Back in the year 2990, the frantic pace had started to settle down a bit at Time Force HQ. The officers heard rumors and whispers of some potentially large-scale changes, but Captain Logan thought it best to keep everyone in the dark about the current state of matters for the time being. Inside his office, a man who looked to be several years his elder with silky, short red hair reached out to him via video call.

"We have confirmation, Prime Minister Zahab," Logan said. "Queen Diane has fallen."

Zahab deeply sighed. "This is a delicate and complicated matter, Captain. We must take great care with how we dispense this information to the people."

"Of course, sir. That's why I came straight to you."

"Smart move." Zahab cleared his throat and continued, "Let us be clear, Captain. Queen Diane was not killed by the Power Rangers. Queen Diane sacrificed herself for the good of the kingdom, and the Rangers could do nothing to stop it. And, in her waning moments, she had a revelation, one that would see her monarchy transformed into a government by the people, for the people."

"Prime Minister, sir. Are you certain this is the angle we should take?"

"My angle is motivated by the thought of allowing children the universe over to sleep soundly at night under the knowledge that their former overlord was not a tyrannical monster. And we can't afford to alienate the Power Rangers, either. After all, we are in the business of protection, Captain."

Logan nodded. "Understood, sir. Time Force will act accordingly."

"I knew you would. But, the fallout from her death will be unavoidable. You and I both know that a certain mutant will take full advantage of our situation. Every day his following grows. And every day, he sows the seeds of division deeper. You have a plan in place, correct?"

Logan nodded confidently. "Professor Knox was made aware of the news by way of the Queen's double. He has, understandably, refused to assist in the creation of any more weapons. But, our research division recently acquired an invaluable new member. With him, our weapons technology will be exponentially more advanced. We will be ready."

Zahab nodded. "I leave that in your capable hands then, Captain. I'll assemble a few off-world friends and handle the transition personally."

The video call faded away, finally allowing Logan to slump back into his chair and take a relieved breath of air.

...

Later that day, Captain Logan took a visit down to the recently repaired high priority prisoner cells. He soon reached the cell of Dr. Madman, who had been given his own work-space inside his containment unit where, as part of his deal, the Captain commissioned him to develop brand new technology for Time Force. And all the while, his camera hovered gently in the air.

Madman noticed Logan as he walked into the cell. "Oh? The great Captain Logan visits me?"

"Let's make this quick, Doctor. This work-space of yours, tiny, isn't it?"

"Tiny AND limited. Do you know how many security bypasses I had to clear just to access the meaty stuff?"

Logan thought about his comment for a moment, but let it go. "Here's the lowdown, Doc: you've got a brilliant mind and we need some brilliant new weapons." He then pulled out a holographic display of five spaceship-like machines. "These are the Time Flyers: Time Force's next and greatest line of defense. We've all heard tell of a mutant on the rise doing some recruiting, banding those freaks together. We'll need some big boy toys to stop him and anyone else that tries to take advantage of these uncertain times."

"Hehehe, uncertain times, you say? Sounds like my kind of party."

"We'll need a few pilots, too." Logan changed the holographic display to reveal what looked to be a new type of Morpher. "The Chrono Morphers. We can't put off finishing them any longer. Chronic Storm was an invaluable ally. But what's left of them belong to the past. It's on us to protect the present with our own brand of Power Rangers."

Madman chuckled. "And what's in it for me?"

"You can tinker with all the gizmos and gadgets you want. We've got a much bigger playground for you upstairs, trust me. And if you succeed, I can secure an expedited parole hearing, maybe even a full release. Consider it an expansion of our original deal. Do your part Doctor, and we might just convince some very important people that you're not a maniac."

Logan started making his way out of the cell.

"Captain!" cried Madman.

Logan turned around.

"What colors would you like? For the Morphers?" asked Madman with a grin.

Logan smirked and kept walking away as Madman's laugh bounced and echoed through the empty halls. He cut off his bellowing and rubbed his hands with a menacing sneer about him. "Curtains up. My turn!"

...

Back in the past, the Galaxy Rangers accompanied the Chronic Storm Rangers through the South Gate before preparing to exchange goodbyes one last time. It didn't take them too long to reach Axis' ship, Lieutenant Salva, and the handful of Triforian warriors helping man things.

Salva walked over to Axis to whisper, "My General, are you sure about assisting the enemy?"

Axis looked back at the Rangers before facing Salva again. "Not at all, Lieutenant. But, sending them back to their own times would make them enemies no more. There aren't a terrible number of negative outcomes for us here."

"Where's the Queen?" asked Carter.

"Aboard my ship," Axis replied as he motioned to a warrior on the bridge to start the time warp process. "Now then, let's hurry this along. I do have a planet to return to and many many meetings ahead of me. I've taken the liberty of calibrating your homes and time periods into our new time warp device. No sense in going back to the future just to return to the past."

"Oh..." Jason replied, caught off guard. "So... this is really it..."

"Yeah..." Taylor added. "Who's taking the first trip?"

Axis looked all around at the indecisive faces and sighed. "Will you all draw lots or some such menial task and be done with it? Oh, forget it. Hey, on the bridge, just make three separate portals."

"Wait, that feels awfully familiar," reacted Ethan.

"Relax, Blue Ranger. Even the brutish Triforia has a few innovative minds in our midst. Minds able to take time warp one step further."

Inside the bridge of the Triforian ship, Axis' men set up three separate temporal and location coordinates. A moment later, from out of one of their laser barrels emerged three familiar blue and white swirling vortexes standing side by side. And, most crucially, none of them seemed to be disrupting each other.

Axis pointed to the left-most portal. "I even made it easy for you. It's organized by earliest year."

"Guys," Jason started before taking a deep breath. "Before anyone leaves, there's something I want to share with you all... I had to make a very tough decision. But I've thought it through, it's been made, and I stand by it."

The others stared intently at him.

"...I'm staying here, in the year 2000."

Ethan laughed. "Called it."

Alex shook his head. "This has to be a violation of several protocols."

"Jason, are you sure about this?" Carter asked. "We can't force you to go back, but the future's where your home is, where your whole life is."

"Where it was." Jason smiled at Kendrix. "My home, my life, is wherever she is now."

Kendrix stood shocked, still, unaware of his announcement before just now. "Jason, thank you so much. You'll love it here."

"Mirinoi is lucky to have you," Leo added with a smile. "Welcome home, Jason."

The other Galaxy Rangers nodded excitedly.

"Okay." Carter nodded in understanding before pushing a button on his Morpher, phasing a silver case with the Chronic Storm logo adorning it upon the ground. "All of you can keep the clothes. But I think it would be best to leave the Morphers in one place."

Jason nodded, tearing up a little while he removed the Green Morpher from his wrist and placed it gently into the case. His grip lingered on the Morpher, but he soon forced himself to let it go. He then looked to Carter. "Carter... I can't quantify all the ways you've helped me grow. I'm a better person because of you. None of this would have been possible without your leadership."

Carter smiled and hugged Jason. "None of this would have been possible without a great team." He then removed his own Morpher and gently pressed it into the very center of the case. "Chronic Storm... I just hope we did more good than harm."

Jason moved on to Ethan. "Ethan, your brilliance in the face of any challenge is an inspiration. We need more Rangers like you."

Ethan smiled and hugged Jason. "I do what I can. Thanks, Jason." He then removed his Blue Morpher and placed it next to the Red Morpher.

Jason moved on to Taylor. "Taylor, I... thank you, for knocking me to the ground, a lot. Being a Ranger is brutal work sometimes, and the kid I used to be, he never saw that. It maybe goes without saying, but I'll miss you a lot."

Taylor shook her head and hugged Jason tightly. "You grew up a little. But, you'll always be a kid to me."

"Heh... that's okay."

Taylor then turned her sights to Kendrix. "Hey, look after this one... Good brothers are hard to find."

Jason started tearing up all over again before giving Taylor a second hug.

"I will," replied Kendrix as she removed her Pink Morpher and slide it into the silver case.

"And Taylor," Jason added. "You deserve to be happy again. Don't wait for things to feel right, yeah? Go get him."

Taylor placed her own Morpher into the case while pondering her next move. She gently nodding to herself, certain of what she needed to do.

Alex firmly shook Jason's hand. "It's been an honor and a pleasure serving alongside you, Jason."

"Likewise, Alex. You'll make a great Ranger of your own someday—" Jason quickly caught himself thinking through the Ranger archives. He knew he couldn't reveal the future, but it left him feeling guilty about his shortsighted comment.

Carter lifted the case and handed it to Alex. "These are a little damaged, but they should help you get a better handle on the Morphing Grid."

Alex nodded. "Chronic Storm set the bar high. It'll be the burden of Time Force to match it."

"Oh, that reminds me." Carter took out a small device from his pocket and handed it to Jason. "This is yours now."

"What is it?"

"Your new mission. If the time ever comes where you need our help, don't hesitate to call us."

"Same to you," added Kendrix.

Carter, Taylor, and Ethan exchanged goodbyes with the Galaxy Rangers before each of them walked towards their respective portals. Each one of them looked back at Kendrix and Jason while the pair waved goodbye. And with a few final steps, all of them disappeared back to their own times before the portals themselves shrank into nothingness.

Alex and the enforcers then boarded Axis' ship before it lifted into the sky. From the windows, they all waved their final goodbyes to Jason and Kendrix.

Even General Axis subtly nodded from the bridge in acknowledgment of the Ranger that had opposed him so relentlessly. Until we meet again... Jason Cahill.

With the push of a button, Axis' ship created another swirling time portal in front of them. The ship thrusters burst to life sending the ship 990 years forward in an instant with the portal dissipating soon after.

The Galaxy Rangers started to make their way back before noticing Kendrix and Jason still standing in place, gazing at the sky.

"The sky will still be there tomorrow," said Damon.

"Give us a minute," replied Kendrix. "We'll catch up and give Jason the grand tour."

The Galaxy Rangers nodded and carried on back towards Terra Venture while Jason and Kendrix just stood there, smiling at each other.

"So, what should we do now?" she asked.

"Well, I do have to start thinking about earning my keep. What kind of jobs do you guys have around here? You know, I always thought I'd make a good teacher. I like kids, they like me, sometimes. Or, maybe something in Kai's area. You know the GSA has always fascinated me. What does that acronym even stand for anyw—"

Kendrix pulled Jason's head closer to hers and pressed her lips against his. Once more, time seemed to hold as they lost themselves inside a lip-locked embrace.

When their lips released, Kendrix' still radiated that perfect, bright smile. "Hehe, Galactic Space Alliance."

"A little redundant. But, before any of that, I'm thinking that I'm just going to spend a whole lot of time with you. Hope you haven't gotten sick of me yet."

Kendrix giggled. "Not a chance."

The pair walked the path towards Terra Venture one more time, hand in hand.

"So what did Carter end up gifting you?" asked Kendrix.

"Oh, yeah." Jason tinkered with the device. "Looks like one of Knox' old matter condensers. Damn... I wish I could have said goodbye to him, too."

Suddenly, a shiny, brand new silver case sporting the Chronic Storm logo phased into being in front of Jason from out of the device. His body started to shiver as he knelt down and opened the case, revealing five fresh Chronic Storm Morphers shimmering under the afternoon light.

"Wow." Kendrix knelt down to obverse the Morphers. "I guess Carter's trusting the legacy of Chronic Storm to you. Hopefully, we'll never need it, but—"

Suddenly, Jason started vigorously coughing while his body grew heavier and heavier. Kendrix quickly closed the case and hugged tightly to Jason. A few moments later, he could breathe normally again.

The night soon followed the evening's events. It saw Jason and Kendrix sleeping right beside each other in a reasonably sized bed, but only one of them managed any shut-eye. After hours of tossing, turning, and thinking, Jason carefully lifted himself off of the bed and went through the closet. A bit of careful, quiet rummaging led him back to the silver case Carter entrusted to him. He opened it up and stared at the Red Morpher tucked away in the center. He picked it up gently with trembling fingers, but could not bring himself to fully lift it. The design carried with it a simple, surface level difference compared to the weight his wrist grew accustomed to. And yet, it felt so much heavier than anything he'd ever lifted. He pushed it back inside the case, took up the Green Morpher, and strapped it on his wrist. His heavy breathing started to resurface, but he held tightly to his mouth while looking back to ensure he didn't stir Kendrix.

Heading out into a breezy Mirinoian night, the humidity proved a consistent element, as with his first visit to the past. But his stare and his focus held only to the gate ahead as he made his way out into the neighboring forests. After a few minutes of walking, Jason found an open field; a rare sight amidst the nearby jungles. He took a deep breath and pushed a button on his Morpher. "Chronic Storm, Ranger form."

Once he transformed, he took to his Morpher once more and booted up a brand new updated feature. "Initiate battle simulation S5. Difficulty... maximum."

A few moments later, the world around him seemed to vanish, replaced by a virtual reality filled to the brim with rocky terrain and enemy foot soldiers, hundreds of them. Specifically, the Quantrons once utilized by Astronema. Their robotic sounds and clomping feet cascaded the orange battlefield in a wall of sound. Jason scanned the perimeter with trembling limbs and an accelerated heartbeat. He pushed through his swarming emotions and coated his Ranger suit in green aura. He then pulled out his Chronic Blaster and anxiously awaited for the hordes to draw near.

...

Mariner Bay, 2001. Carter looked behind him as the time portal he exited faded away. Turning back around to face the city, the sun shone brightly as the people walked hurriedly to their jobs or appointments. He dug into his pocket, pulled out his Red Rescue Morpher, and attached it to his wrist for the first time in five years. He softly smiled at the device before establishing contact with the Aquabase. "Guys, it's Carter... I'm back. I'm home. I've got a ton of stories for you, so hope you've all got a few hours free. Also, there's a city called Turtle Cove a few hours out from us. I'll explain more in person, but we need to be there next year."

Carter waited for a few moments, but no response came through. "That's weird... I guess five years hasn't done this Morpher any good. Better get Miss Fairweather to run some diagnostics later."

He decided to walk the rest of the way towards the Aquabase, but before too long, a scratchy transmission forced itself into his Morpher. "Better late than never. Guys, come in. It's Carter."

The voice continued to scratch for a few moments before an audible sentence could be heard, "Wait, Carter? What are you doing back in your own time? This wasn't part of the plan we discussed."

His eyes lit up, recognizing the voice instantly. "Doctor K!?"

"Affirmative. I'm having trouble corresponding with the Aquabase. We need to tell them that the invasion is coming. I've already managed to assemble the others. They'll be joining the fight in the year 2990 soon."

"Wait wait, just hold on a second, Doc. You're talking about the Triforian-led invasion?"

"Affirmative. Taylor explained the entire situation. Did I misunderstand the details?"

"I get that, but Doctor, that battle ended. We won it a week ago at least."

"While I admit that some of this temporal mechanics science has proven difficult to comprehend, even for me, I fail to understand how you ended up in two places at once."

"Two places...? This isn't adding up. But once I find my team, we'll figure this out." Carter ran the rest of the way towards the Aquabase, trying desperately to make contact with them while he sprinted. "Captain Mitchell! Captain, please, I need a response...! Dammit!"

He eventually found his way to the city-side Aquabase entrance. He entered the passcode and the door opened up for him, revealing a lengthy tunnel that leads underwater and into the central hall of the base. Carter noticed something off about the scene as he quickened his approach. Many lights could usually be seen illuminating the ocean floor from the base. And yet, most of those lights had been turned off, blackening the waters.

Carter finally made it to the entrance. He took a deep breath before carefully opening the door. The sight stung him immediately: panels destroyed, computers broken, pipes severed and leaking, and not a soul to be found to fix any of it. But through it all, Carter held onto his composure and carefully navigated the ruins of the base. He heard a noise down one of the halls, what sounded like voices. He thought of running towards them, hoping to find his friends, or even an Aquabase employee, but hesitated before taking cover behind a broken down console.

He took to his Morpher, and whispered, "Lightspeed, Rescue."

He had to take a moment to look at himself after nearly forgetting what his old suit felt like. Then, the echo of footsteps rattled through the halls. Carter could tell that there were at least two individuals present. They entered the room and continued to talk while Carter remained hidden.

"So, how high did your explosion get?" asked one, likely a female on the young adult side,