CHAPTER 39

On board Tempro several machines were running at the present moment, "Mary, mother I am not so sure of this. I do not want the new emperor to become angry with me when he finds out what we are trying to do. You know it was banned after so many failed attempts that ended with horrible results." Tempro almost begged of Mary.

"Tempro," Mary started, "for all he has done, for all that you and I know he can accomplish he will need this, he will need her."

"I realize this, all of this, but we both know it is wrong and in the words of the human race immoral." Tempro again was almost pleading with Mary.

"If we don't even attempt this then we are no better than the masses that were the Republic. Do YOU want to see the most glorious empire reduced to that?!" Mary questioned Tempro.

"No, but we have to proceed with more than extreme care, if it appears to have failed we need to terminate, finishing that form would be cruel and I know you are not that mother. Please don't make me go through that again the last time was almost too much for me and the crew, remember we lost half after the first failed set." Tempro told Mary.

"I remember," Mary whispered hearing the screams and agony.

Derrick had been sitting at his desk for several hours trying to come up with a solution to the problem. Laying his head on the desk he began to go back through everything that had happened to him over the last 6 or so months. The meeting of Shelby, finding that the detection system that so many had called useless could actually find the ships. The battles to protect the galaxy, the losses and near losses, the love, and trust he felt from and for the ships and their A.I.'s. Then there had been the two strange messages from his, he guessed, future self the second most profound. The first though had something in it that still seemed to bug Derrick if it really was his future self then yeah it made sense, what was it? Derrick had almost fallen asleep when he heard part of the first message again: 'Rest the answer will come, it always does, and it's always that simple.' Snapping his head up Derrick was shocked at the simple things he'd been thinking of my god, was it really that simple?

Leaping from the desk Derrick went running to the command deck. "Shelby! I may have an answer!" Derrick was screaming as he entered the command deck. Once again Shelby was shocked she hadn't expected to see Derrick for a while longer.

"Shelby!" Derrick yelled again.

"I'm here Derrick is everything alright?" A worried Shelby asked him.

"I may have an answer; remember the thruster pack I used when I removed the device from Zan's fin?" Derrick questioned her.

At first she only nodded then her eyes flew wide, "Under the mandates I am afraid that Mary and I cannot allow you to place yourself in danger like that again." Shelby sternly told him.

Derrick drew back a moment, God! She was completely serious! "No I have something far less dangerous than that, I also do not wish to be in that position again. I was thinking of a mini thruster pack on each enhancer that could be maneuvered into place, with you controlling them in should prove a far better way to place them."

"Hmmmm this plan has much merit," Mary said behind Derrick making him jump a bit. Both Mary and Shelby giggled when Derrick had to sit a moment to calm down. "I calculate that this plan has a 95.6% completion chance. This plan I find far more acceptable than the last that involved you risking your life." Mary told him after a few minutes. "Though I believe that we will have to increase the fuel that it carries and add 3 more burn tubes."

Derrick started checking all the specifications and started to add the additional equipment, the whole time Mary watched closely as did Shelby. Finally finished Derrick sat back more than pleased by the design he'd come up with.

Mary's head was nodding at the design she was more impressed by the emperor's detail to the design.

"I believe you're right Mary these extra tubes will give us more stopping force, plus I think the extra weight might actually be easier to calculate fuel wise." Derrick told her.

"Production has already started on them Derrick," Shelby told him sweetly.

"We need to stop the box and mark where it is, I have a promise to Zan to keep," Derrick stated.

"Oh you're right Derrick she should be emerging very soon, you also have that execution tomorrow," she reminded him.

Though the look on her face let him know she wasn't that pleased about it, she knew it was necessary. Derrick could see that it was upsetting her but he knew that he had to do this he just hoped that she realized it also.

"How many are you going to need Shelby? I thought three in order to triangulate the exact position of the box." Derrick asked her.

"At first I thought of that but we need a fourth to ensure that the readings are even more exact," Shelby advised him.

"Alright we need to stop the box and then get back there, I realize that it is far more difficult to put your hologram elsewhere at such great distances." Derrick told her, not seeing her smile at the consideration he was showing for Zan and his wing mate.

"Moving into position Derrick," Shelby reported as Derrick watched Shelby maneuver. Barely much distance from it, Shelby emitted the energy tow beam though at a lower power setting. A minute later Shelby reported that the box was now stationary and there were no changes in the signals she was reading from the devices. Breathing a sigh of relief, Derrick had her set up a small beacon to find the area again faster.

"Alright Shelby we haven't that much time I believe she is about to emerge?" Derrick questioned her.

"Yes derrick it shouldn't be that long now." Shelby replied. Derrick sat back as the now familiar whine of the trans-warp sounded, then they were back at the Imperial planet they were quickly joined by Zan and Conner.

Both male holograms appeared on board Shelby, "There has been no new activity from the Republic fleet, other than those that left. We have been watching everything 'til further orders sire." They both reported.

"Alright standby, Tempro I want you in place behind us I know your defenses aren't as good but you can still be a good deterrent." Derrick told them.

It wasn't even a half hour later when an alarm went off, "I am detecting her imminent emergence." Shelby advised as they all waited.

A few moments later the speakers let off static, then they heard a low then louder female voice. "Hello? Is there anyone there?" The scared sounding voice said.

"Hello 1000, starting to feel better my wing mate?" Zan said.

"0999 you are still functioning," came the excited voice.

Chuckling Zan told the voice, "In a way I have, I am also here with the new emperor. He is extremely pleased that you are going to be functioning again soon."

"Please excuse me sire, it is such good news to know my wing mate is still whole!" the voice explained.

"That is fine 1000 grow and become whole again, there are still enemies of the empire out there; we need you as well as you other brothers and sisters." Derrick told her.

"Yes sire I will serve to the best of my ability for you." The excited voice told Derrick.

"Alright I don't want to separate what there is of this fleet again if possible. We are all going to retrieve the other brain box, Shelby supply the coordinates. We jump in 5 minutes, Mary advise me of any changes with the Republic fleet, we'll be back before time for the execution. Oh yes, did you locate the imperial boring sand worms?" Derrick asked Mary.

My, my, Mary thought so the man had really pissed the emperor off, the boring worms were the most painful and slow way to die, it usually took a day and once they were in a person they were as good as dead.

"Yes sire, I had to cut the number down to 20 though we had well over 100, as I thought you didn't want the execution over that quick. They are ready and standing by shall I have the rangers bring him?" Mary smiled sweetly.

"Yes, I also want this shown to almost all, I want them to know the price for betrayal." Derrick told her looking over the specifications of the enhancers again. "'til tomorrow Mary."