[980107]
                                                                      [Preview]
The Galaxy Task Force must stop Cyborg Sonic before it uses the world's radio
communications networks to brainwash almost everyone alive!  Before they can,
Messuta must find a way to unbrainwash SaturnAstro who attacked Sheratan near
the freeway.  Can he do that with Cyborg Webmaster successfully fighting him?


Artist Bros. Enterprises presents . . .


                        GALAXY TASK FORCE ASTRO RANGER
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Starring...

         Sheratan Kasei, a.k.a., Dave Marcello.  MarsAstro!

         Australis Mokusei, a.k.a., Will Richards.  JupiterAstro!

         Nashiran Dosei, a.k.a., Tom Nevison.  SaturnAstro!

         Messuta Suisei, a.k.a., Ron Michaeli.  MercuryAstro!

         Lotia Kinsei, a.k.a., Amy Leven.  VenusAstro!

  and... Commander Leto, a.k.a., Dr. Aaron Hanson.

  Featuring...

         Detective Frank Mahoney and Detective Kathy Sanchez.



Last time on Astroranger

    "That's not the point and you know it, Dave--you should know better than
  to take other people's stuff and use it without their permission," Tom
lectured. 
    "Listen--I'm sorry; but, you never let anybody use your stuff anyway."
    Tom exhaled with disbelief.  "Oh come on!  There are five of us!  If I,
  like you say, wouldn't have let you use my truck, then you could've asked
  Will to use his van--he always lets people borrow it because he works at
  home."
    "Yeah but..."
    "Listen, as much as I am (not) enjoying this, I have to go to a job
  interview in my smashed up truck," Tom said while getting in.  Dave shook
  his head and frowned as Tom drove away.

  Amy wasn't paying attention to the portable television she had on while
  making herself something to eat until the screen froze on a logo.  The
  logo being that of their local news and the text: SPECIAL REPORT.
    "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special report," the
  recorded voice said.

  The pudgy, purple porcupine-like creature featured horns attached to its
  arms and calfs.  Cyborg Sonic's head wolf-like complete with fangs was
  looking around quickly and suspiciously; a navy blue visor over its eyes
  enabled him to scan for radio waves as many lines in the sky with
  different colors indicated different frequencies.  Sonic's exposed spine
  was a long metal rod with thinner rods angularly protruding downward on
  both sides like an outdoor antenna.

  Putting the beeper back into its holder, Tom frowned and took his cellular
  telephone from out of his back pocket and started dialing.  After hitting
  send, he waited a while for his party to answer. 
    "Will, this is Tom; what's going on?"
    "Something on the freeway north of the Southwest Museum is making trucks
  do battle on the road," Will said.  "You better go over there quick."

  Cyborg Sonic bent down and in a swirling tornado of light, became a huge
  spiked ball and began to roll down the freeway.  MarsAstro jerked in his
  seat as he saw the huge ball roll down the freeway.

    "Oh no not again!" MarsAstro said as he leaped away prematurely.
  However, instead of live fire, sound waves flowed from its body's tubes.
  The rings warped the scenery as SaturnAstro writhed.  "Ahhh!!!  My head!!"
    When the red Astroranger landed, he turned around and looked at
  SaturnAstro.  "Nash!" MarsAstro shouted.
    Sonic turned up the volume as the black Astroranger held his head and
  attempted to resist the painful intrusion of the sound waves. 
    "No!!" SaturnAstro groaned.  "What are you doing to me?!"
...
  SaturnAstro's gloved hands reached down for the red Astroranger's
  shoulders and as he tried to strangle MarsAstro, he desperately tried to
  pry the black Astrorangers hands off his white-cushioned neck.
    "Damn it, Nash, stop it!!"
    MarsAstro could do nothing but watch a bright blue ray of electricity
  thrust towards himself.  The red Astroranger was also surrounded by
  several towers of dark yellow sparks exploding skyward, eventually blowing
  him off his feet and into the air.
    "No!!" he yelled before dropping through the dark cloud of smoke and
  into the ground to fall backwards out of sight.

                                   Episode 8:
                               "Saturn Vs. Mars"                              

  ACT I:

     Bushes and the bark on surrounding trees in Arroyo Seco Park north of the
Pasadena Freeway were on fire; the black Astroranger still pointed his
Moleculatom Weapon straight ahead--its tip still smoldering from the terrawatts
that caused the great explosion.  However, as the wind blew the foggy smoke
away, SaturnAstro found nobody there.  Not even the flaming carcass of the red
Astroranger on the burning grass.
  While he stood confused, pondering where he went; MarsAstro was hiding behind
the soundwall of the freeway and waited to see what mind-bent black Astroranger
would do.
  While walking away, SaturnAstro knew that he could not stay hidden forever
and resolved to fight him again and use an even more powerful attack.
  He approached the black HydroCycle and climbed aboard.  MarsAstro watched him
start the ignition of the sonic sounding engine upon him quickly driving away.
  "Commander Leto isn't going to be happy when he hears about this," MarsAstro
said before standing up.  He looked down and also soliloquized, "I've got to go
to the SpaceBase and tell them anyway since that's the only way Nashiran is
ever going to be himself again." The red Astroranger looked up, paused and then
forced himself to run away.
  He climbed aboard the red HydroCycle, started the ignition and drove away.

     The Astroranger SpaceBase, an opal, globe shaped satellite, stayed within
synchronous orbit with the dark-side of the Earth's moon.  Inside, the top
floor marked Deck A on the floor featured a wall showing an active matrix color
monitor with five work stations on the left and right with the whole chamber
illuminated by the entire ceiling.  Messuta sat at the TurboShuttle terminal as
he watched a latitude by longitude map of Los Angeles County with a blue dot
indicating the location of Cyborg Sonic.  Lotia stood behind him and looked
concerned.  "That thing is moving fast."
  "Yeah, but, it is moving in such a way as to not retrace its steps, as if it
were looking for something.  But, the red and purple dots that indicate where
Nash and Sheratan are still haven't returned so I can't tell what it's looking
for," Messuta replied.  He turned around and looked at Australis, standing at
one of the workstations on the right wall.  "Have you located the HydroCycle's
emergency broadcast signal yet?" 
  He shook his head.  "No.  I just lost track of them and that was the end of
it."
  "I don't understand it," Lotia said to him.  "Why would Sheratan and Nashiran
both turn off their homing beacons?"
  Australis looked at her and answered, "That's what I'm going to try and
figure out but you can bet something has seriously gone wrong if either signal
has stopped."  The primary entrance door slid upwards into the wall as Sheratan
exhaustedly walked aboard the deck.
  Lotia's eyes lit up when she saw him and called, "Sheratan!!"
  Australis turned his head and looked in surprise.  "Sheratan," he said while
standing up.  "What happened?  Where's Nashiran?"
  Sheratan stopped to look at Australis and Lotia before Messuta joined them.
"The cyborg we did battle with used some kind of hypnotic sound to make
Nashiran engage me in combat."  Lotia gasped.
  "WHAT?" Messuta asked.
  Sheratan nodded.  "He tried to kill me; his Moleculatom Blaster was set to
maximum power output.  It's a miracle I survived."  Australis looked down took
a deep breath.
  Messuta looked at Australis and spoke up.  "The red HydroCycle might have a
digital sample of the audio wave synthesizes used to brainwash Nashiran.  The
computer can read the contents of the digital message."
  "But it's not machine language," Lotia said. "How in the hell are we going to
figure out what it's trying to tell a humanoid brain??"
  Messuta smiled.  "Thanks to some clever programming, a special filter will
take the digital information and translate it into synaptic code.  The brain
uses synapsis to issue commands for different functions."
  "Motor skills, nerves, memory and the mind itself," Australis reasoned.
  Messuta nodded.  "Exactly.  Once the computer knows what the cyborg ``said''
to Nashiran to get him to obey its commands, I can write new commands, record
it as sound and play it back.  The effects should be immediate but he has to
hear the whole thing in order for him to be told to ignore every last
instruction."
  "Get to work on that, Messuta," Sheratan replied, "the sooner Nash is back on
our side, the better.  He's a powerful fighter but..."  A siren was sounded and
red bars of light blinked on terminals, black panels on the walls as the white
lighting also became slightly red.
  Australis walked up to one of the terminals and changed the screen.  "Uh oh;
Full Stage Red Alert; sector 7G."
  "I'm mapping that location now," Messuta said; he'd already stood in front of
one of the consoles while pressing specific buttons.  "That's in Los Angeles...
La Cienega and Jefferson Boulevards."
  "Hey, wait," Lotia interrupted, "I know what's over there."
  Australis stopped to turned and look at her.  "What?"
  "A radio station," Lotia replied.
  "Oh great," Sheratan said, "now what are we gonna do?  If that thing uses the
transmitter to brainwash the world, who knows what the Nazitans will make
everyone do."
  Australis walked away from the terminals on the right wall.  "I'll deal with
that; you and Lotia need to find Nashiran because we still don't know where he
is and could be anywhere doing who knows what."
  "I'll keep working on decrypting the sonic message," Messuta said.
  Sheratan nodded.  "All right then, now that we've got a plan--it's time to
ChangeForm!"  Lotia brought up her right fist, showing her Zircon GeneGem ring
before Australis and Sheratan did the same.
  "AstroCharge!" Sheratan shouted as the three of them pushed out their fists;
the GeneGems upon their golden rings all shimmered before flashing brilliantly.

     La Cienega Boulevard on the border of Culver City and Los Angeles is where
lies the Radio Station for talk-radio and another for classic Rock 'n Roll.
Across the street is a residential avenue where Cyborg Sonic rolled in as a
gigantic spiked ball.  Rolling to a stop, it transformed into its beast form
and walked across the street.  The drivers all hit their brakes causing the
cars swerve to a stop as a pile up immediately became the result with horns
blaring from being busted and smoke rising from crushed carburetors.
  Reaching the front gate leading to the parking lot, Cyborg Sonic just turned
around and kicked the gate in as an alarm immediately sounded.
  Inside of the lobby of the radio studio, the guard at the front desk looked
at his video display monitor saw Cyborg Sonic walk towards the transmitter.
Another security guard walked in from the double-doors leading into the rest of
the building and saw her partner in the booth's shocked expression.
  "What's wrong, Murphy?"
  "This monster just broke down the gate!!"
  She looked at him with disbelief as she walked over to the desk and looked at
the monitor.  "H'yeah right."
  "Take a look, Julie."
  She watched the monster tear its way towards the transmitter.  "What the..."
Julie squinted to try and comprehend what it was.  "What is that?!"

     Mulholland Drive, a street paved along the winding road on Mount Olympus
of the Verdugo Mountains had the red and pink HydroCycles driving side by side,
traveling southbound.  After VenusAstro looked at her motorcycle's dashboard,
a map on a black screen showed pink and red dots moving when suddenly a blue
square appeared.  The pink Astroranger looked up and radioed, "Sheratan; the
radar found the unique sound of a HydroCycle engine very close to us."
  MarsAstro looked to his left at her and nodded before watching the road
again. "That's probably Nashiran--let's follow the signal." The red Astroranger
shifted his transmission into a higher gear by revving the handle bar and
stepping harder on the accelerator pedal.
  The two HydroCycles drove further down Mulholland Drive, overlooking the
city basin to the south.

   In the large parking lot of the radio station not too far north of Kennith
Hahn State Recreational Area, also on La Cienega Boulevard, Cyborg Sonic walked
up to a tall fence with a sign reading:  WARNING! -- HIGH VOLTAGE!  Being an
inhuman, remote-controlled beast, Sonic couldn't read any Earth languages and
used its big, thin hands to claw the steel fence.
  Arcs of lightning crawled all over its round, purple, cactus needle-skinned
body shortly before sparks snapped off its leathery skin.  It started to scream
as the sparks sprayed from the fence, repelling his entire body backwards into
the air.
  It dropped onto the pavement still smoking while coughing and moaning, "Agh."
Standing up, Cyborg Sonic flexed its arms with anger.  In the air, the
trumpet-like blasters on its arms shined in the sunlight before a horn-like
sound was heard.  It was so strong, yellow rings radiated from Sonic's arms.
  The sound was like a strong gust of wind that broke through the steel fence
that surrounded the transmitter.  Sparks popped from the fence coming apart and
when Sonic stopped, it jumped for joy and leaped forth; but, all of a sudden,
it stopped and jerked back while looking in the sky.
  JupiterAstro somersaulted overhead and out of sight in the clear blue sky.
In the parking lot, JupiterAstro landed and stood up to turn around and assume
his bow & arrow battle position with his Moleculatom Light Dagger in hand.
  Cyborg Sonic turned around after demolishing the smoking fence in front of
the incredibly tall transmitter.
  JupiterAstro straightened up and started shaking his head.  "I don't know
what is up with putting trash on the air but I'm going to do my part to put an
end to it--right now!"
  Cyborg Sonic looked over and started pulling on an instrument bolted to the
pavement.  The metal legs were coming out of the concrete and finally, Sonic
lifted the steel box over its head and threw it.
  Looking up, JupiterAstro ducked while leaping back.  "Uh oh!"  The huge metal
object was coasting through the sky while turning over and over.
  The green Astroranger leaped to the side as the very heavy object crashed
into the ground and busted apart.  JupiterAstro rolled to a stop and aimed
his weapon.  Sonic put up its fists and ran after JupiterAstro while he ran
after the cyborg.
     After passing each other, JupiterAstro turned around to perform
the Jupiter Lightning Stab Maneuver.
  Cyborg Sonic roundhouse-kicked JupiterAstro's blade away before
popping its fists into the green Astroranger's abs.
  While he was stunted, the cyborg smashed its fist across his green
helmet-covered head.
  JupiterAstro was knocked away before tumbling over into the pavement.
     After tumbled over, he turned around and stood on his knee holding
his Moleculatom Weapon.  "Electrocution Ray!" he shouted before a
yellow ray of light shot forth.  It was quickly followed by an almost
white, blue beam of electricity.
  Cyborg Sonic put his hands together at the wrists and used his palms
to divert the electric beams into the pavement.  Sparks harmlessly
ignited from the parking lot beside itself.
  "Huh!?" JupiterAstro gasped.  "Moleculatom Dagger!"  The green Astroranger
twirled the weapon in his white-gloved hand and pushed a button causing the
blade to eject from the handle's base.
     After the green Astroranger leaped in front of Cyborg Sonic, he
cut down against Sonic.  Unfortunately, the cyborg jumped backwards.
  As he tried again and again to slash the cyborg's abdomen, each
attempt ended in failure, for Sonic always managed to leap beyond his
blade's reach.
  JupiterAstro struggled to formulate a strategy to defeat Sonic.
While he paused for a second in thought, Sonic grabbed his arm,
kicked him in the chest, and struck a blow to his head.
  JupiterAstro fell out of the air, hit the asphalt and rolled to a
stop and got up one one knee as he saw Cyborg Sonic began to walk
closer to him.
  "This thing's tough to beat," JupiterAstro said while putting away his
Moleculatom weapon.  After standing up, the green Astroranger wrapped his arms
behind his back and shouted, "Celestial Weapon ThunderBow!"
  He was suddenly armed with the bow and arrow and, as he pulled the
bowstring back, a beam of light formulated an arrow and let go of the
string to shoot the green arrow.
  Cyborg Sonic's chest exploded with sparks as the arrow knifed into his
thick skin causing it to fall down and out of sight.

     Beneath the grass covered hills, bushes and trees of Runyon Canyon Park,
the red and pink Astrorangers ran through the turf before stopping to take a
look around.  MarsAstro took a deep breath looked down.  "Lotia, are you sure
this is where your radar picked up Nashiran's HydroCycle?"
  VenusAstro affirmatively nodded once.  "We drove all the way up to it until
the signal stopped."
  "Maybe he turned off his engine and proceeded on foot but that wouldn't make
any sense.  Unless," MarsAstro interrupted himself; he didn't want to finish
that thought since it were too disturbing to even consider.
  VenusAstro looked over curious, anxious to hear the rest of what he was
saying.  "Unless what?"
  While MarsAstro hesitated to answer, he slightly turned his head before
suddenly looking upward.  "Lotia, look up there!"  She turned around and saw
the black Astroranger standing on the hill not very far above themselves.
  "Nashiran!!" VenusAstro shouted.  "We're here to help!"  SaturnAstro kept
standing there.
  "All right, if he doesn't come to us, we go to him," MarsAstro said,  "Come
on!"  The two of them started running up the hill.
  As they were getting closer to the black Astroranger, suddenly something big
and ugly stepped in their way.
  "'the hell is that?!" MarsAstro asked.  Its abdomen and chest a shiny black
muscular metal, Cyborg Webmaster's arms were covered in brown fur while in its
wolf like head, drool dripped from its exposed fangs.  Webmaster's paws had
cavities in the fleshy palms while claws extended from the fingers.
  VenusAstro looked to MarsAstro asking, "Where did this thing come from?!"
  In the eight, spider-like eyes that even worsened Webmaster's looks, the
cyborg watched VenusAstro form fists and stand ready.
  "I don't know, but I'd sure like to know where it's doing here!"
  Both Astrorangers heard the gears within Cyborg Webmaster turn like a well
oiled machine while the robotic mutant walked with the smooth motion of a
panther--each step producing a heavy sucking sound upon contact.
  "I don't need this," MarsAstro said before putting up his fists.  Cyborg
Webmaster continued to walk much faster as it began to run after him.
  MarsAstro broke his stance shouting, "Let's go!"  The red Astroranger ran
after it before VenusAstro put up her clenched fist and nodded affirmatively.
     The red Astroranger high-kicked at Webmaster before it cartwheeled
out of the way.
  Repeatedly, MarsAstro roundhoused the cyborg's face without taking
effect.
  The red Astroranger stepped back for a moment and then launched his
fist into Webmaster's protruding nose and mouth.
     Unexpectedly--Cyborg Webmaster's paw caught MarsAstro's fist
before holding it firmly.
  MarsAstro was forced to kneel down as Webmaster effortlessly pushed
him down, holding his fist firmly within its own grip.
  Eventually, the cyborg rotated its arm, flipping the red Astroranger
over onto his back.
  "We're not through with you yet!" VenusAstro shouted; Cyborg Webmaster turned
to watch her run after him.
  She jumped into the air and in the sky, she shouted, "Comet Kick!"  The pink
Astroranger leaped into a flying side kick but it was like slamming into a wall
when her white-boot impacted Cyborg Webmaster's black pects.
  In the sky, VenusAstro kick backfired as her arms swung wildly from falling
backwards through the air.
  After she fell, MarsAstro ran up and stopped to clench his fist.  "That's it!
You're toast!"  His white-gloved hand yanked the weapon from his belt's holster
before shouting, "Moleculatom Weapon!"  Bringing it into view, he pushed a
button ejecting the blade into place.  "Dagger mode!"
     The red Astroranger violently came down on Cyborg Webmaster as
sparks blew out of its iron-hard pects.
  MarsAstro turned around and sliced across its abs, sparking off its
chest again.  Utterly unharmed, Webmaster turned to watch him waste his
energy before whacking its paw up against MarsAstro's head.
  The red Astroranger turned a back flip and dropped to the grass.
  VenusAstro was pulling herself up off the ground and noticed what'd happened.
"Sheratan!!" she shouted.  Standing up, she started to run after MarsAstro.
  Kneeling beside him, VenusAstro asked, "Sheratan, are you all right?"
  "I could be better," MarsAstro answered while getting up, "but pretty soon,
he wont be all right at all.  Full power to your Moleculatom Weapon."
  Cyborg Webmaster was dusting off its hands while taking slow, arrogant steps
towards them.
  VenusAstro and MarsAstro held out their weapons as he shouted, "Fire!"  Two
beams of light pulsed through the lot as it hit Cyborg Webmaster dead on.  Dark
yellow sparks exploded from the black metal body armor on its chest and guts as
black smoke rose but it was not even touched as it walked forth and aimed its
muscle-bound arms.


 ACT II:

     In the blue sky--rubber, black skinned, metallic-skeleton automatons had
leaped overhead, flipped over and out of sight in opposite directions. The army
of bladed rifle-toting soldiers surrounded Cyborg Sonic standing in the vast
parking lot of the radio station.  The green Astroranger looked at the Armatons
as they marched towards him.  "Oh-kay!  SpaceBase, this is JupiterAstro."
    Aboard the Astroranger's lunar-orbiting space station--Messuta stripped off
a pair of headphones and pressed a button.  "This is Messuta, go ahead."
  "Messuta, get your butt down here now; there's like a million of these robots
coming after me..."
  "I can't stop now, I've almost got the recording on DAT tape for use in my
portable player," Messuta replied.  "I'll contact Sheratan and Lotia."
  "Hurry!"

    In Runyon Canyon Park in front of a mountain road, Cyborg Webmaster's
multiple rows of eyes illuminated sequentially when suddenly individual pellets
of light showered against the two Astrorangers.  Fountains of sparks blew them
off their feet and back onto the asphalt.
  Webmaster watched when the smoke cleared, showing the two Astroranger laying
on the pavement, not moving.
  "VenusAstro, this is the SpaceBase," Messuta said, "please respond."
  VenusAstro leaned up.  "I'm here, Messuta.  What's going on now?"
  Aboard the SpaceBase, Messuta took a deep breath.  "JupiterAstro is about to
get creamed; he's outnumbered and cornered at the radio station we found the
cyborg at.  You've got to use the HydroCycle to fly over to help."
  VenusAstro looked off to the side.  "But I'm too busy trying to keep Sheratan
from getting his butt kicked by this other cyborg."
  "What other cyborg??"
  "I don't have time to explain--tell Australis I'm on my way, Lotia out," she
replied.  "Sheratan, I gotta go.  Australis is dead meat unless I help him deal
with a ton of robot soldiers attacking him at the radio station."
  MarsAstro nodded.  "Don't worry, Lotia--I can take it from here."
  On the black road where the pink HydroCycle stood on its kickstand,
VenusAstro climbed aboard and started the ignition before driving away.
     With his FireSword in hand, MarsAstro perried into Cyborg
Webmaster, however it turned around and kicked the blade away and
scratched his uniform causing sparks to explode from the friction.
  Still there, MarsAstro spin-kicked Webmaster's second punch away.  He
tried to slice into the cyborg but it used his tough forearm to knock
the sword away, punch MarsAstro across the mask then straight into his
chest causing sparks to explode from the blow.
  MarsAstro fell out of the air and hit the grass to roll over.
     All of a sudden, SaturnAstro had leaped into the sky and
somersaulted out of sight.
  SaturnAstro's fist slammed MarsAstro across the helmet but he
roundhouse-kicked the black Astroranger's second punch.
  MarsAstro ducked a spin-kick but his shoulder caught his hand's chop;
the red Astroranger was knocked into a tumble.
  Running past SaturnAstro was Cyborg Webmaster which jumped into the air.
  As MarsAstro pulled his sore self off the mountain road, he looked up
to find Webmaster landing with his paws ready.  "Oh no!"
     The red Astroranger was smothered by the cyborg and forced to
stand up.  Still holding onto MarsAstro's shoulders, Webmaster jumped
_really_ high into the sky.
  In midair--Cyborg Webmaster let go of him and allowed him to free
fall out of the sky.                                                          
     The red Astroranger fell through high voltage cables tied to metal
towers causing sparks to violently spray from the wires getting pulled
down by his body.
  Cyborg Webmaster landed on the ground as MarsAstro's smoking body
dropped into the grass.
  He got up again with the aide of his sword breathing hard.  "I've got
to--hold this thing off--until--the others can get here; it's _too_ powerful!"
Webmaster stood there as MarsAstro finally got up.
  "The Mars FireSword ought to make short work of you!" he shouted but he
suddenly noticed the black Astroranger running after him.  MarsAstro turned and
said.  "Son of a bitch!  This is too much!"
  SaturnAstro jumped super into the sky and, overhead, he somersaulted through
the sky.  His two white boot-covered feet bounced off the side of a tree.
  Rapidly ascending into the sky, the black Astroranger came flying forth with
both feet out.
  After two boots kicked MarsAstro in the chest, the red Astroranger was
launched backwards into the sky.
  The red Astroranger's shiny-uniformed body crashed through garbage cans, he
fell out onto the ground with a dust cloud from the impact.
  When the SaturnAstro landed beside Cyborg Webmaster, it brought up its fists
upon opening them and holding them out.  As the cavities within the palms of
its paws began to open up, they spun a white, sticky thread that came flying
out.
  "Hey!  What is this??"  MarsAstro waved his hands through the air to try and
fight off the glue-like string falling on him but he was already quickly
tangled in a web.
  The red Astroranger hit the ground while being wrapped up in the web.  "Ugh!"

     The opal, sphere shaped space station within the dark shade of the Earth's
moon came in to view while, aboard the Astroranger SpaceBase--Messuta stuck in
a 4mm digital audio tape in his portable DAT player and stuffed it in his white
jacket.  "There's no telling what SaturnAstro is going to do to Sheratan if
this doesn't work."  He stood up and walked into the center of the primary deck
before taking a deep breath.  "Here I go.  ChangeForm to MercuryAstro!" he
shouted before raising his right fist.
  "AstroCharge!"  Messuta pushed forth the golden ring on his fist before the
diamond Genesis gemstone flashed brightly.

     In the parking lot of the radio station, JupiterAstro performed multiple
backward hand-springs while the Armatons continuously fired what would be
rounds of ammunition in the form of laser pellets after him.  Sparks exploded
all around him when finally he was hit by one of the cyan bullets and hit the
ground to roll out.
  Cyborg Sonic stepped out of the crowd of Armatons as it pointed its bodily
horns and fired away.  Two huge towers of sparks exploded where JupiterAstro
stood as he was blown off his feet and hit the ground.  The Armatons took their
rifles and activated the dagger of their weapon making them into swords as
they charged after JupiterAstro.
  "I could _really_ use the others right now," JupiterAstro said as he went
into his battle position.
  Like lightning, JupiterAstro's straight on, full-power attack blocked
Armatons' blades left and right as he stomped, jabbed, punched and kicked them
away.
  JupiterAstro prepared himself for the next onslaught of Armatons when one
came after him swinging its fist.  He ducked then kicked its arm away.
  "Great Red Spot tackle!" he shouted as he jumped up and locked the Armaton
into a scissor-kick flipping it over onto its back smashing its body against
the ground.
  Cyborg Sonic put his arms in the air, letting all the thin tubes that covered
its body produce different horn-like sounds with notes that were sour.
  That hideous noise began to fill the air as JupiterAstro grabbed his head,
resisting the painful intrusion into his mind.
  "Oh no!" JupiterAstro was brought to the ground while continuing to remain in
control.  "You're--not gonna get me!!" he groaned while clenching his fist.
Cyborg Sonic walked closer to make the sound louder for the green Astroranger.
  All of a sudden, in the sky, the pink HydroCycle flew in overhead with
VenusAstro in its driver seat.  At her terminal, she pushed a key on her
dashboard.  "Moleculatom Gun!"  No sooner than said, a barrel extended itself
from the hood of her flying motorcycle.  "Fire!" she said upon pushing another
key.
  While driving through the parking lot, the barrel shot bright pink bolts of
light into the ground.
  Cyborg Sonic was surrounded by several powerful explosions as he rolled away
from the scene smoking.
  The pink HydroCycle screeched to a halt before VenusAstro climbed off her
bike and ran to JupiterAstro.  Kneeling beside him, she asked  "Australis, say
something."
  "Lotia, thank goodness you're here" he said nodding while trying to stand.
  VenusAstro looked down.  "I would have been here sooner but Sheratan and I
got ambushed with a surprise cyborg when trying to find Nashiran."
  "Oh no.  In that case, it looks like we're on our own."
  VenusAstro nodded.  "Take no prisoners."  They both split up as they attacked
the Armatons.  VenusAstro locked joints with the Armatons as she took them over
her shoulder--smashing them against the ground. JupiterAstro used his lightning
quick speed to block the kicks and punches from the Armaton Soldiers while he
used high and low spinning kicks to knock them off their feet.  VenusAstro
continued her attack by throwing the Armatons through the air and into the
crowd approaching her.

     Pluto--the gray, ice covered planet remained in the slow distant and orbit
only to receive a fraction of the sun's heat and light.  Beneath the surface, a
massive bunker housed the Nazitan outpost installed by their battleship.
Within the primary chamber, torches were mounted upon the brown, stone walls of
the oval room.  The ceiling was a dark, crystal dome and, on one end of the
chamber, a stage that supported a large iron clad throne.  Toward the steps was
a gray crystal ball that was held up by a clay-like pedestal.
  Adol watched the two Astrorangers beat up the Armaton soldiers without much
concern at all.  "Without the entire task force, they cannot form their
robot--the only thing that can stop my titan."
  From out of the shadows, Adol walked in beneath a single light from above as
he approached the glowing crystal ball on its stone pedestal.  It gleamed in
the light before a skeletal shadow was cast over the gas-filled sphere by the
boney hand of Adol the Great.  When he waved his black, pin-wheeled wand, Adol
to speak.  "Cyborg Sonic:  by the power of Lord Vahorra, magnify your size one
hundred fold!  Augment your strength one thousand fold!  Grow, my warrior,"
Adol commanded; the wheel on his wand began to spin on its own as fog blew like
the wind.  "Grow tall, cyborg and become...  Titan-Sonic!"  The pinwheel on his
wand spun even harder, showering his crystal ball with purple bits of light.
The energy passed through the smooth, transparent surface of the sphere and
bombard the cybernetic creature pictured on that crystal ball.
    Standing in the grass within parking lot of the radio station--Cyborg Sonic
put his arms in the air as the intense stream of energy showered its body.
  Sonic's legs started vibrating from the muscles within rapidly expanding on
both the left and then the right side.
  Bent over, Titan-Sonic uncrossed its arms while standing up, lifting its
big round body over a hundred meters into the sky.
  VenusAstro kicked an Armaton across the face but noticed that the sun was
blocked by the titan's shadow as she turned look at the towering mutant beast.
"Australis!!!"
  "What??" JupiterAstro asked, not noticing while fighting off the resilient
Armatons, "woah!" he said immediately noticing the giant sized Cyborg Sonic
starring the practically microscopic Astrorangers below in the lot.

     In Runyon Canyon Park, MarsAstro continued to struggle in the web that was
nailing him to the asphalt.  "Nashiran, do something!!"  SaturnAstro merely
joined Cyborg Webmaster as they marched ever closer to MarsAstro as he pondered
what they would do to him. As they walked, SaturnAstro suddenly stopped to look
into the sky.
  The white Astroranger was cannonball somersaulting overhead repeatedly before
he came up shouting, "Hermes Winged Ankle Kick!"  In midair, MercuryAstro had
kicked down both Cyborg Webmaster and SaturnAstro's in chests.
  He somersaulted backwards onto his feet before posing with a portable Sony
DAT player in his white, gloved fist.  "Sheratan!"  MercuryAstro ran over to
him, entangled in the cyborg's webs.
  He knelt down beside MarsAstro and looked back and forth.  "I'll help you out
as soon as I can but I've got to play this for Nash."
  "Just shut up and do it!" MarsAstro replied.  MercuryAstro nodded and looked
to find the cyborg and their fellow Astroranger.
  "Uh oh!"  SaturnAstro and Cyborg Webmaster were running as fast as they could
after their new target--the white Astroranger.
     MercuryAstro ducked SaturnAstro's saturn ring kick and cartwheeled
away from a high kick.
  The white Astroranger's right forearm blocked Webmaster's chop but it
quickly used its other arm to bat his sky high before jamming its fist
in his abs.  When MercuryAstro was forced to bow over, Webmaster's hand
chopped his back, forcing him to stumble away.
  Meanwhile, SaturnAstro appeared in the sky with a flying sidekick
into the white Astroranger's mask.
  Amazingly, the black Astroranger was sent flying over MercuryAstro's
head when he used to his hands to push SaturnAstro's body.
  "Yeah!" MarsAstro shouted.
  The white Astroranger's arms lock down SaturnAstro's shoulders but he
broke free and punched him twice in the abs.
  Pointing his fingers in a peculiar way, SaturnAstro rapidly struck
his arms and knocked on MercuryAstro's chest with his knuckles.
  The black Astroranger turned around, dropped low and quickly used the
tips of his fingers to hit three particular parts of his leg.
  SaturnAstro stood up and used both hands to chop the white
Astroranger's shoulders.
  "AAHHH!!" MercuryAstro shouted as he fell out of sight.  On the grass, the
white Astroranger layed their, cringing while trying to move.
  "Nash!!  What did you do to me!" he shouted; MercuryAstro was numb in
certain parts of his body while others were in pain--in all, leaving him
paralyzed in key areas.
  Cyborg Webmaster pulled his arm back before opening his paw, launching a web
made of light that rapidly grew as it shot through the air.  The white
Astroranger watched helplessly as the net fell out of the sky.
  "Oh no!"  MercuryAstro used his fingers to claw out of the web pinning him to
the grass but it was very solid now.  "Gotta get outta here!"
  Webmaster and SaturnAstro were walking towards the trapped red and white
Astrorangers with the intent to kill.
  "Please work," MercuryAstro gasped while pushing the 'Play' button on the DAT
portable player.  A harmonic sound in the key of F major sharply rang out and,
the black Astroranger suddenly stopped walking.  He looked down and looked off
to the side.
  From his point of view, SaturnAstro was beginning to see in double, fuzzy
double which began to go negative in color.  A slow flash of light occurred
before images began to change very, very rapidly.  Images of everything that
had happened until Cyborg Sonic pointed its arm-mounted trumpets at him.
  In another slow flash, the black Astroranger was looking at his right and
left fists while taking deep breaths. "Oh no," he moaned.  Looking up suddenly,
he jerked from watching Cyborg Webmaster walk towards his fellow Astrorangers
cocooned in its webs.
  SaturnAstro clenched his fist.  "I've got to fix this!!"  He ran out of sight
and down the hill towards Cyborg Webmaster.
  Webmaster's back was turned while he was being charged after from behind.
It was too late when the cyborg turned around; the black Astroranger was
already in midair with his leg spinning overhead.  "Saturn Ring Kick!!!"
  The wolf-headed cyborg found SaturnAstro's white boot slamming up against its
dark face, knocking Webmaster out of sight.                                   
  In midair, Cyborg Webmaster curled over before hitting a tree and dropping
out of sight.
  "Celestial Weapon!"  SaturnAstro held up his black scythe before swinging the
double-bladed weapon into the air.  "Battle Scythe double strike!"   After the
silver blade of the black scythe came by the white tissue binding MarsAstro,
they'd suddenly come apart in a straight line.
  The white web covering MercuryAstro was split up the middle by the scythe
flying by.  He leaned up, covering his left shoulder with his right hand.
  The Battle Scythe returned to SaturnAstro as he caught it.  "Sheratan!
Messuta!"  He ran after them while MarsAstro helped MercuryAstro to stand.
  "Messuta, I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"
  MercuryAstro shook his head.  "I'll be all right; just a little sore."
  "After I saw what I saw, I could never be more grateful you're on our side,
Nash," MarsAstro said. "Now, to get rid of this cyborg so we can help Lotia and
Australis."  Cyborg Webmaster used its hands to shift its head back into place
after its head was snapped out of alignment with its neck.  Just then, it began
to charge for the Astrorangers.
  As the two of them were about to move ahead, the black Astroranger stretched
out his hand.  He put his hand on his chest and said, "No, I've got this one."
     The peculiar symbol of Saturn appeared before the beautiful planet itself
appeared in a display of stars in outer space.
  Rising from below, the black Astroranger took his battle pose while holding
up his Celestial Weapon.  "Saturn Ring BattleScythe Strike!" SaturnAstro called
out as blue arcs of lightning struck blades of his scythe.  The blades were
glowing purple as the black Astroranger had cast his scythe skyward.
  The spinning scythe became a purple glowing disc that came flying downward.
Cyborg Webmaster stopped running to find out what that was coming after itself.
  All of a sudden, the top half of the black cyborg was split up the middle by
the razor sharp laser disc suddenly burrowing through its chest.  Sparks were
shooting up out of Cyborg Webmaster's body like a fountain. And soon enough, it
ignited into fire that blasted Webmaster's body parts into the grass.
  With the red and white Astrorangers standing beside him, SaturnAstro watched
the flames of its carcass as they reflected off of his shiny black helmet.

     In the radio station's parking lot, the two Astrorangers saw the backside
of Titan-Sonic as it moved to the back lot of the radio station.
VenusAstro tried to see what it was doing.  "Why did it all of a sudden change
course and go to the back lot instead of continue with trying to pirate that
broadcast tower?"
  "Because there is a dish back there that transmits audio signal to a
satellite orbiting the Earth--if we don't form AstroMan and right away, it will
succeed in brainwashing the whole nation if not the world!" JupiterAstro said.
  "To the roof!" VenusAstro said and after putting her two boots together, she
jumped into the air.  In the sky, the pink and green Astrorangers rapidly
ascended in front of the radio station before landing on top of the building,
out of sight.
  Running to the rear edge of the studio's roof, they watched as Titan-Sonic
tore out bundles of thick cables causing sparks to explode everywhere.
  "This station is going to have one humongous repair bill when that's finished
eating its equipment," VenusAstro said.
  JupiterAstro drew his blaster and adjusted it.  "Lotia, set your Moleculatom
Light Blaster to full power--we've got to try and distract it a little by
causing pain," JupiterAstro said upon finishing.  "Perhaps we can slow it down
until Messuta can help Nashiran."
  VenusAstro nodded.  "All set, Australis."
  "Fire!"  Both Astrorangers pointed their weapons and fired a strong beam of
yellow then electric blue into the titan cyborg; like thunder, an enormous boom
was heard as the lightning like beams toasted its dark purple armor.  Sparks
exploded as white puffs of smoke rose from its burn marks.  Titan-Sonic
turned around and looked at the Astrorangers as they both jumped back.
  "Oh no, we must've made it mad," VenusAstro said.  Titan-Sonic started to
point its arms; both of the Astrorangers jumped back further preparing to get 
blown off.
  "What was your first clue??" JupiterAstro asked sarcastically.  Suddenly,
bolts of light hit Titan-Sonic as its body exploded with sparks and fell
down.
  "What?" VenusAstro gasped when she looked up and saw the three Astrorangers
on the red, black and white HydroCycles approaching by air.
  "Sheratan!  Nashiran!" JupiterAstro shouted.  In the parking lot, the three
HydroCycles were landing while their wings had retracted into place.
  VenusAstro and JupiterAstro jumped down off the top of the roof and joined
them.  "We need to form AstroMan--Right Now," JupiterAstro said.
  MercuryAstro nodded.  "I know.  The cyborg didn't do it yet, did it?"
  "No, we distracted it for a few more seconds before you arrived," VenusAstro
said.
  MarsAstro stepped in front of them as they saw an increasingly irate
Titan-Sonic.  "Good, then, let's get this party started."
  "Galaxy Task Force Command--Astro Shuttles Blast Off!" they all shouted.
  In the zero-gravity take-off bay at the bottom of the SpaceBase, the force
field maintaining air-pressure inside of the take-off bay was activated.  The
doors began to open, showing Earth in outer space, as indicated by the warning
signal.  The afterburners flared with rocket propulsion prior to moving the two
shuttles, two rockets and one space shift out of the shuttle bay.
    In outer space, the five AstroShuttles had left the take-off bay as the
SpaceBase became invisible again.  The fleet began to travel towards the planet
Earth at maximum velocity.
  In the city--MarsAstro was joined by the others while they watched the green
CommandShuttle lead the red CombatShuttle, pink RescueShuttle, white
TurboShuttle and black SolarShuttle fly between skyscrapers.
  "All aboard!" the red Astroranger called out as they crossed their arms.  The
team became glowing spheres of light prior to traveling towards the cockpits of
the shuttle fleet.
  Within the CombatShuttle's cockpit indicated by the Mars insignia, MarsAstro
had materialized before sitting in his seat.  The chair lowered onto the floor
and rolled forth while the console slid towards him.  "CombatShuttle manned."
  A simultaneous view of the other four seated Astrorangers showed them being
lowered into place.
  "Merge to form AstroMan," MarsAstro commanded.  Seeing all five cockpits, one
could see the white gloves of the Astroranger's fists pulling back a large
black lever.
  Red and Pink Shuttles landed on the ground as feet and legs while green
CommandShuttle's nose folded under the ventral hull while its jet packs slid on
to the sides to become shoulders. Arcs of lightning had carefully connected the
spacecraft to the legs, forming the torso.
  Inside--tracks in tubes running throughout the interior of the massive robot
carried chairs with each Astroranger to the central cockpit.
  Meanwhile, the forming robot gained a white aura when the rockets white
TurboShuttle and black SolarShuttle hooked up to the shoulders.  Both had
extended in the middle to form elbows while black fists of iron ejected out of
the afterburners.
  AstroMan's head ascended from between its shoulders--through its red visor,
one could see the Astroranger battle team rising into place.  On the bottom
level, JupiterAstro and SaturnAstro occupied the control bank there while the
top bank was manned by VenusAstro and MercuryAstro.  MarsAstro manned the
middle and center station and placed his hands on the controls.  "Merging
sequence complete."
  Now seeing all of the multi-colored robot, its fists' knuckles were together;
AstroMan's red visor gleamed before twinkling in the upper corner when
bringing its fists apart.  Magically, a field of stars in outer space appeared
behind AstroMan showing the planets Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
    Titan-Sonic charged after AstroMan.  After locking arms on contact,
they broke away as Sonic unleashed a fast punch sparking off on
AstroMan's chest.
  AstroMan tried to come nearer but the titan turned around and back
kicked it in the abdomen causing more sparks to explode.
     Titan-Sonic attempted to punch AstroMan but it blocked and smashed
in Sonic's chest with its huge black fist causing sparks to explode
from the blow.
  AstroMan let the titan cyborg have another fist as sparks broke out
of Sonic's shoulder.
     Titan-Sonic backed off for a moment to collect itself before
pulling up its arms and pointing them straight ahead.  The tubes all
over its round body began to generate a high-pitched tone that sounded
like a drill.
  Inside the cockpit of AstroMan, the Astrorangers were rocked in their seats
by the vibration of the sound.
  "Messuta, what's happening?" MarsAstro asked.  MercuryAstro shrugged.
  "I think the titan cyborg is attempting to rock apart AstroMan using audio
vibrations," SaturnAstro reported.  "At this rate, we're going to come
un-glued!"
  "The shields have failed to come up," VenusAstro reported as well, "they
can't establish anti-graviton fields!"
  "Suggestions?" MarsAstro asked.
  "Maybe we can reflect the sound off the Delta Shield?" VenusAstro suggested.
  "The sound recording appears to be coming from circuits in its chest,"
Jupiterastro interjected.  "We need to use the Visor Ray to burn it up."
  MarsAstro nodded affirmatively.  "Do it."
     With its fists over its face, AstroMan took them away before pointing its
head forward and firing a yellow ray from the entirety of its visor.
  The ray turned Titan-Sonic's chest red hot as melted brown goo came
pouring out of gills between its chest and abdomen.
  Inside of the cockpit, VenusAstro reacted with revulsion.  "Oh that's
disgusting."
  "I guess that's what happens when you melt something's guts," MarsAstro said.
"Okay everybody, let's finish this.  AstroMan: activate SunSabre!"
AstroMan drew a bladeless hilt from its left  hip and  waved it  to its  right.
A beam of light shot out of the hilt which dissolved into a single-sided sword.
  "SunSabre SuperNova!" the Astrorangers shouted.
     AstroMan held the sword's guard before its face as the visor sent a slow,
wide beam of light into the base of the SunSabre's blade.  This caused a yellow
beam to flow to the very tip of the sword.
  While standing in front of a field of stars in space, AstroMan swung the
sword around in a 360-degree circle with its blade of light forming an image of
the zodiac.  And, as the giant, multi-colored warrior Robot held the SunSabre
high, AstroMan cut straight down through the center of the circle.
  A yellow streak of light sliced diagonally through Titan-Sonic's body,
paralyzing it long enough as sparks rapidly burst from several parts of itself.
  AstroMan saluted Cyborg Sonic as it fell backwards like a statue and
spontaneously combusted into a fire-filled explosion, pushing black smoke into
the sky.

     That evening, it was a clear but star studded spring night sky with a cool
breeze to compliment the warm air in the Hollywood hills.  There, where the
house to the five undercover Astrorangers lived, the porch light was still on.
Inside, Tom looked through the front window through the curtains and soon
stepped away.  Shaking his head, he looked at Amy who was sitting on her heels
on the couch.
  "Still no sign of him, Tom?"
  "No."  Tom sighed as he went to go sit down on the easy chair.  "Ah, maybe
the truck was stolen.  That'd be too bad."
  "Hey, if push came to shove, you could always ride my bike," Amy said.  Tom
grinned at Amy.  "Thanks for trying, friend.  Unfortunately--I don't think a
bicycle basket can carry a lawn mower."
  "Oh well, it'll work out--don't worry," Amy said as she stood up.  "Anyway,
I'm going up stairs to my room."
  "Okay--seeya," Tom said.  Moments after Amy started up the stairs, Tom's
truck horn honked twice outside.  Tom wrinkled his forehead with confusion when
he unlocked and opened the front door.
  "I hope I'm just hearing things," he said as he walked down the steps and
down the walk.  Looking around, he found his black truck double parked outside.
Tom shook his head and frowned.  ``If Sheratan is in there, I don't know what
I'm gonna do to him.''  The doors opened as Will, Ron and Dave got out of the
three door truck.
  "Oh--Will, I can't believe you and Ron are in on this too," Tom said.  "What
is this?  Some kind of conspiracy to have a joy ride in my truck?  You guys do
have your own vehicles you know."
  "Relax, Tom," Will said to him.
  "Yeah--really," Ron chimed in.  "There's no conspiracy to do anything other
than to help out Dave here."  Tom just looked at Will.
  "It's a surprise, You," Will said.  "Dave went to have your truck fixed--we
even helped pay extra to have the vehicle done _today_ instead of tomorrow so
you wouldn't worry too much about where it is, Tom."
  "I figured since I messed up your truck, I should pay to get it fixed," Dave
said.
  "You could've just given me the money but..."  Ron gestured a grin towards
Tom who smiled with defeat.  "I'm glad you fixed it."
  "Listen, Tom--I'm sorry I took your truck without asking first.  You know my
excuses but oh well..."
  "Well, you fixed my truck's tail lights and hopefully have learned from your
mistake so what's past has passed."  Will looked at Tom expectantly.
  Tom didn't have a clue.  "What?"
  "Don't you have something to apologize for?" Will pressured.
  Tom sighed.  "I'm sorry for losing my temper as well, Dave--you had a reason
for what you did and since you weren't trying to be irresponsible, I guess I
was a little hard on you."
  "Heh--it wouldn't be you otherwise," Dave said as he grinned.

                                                           TO BE CONTINUED    

In next week's episode of Galaxy Task Force Astroranger. . .

The Nazitans finally learn of the ancient race of dinosaurs that once roamed
the Earth through locating a fossilized egg somewhere in the city. Cyborg Ninja
stalks Los Angeles to find it in Episode #9, "Invisible Forces"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Galaxy Task Force Astroranger" is a trademark of Artist Bros. Enterprises. The
above text is protected under laws of the  United States  and other  countries.
Unauthorized duplication,  distribution  or  exhibition  may  result  in  civil
liability and criminal prosecution. Copyright (c)1997 Artist Bros. Enterprises,
Artist Bros. Music and Dairenn Lombard.  All Rights Reserved.  Country Of First
Publication: United States of America.  Artist Brothers and Dairenn Lombard are
the author of the preceding text.  The characters and events depicted  in  this
story are fictional.  Any  similarity to  actual  persons,  living or dead,  is
purely coincidental and unintentional.  This copyright notice does  not  extend
to infringe upon the  existing  copyrights for `Super-Sentai' titles maintained
by  Toei Company LTD., Toei Agency, Toei International, Asahi-TV, Marvel Comics
and Ishimori Productions.                                               [TV-PG]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------