[970512]
                                                                      [Preview]
The pink Astroranger attempts to fight Ginara after hijacking a boat to find an
egg of crucial importance to the Nazitans, for it contains the dinosaur Pleadia
will use against the battle team.  Meanwhile, they're attempting to prevent the
maniacal Cyborg Pyro from burning down the city in episode 18, "A Tyrannosaurus
Wreck" next.


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!

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

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

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

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

  Featuring...

         Detective Frank Mahoney and Detective Kathy Sanchez.



Last time on Astroranger:

    "Well, until you get to speak your mind, you're going to
  deteriorate--trust me on that," Amy said.  "I believe that if she is
 humane as you hope, Beverly will respect you."
    Dave nodded and smiled.  "Thanks."  Amy walked out of his room and
  closed the door behind herself.  Dave looked down and pondered what they
  discussed as he nodded to himself and then picked up his telephone.

  Suddenly, a massive, fire-filled explosion occurred behind them as they
  both turned around.  A car at a gas-station was already in the air after
  having been blasted into the sky by the gasoline explosion.
    "Holy smoke, what did that??" Ron asked.
    "That," Will said as he pointed to a 7-foot tall mutant with red, tight
  but wrinkled skin.  Cyborg Pyro, a humanoid dragon waved its sharp-clawed
  paws and it snapped its leather-like tail as it got Will and Ron directly
  in its sights.  They noticed it walking on a straight course for them.
    Ron looked at Will.  "What's it doing?"
    "I don't know but we better move!"  Will shouted as they split up.
  Pushing its head forth, this hideous beast opened up its mouth and
  unleashed a napalm-like flow of fire.  An explosion of fire blew Ron onto
  his back into the grass.
    Will tumbled over and got up on one knee to see Ron surrounded by small
  fires in the grass.  "Ron!!  You okay!?"
    "Barely!"

  Tom nodded.  "Yeah--we'll be there...  Bye."  He put his phone into his
  shirt pocket.  "I gotta go get Dave; William and Ron are in big trouble."
    Amy put down the clothes and rolled down her sleeves.  "What's
  happening?"
    "It looks like they're getting their butts kicked by this fire breathing
  cyborg," Tom replied.  "Commander Leto also mentioned an extraterrestrial
  disturbance somewhere in Marina Del Rey."

    At sea was a boat with its navigator already unaware of the battlefield
  that the Marina became.
    Ginara grinned and nodded.  "Good.  Now for what I came for!" Ginara
  said as she looked out to sea.
    Outside, the window in the cabin's wall exploded with the boat owner's
  body busting through it.
  From out of the sky, the pink HydroCycle's wings were retracting as the
  motorcycle's tires made contact with the deck.
    She grabbed the handle of the cabin door and opened it; inside,
  VenusAstro carefully walked inside of the cabin, looking back and forth.
  Inside, she saw no one but as she walked further inside, Ginara was
  waiting for her.
    She jumped off of a shelf by the door behind the pink Astroranger and
  when VenusAstro turned around and said, "Huh?" Ginara side-kicked her
  against the wall.

    MercuryAstro pointed.  "There's Will!"  The four of them ran over to
  him, kneeling in the grass on the sidewalk before the white Astroranger
  tried to help him stand.  "Are you okay?"
    "I survived but those guys didn't," Will replied.  "This guy is tough.
  It was as if I weren't any stronger than the average person."
      Putting its paws over its snout, Cyborg Pyro pulled its arms away,
  allowing flames to rush out of its nostrils.  Two explosions behind and in
  front of the Astroranger task force filled with fire blew them off their
  feet, sending them twirling in midair and falling to the pavement.

    "Bye, bye, pink Astroranger."  Ginara pulled on the whip, sending
  VenusAstro's body soaring into the air.  The other side of the already
  broken cabin window was bashed in by VenusAstro's body crashing through.
    Outside, Ginara said, "That egg is _mine_!"  Clenching her fist, she
  turned around and jumped into the air.  In the sky, the silver-armored
  ninja-styled warrior somersaulted out of sight and dove, head first into
  the ocean.  Inside of the cabin, VenusAstro layed on the floor motionless.

    "Hey, where the devil is the cyborg?" asked JupiterAstro.
    "What?  You mean it isn't here?" MercuryAstro said as he started to get
  up. 
    "We need to find him right away," JupiterAstro said.
    SaturnAstro walked up to his black HydroCycle he'd driven their with the
  red Astrorangers.  "According to this, it is heading east of here,
  somewhat further south.  I'd estimate over five kilometers from our
  location."
    "That sounds like downtown," MercuryAstro added.
    Suddenly realizing, MarsAstro sharply shifted his head.  "Oh NO!"
    "What?" JupiterAstro asked.
    MarsAstro looked at him.  "Beverly lives up there!"


                                   Episode 18
                             "A Tyrannosaurus Wreck"                          

 ACT I:

     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.  And by the main entrance, the door, a
section of the wall, slid up as Lotia and Commander Leto walked inside.  "And
you couldn't find her after you came to."
  "Right.  Commander, I'm sorry," Lotia replied, "Ginara got away because I
didn't ask Nashiran to come with me."
  Commander Leto shook his head.  "The arsonist cyborg on Earth was too great a
threat to subtract man-power for a suspect situation; nobody knew Ginara
hijacked a boat.  All we did know was that it was nearly impossible for
Australis alone to handle the cyborg."
  "Yeah, but why is Ginara hijacking a boat?  What's the point of that?"
  Leto shook his head.  "Maybe she needed a way to get far enough out at sea
faster than her own swimming could accommodate."
  "Oh no," Lotia replied.  She smacked her lips, suddenly realizing what all of
this means.  "Commander, she's got it."
  "Got what?"
  "The dinosaur egg," Lotia answered.  "She stole the boat to get out to sea
because that's where she lost the egg the last time.  Remember when Sheratan
rescued us from the monster putting everyone to sleep with fog?"
  Commander Leto nodded, "Yes, I remember that; you and even that police
officer from Los Angeles, Tenmei, got out after the cyborg had overloaded and
blew up."
  "Right," Lotia replied.  "Afterwards, we found out Ginara was at the beach
and when we fought her, she lost the egg at sea."  Commander Leto began to
visualize the story that Messuta told him in his oral report . . . 

   "Procyon Galaxy Stars!" Ginara shouted while holding a fist full of
 snow-flake shaped discs of razor-sharp metal.  "Yah!!"  After casting them
 forth, the sky was filled the discs raining down like hail.
   When the metallic debris showered the white and pink Astrorangers on the
 beach, multiple bursts of sparks broke out of their shiny uniforms and the
 sand they eventually fell into.
   "Yes...  I've got what we need to finally end this!" Ginara said, picking
 the egg up from out the sand.  "Goodbye forever, Astrorangers!!"
   "Oh no you don't!"  VenusAstro got up on one knee and shouted, "Moleculatom
 Blaster!"  Running, Ginara didn't see VenusAstro standing on a knee shooting
 a beam of electricity that caught up with her in the blink of an eye.
   A yellow beam of light pulsed through the blue sky then becoming replaced
 by a bright blue beam of electricity.  The electricity drilled Ginara's back
 and sparks fried her armor, knocking her into a tumble.
   In the sky, the egg flew through the sky and hit the ocean as it floated
 out to sea.
   "No!!" Ginara shouted.  "UGH!" she fumed, pounding the sand with her fist.

  Commander Leto nodded.  "She vowed to get that egg and that the next time, we
wouldn't be able to stop her."
  Lotia took a deep breath and nodded once.  "Something tells me we're in big
trouble."

     Surrounded by several apartment buildings reaching towards the sky, Cyborg
Pyro was seen flaming away at buildings.  Meanwhile, people ran away screaming
as they tried avoid all the fire everywhere.  Police cars were screeching to a
halt as they got out and started firing at the cyborg.  Cyborg Pyro stopped for
a moment to turn to the offensive.  It put its paws over its snout and released
a wave of fire that blew the officers back onto the ground.  More fire engines
rolled down the street along with paramedics down another street.  The
Astrorangers' HydroCycles drove further up the street as the Astrorangers saw
debris on the road ahead from burnt structures collapsing.
  "Aw, this sucks!" MarsAstro said while stopping his bike. "Nashiran, Messuta,
Australis; where is Lotia??"
  "I don't know, Sheratan," MercuryAstro replied.
  "She was sent to Marina Del Rey to investigate a disturbance in the area,"
SaturnAstro stepped forth and answered.  "Since then, we've been busy."
  MarsAstro shook his head.  "Unacceptable.  We need her if we're going to take
on that monster burning down the damn city and expect to come close to
succeeding."
  JupiterAstro turned and pointed.  "We'll worry about that later, 'cause here
it comes!"  Surrounded by flames, Cyborg Pyro marched towards them with the
heat warping its appearance.  The red, humanoid dragon-like beast stepped past
the smoldering debris ready to destroy the task force, taking no prisoners.
  JupiterAstro looked at their red leader and said, "We'll need some tools for
this job."
  MarsAstro nodded. "Celestial Weapons!"  The red Astroranger wrapped his hands
behind his back and drew his red FireSword.
  The remainder of the task force drew the white PowerStaff, black BattleScythe
and green ThunderBow.
  MarsAstro brought the FireSword beside his helmet.  "Let's nail 'em!"  Three
of them charged ahead with the red Astroranger following them.
     As they attacked the beast one by one, Cyborg Pyro's claws and
tail knocked their weapons out of the way, leaving them open to its
strikes.  Every claw and tail-whipping resulting in a bright yellow
flash preceding sparks, bursting from the Astroranger's shiny uniforms.
  In the sky, the black and white Astrorangers somersaulted past each
other in opposite directions as JupiterAstro sailed in midair between
them, firing an arrow from his green ThunderBow.
  Miraculously--the air split apart into five separate bolt of
lightning that caused towers of sparks to burst skyward like a
fountain, knocking Pyro down.
  "It's about time we got the upper hand," MarsAstro said as they all
collected around him.
  Cyborg Pyro immediately lurched upwards onto its feet again and fired
a stream of flame from its snout.  All the Astrorangers leaped in
opposite direction after the ground had exploded with fire.
  When MercuryAstro when rolling away from the flames in the street, he
hit the curb and stopped.  Looking up, the white Astroranger shouted,
"It's running away again!"
  "It's off to torch more buildings!" JupiterAstro assumed.
  SaturnAstro shook his head.  "Talk about your one track mind!"
  Cyborg Pyro looked up to an old, tall skyscraper made of bricks and
inhaled before exhaling a napalm-like stream of fire that set the back
of the apartment building on fire.
  MarsAstro looked up when he noticed the address on the front of one apartment
building already consumed in flames.  Because fire fighters were operating
beyond their capacity, the building was left to burn.  A few stories up, he
could actually see Beverly waving out of her window.
  From her apartment, the entire room was filled with smoke as King was barking
alertly.  Beverly saw the fire fighters unable to take her out of the building.
"Hey!  Over here!!  HELP!!!"
  While the task force held their weapons and kept their masked faces locked on
Cyborg Pyro, MarsAstro looked away from Beverly and at the team.  "Do your best
to keep this cyborg at bay.  I've got to go in and try to rescue Beverly."
  SaturnAstro looked at him angry.  "But, Sheratan--Lotia's not here yet, we
could all be..."
  "I know what's at stake, Nashiran but the fire escape fell off the side of
the building--she's trapped up there and I can't let her die!  Just trust me!"
  "Help me!!" Beverly was shouting as he saw her up there.  The attention of
all of the battle team were taken away by Cyborg Pyro moving closer.
  "Good luck!" MarsAstro said as he ran from the battle team.  MercuryAstro
watched the red Astroranger run after the building, becoming ever consumed by
fire.
  "Good luck to you too, Sheratan."
  MarsAstro kicked the the apartment's front door down; he had to back away
from the sudden wave of fire bellowing out from the inside of the apartment.

     The opal, sphere shaped space station within the dark shade of the Earth's
moon came in to view while, aboard the Astroranger SpaceBase--Lotia paced back
and forth while Leto scanned the Santa Monica Bay.  "Commander," she suddenly
called; tired of waiting, "tell me you found something."
  "I can't find a trace of any organic creature matching the DNA found in the
marrow of dinosaur bones in the region where you and Ginara fought," Leto
replied, "I'm sorry but I don't think it's there."
  Lotia shook her head.  "I can't believe it's gone.  I can't believe I let her
take it like that!  I had her!!"
  "Lotia Kinsei, be calm," Leto commanded, "that's an order.  There's no way
you could've defeated her alone."
  "Yes I could!!  Now the world's going to be destroyed by this dinosaur when
those Nazitans exploit it's full potential," Lotia replied.  Two warning bells
and red hues of light appeared on the four corners of the walls.  On every
station, red bars of light flashed on the display terminals.
  Lotia sighed.  "Now what?"
  "Major emergency," Leto replied.  "An entire city block is almost completely
engulfed in flames and a cyborg is spreading it.  Lotia, you've got to stop
worrying about Ginara and the egg and help the others stop this cyborg.  It's
going to destroy the city before any dinosaur will."
  Lotia sighed.  "You're right," she conceded.  "I'll try to concentrate on
this for now."
  "Thank you," Leto replied.
  Lotia nodded and looked straight ahead.  "ChangeForm!" she shouted, bringing
up her right fist.  "Astro--CHARGE!" she shouted, pushing her fist forth.  The
Zircon GeneGem on her golden ring flashed brightly, blinding the view of Lotia.
  In front of a red grided background, white beam of light rolled back and
forth across a black silhouette of Lotia leaving her in a pink, shiny full-body
jump suit with a white arrow-head design upon his chest.  Accompanied by a
black-visor masked helmet, silver belt, white gloves and boots with a
golden star on her circular belt buckle.

     In a flash of light, VenusAstro appeared in the blue sky--free falling
while thrusting her fist dead ahead.  "Ha-kai'yah!" she shouted as her fist
crashed into Cyborg Pyro's forehead.
  In the street, Pyro's whole body flew backwards into the pavement following a
short slide on its back before stopping.
  Two white boots landed on the sidewalk when VenusAstro finished her blow.
  "Lotia!" JupiterAstro said as he and the other two Astrorangers ran across
the street.  They gathered around the pink Astroranger standing there while
looking around.
  "Lotia, what happened?"  SaturnAstro asked.  "Where've you been?"
  "Getting my teeth kicked in by Ginara," VenusAstro replied; turning to
MercuryAstro, the pink Astroranger said, "Messuta--she got the dinosaur egg she
lost when you and I beat her at the beach that time when Sheratan destroyed the
smog cyborg."
  MercuryAstro jerked his head.  "WHAT?"
  "Australis--where's Sheratan?" VenusAstro asked.
  "He's trying to rescue Beverly trapped in a burning apartment building,"
JupiterAstro answered.  "Right now, we're running clean out of ideas on how to
whip this cyborg's butt."
  VenusAstro stepped forward, tapping her helmet with her index finger.  "I've
got a few."

     In outer space, Pluto floated in orbit while underground, a brown, oval
chamber featuring an iron-clad throne upon stairs in front of a crystal ball
that stood on a pedestal was the Nazitan outpost.  Ginara stood before Adol
whom sat in his throne along with Tortan and Pleadia.
  "Sire, I present the fossil egg," Ginara announced.  Adol looked at the
dinosaur egg and actually broke his stone expression with a grin.  "Excellent
work, Ginara--I am proud.  Tortan, your mate seems to be worthy of our mission
to take on the human species as well as defeating our team of heros."
  Tortan bowed.  "I would never deceive you, my lordship."
  "Yes of course not," Adol said.  "Those who would dare attempt it would face
severe consequences.  However--your actions have proven that you have not been
a waste of my time and the patience of Lord Vahora.  Pleadia, begin processing
of this egg at once.  We needn't keep the Astroranger's waiting for their doom
in their darkest hour."
  Pleadia nodded.  "Your wish is my command, Adol the Great."


 ACT II:

     Upstairs in the burning apartment building downtown, MarsAstro looked
around wondering where Beverly's room was.  Even though he was protected from
the heat, smoke and fire with the uniform, MarsAstro couldn't see anything
because smoke filled the hallways.  MarsAstro didn't give up as he continue to
look about.
  "Beverly!" he shouted.  Suddenly a beam fell behind MarsAstro as he jumped
ahead, turned around and saw it hit the floor on fire.  This place is going to
fall apart, he thought to himself.  Through the sound of fire, he managed to
hear Beverly's voice shouting out.  "Beverly!?  Beverly!!  Is that you??"
  "Help!" he could somewhat here.  MarsAstro ran towards the sound of her voice
as he came upon the last door on that floor.  ``This is it.''  MarsAstro kicked
the door down.
  Inside of Beverly's apartment, she was seen on the floor coughing but trying
not to fall unconscious from smoke inhalation.  MarsAstro walked in and picked
her up.  "Come on, we gotta get out of here."
  "No, wait, my dog.  King..."
  "Okay," MarsAstro said as he stood up with Beverly in his arms.  "Galaxy Task
Force Command: Red HydroCycle!"
  Outside, the Red HydroCycle's headlight turned on as its wings lowered and
extended.  The hydroelectric motorcycle started to drive by itself and began to
take flight.
  Inside of the apartment, Beverly was unconscious in his arms as he kicked the
window out.  Outside of the building, the Red HydroCycle hovered next to the
window as MarsAstro put Beverly on the rear seat.  He took her dog and placed
it in front of her on the hovering bike as he climbed out of the window himself
and onto the motorcycle.
  Fire fighters were eventually able to turn hoses on the building as MarsAstro
flew away on Red HydroCycle.
     Meanwhile, towers of fire exploded in front of and behind the Astrorangers
while Cyborg Pyro kept generating bolts of red lightning from its horns.
  VenusAstro hit the side walk, with her legs spread sideways but looked up and
saw that the others were still ready.  "This guy is tough!"
  "We noticed," SaturnAstro replied.
  VenusAstro ducked behind parked cars with the others.  "I've got an idea; do
you know if this thing is heat resistant?"
  "It should be by how it's running through all this fire unharmed,"
MercuryAstro answered, "why?"
  "I wonder if its own fire is much hotter than the flames resulting from its
incendiary blasts," VenusAstro pondered.
  JupiterAstro nodded.  "I'm sure it is--but how are we gonna reflect something
like THAT?  We don't have heat shields with..."
  "I know what can do it," MercuryAstro replied, "and both Nash and Lotia's
weapons in combination with mine can do it."
  SaturnAstro looked at the white Astroranger.  "What?"
  "It'll work just like the Cosmic Missile," VenusAstro replied.  "Come on,
let's do it."
  Looking back and forth, Cyborg Pyro was walking around searching for them
through the smoke.  "Jupiter Great Red Spot Kick!" was shouted out, causing
Pyro to turn around.
  In the sky, the green Astroranger was already in midair with his entire body
twisting into a cork screw kick.
  Its chest was kicked by a foot that launched the red humanoid dragon out of
sight.
  Its entire body had been sent sailing backwards but this time it was smart
enough to try flipping backwards onto its feet.
  JupiterAstro also flipped backwards onto his feet and looked to his side.
"Okay, go!"
  The peculiar symbol of Saturn appeared as the cosmic backdrop revealed a shot
of the beautiful planet.
Rising from below, the black Astroranger took his battle pose while holding his
Celestial Weapon.  "Saturn Ring BattleScythe Strike!" SaturnAstro called out as
he had cast his scythe to the sky.
  The crescent, circle and cross symbol of Mercury painted themselves onto the
backdrop of outer space while the planet Mercury itself faded into view.
The white Astroranger rose up holding his staff and held it up.  "Celestial
Weapon!"  MercuryAstro twirled his Power Staff in his hands and tossed it to
the sky.
  The pink circle and cross insignia of Venus was large and bright as it spun
around.  It flew backwards while spinning when it eventually reached the top of
VenusAstro's pink helmet above her visor.
  VenusAstro held up the end of her boomerang.  "Celestial Weapon!"  She pushed
her fingers the length of the weapon causing it to become a pink arc of light.
  "Sonic Boomerang Thunder Blow!" she called out as she flung it into the air.
     The pink boomerang, white staff and black scythe were spinning separately
before in a flash, becoming a whirlpool of blue light in midair.
  While they were doing this, streaming jets of fire came from Cyborg Pyro's
mouth.
  The Astroranger task force stood behind the whirlpool, made up of their
spinning weapons and the flames rolled up against the spinning disc of light.
The fire rolled back and Cyborg Pyro found tiny flames burning all over its
body.  Hopping up and down, it started swatting itself all over, trying to put
out the fire.
  Beams of pink, purple, white light stretched in arcs into the hands of the
Astrorangers who then held their Celestial Weapons.
  "Do it, Australis," VenusAstro said.
  Lightning cracked and clouds rolled rapidly upward while JupiterAstro put out
his ThunderBow. "Celestial ThunderBow!"  JupiterAstro pointed his fist into the
air.  "Cosmic Arrow!"  JupiterAstro shouted when a green beam of light
materialized into a glowing arrow.  He loaded the arrow into his bow, pulled
back and let go of the bowstring shooting the arrow.
  The arrow of light tracked down Cyborg Pyro before its shoulder was stuck by
the glowing arrow.  JupiterAstro stopped holding up his arrow to see watch Pyro
as sparks began shooting out of its shoulder.
  Paralyzed, the red humanoid dragon tipped backwards until bursting into
flames that exploded skyward.
  "Good work, Nashiran!!" MarsAstro said flying above the flaming remains of
the cyborg.
  In the air, Beverly was waking up and noticed they were landing.  "What the?
Where are we?"
  "I got out you out of your apartment before it got burned out," MarsAstro
said.
  "Oh my goodness..."  Red HydroCycle rolled on the ground and then stopped as
Beverly got off.  "Wish I hadn't have taken off my shoes."
  "Good news, the fire fighters saved the building but it might be unsafe to go
back in for a while," MercuryAstro said.  "They'll get all your stuff out of
there as soon as possible."
  "Thank heavens," Beverly said.  "Thanks again."  They all nodded.
  MarsAstro put his hand on her shoulder and nodded as well.  "I'm just glad to
see you're all right."  Beverly put her hands together and bowed her head.
A paramedic wrapped a blanked around her as she got inside of a fire
inspector's car and was driven away.  JupiterAstro turned his head and did a
fast double-take as he noticed something incredible.
  "What?" MarsAstro said turning his head.  "What the HELL!!!"  As never before
scene by the citizens of Los Angeles, and Earth, a Tyrannosaurus-Rex Dinosaur
roamed the city as it stomped out parked cars and waved its tail causing damage
to surrounding buildings.
  "That looks like a T-Rex Dinosaur from millions of years ago!!" SaturnAstro
said.  "That means Ginara got the egg and they made it grow to full size!"
  VenusAstro shook her head.  "Damn it..."
  "I don't believe it," MercuryAstro followed.
  "Believe it, Messuta," MarsAstro replied.  "Galaxy Task Force Command:
AstroShuttle Fleet-Blast Off!"
  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."
  Inside of CommandShuttle's cockpit, JupiterAstro nodded and assumed control
of his console.  "Acknowledged, AstroFleet now under manual pilot," the green
Astroranger replied while looking at MarsAstro in an inset window apart from 
the display of the city ahead.
  MarsAstro sat within the cockpit of his red AstroShuttle, CombatShuttle.
"Merge to form AstroMan."  A five-way view of all cockpits showed 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.  The craft connected to the legs, forming the
torso.  Meanwhile, the rockets white TurboShuttle and black SolarShuttle hooked
up to the shoulders as arms and fists.
  Inside--tubes running throughout the interior of the massive robot, chairs on
tracks rolled each Astroranger to the primary cockpit.
  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."
  Pulling away to show all of the multi-colored robot, its fists' knuckles were
together.  AstroMan's red visor gleamed into a twinkle in the upper corner when
bringing its fists apart; a field of stars in outer space appeared behind
itself showing the planets: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
  AstroMan walked towards the Tyrannosaurus-Rex Dinosaur and faced the
prehistoric beast.

     Inside of Pleadia's laboratory, he wore his V.R.-helmet as Adol, Tortan,
and Igan looked at the 3-D display above the platform.  Pleadia operated the
symbolic controls and track-ball at his work station.
  "The beast appears out of control," Igan said.
  "It will difficult to control, but the cerebral implants are attempting to
compensate and override its own instinct," Pleadia said.  "However, due to my
modifications, the beast is one hundred times as strong as it would have been
and has a few powers as well."  Adol nodded with satisfaction.

     In the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, where AstroMan never fought before,
the giant robot faced the Tyrannosaurus dinosaur as it was instructed to
attack.
  Inside of the cockpit, SaturnAstro's console displayed graphics illustrating
tactical analysis.  "This is going to be tough to kill.  My sensors detect a
complex array of electronics within the dinosaur's cranium."
  "And the signals its receiving matches the subspace signature that all the
other cyborgs were being controlled with," MercuryAstro added.
  "I thought its physical configuration was a bit strange," JupiterAstro said.
  The Tyrannosaurus and AstroMan locked arms as AstroMan threw off its arms and
then punched it across the face.  It screeched and then slashed the chest of
AstroMan as the blow produced a blast of sparks in the process.
  Inside of the cockpit--an explosion of sparks caused white smoke to rise in
front of the Astroranger team, rocked in their seats from the blow.
  The Tyrannosaurus got a grip on its arm and bit down into it as sparks
exploded from its teeth biting into its arm.  AstroMan stepped on the
Tyrannosaurus' foot making it screech again.  It sounded like thunder when the
dinosaur turned around and whipped AstroMan.  The tall robot was knocked to the
ground rattling people standing several blocks away.
  Inside of the cockpit, the Astrorangers held onto their consoles as they hit
the ground to keep from falling.
  "Agh!  Damage report!" MarsAstro said.
  "Nothing major, all systems normal," MercuryAstro replied.
  "Let's get this thing up again and activate the SunSabre," JupiterAstro said.
  Upon standing again, 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.  AstroMan walked past the Tyrannosaurus striking it
in the process.  Sparks flew from the blow as AstroMan turned around and sliced
down against its chest.  The Tyrannosaurus stood back and waved its tail in
front of AstroMan knocking its sword off aim and then used both claws to
scratch AstroMan's armor making sparks fly from the friction.
  After sparks exploded in front of the Astroranger's cockpit, the white smoke
cleared as they all regained their stability.
  "Sheratan, those blows should have fatally wounded that beast," JupiterAstro
said.  "I think that it has been heavily modified to withstand our impacts."
  The Tyrannosaurus blocked the blade of AstroMan's sword with its arm and
again caused friction sparks to blow from clawing the armored chest of
AstroMan.
  "Delta-Shield!" MarsAstro commanded.
  AstroMan's left fist went out as the V-shaped shield came into place bearing
the Astroranger suit design on its front.  The Tyrannosaurus's eyes flashed
with light as, suddenly, AstroMan was completely surrounded by several towers
of sparks exploding all around itself and on itself.  The earth rumbled again
as AstroMan crashed into the ground.
  SaturnAstro was almost rocked out of his seat after crashing as he pulled
himself up by the console. "Well, so much for that idea."
  "Isn't there anything we can do to beat it?" VenusAstro asked as she held on
to her terminal.
  JupiterAstro looked onto the main display showing the Tyrannosaurus.  "Try
the Visor Ray."
  AstroMan stood up again while the Tyrannosaurus returned to attack again.  
AstroMan's eye-visor gleamed in the sunlight as it started to glow and fire a
ray of yellow light, one hundred times as powerful as their hand-held
Moleculatom Blasters.
  The Tyrannosaurus-Rex dinosaur was forced back by the beam producing a
massive blast of sparks against its body as it hit the ground.  AstroMan
stepped closer and looked at the dinosaur.  It miraculously brought itself up
by flexing its tail and returned to action.
  Inside the cockpit, the Astrorangers jumped in their seat as they saw it.
  "I don't believe it!" VenusAstro said.
  "We need to re-think our strategy and fast," JupiterAstro said.  "So far, we
know this thing is incapable of using its feet to fight.  For another, it seems
to have a hard time concentrating on what it wants to do."
  "I'm also reading significant fluctuations in the dinosaur's central nervous
system," MercuryAstro reported.  "Uh oh, here it comes again!"
  The Tyrannosaurus exercised more if its super powers by raising its claws.
The tips of each finger formed arcs of electricity when the dinosaur then
forced it out at AstroMan.  The electricity danced all over AstroMan as sparks
exploded from several different locations on its body.
  Everyone's heads jerked after the impact as sparks blasted from the floor
inside of the cockpit behind JupiterAstro.  VenusAstro looked at her console as
the lighting inside of the cockpit flickered and dimmed.  "Looks like the power
regulators bit the dust!"
  "Re-route around the damaged sections," MercuryAstro said.  "I'll trace the
network to see if I can find some dedicated links still operational!"
  "Shields went down by 20% -- weapons are inoperable," SaturnAstro reported.
  "We've restored power through the backup generators--they're routing power
from the primary generators," MercuryAstro also reported.
  The Tyrannosaurus-Rex dinosaur continued its assault on AstroMan as it opened
its mouth and started spraying.  AstroMan fought off the transparent spray but
was starting to get locked solid.
  SaturnAstro watched the screen get sprayed with a gel-like liquid.  "Great.
Now what?"
  "What the hell is that stuff?!" MarsAstro asked.
  "Glue--really, really, _strong_ glue," MercuryAstro said.
  "I can't move the legs or the arms," VenusAstro reported.  "I'm giving it
100% power."
  "I can't move them either," JupiterAstro said.  "Sheratan, try venting drive
plasma to burn it off."
  AstroMan was dripping with transparent fluid while steam rose from its
chaises while the Tyrannosaurus turned around and smacked AstroMan across the
head with its tail.
  Inside of the Astrorangers were rocked again.
  "I'm getting tired of this," MarsAstro said.  "We have to take advantage of
its footing problems, move faster than it can anticipate and strike when it's
at its lowest point in energy."
  "We're going to have to all do this really quick," JupiterAstro said.
  "Make it happen," MarsAstro said.
  AstroMan put out its shield when the dinosaur attempted to make contact with
the huge robot and then threw off its arms.  Before the T-Rex could react, it
was already getting the SunSabre lashing its neck causing sparks to blow from
the attack.  It stumbled back some as AstroMan aimed its head forcing the Visor
Ray to fire.  Sparks exploded on the ground forcing the Tyrannosaurus to fall
and roll over.
  The Delta Shield dematerialized as AstroMan picked up the Tyrannosaurus with
its left fist, holding it by the mouth.  It then threw the dinosaur back into
the ground.  Smoke was everywhere as it stumbled around trying to get up.
  "Its power levels are down to 47%," MercuryAstro said.
  "It's now or never," SaturnAstro said.
  MarsAstro nodded.  "Let's finish it off."
  "SunSabre SuperNova!" the Astrorangers shouted.
  AstroMan held the sword's guard front of its face as its visor sent a beam
into the base of the blade.  A yellow beam flowed to the top of the sword.
Holding the sword to its side, AstroMan swung downward as the laser beam from
the saber cut through the Tyrannosaurs-Rex dinosaur.  Sparks explode everywhere
on its body as it split in half and disappeared into multiple flashes of
brilliant lights.
  People from all over the world saw the AstroMan kill the dinosaur on
television featuring helicopter footage of the scene.  They cheered for the
safety of the planet Earth as AstroMan returned to Stand-by Mode holding its
sword in place.

     At Laural Canyon Park, Beverly and Dave walked along Mullholland
overlooking the Los Angeles Basin.  Dave took every opportunity to admire
Beverly's body through the blue jeans and yellow t-shirt she had on.
  "So what happened?" he asked.  "I tried to call you, but a recording told me
my party could not be reached."
  "Well, Dave, there was a fire at my place."
  "A fire!?" Dave said, trying to sound surprised.  "How did that happen?"
  "I don't know, but according to the news, there was a red monster running
around torching buildings," Beverly said.  "Anyway, the story does have a happy
ending.
  Dave looked at Beverly's face noticing she was smiling differently than
normal.  "Oh yeah?"
  "Yes, Dave.  The red one from that team of fighters took me out of there and
brought me and my dog King onto his flying motorcycle," Beverly sighed and
smiled still while looking towards the sky.  "It was right out of some fantasy
or dream."  Dave sighed too, but sadly because he could not tell her that was
him.
  "That's not the first time I got to ride with him," Beverly said looking at
him with delight.  "He also brought me back to the city after we were abducted
by the aliens that came to one of those other parks before.  I wish I knew who
he was!"
  "That's great," Dave choked out.  "So, Beverly, where are you going to stay?"
  "Probably with my new friend, she still lives in her parent's house.  (She's
only 18 you know.  Trying to get a job and all.)."
  "Mmm-hmm."
  "So anyway, she told her mother about what happened to me and they were more
that welcome to let me use their guest room until they either fix my place or I
find somewhere else to live, which I'll probably do real soon," Beverly sighed
with a frown.  "This is _really_ inconvenient."
  "I know--I was asking 'cause I was thinking that you could probably stay at
our house," Dave said knowing the others would probably not like that at all.
  "Oh, that's sweet Dave but I couldn't do that.  That looks like an awfully
full house as it is without me bunking there for the next several weeks,"
Beverly said.  "Anyway, what is it that you wanted to talk to me, in person,
about?"
  "Well, Beverly.  I probably wont be in town long and I've always had pretty
lousy luck having a romantic friend."  Beverly nodded.
  "I thought that perhaps, at least for the time being, we could at least give
things a try in the mean time," Dave said awkwardly.  "Now, I know you've told
me that you're already involved.  I can and will respect that but, it's been so
long since I've been close to intimate; though nothing really ever happened."
  "I have never had that problem, Dave, but I think I can understand.  I wish I
could help you, even, if it were just as a favor, but, you probably wouldn't
enjoy it very much."
  Dave looked confused.  "Why not?"
  Beverly sighed.  "It's a long story."
  "Okay, but that still doesn't help me very much."
  "I know.  I am flattered and all, but, you'd probably want someone who could
accommodate you and enjoy it," Beverly said nodding.  "It's nothing personal."
  "That's a good point, Beverly, but you're special."  Beverly smiled but
looked curiously at Dave for that statement.
  "I know I haven't been here for very long but I can tell that most of the
people here aren't as...  I don't know how to put it," Dave said.  "I guess,
it's your kind heart and selfless thought that drives me to you."
  "Dave, I have never been so flattered in all my life," Beverly said with a
wide grin.  "I think fate will be kind to you and allow you the opportunity to
be with someone that deserves your company.  Besides--I still want to be
friends."  Dave smiled and nodded.


                                                           TO BE CONTINUED    
Next week on Galaxy Task Force Astroranger. . .

In the quest to replace the scores of damaged and destroyed Armaton robotic
soldiers, Pleadia's new cyborg seeks out women to host embryos of electronic
design.  Amy's next for where she works is what used to be her co-worker, now
Cyborg Injector disguised in episode 19, "In Too Deep"                        

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Unauthorized duplication,  distribution  or  exhibition  may  result  in  civil
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Artist Bros. Music and Dairenn Lombard.  All Rights Reserved.  Country Of First
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and Ishimori Productions.                                               [TV-PG]
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