SUMMARY:
[scenes from "Heir To The Throne", & "An Evil Game"]
In a park on Terra Venture, a young girl named Mandy watches in tears as her kitten is stuck high up in a tree above. Maya comes walking by, and stops to ask what's wrong. Noticing the cat's too scared to move, she tells the girl to dry her eyes as Maya races up and leaps toward her kitten with ease. Retrieving the black and white kitten, she hands him back to Mandy, and using her natural ability to talk to animals, she tells the girl her cat promised to never do it again. Mandy thanks her and runs home to mommy, Maya watching as the girl returns to her parent, suddenly spotting a familiar face walking along the streets. She thinks it couldn't be, but racing up to the black haired beauty who dresses awfully a lot like Maya, she calls out her name as Shondra. The Yellow Ranger's gorgeous pal is neither Sonya, nor Akasha, but indeed Shondra, acting surprised as she recognizes Maya as well!
[opening credits, Mike removed again! And he doesn't appears in the end credits either, yet speaks!]
Maya & Shondra hug warmly, the two best friends from the Lost Galaxy reunited at last. They race off into a flashback together, imaging themselves on Mirinoi as they rush by a pond and suddenly turn into their child forms. Maya taunts a turtle with a bamboo pipe as Shondra complains, the girls playing in the muddy waters. The flashback inducing hug ends with Maya inducing another flashback, saying she was worried about her when Furio was attacking their village, asking how she escaped. We then see Quasar Quest, Part 1 footage of Furio & Stingwingers thrashing her home on Mirinoi, Shondra saying the entire village was fleeing for their lives in panic. She tried to hide from the chaos when Furio began to turn the place into stone, and as she ran for her life, a portal opened up in front of her and dropped her off right on Terra Venture! Maya dittos her statement, as a portal was to blame for her new location as well (for the most part). Shondra doesn't remember much of what happened afterwards, but she ended up there, Maya glad to see her again and wants her to meet her best friend. Shondra looks shocked she's been replaced, but Maya reiterates as her best friend here on Terra Venture. They walk off, arm in arm, Maya filling Shondra in on what's been going on in her life.
Soon in the Science Division Lab, Kendrix is examining the Galaxy Book painstakingly. Her readings interrupted by Maya, who introduces Shondra to her, Kendrix surprised as she heard about her from Maya's tales of Mirinoi, but suspects nothing amiss with the coincidence of it all. Maya's giving her the grand tour, but Shondra's got her eye on something far less scenic, namely the Galaxy Book! Kendrix says this calls for a celebration, she's getting out of work early to go make dinner for them, closing the Book and handing it to an intern who places it back in its protective glass case. The girls will meet back up for dinner at Seven, Shondra keeping a close watch on the Galaxy Book as she & Maya exit, having a lot of things to do before then. Later, Kendrix & Kai are carrying in groceries to the Girl Power Pad, Kai being filled in on some things about Shondra from Kendy. Kendrix wants to make the meal they won't forget, something they'd have on Mirinoi (like twig & leaf stew?), Kai thinking they can pull it off, him being a master chef and all. Elsewhere, Shondra & Maya walk around, Shondra bringing up the time they tried to pull the Quasar Sabers from the stone. We're treated to a flashback to Mirinoi, where the old wiseman Jera tells the same old story of the Sabers being placed there 3000 years ago. He sits by fireside near the Quasar stone, telling Shondra & Maya someday the men with courage to extricate the swords will appear. The two little girls try pulling the Sabers, Maya saying hers budged, but neither doing anything but gaining blisters on their hands! The girls laugh at remembering old times, as they continue their stroll down Mirinoi memory lane.
[commercials]
In the Girl Power Pad, Kendrix lights the candles as Kai finishes preparing his unnamed meal. Damon & Leo enter, anxiously awaiting the new girl's arrival, Kendy saying she'll be there in just a few minutes. Meanwhile, likely off in the Forest Dome (a place i've theorized is turning into Mirinoi), Maya & Shondra sit up in a tree, wishing they were back on Mirinoi right now, or at least Maya does. She mentions if not for Scorpius & Trakeena they would be there, but now she wouldn't even know how to get back, flashing back to her people getting stoned by Furio. Maya promises herself she'll find a way to get back there someday, Shondra strangely silent on the matter, and soon, dusk settles upon the space colony. The two Mirinites haven't shown up for dinner at the proper time, Kendrix finally giving up and blowing out the candles, Damon thinking they all shouldn't starve because of the girls and starting to finally eat. Kendrix is heartbroken her supposed best friend ditched her selfless plans like this, crying she isn't hungry as she storms off. Leo remarks it's late, Kai has a long shift tomorrow so he takes off his chef hat, Leo says good-bye to Kendrix, who's sitting off sulking. Kai does as well, Damon grabbing some more food as he leaves the ruined celebration party without an empty hand, or jumpsuit. Later, Maya & Shondra finally return to the Girl Power Pad, giggling and carrying on about their youth. Kendrix is still awake, Maya asking why and Kendy playing off her jealously as not being able to sleep. Maya offers Shondra her hammock and she'll sleep on the floor, but both lifelong pals agree they'll sleep on the floor together! Kendrix looks even more worried her Ranger-spawned friendship with Maya may be over at last.
Soon, the girls have all fallen asleep, Shondra suddenly waking up and glancing over at the sleeping Maya. This begins to come off as a bad erotica story, Shondra getting up and checking to see if Kendrix is dozing as well, but she then takes the incentive to sneak off to the door and leave the room. She's unaware her stirring woke up the lightly sleeping Kendrix. Shondra heads down the darkened streets, until she bumps into Villamax (silent, thereby saving money on voice casts today). Trakeena is there as well, calling her Rykon, she's glad to see she has the Power Rangers right where she wants them, ordering her to get the Galaxy Book! Shondra's voice turns from soothing to gravely, as Rykon's true speech patterns are revealed when she says she's on her way. Trakeena stands there chewing time, saying the Rangers will pay for destroying her father. Meanwhile, two guards play some board game while on the graveyard shift. One guard, called Bob, walks off to do his rounds, Shondra taking him by surprise offscreen. The other one, we'll call Rob, doesn't get an answer from him and goes off searching, finding Bob sprawled in the elevator door! He's barely conscious, telling him something jumped him and went the other way, Rob pulling out his trusty laser pistol and approaching the area slowly. He enters the Science Division, not noticing Shondra above the doorframe in the darkness, Rob armed with a small flashlight in place where he'd keep his Transmorpher if he were a Ranger, but thank heavens he isn't. Shondra hops down when he's gone and heads for the Galaxy Book case, she's swiped Kendrix's security keycard, holding it in hand, she morphs into her true form, of the Egyptian-looking monster named Rykon! Rykon stomps over and slides the keycard in the slot, but Rob takes her by surprise and orders her to freeze. Firing at the guard before she can get shot herself, Rykon sets off the security alarm and gets out of there without the Book. Walking by Rob, he's able to get his pistol out and laser fry Rykon's right leg, injuring the creature! Soon, Shondra returns to the Girl Power Pad limping, but luckily nobody's awake to notice she's been missing as she returns to the makeshift bed on the floor made of pillows and stuffed animals. No one that is, except for Kendrix, who's not only wide awake, but she's got her make-up still on!
[commercials]
The next morning in Command Headquarters, Rob tells her harrowing tale of the gold monster at midnight to everyone around. Kendrix listens as well, Commander Stanton behind her asking more details on the injuring of the gold Galaxy Book thief. Kendy quickly dashes, Stanton and the others confused by her hurriedly escape. She returns to the Girl Power Pad to talk to Maya, the loaf who's only skill seems to be making nets & cheap native looking trinkets. Kendrix asks where Shondra is, Maya saying she had things to do and is out, Kendy explaining that last night at midnight she saw her leave and come back limping, same as the monster who tried for the Book at GSA at the same time. Maya's shocked at the allegations of her best friend working for Trakeena, telling Kendrix she's just jealous of their friendship as she storms away irrationally. Maya runs off into the city, searching about and spotting Shondra limping around. She follows her, only to bump into Shondra coming out of the Science Division with a tote-bag in her hand, and the alarms blaring in the background. Before she can explain, Maya asks Rob (or is that Bob?) what's going on, and he tells her someone stole the Galaxy Book! Maya quickly turns around and stops the elevator from closing, Shondra still inside with her mysterious bag, trying to use her status as her best friend to trust her! Maya won't, since the Shondra she knows isn't a thief, Shondra shoving Maya out of the elevator and reverting to her Rykon voice to say to get out of her way!
The elevator lift closes, and Maya rushes off, grabbing some well placed rope and scaling the walls outside the building & elevator shaft like a member of the SWAT team. She reaches the bottom in time to confront the book carrying Shondra, the two begin to duke it out, Mirinoi style! Shondra's getaway averted by Maya's lighting fast moves, it appears Rykon is only one side of her and her true best friend is reemerging. Maya halts her attacks, giving Rykon the opportunity to strike back, knock Maya down and Morph into her true state! She prepares to leave her 'old friend', but Maya won't let her take that Galaxy Book with her. She Goes Galactic, and Yellow Ranger takes on the staff-wielding creature with her usual intense precision (you know, the kind that hasn't gotten a whole episode highlight like this before?). Flipping, punching in rapid succession, and kicking to victory against the Sphinxy former minx, Yellow Ranger regains the Galaxy Book and hides it in some bushes. Maya then fights some more with the brick covered bully, backflipping onto her and saying nobody impersonates a friend of hers and gets away with it (but damned if she didn't do a good job, what with all the tiny details of their life she knew! Hmmm...). Rykon knocks her from her standing position on her chest, and says nobody steals a book she's already stolen, tossing Maya across the way. The Power Rangers, and Magna Defender make the scene, Pink comforting Yellow, who admits she was right and Rykon was working for Trakeena, but Shondra she is not! Yellow Ranger's fully recovered, whipping out her Quasar Saber she leads the way for the Lights Of Orion activation, all five racing toward Rykon (boasting 'the more the merrier') with Power Up Mode at the ready. Magna Defender gets a whole two lines with 'hiyaaaa! hiyaaa!' as he does a Saber Charged Flip attack, before the Rangers rip through the monster with the Orion Power energy ball attack! When the come out the other side, no tears are shed over Rykon breaking her staff on the ground.
Rykon herself has recovered well, growing into Building smashing height, smashing buildings while Maya calls on the Galactazords to transform. Well, what happens then is the entire Galaxy Megazord is already in place, and the thing just gets its Orion Armor Power-Up! Rykon has her own sword, racing toward the Galaxy Megazord and slashing away, saying she'll destroy them, tripping the Megazord over and slicing away. Yellow Ranger then calls on Stratoforce to activate, this causing the Zenith Carrierzord to emerge from under a waterfall somewhere. I don't know where it chased that waterfall to, but it's not among the rivers and lakes i'm used to from the Terra Venture domes! The Zenith continues flying in midair, when next we see Rykon looking up in time for Centaurus Megazord to come sliding her way, and Stratoforce Megazord to come jump kicking right into her face! Centaurus double punches (yet doesn't appear on screen with her, let's just put it this way, the Zord fight is patched together from various Gingaman episodes as only Stratoforce was seen in this Ginga ep, think MMPR Season 2 editing except not quite as shoddy) knocking Rykon down, giving Stratoforce time to come running towards her when she gets up. Stratoforce is swift, racing around each of Rykon's slow sword slashes, running circles around the creature, poking it in the eyes and kicking it in the shins & stomach before it can react! One final punch sends her down again, Galaxy Megazord regains power, Maya thanking only Stratoforce as she says it's time to finish this off. Rykon regains her ground, as Red Ranger calls on Galaxy Megazord Saber full power, charging an Orion slash, shattering Rykon into chunks of scaraby goodness. For a final victory shot, a scene of Orion Galaxy Megazord standing between Centaurus holding its Cannon and Stratoforce holding its Boomerang is spliced in despite those weapons not used.
[commercials]
Later in the Forest Dome, Kendrix slowly walks to Maya's location. She's rather high atop a tree, sitting around and thinking back to when she & Shondra used to swing from vines in Mirinoi not too long ago, their Tarzanna (or "Shanna") impressions full of girly giggles. Kendrix awakens her from her daydream state, telling her she's sorry about Shondra, Maya apologizing back about not listening to her. She just wanted so badly to believe it was really Shondra, Kendrix saying she would have done the same thing in her shoes, or jungle boots or whatever she wears. Maya once gain thinks positively, saying one day she'll find Mirinoi again and bring everything back to life. Kendrix says maybe one day she will meet the real Shondra, the girls smiling as Maya leaps from the tree and lands next to her. Kendrix & Maya put their arms around each other and walk off into the lush green forestry, laughing like reluctant best friends do.
[scenes from "Green Courage"; end credits]
