CHAPTER 56

List of Ships/Names:

0001 - Tempro; 0101 - Shelby (mother ship); 1000 - Sherry

0003 - Conner; 0798 - (still growing);

0098 - Lucy (missing); 0999 - Zan;

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"Sherry?! You were called Sherry?" Still somewhat in shock Derrick could only stare at the hologram of the young woman.

"Why yes Sire," the slender brown haired teen replied. "Is there something wrong with that name? I can change it for you Sire. What is your command for me? I am anxious to once again serve the empire and you my lord."

"No Sherry, there is nothing wrong with the name; it is a proud and honorable name. It also happens to be the name of my mother, so wear it with pride." Sherry looked at Derrick, her face beaming, to be given a name by the emperor was one thing but to have the same name as the Imperial mother was an honor she was hoping she could live up to.

"Yes Sir I will, I hope that I can live up to the name of the Imperial mother. You have honored me by allowing me to keep it, thank you." Sherry said tears are now starting to form in her eyes as well as Zan's.

"I also thank you Sire, you do both of us a great honor allowing her to keep the name." A now widely smiling Zan told Derrick.

Derrick waved a hand to quiet them before they said more, "I consider it an honor that you allow me to be your emperor. We still have much to do before..."

"Sire!" Conner broke in excitement in his voice, "I just finished going through the readings we took near the galactic rim. I believed I picked up several signals with the new equipment and settings you gave me. I am even able to accurately predict where the brain boxes will be!"

Derrick jumped up and ran to the console, "Show me!" He commanded. As the blips started to show up Derrick counted at least 20. Of those he quickly dismissed 10 of them as energy anomalies, rubbing his chin then his leg Derrick found this most helpful. "Alright I want you to continue to track these 10. The others will show you what not to look for."

Bowing low Conner's wide grin was infectious as in a moment almost all of the holograms were also smiling. This was the best news they'd had in quite a while. Derrick was thinking for a few minutes, they had time; Mary could handle things a little longer. "Mary?"

Appearing a moment later Mary stated, "Yes Sire?" She could almost see what the emperor had in mind from the look on his face. "I take it you are going after more of the ships?"

"Yes we have 10 good solid readings we need to check out, we need as much of the fleet as we can get if we are to re-establish the empire." Derrick informed her.

Sighing she didn't like it but she couldn't disagree with him either, "Yes Sire, I agree wholeheartedly, remember Sire there are still forces out there that wish to remove you from the throne. Please exercise more caution this time before you bring more of them on board."

"Of course Mary, I am far more careful than I was when we started this, you know that." Derrick told the hologram hoping she'd believe it.

Mary only smirked at Derrick, "Yes Sir I know that you will put yourself in harm's way to save the ships. Please Sire; don't make me have to administer shock to you again to keep you safe. I find it most distasteful but I will if it means your safety."

"I know Mary, I know, I don't want to be put out like that again. I WILL exercise a hell of a lot more caution than I did the last time." Derrick told her, wincing at the memory of the shock she'd given him. "I am sending Rayburn to you to start his treatment; I need him as soon as you can heal him."

"Yes Sir I will commence as soon as I have him in the bio - bed." Mary told him. Derrick watched as Rayburn was transferred to the palace.

"Zan I want you and Sherry to watch over the Imperial planet, as before Tempro, render aid only if they need it." Derrick ordered the three holograms. "I need you to lead us to the nearest brainbox reading Conner."

"Yes Sire," the four holograms all said looking at Mary and Shelby, nodding then vanishing.

"Coordinates for the first box laid in," Shelby told Derrick with a huge smile on her face.

"Alright, trans-warp now!" Derrick ordered as they were suddenly across the galaxy again. Within moments they were nearing the first reading. "Scan for the signal that Conner detected earlier."

"Adjusting scanners now," both ships told him. "Sire, I am detecting a signature corresponding to the readings that you indicated were those of our brain boxes." Conner reported a few minutes later.

"I concur with Conner's findings, now scanning the area. Derrick!" Came Shelby's excited yell a moment later. "I am detecting," there was a gasp then Shelby appeared tears streaming freely down her face. "Oh my god Derrick!"

Concerned Derrick became worried, "What's wrong Shelby is it that bad? What's wrong?"

"Th ... the ship it ... it is Lucy's wing mate 0097!" Shelby was crying even harder now the chances of them finding Lucy were greatly improved but finding her wing mate had been an even longer shot of happening.

Derrick was at the console in a moment studying the readings nodding he could see that it was indeed her wing mate. "Begin all cautionary scans then advise me of your findings."

"At once Derrick," Shelby said as they closed the distance a little to better detect anything that might be wrong. Almost a half hour later Shelby informed Derrick that the box was ready to transfer.

"What is the most that you can hold Shelby? I know you can grow two at the same time but how many can you hold?" Derrick asked her, concerned that she might take on too many.

"I can grow two at the same time as you said Derrick, I can hold another six if they are all hooked up to life support. Any more than that, I believe would tax my systems to the point that I also might fail." Shelby told Derrick a huge smile on her face as was on Conner's.

"Sire I can hold four, though I have no capabilities to grow the ships as the energy for re-gen is primarily on board Shelby. I am sorry sir but it might help." Conner told Derrick to hang his head low.

"Don't feel ashamed Conner being able to keep them alive is more help than you know. I want to try and get them all, that way there will be some growing all the time for a while." Derrick told the despondent Conner. At Derrick's words Conner's face lit up as he started to smile and nod, he hadn't thought that just keeping them alive was enough help. "Alright on to the next I am just hoping that all of them are as free of problems as 0097 was!"