Disclaimer: I do not own Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It belongs to Saban Brands. The Ghost Pirates are based on the Imaginext toy line of the same name. No profit is being made from this story.

Author's Note: This story is set in Season 1 after "Return of An Old Friend."

It was a beautiful day in Angel Grove with the sun shining brightly and not a cloud in the sky. The city's heroic defenders, the Power Rangers, were all in a particularly good mood. All of their homework had been completed, there were no special events in need of their help (not that they minded helping out of course) and best of all, Rita Repulsa had been inactive for over a week now after they had handed her latest monster a sound defeat.

The Rangers knew that the current peace wouldn't last but, content that the evil sorceress would be licking her wounds for at least a few more days, they had all decided to enjoy a day at the park.

All except Tommy and Kimberly. Instead Tommy had asked her to come with him on a date. With a twinkle in his eye he had told her there would be a surprise.

"Come on Tommy what's the surprise?" Kim asked as they strolled down a pier at Angel Grove docks.

"Wait just a little more" he replied. He stopped walking and pointed. "There it is."

Kimberly stared in astonishment. Floating a short distance away was a pristine white yacht.

"It's my uncle's" Tommy explained. "He let me borrow it for a day."

Kimberly smiled as she realised what Tommy meant. "An entire day out at sea, just the two of us" she said dreamily.

"So I take it you like your surprise?" Tommy asked.

She giggled. "I love it" she said giddily as she threw her arms around him. He laughed happily and spun her around.

Soon afterwards they took the yacht out onto the open sea and before long the coast had disappeared into the distance, leaving nothing but a seemingly endless expanse of blue water as far as the eye could see.

Kimberly was a little concerned at first about getting lost but Tommy assured her he knew how to navigate and the yacht's automated systems would keep them on-course. She soon relaxed.

"It's so peaceful out here" Kimberly said with a sigh. "It's like all the trouble with Rita doesn't exist."

"I know what you mean" Tommy agreed. "My grandfather was a sailor. He always told me how much he loved the sea and how he would go months without even setting foot on land."

"Oh I couldn't do that" said Kimberly. "Do you know what these salt breezes would do to my hair?"

Tommy chuckled and put an arm around her. She happily leaned into his embrace.

In her fortress up on the Moon Rita was currently standing on her balcony. She gritted her teeth in anger as she used her Repulsa-scope to spy upon her hated enemies, specifically on Tommy and Kimberly's date.

"Bah! Young love" she sneered. "Look at them, so happy and content, sailing the open seas without a care in the world. Just the sight of it makes me sick!"

Bitterly she turned around and strode away from the balcony. Her fingers tightened their grip on her staff as she seethed with rage.

"Finster! I need a new monster NOW!" Rita yelled as she barged into the monster-maker's workshop. She came to a halt as she saw that Finster was lying underneath his Monster-Matic. Startled by her entrance he sat up too quickly and banged his head on the machine.

"I, I'm sorry my Queen" he said fearfully as he stood up while gingerly rubbing his head. "The Monster-Matic has developed a fault. I won't be able to make any monsters until I repair it."

Rita scowled and stormed out of the room before she lost her temper and blasted her chief monster-maker to space dust. Her anger grew as she thought of Tommy and Kimberly enjoying their date. Oh how she longed to crush their happiness! To turn their joy into misery and their contentment to turmoil! But there was no way she could…

Her angry stride slowed to a stop as an idea began to take shape in her evil mind. She smiled wickedly.

"Wait a minute…" she said, her voice much calmer now. "Why should I waste my time going after the happy little couple when I can have someone else do it for me?"

With an evil cackle she went to her private chamber. Once there she stood in front of a crystal ball and waved her hands over it while chanting a communication spell. After a few moments an image of a man's face appeared in the crystal ball. He had a thin black moustache and wore a black hat with a white plume. His eyes were red and his skin was a sickly yellow that glowed softly. Several gold teeth glittered as he grinned.

"Arr, the famous Rita Repulsa" he drawled. "What be the reason for the Empress of Evil to be calling on a humble pirate such as meself?"

"Captain Keelhaul Jack" Rita greeted him. "Do you recall how I commissioned your services as a privateer during my conquest of Hydron 4?"

"Aye. Me and my lads acquired plenty of booty during that venture." His grin broadened. "Ye have need of us again per chance?"

"Nothing big. I just want you to take care of a little problem for me" Rita replied. "Two of Zordon's Power Rangers are enjoying a day out at sea. I want you to dispose of them in any way you see fit. In return you may keep their Power Coins along with anything else you can take from them."

"I accept yer highness" said Keelhaul Jack. "Those landlubbers won't know what hit em!"

Rita cackled with malicious glee at the thought of what would soon befall the unsuspecting Rangers.

Unaware of what was going on up on the Moon, Kimberly, now wearing a pink bikini, lounged back on the deck of the yacht while Tommy enjoyed a swim. She sighed blissfully.

Hearing a faint dripping of water, she opened her eyes to see Tommy walk up to her, having climbed back onto the stern. Kimberly felt herself swoon at the sight of him. He wore just a pair of green trunks and the way the droplets of water glistened on his lean, powerful physique was just so…

"Are you okay Kim?" Tommy asked. "Your face is all red."

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine" she replied, hastily trying to get her thoughts under control.

Tommy smiled. "Sure you don't want to go swimming? The water's great."

"I'll go later" said Kimberly. "Right now I just want to lay back and soak up some warm…"

They both abruptly shivered as a sudden cold wind blew over the deck. Puzzled, they looked around to see that a thick, grey fog had engulfed them, blocking out the sunshine.

"W, what's going on?" Kimberly asked as she got to her feet, Tommy helping her up. He put a protective arm around her and raised his communicator. "Zordon, Alpha, come in" he said.

His only reply was a crackle of static. Before he could say anything else something loomed up out of the fog. Tommy and Kimberly looked up to see the hull of an ancient galleon alongside them. The ship's wooden hull glowed with a dim phosphorescence, the sails were black and the figurehead was a ghastly winged skeleton.

"It's Rita. It has to be" said Kimberly as she hugged herself to try and ward off the chill.

Tommy looked up at the ship with a look of determination. Limited powers or not there was no way he was going to let anything happen to Kimberly.

"It's Morphin time!"

But before they could raise their Power Morphers two black spheres were flung over the galleon's side. They ht the yacht's deck and immediately spewed out a yellowish gas. Caught by surprise Tommy and Kimberly couldn't stop themselves from inhaling the gas in time and they were seized by fits of coughing so intense that they couldn't say their morphing phrases.

As Tommy fought for breath he felt his eyelids grow heavy and his limbs turn sluggish.

Sleeping gas! I've got to fight… Have to save Kimberly…

With a last desperate effort he put his arms around Kimberly and pulled her close in a vain attempt to shield her with his own body as the two of them slumped to the deck and lost consciousness.

"Wake up ye scurvy dog!"

Tommy opened his eyes with a low groan only to immediately squint against the sun's glare. Well at least the fog's lifted he thought bleakly. He felt rough wood against his skin and smelled salt water. There was a dull ache in his head as he tried to recall what had happened. He remembered the fog and the ship appearing out of it and then…

Wait… Kimberly!

He tried to get up only to find that he couldn't move. As his head cleared he realised that his hands were tied tightly behind his back and his ankles were bound together. A thick cloth gag covered his mouth, muffling his protests as he tried to free himself.

Mocking laughter filled his ears. He looked up to see a crowd of men all dressed in the typical regalia of pirates leering down at him. They looked mostly human except for their red eyes and sickly yellowish skin. Despite the sunshine he noticed that the pirates glowed with the same slight phosphorescence as their ship.

One of them stepped forwards. He wore a black maritime coat with a flintlock pistol in a holster, blue trousers, black boots, a brown belt and a black hat with a white plume. A hook replaced his right hand.

"Ahoy matey" he said with an evil grin. "I be Keelhaul Jack, Captain of the Rusty Hook, and this be me fine crew of Ghost Pirates. Her highness Rita hired us to do away with ye."

"MMGH. MMGH" Tommy grunted into his gag while glaring up at them. Where's Kimberly?

"Ah, ye be wondering about the wench" said Keelhaul Jack. "Well worry not. There she is."

He pointed with his hook and the crew dutifully parted to reveal Kimberly, still in her pink bikini. She was tied to the mast with thick ropes around her chest, thighs and ankles while her wrists were tied behind her back. Like Tommy she was gagged with a piece of cloth. Her eyes were wide with fear.

Upon seeing each other Tommy and Kimberly both struggled furiously against their bonds but despite their efforts the ropes remained secure, prompting more laughter from the Ghost Pirates.

"What'll we do with em' Captain?" one of them asked.

Keelhaul Jack stroked his moustache. "Hmm, methinks we'll sell the boy as a slave. Yes, he'll fetch a tidy sum. The wench however I think I'll keep."

The crew roared approvingly while Tommy stared in horror and Kimberly frantically shook her head. His gold teeth glinting brightly, Keelhaul Jack strode up to Kimberly and began toying with her hair while she struggled helplessly.

"Ye'll make a fine pirate bride" he said with a leer.

"MMGH! MMGH!" Kimberly screamed into her gag and thrashed as much as the ropes would allow. Seeing her in distress filled Tommy with rage and he struggled even harder to break free but to no avail.

Up on the Moon Rita watched the whole thing. Her wicked laughter echoed throughout her palace.