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Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to Saban Brands. This is a fan work and no profit is being made from it.
Mother Knows Best
Divatox's Chamber,
Day Minus Two
Sleep was something that all beings appreciated, whether they were good or unquestionably evil. But it was not the opportunity to rest after a long day of evil deeds that most villains relished while they slept. Rather it was the dreams of glory, conquest and unimaginable rewards that they cherished. Villains like Divatox, who had chosen to have an early night and was indulging herself with dreams about turning Power Rangers into her willing and corrupted servants.
"Divatox!"
Unfortunately for the pirate her beauty sleep was not as important to some as it was to her. Zonetta Mommadee the First, Queen Mother of the Dianthe Pirate Clan had decided that her daughter's failings required her unwelcome attention and had decided to discuss the matter in person.
"Divatox, show yourself at once!"
Divatox was a pirate, the leader of the Dianthe Clan and scourge of hundreds of worlds. She had killed millions, forced kings to pay her ransoms filled with gold and made deals with the most fearsome villains known. Yet despite all her achievements and her reputation, when she heard her mother's voice echoing through her craft, the best she could manage was a feeble: "Yes Mom?"
"Do you know what happened to me last night?" Mommadee asked, sipping a cup of tea produce by slave labour on some unimportant world. "I had to sit with the heads of the other clans, listening to them debate how the Dianthe have become a disgrace to pirates everywhere. Do you realise how it feels to be a laughing stock? The other clans are considering ending their alliance with us to avoid being associated with failure. When we meet with the Grand Monarch we MUST be able to speak for all the clans, or else he'll replace us."
And so the lecture began and Divatox was forced to listen as her failings were discussed in painful detail, each new observation leading her mother to repeat everything she had already said.
"And what am I supposed to do?" Divatox asked ten minutes later, after listening to her mother harp on and on about the way she had turned their family name into a joke. "Give me some advice already. You know we're not in the planet conquering business; we're pirates!"
"Like you ever listen to me, you ungrateful brat," the Queen Mother laughed sarcastically. "But since it's clear you can't think of anything by yourself I'll tell you exactly what you have to do: get rid of those pesky Power Rangers and start gathering every item of value from that pathetic world. Do you know how much a Zeo Crystal would be worth to an up and coming monarch or how many worlds he could conquer with a few of those Zords? I suggest you start thinking like you are the Queen of the Pirates instead of a mere captain."
"Yeah, yeah, easier said than done," Divatox replied. "You know how difficult Rangers can be. That's why we stay away from them."
That was true, the Dianthe usually attacked unprotected worlds and made its profit from illicit activities. Occasionally they would have a run in with the odd Masked Rider or an Enforcer, but as a rule they stayed away from Ranger protected worlds.
"Well you didn't seem to worry about that when you decided to attack the Earth now did you?"
"Oh please mother, you know I had to come here to marry Maligore..."
"...And look how that turned out! All those mercenaries you claim you've been sending after the little brats were some of the Dianthe's best workers. You've been sending our own servants to their doom!"
"It wasn't my fault, those Rangers ruined my plan and I had to stay and get revenge," Divatox whined. "It's not easy to defeat them. We plan and send down a monster to beat the little twerps and somehow they defeat it!"
There was silence as Divatox and her mother tried to find the answer to a question they didn't realise needed answering. It was a problem they shared with other villains. Yet somehow despite the greatest minds evil had to offer, nobody was able to find a way to destroy the Power Rangers.
"Well you had better hurry up and get revenge my girl, or I'll send someone to replace you. And you know what happens to those who get replaced, don't you?"
A shiver passed through Divatox. Although she was the Queen of the Dianthe, it was a position that could be taken from her. No matter how fearsome a pirate was, the leadership had always been as much a vote among the clan members as it had a show of strength and cunning. Those who lost a vote of no confidence lost their rank and were often placed in positions where they would never again rise to be a threat to the new leader. Only a few knew what Divatox had done to her uncle when she had replaced him, but knowing there were some just as ruthless waiting to take her place made her tremble.
"A little more help?" Divatox asked sarcastically.
"Oh very well," her mother agreed. "Since you seem incapable of thinking for yourself, I will tell you what to do. Get that scientist of yours to hurry up with that project you were so smug about."
"That's it?" Divatox asked incredulously. She had expected something a lot more complex than telling Porto to stop sleeping on the job. "I ask for your help and all you can do is tell me to give Porto orders."
"I told you before Divatox, you're supposed to be the Queen of the Dianthe. Act like it! Before I decide to give your brother a chance to lead. Or maybe you could try proving that you did at least inherit something from me and use magic."
Divatox scowled. Her mother loved to point out her failings and unfortunately magic was one of them. Divatox preferred to rely on technology rather than the family's tradition of witchcraft. Still, if her mother thought it was a good idea, she would go along with it just to stop her nagging.
"Fine, I'll tell Porto to get a move on and when he's done, I'll show those Rangers a piece of magic they'll be talking about for centuries."
"You had better," her mother warned. "And while your at it, maybe you should start looking for a new husband. Your reputation hasn't been the same since Maligore met his end."
Divatox snorted. A very unladylike sound. "And just where am I supposed to find a new husband of Maligore's quality?" she asked.
Her mother laughed. The role of Queen Mother was an honorary role with very little power. Zonetta was luckier than some in that her daughter's preoccupation with Earth allowed her the opportunity to command the majority of the clan. But like most of the ruling mothers - those who had been clever enough not to be killed by their children's assassination attempts, she strived to further the Dianthe's power through marriage.
Zonetta was also ambitious, aiming beyond the normal inter-clan weddings, preferring instead to ally her family with the darker powers. Maligore had been one such arrangement, but that had fallen through. Recent events in another part of the galaxy had given her a new option for her daughter.
"Closer than you think my daughter. And if you ask nicely he might just take care of the rest of those Power Punks and that pesky Zordon too. Have you ever heard of Ivan Ooze?"
Divatox was actually stunned into silence as her mother ended the communication. It lasted for almost half a minute before her mother reappeared.
"Never say I don't give you anything, Divatox," she smiled. "I know how 'difficult' you might find dealing with those pipsqueaks, so I've arranged to send you a little help. They will arrive soon," she promised, "be sure to make them feel welcome."
"Who?" Divatox demanded.
"You'll see," her mother smirked, enjoying the look of irritation on her daughter's face. "I promise you, you will be just as surprised by this as those teenagers you want to destroy."
Divatox pouted, but knew better than to argue with her mother, just as Mommadee knew that criticising her daughter's childish behaviour would not accomplish anything. It was better to wait and see what the Queen Mother had in mind. But that didn't mean she wouldn't take her annoyance out on a suitable target.
"PORTO!"
Night turned to day although for Porto it had been a night where sleep would have meant awakening to the night image of an angry Divatox.
"Divatox I have carried out your instructions as best I could, but I'm afraid I..."
"Porto," Divatox growled, "if you are about to tell me you failed, I'll have you fired out of the torpedo tube and into the Sun."
"Well not failed exactly," Porto whimpered. "It's just that all the features you demanded made the task almost impossible."
"Get to the point Porto," Divatox ordered. "I ordered you to build me a Turbo Key so I can have my own Dark Turbo Ranger. Have you done it?"
"No Divatox," Porto admitted before pulling out three devices. "The only way to include everything you wanted was to build three Turbo Keys that your Ranger can switch between."
"Three?"
"Yes Divatox, each one is programmed to give your Ranger their standard armour and then focus on one of the abilities you desired."
"So instead of building one morpher, you built three? And all three work?"
"Of course they work. Your Ranger can use them in any order but will need to power down before using the next one. They won't work well together I'm afraid."
"Are you trying to tell me that the reason this has taken so long is because instead of building me one functional morpher, you were making three?"
"Yes!" he practically shouted. How many times did he need to repeat himself?
Divatox sighed dramatically.
"Porto, you're an idiot," she said finally. "Rygog, find me five humans that would be suitable Dark Turbo Rangers."
"I only made three," Porto protested.
"Then make two more!" she ordered. "There should always be five Rangers."
"Yes Divatox, but maybe you should think this through. Evil Rangers are notorious for changing sides. Do you really want to risk having to tell the Grand Monarch that you've given the Rangers five new allies?"
"Maybe you have a point," she groused. "Fine, we'll try it your way Porto. Find me five humans I can use. They can share the role between them."
That was not the answer he had been hoping for.
"Rygog is busy finding a suitable Ranger," Porto explained. "In the meantime I would like to introduce you to Behemoth, one of the most powerful warriors in the Galaxy."
"I'm the most powerful warrior in the Universe," the warrior assured her. "I'll eat those power squeaks for breakfast!"
"I'll believe that when I see it," Divatox responded rudely before shrugging. "Very well, go to Earth and don't come back until those Turbo Rangers are dust."
"Turbo Rangers? I'll crush them all" Behemoth laughed before teleporting away.
"I'm afraid that since Behemoth is not a part of your clan, he charges ten times the normal fee," Porto warned.
"His loss," Divatox snorted. "Have Elgar launch the torpedoes as soon as Behemoth destroys them. Then we won't have to pay him anything. And if he fails we'll just send out my new Dark Turbo Ranger."
Behemoth, a new marriage with Ivan Ooze, a team of wicked Rangers and whatever help her mother had promised just in case... The battle to conquer Earth had turned into a race that Divatox needed to win. She felt confident that victory would be hers.
Maybe mother did know best... sometimes.
"Hey Porto, what happens if you launch those torpedoes at a monster that is already big?" Elgar asked.
"If he was already weakened you would destroy him, otherwise you would make him even stronger," Porto answered after some thought.
"So if we fire them now he'd be invincible?" the mutant pondered.
Divatox smacked her nephew around the back of the head. She was not in the mood for his idiocy, especially when she realised moments later that he had a point.
"Fire the torpedoes!" She smiled evilly as she decided on another change of plan. Perhaps instead of wasting an opportunity against the Rangers she could eliminate some of the competition. "And then send him to Horath. Maybe he can prove his worth by getting rid of the bucket of bolts Gasket."
End of Part
<post_date>2015-05-08 12:00:01</post_date><post_modified>2022-11-15 14:09:36</post_modified>
