CHAPTER 34

Derrick walked around staring at everything in wonder, molecular recombinator, DNA resequencer and splicer, though what caught his attention the most was the cloning apparatus. Derrick was about to walk further into the lab area when he received a call from Mary.

"Sire we have a wing of the Rangers approaching," she told him.

"All ships full shields! Initiate light screens, arm all weapons, target their engines only, do not fire unless fired upon! Shelby!" Derrick was almost instantly back on the command deck of Shelby.

"I want defensive positions, Conner right, Zan left, Tempro hang back, you are to engage only if you have no choice!" Derrick stated firing off rapid orders.

On board the lead ship newly commissioned Rear Admiral Joseph Hartwell wasn't too sure about this. To him it didn't matter that he was the only one who had spoken to this man who claimed to be the emperor. He'd seen the capabilities of just one of these ships, at present he'd counted at least 2 before they vanished.

Christ! One could decimate his wing of 60 ships, with 2 or more they were dead no doubt about it. Stopping only a few thousand miles away he opened up a channel.

So Derrick thought they had sent little Joey, might as well start with a friend, least that way he'd know more how the man was thinking. Waiting Derrick laughed imagining the look on Joey's face when Joey saw his old friend and commander.

"To the man commanding the strangely configured ships," sighing he still thought this was a bad idea. "I have been sent by Ranger command to open communications with you, I am also to swear allegiance to you."

Derrick could see that the man was nervous, time to up that a bit before the big reveal.

In a distorted voice Derrick replied, "I see that you have been promoted since last we spoke." Laughing Derrick saw him look up at the cameras.

"Yes, I can see you, though I cannot accept your pledge. Not like this I can't, what say you come here and we can discuss it?" Derrick laughed at the surprised look on his face, oh but that was nothing compared to what was about to happen. "Would that be better for you Little Joey?"

Joseph Hartwell's face screwed up in to a look of confusion, Little Joey? He hadn't called that since? His mouth dropped open there were only 5 men alive that had ever dared to call him that!

Looking at the camera he asked, "Who the hell are you? No one has dared to call me that except...," There were several yells and screams when the man vanished, "... the members of my ...old... unit." Joseph Hartwell's mouth dropped agape again staring at the view screen and the scene on board his command ship.

Swallowing hard the man was almost afraid to turn around he could feel someone or something behind him.

"Hello Little Joey, long time no see." A voice from the past that he hadn't heard in years, assailed his ears.

Slowly turning Joseph Hartwell peered into the darkened room. "Commander O'Toma?" He asked shocked at hearing a voice he thought never to hear again.

Laughing Derrick watched as the man's face went from suspicion, to shock, to just plain old elation. "I'd say it's good to see you again Little Joey, though at the moment we have a little problem."

Joseph Hartwell could see his second in command assuming command, that little ass! Already ordering a strike on obviously far superior ships that would more than guarantee the destruction of the entire wing.

Looking at Derrick with a worried face, Derrick raised his hand to the screen to let him know to proceed.

"Captain Multry!" They saw the man stop dead in his tracks, "unless you want to start a war that the Rangers cannot win, I suggest that you stand down, I will be back on board soon."

"Sir, you know the regulations concerning the kidnapping of Ranger personnel!" The second in command stated.

"I am fine, as a matter of fact I am here with an old friend, he is obviously working for the new emperor. I'll keep you appraised." Shaking his head, Joseph Hartwell turned back to Derrick.

"So this is where you have been, though I have received reports that you were in a salvage ship." Hartwell said.

"I was for many years, it was a way to forget the hell of the war, and afterwards." Derrick said between clinched teeth.

"We all heard about what had happened, the entire unit was disbanded with all of us separated from the service the next day. They made the mistake of sending the same men after a few of us. I was with Dempsy, and Thomas when they found us, idiots forgot that Dempsy was a martial artist. The first 10 went down faster than I've seen in a long time."

Derrick was smiling the first real one he'd felt about the whole situation in a long time. "It would have helped to have Dempsy there, they kicked my ass pretty good, though I didn't go all that quietly," Derrick said.

Hartwell's eyes opened large, "That explains why several of them looked like they had been beat up! After that we weren't bothered again, I started to look for you but no one seemed to know where you had gone. I am sorry Commander, had we known, we all would have been there it would have been a lot different."

Chuckling a moment, Derrick could only imagine the state of the 20 men that had issued his punishment after his men had finished with them.

Looking at a screen a moment Derrick shook his head, "Excuse me a moment Joseph, Conner?"

The hologram of the young man appeared, "Target the lead ship, disrupt all engine and weapon functions, sorry Joseph but you're going to need a ride back."

They both watched as a strange yellow beam came from nowhere and struck the lead ship, after shaking a bit, the ship went dark.

"What did you just do?" Hartwell cried to Derrick.

"It's just a nullifier, though as weak as the systems are today, you won't be going anywhere for a while." Derrick told Hartwell.

"Now then about that allegiance you were going to swear." Derrick said with a smile.

Catching himself a moment later Hartwell had to remember to close his mouth. "Uh, yes, I was supposed to deliver this to the man claiming to be the new emperor." Hartwell said reaching to pull a paper from a tube at his side.

"I was chosen to deliver it, since I am the only one to ever talk to the man and come out of it in one piece." Looking down Derrick saw him start to panic when he saw that the tube was empty.

Chuckling Derrick asked, "Where exactly did you leave it for safe keeping?"

"It's in the safe in my quarters," Hartwell stated.

Nodding to the hologram of a slender blonde woman, they waited a moment then a rolled parchment appeared on a table next to Derrick. Shelby disappeared leaving Hartwell staring at the empty spot, his mouth again wide open.

"Joey, close your mouth," Derrick said a smile plastered to his face. Nodding Hartwell closed his mouth but still couldn't take his eyes off the spot where Shelby had been.

Still a little in shock Hartwell turned back to Derrick, "Who in the hell was that gorgeous creature and is she free tonight?"

They both heard a giggle then Shelby reappeared, "I am Shelby but I am afraid I am unable to leave the ship."

Hartwell looked at Derrick, "You are obviously the commanding officer on this ship couldn't you let her go? I mean just for tonight? I'm sorry, that is if you aren't involved with her."

"Oh I am in a way," Derrick started, laughing then smiling, Derrick explained when Hartwell's face showed the confusion he was feeling.

"You see the reason she can't leave the ship is because she IS the ship."

Hartwell started to laugh, then he saw that Derrick was dead serious; laughing a little more his shocked face had Shelby giggling. "Wait, wait, wait, you mean to tell me that, this gorgeous woman IS the ship?! You're serious aren't you?"

Sighing Hartwell should have known it was too good to be true. "Well 'bout my luck always seem to find the perfect one and she isn't real."

Derrick was in shock, there wasn't a Mrs. Hartwell? "What in the universe is wrong with you? I know things didn't affect you as badly as they did me, I'd have thought you'd have tons of women lined up trying to marry you."

Shaking his head Derrick started again, "my god man what did you do join the Rangers as soon as you got out?"

Hartwell turned away for a moment.

"Not all of us had family to fall back on; you and the others were my family. Losing you was a major blow to me and the boys." Hartwell said.

"I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch, 'til I got a handle on everything, I wasn't too good company. Thing is I just got a handle on it a few weeks ago." Derrick told him.

"Enough about the past, now again, about this allegiance you are to swear?" Derrick asked Hartwell.

"Yes, I am to read this to the man who claims he is the new emperor, so... is he here or do you have to call him? Is he on the other ship I saw?" Hartwell asked anxious to get this over with.

Derrick smiled, this ought to be good, "I'll take it," Derrick said.

"I have to read it to the man himself," Hartwell said.

Smiling even larger Derrick looked at Shelby, then opened his mouth as the same distorted voice Hartwell had heard before came from the speakers. "I said I'll take it." Hartwell could only stare at his friend opened mouth; there was no way that Derrick O'toma was the emperor!