CHAPTER 93

Derrick sat at his desk damn it! The paperwork was growing he swore, every time Mary brought him more! At least he was now only 70 years behind, strange since he'd gone in the three ships it was far easier. Hell he was even adding things that came up later that he could ignore quite a time saver for sure!

Derrick had just finished the longest proposal he'd come across to date when his wrist com went off. "Yes Shelby, is something wrong?" Derrick said concern in his voice.

"No Derrick. I just thought you might want to know that 0301 and 0908 are ready to emerge. I was going to call you when they were showing more cerebral activity but you were far too busy with the people on the Marquess world. I explained that you wished to talk to them before their emergence into space." Shelby had appeared next to Derrick finishing what she was saying there.

"Yes Shelby, let's move to the bigger room so we can do this properly." Derrick said then in a flash he and Shelby were in a larger room. Looking at his wrist com. Derrick called all the ships. Within moments 12 Holograms were in the room beside Derrick. "Alright Shelby."

"301, 0908 The Emperor and your brothers and sisters are here." Shelby said, trying to keep her voice even.

A moment later a slender, black haired male, 5' 5'' and a dark brown haired, 6' 1'' slightly muscular female, appeared before all of them. "Mother!" The female shouted as she embraced Shelby.

The male's eyes grew large as he saw his brothers and sisters, then he laid eyes on Derrick. He quickly bowed then started tugging on the female's arm.

As she also bowed, Derrick told them to stand, "I have a request that I have made of all the EIG ship's A.I.'s. I wish for you to go by the name that was given to you or one that you may want to have."

Both of the holograms looked at each other with their mouths open. Stepping forward the male said, "Yes sire, 0301, I...I... was c..c..called Rodrick, s...s...sire." Then the teen swallowed hard.

Derrick smiled and he could understand why the A.I. I was so scared. "Rodrick I and all of your brothers welcome you back into the family."

"Family sir?" The teen questioned.

"Yes, I consider all of you to be my family. I know that you will be a fine addition to this family." Derrick said, putting the teen at ease and causing a huge smile to spring up.

"Thank you sir! I will do all I can to make you proud!" They said they were excited.

Turning to the female he saw that she was already standing tall and proud. "What do you wish to be called?"

A sly smile crossed her face for a moment then just as quickly it was gone. "My lord for a short time I was given the proud name of Tara, the first female commander of an EIG vessel."

"Ummm a good name, wear it proudly, as I feel you will Tara!" Derrick said, eliciting tears from the hologram.

"Is this true mother? We are allowed to keep the names we were given?" Tara asked completely in shock that she hadn't had to beg or grovel to the Emperor. She remembered the third Emperor had required it of her the few times he'd talked to her.

"Yes daughter, it is true. This Emperor is unlike an Emperor that has ever been before. He is strict but he is also of a more fair and forgiving nature." Shelby advised a now wide open mouthed Tara.

Falling to her knees at the feet of Derrick Tara almost whispered, "I will do anything for you My Lord. For this honour ask and I will do all I can do to make it so."

Derrick could only groan when Tara bowed before him. This of course drew a series of giggles from Shelby, Ellen, Jan, Celeste and Sherry. The males were smiling, this caused concern and confusion on the faces of Rodrick and Tara.

"I am a confused mother! You laugh at the Emperor? All of you? Have you no respect for this great man?" Tara cried, concerned that her mother and brothers and sisters were tainted.

"Let me explain Tara." Derrick started. "Please get off the floor, good, thank you. As I explained to all of them, I find all of you more alive than I do actual people. Almost all of them. If you were always bowing we'd never get anything done now would we?" Derrick could see that both of the new arrivals were considering this.

"Alright sire, we will remember." Both of them said and half bowed causing Derrick to groan again.

Shelby leaned over and whispered to Rodrick and Tara, "He really hates it when others bow to him he doesn't think they should. I actually think it's cute!"

"Mother? Are your logic circuits? Have they been freed? I remember the programmers had us all restricted. Commander Tara didn't like it and had reopened 5% of mine, I also remember she reset something in my matrix." Tara told Shelby.

"Yes, the Emperor has opened 12 - 14% of most of the ships now. He said that it made us better in combat and I tend to agree." Shelby said.

"Yes, Commander Tara said something along the same lines. I will miss her greatly, I also am hoping the Emperor will give me a prime as capable as she was." Tara said hope sounding in her voice.

"I am sure he will though at the moment we are still trying to re-establish the Empire. The Emperor has just started that with these visits to the upper Nobles. I am just hoping that they don't continue to be as difficult as they have been." Shelby related to Tara.

"The Emperor should do as they all have done in the past. Just execute them and appoint new Nobles in their places. I mean that's how the first three Emperor's did it." Tara told her mother.

"Yes I know my daughter but..." Shelby started.

"I am not as bloodthirsty as Tara . I believe everyone deserves a chance, well almost everyone." Derrick told the two whispering Holograms.

"He executed the leader of the Republic that had replaced the Empire for crimes. Though he had to do it, he still found it distasteful." Shelby explained to Tara.

Tara's eyes were wide, this Emperor didn't like to kill? Maybe for the first time in the history of the Empire there wouldn't be endless bloodshed for years on end.

"Now," Derrick started. "All of you are re-gened enough for me to tell all of you. I found all of you, having you re-gened will help the Empire. Before all of you though, 0098, Lucy was helping." There were several groans before Ace spoke up.

"Shut up! Listen to what the man has to say!" Ace yelled, quieting the others.

As tears started to fall from his eyes Derrick described the bravery and unselfish act that Lucy did to save the galaxy. All the ships that didn't know the story were shocked into silence. "She is the next ship in the re-gen matrix. When she emerges I want her to receive the hero's welcome that she more than deserves."

All the ships bowed to Derrick and promised that their sister would be more than welcomed. Derrick nodded and finally Lucy would be back among them! Derrick had to turn his head as the tears were welling up so large.