect Kyoto with my life." said Katana in anger.
"I have enlisted the help of the robot god, Morato to protect the buildings of Kyoto from the power rangers." said Broodwing. "They are intent on making your city their own and have already defeated the soldiers I sent to protect you. I am Broodwing and dam honor-bound to help you fight them off!"
"Keep looking, Bridge." said Sky as they were near a lake. Leah had taken a picture of it before they got back to work. Bridge picked up on Katana's energy. "Okay, I got him." he tells them. "But his temporal energy is fading fast. The longer he stays in this time, the less likely I'll be able to track him."
"Okay, then let's move quickly." said Jack. Just then, a robot appeared in the city. "Look!" said Syd. One of the drawers on the robot opened and suddenly took one of the buildings.
"Guys, look, he's taking the buildings." said Jack.
"Oh, no!" said Syd.
"I didn't even have the chance to take pictures of that one yet." said Leah.
"Is Katana in that giant robot?" asked Jack.
"No, his energy signature came from the other direction." said Bridge.
"Commander Cruger, the samurai has brought in a giant robot, and they're stealing Kyoto shrines." said Sky.
"Kat?" he said, turning to his head technician.
"Sir, if all goes to plan, I can have delta base to Kyoto, Japan in less than fifteen minutes." said Kat.
"Excellent." said Cruger.
"This is my temple. But it looks so much older now." said Katana as he arrived at the temple of where he was trained.
"Hey! Up here!" Jack shouted.
"S.P.D. EMERGENCY!" shouted the rangers as they suited up.
"Who are you?" asked Katana.
"One...S.P.D. Red!"
"Two...S.P.D. Blue!"
"Three...S.P.D. Green!"
"Four...S.P.D. Yellow!"
"Five...S.P.D. Pink!"
"Six...S.P.D. Purple!"
"SPACE PATROL DELTA!"
"Congratulations. You have picked my ancestors' ground to be defeated on!" said Katana.
"Uh-oh"
"Great!"
"What?"
"Prepare for battle." said Katana, as he drew his sword and went to attack.
Soon as the fight started, Katana had the advantage on the rangers. "Get him!" said Sky as he and the others went towards Katana.
"He's one skilled swordsman." said Leah.
"I call on the ancestors to strike you down!" shouted Katana. "Sword of Kyoto!"
Dark clouds gathered and lightning struck the rangers. "Let that be a lesson. Farewell." said Katana and runs off.
"Hey! Look, he's gone." said Jack.
Back at the base, Kat walked around Cruger. "You realize that, by taking Delta Base to Japan, you'll be leaving Newtech City completely defenseless." said Kat.
"I understand the risk." said Cruger. "But we can't afford to let Gruumm get a foothold anywhere on earth."
"Yes, sir. Preparing the delta base hyperspeed rover mode. Commencing countdown." said Kat, tapping on her pad. "5...4...3...2...1."
Soon as she finished the countdown, the base went into hyperspeed and arrived in Kyoto, Japan. "Rangers, we have just arrived in Kyoto and are preparing to launch the delta runners." said Cruger.
"We're in!" said Jack as he got in his runner.
"Well, this is a first for Kyoto." said Leah.
"I'll say." said Z.
"I'll aim for the drawers!" said Sky. "I can't hit them!"
"Let me try." said Jack, getting the delta max megazord sword. "Whoa! I'm hit!"
"Rangers, come back to base!" said Cruger. "We'll have to join powers to defeat Morato!"
"Yes, sir!" they said and drove their runners back to base.
"Opening loading bays." said Jack. "Let's back 'em up."
"Prepare for transformation." said Cruger and activated the base megazord. "Delta Command Megazord."
"Requesting transformation." said the computer. The base started transforming into the delta command megazord. "Delta Base Robot standing." said the computer.
"Rangers in position!" said the rangers. "Morphers locked and activated!"
The delta base command megazord raised its arm and sent police tape around Morato, trapping it. "That should hold that hunk of wood." said Jack.
"Sir, scans reveal a blue head is piloting the robot, and there is no other control." said Kat.
"A blue head?" asked Bridge.
"Something's not right!" said Jack.
"This should be interesting." said Leah.
"Jack, wait!" said Cruger.
"Sir!"
"I've walked into Gruumm's trap. You must find Katana quickly. He may be our only hope in deciphering Gruumm's ulterior motive." said Cruger.
"Sir, Katana is a master swordsman. He easily defeated all six of us. I'll bring you the samurai if you'll let me use the shadow saber." said Jack.
"All that is in your head, Jack. You do not need my sword to defeat Katana." said Cruger.
"Sir, we can argue this point until there's no time left. I'll bring him in." said Jack. "Just let me have your sword."
"Take it." he said, handing the shadow saber to Jack. As Jack takes it and looks at it for a few seconds, he couldn't believe that he was holding the shadow saber. "Thank you, sir." said Jack. "I won't let you down."
Back in Newtech city, Krybots were raiding an iridium plant. On his ship, Gruumm was in a meeting with Broodwing. "Well done, Broodwing." said Gruumm, talking to him through his holoscreen. "My plan is going smoothly. S.P.D is in Kyoto and the Newtech city iridium plant was left unguarded."
He then said to Broodwing, "Have the samurai and the robot finished off the rangers and I will see to it that Japan becomes yours."
"As you wish, Emperor." said Broodwing.
In a forest of Kyoto, Katana was meditating. The wind blows and Katana reaches for his sword. "I knew I'd find you here." said Jack, coming out of the bamboo.
"We meet again." said Katana.
"You want to get back from where you came." said Jack.
"Yes."
"The portal will open one more time. That'll be your one chance to get back." he tells Katana.
"That is my business, invader." said Katana as he got up.
"Leah, the littlest one that was with me, she wrote a paper about you in one of her classes as an assignment." said Jack.
"Oh?" asked Katana.
"Yeah. She likes to learn and builds all sorts of things." said Jack.
"What have you not fled after I defeated you?" Katana asked. "I admire your courage. But that is not enough."
"Leah told you that we're not invaders. She speaks the truth. We came here to help." said Jack. "Maybe we can help you get back home. I know you are an honorable warrior. You could've struck me down in our earlier fight."
[Flashback]
"I will not fight an unarmed opponent." said Katana, handing Jack back his laser.
[Flashback ends]
"But didn't. You have good intentions, but you've been used by an evil emperor named Gruumm." Jack tells him.
"Liar! No one uses Katana." said Katana. "I fight only for the freedom of Kyoto!"
"Gruumm has brought you here from your time to help with his plan. He not only wants to take Kyoto for his own, but earth, as well." explained Jack. "My friends and I came here to stop him."
"There is only one way to know if you are telling the truth." said Katana. "We must duel!"
"Oh boy." said Jack.
"I am waiting." said Katana with his sword drawn out.
"S.P.D. EMERGENCY!" shouted Jack as he suited up and drew out the shadow saber. "I'm ready."
Back in the city of Kyoto, Broodwing was watching from far away. "Ha! That won't hold him for long." said Broodwing. "Gruumm will be pleased with my progress."
Just then, Morato frees itself from the tape and starts shooting random lasers at the delta command megazord. "Doggie, scanners have revealed the target." said Kat. "Destroy the glowing blue orbs on each side, and you won't harm the buildings."
"Got it." said Cruger. "Ready finger lasers. Fire!" Both finger lasers were aimed and hit the orbs, causing them to release the buildings captured by the blue head. Back in the forest, Jack and Katana were about to begin their duel. "Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Jack.
"The truth shall prevail." said Katana. He then caught the light of the sun on his sword and shined it at Jack, causing the red ranger to look away. Katana went for him and the duel begin. It was a tough duel, Jack pulled some of the same stunts he used against Cruger. "Sword of Kyoto!" shouted Katana and aimed it for Jack.
"Shadow Saber!" shouted Jack and ran towards Katana, knocking his sword out of his hand and sliced his samurai helmet.
"Full power!" said Cruger, charging up the high beams and fired it at Morato, causing it to fall and explode.
"So the truth is, I have been deceived." said Katana
"I'm sorry to do this, but I have to be sure." said Jack as he got his morpher. "Judgement!"
His judgement scanner went back and forth between guilty and innocent until it landed on innocent. "Not guilty." said Jack.
"Red fighter, you are an honorable warrior." said Katana.
"So are you." said Jack as he powered down. Suddenly Leah teleported beside Jack.
"Did I miss anything?" asked Leah, excitedly. "I really want to see him step through the time portal."
"You didn't miss much." said Jack, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"How did she...?" Katana asked.
"My gift is a long story, honorable warrior. One that you will never get to hear." said Leah, bowing to him. Just then, Jack's morpher started beeping. "Jack, Leah, there's an energy build up in your sector. The time portal is about to open up." said Kat.
"Thanks Kat. How did she know you were here?" Jack asked, looking down at Leah.
"I told her where I was going." said Leah, shrugging her shoulders.
"Amazing." said Katana, just as the time portal opened up. "Huh?"
"Well, there's your way home if you want." said Jack. "Or you can stay here and continue to protect Kyoto."
"No, Kyoto is safe in this time with you and your tribe." said Katana. "I need to go back where I belong. Farewell."
"Good bye." said Leah as Katana steps through the portal. Just before the portal closes, a sparkle ball of light comes through. "Come on, Leah. Let's go." said Jack.
"You go on ahead. I'll meet you there." said Leah as she stares at where the portal was.
Once Jack left to meet up with the others, Leah looks up and sees the sparkling ball of light. "Hi...who are you?" she asked the ball of light, then reaches up towards it. The sparkling ball of light goes towards her and stops at her height.
"How do you know my native language?" she asked, reaching out for it.
Back in Newtech city, Cruger started the debriefing. "A well-fought victory. But in our victory, we have suffered a great loss." said the commander. "By bringing the delta base to Japan, I left Newtech City, defenseless. Gruumm took advantage and raided the iridium plant."
"Iridium? Isn't that that metal that they add to other metals to make them harder?" asked Bridge.
"Yes. He's up to something." said Cruger. "It is our job to find out what that is before it's too late. Dismissed."
The rangers saluted and left the command center as the sparkle ball of light followed them, keeping a close distance towards Leah. On the academy grounds, Jack was holding the shadow saber. Leah was walking up to them. "Hi." she said as she saluted. "May I watch, sir?"
"You can cadet. You may never know if I might be training you next in swordsmanship." said Cruger.
"Really?" she asked, her widening in delight. "Awesome."
"Finally...Shadow Saber is mine." said Jack.
"Oh, by the way, Jack, that is not the shadow saber." said Cruger and pulls out the real one. "This is the shadow saber."
"Oh...my...god! You just got..." said Leah as she starts laughing it up. "I can't believe it!" Jack looks down at the sword he was holding and it turns back into an ordinary S.P.D. sword.
"Huh? Then what is this?" he asked his commander.
"Just another sword I found in the closet." said Cruger as Leah continues to laugh.
"It's not funny, Leah." said Jack.
"Well, it is to me. This whole time, you thought that you had the real one." said Leah, laughing.
"You gave me just any sword, and I battled the strongest swordsman in history?" asked Jack.
"And won!" said Cruger and Leah falls backwards to the ground, laughing hysterically at the look on Jack's face.
"But I could've lost." said Jack.
"But you didn't. It is truly the swordsman and not the sword." said Cruger. "Don't you agree?"
"I agree." said Leah, finally calmed down from laughing.
"Commence lesson." said Cruger.
"Oh, I'm ready." said Jack and the lesson begin with Leah watching them on the sidelines.
"Bahati njema." said Leah as she sits on the sidelines.
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