CHAPTER 61

Thomas had stopped short of what he was saying and doing when a beautiful, blonde, green eyed, slender woman appeared standing in front of him. His mouth agape, it had to be the first time Derrick had ever seen the ensign unable to speak. "Derrick I have secured the other ship in bay one next to yours," turning she looked at Thomas. "I know that you are a lot like Derrick sir, if you wish I will let you inspect to make sure I have secured all that you wish."

Thomas only nodded then vanished, Derrick smirked at Hartwell, "I expect he'll be screaming when..."

"What the hell! Let me know before you do that!" Thomas was yelling.

"See told you," Derrick smiled at Hartwell. "So I take it everything is ok?"

Shaking his head, the brown haired Thomas nodded then looked hard at Derrick. "It just hit me a moment ago, what the Lieutenant said, the emperor? You sir?" That started the widest smile on Thomas's face that he'd ever seen. Then the man started to yell out in joy. "Holy crap! I am friends with the emperor! ALRIGHT!" Derrick and Hartwell both rolled their eyes as Thomas started to do a little dance.

Shelby giggled, "I take it that then that everything was to your satisfaction?"

Thomas, a ladies' man, walked over to the vision of Shelby and stated, "Everything except a way to go out with you my dear."

"I am afraid that is impossible sir, I cannot leave the ship" Shelby told Thomas.

Turning to Derrick Thomas said with a pain stricken face, "I am sure the emperor will allow you off one night."

Giggling again Shelby told the man, "No sir you don't understand I cannot leave the ship, I AM the ship."

Hartwell was about to laugh himself off his feet, Derrick of course was smirking with a smile much the same way he had with Hartwell.

Thomas, not to be put off pressed the issue, "Come on I know you're just joking you're afraid to go out with me?"

Shelby's face was suddenly serious as she stated, "No sir as I said I am the ship more rather I am the A.I. of the ship. My designation is EIG - 101F." With that Shelby vanished.

Derrick sighed this was going to be a long few days that was for sure. "Yes Thomas she is the living A.I. of this ship, she is one of a thousand living Elite Imperial Guardian ships. You might say that I have been with her for the last few months, when we saved you months ago I had only been with her for a day or two. Now then if you are gawking, I am getting all of what is left of the unit back together."

Thomas was staring at Derrick for a moment, "What of Kimison? I heard they stuck him in a hell hole, I'd do anything to get..."

"Not to worry," came Kimison's voice then a hologram of him appeared, "my god commander! I am in heaven the things I can do with this equipment! I looked over all the augments you did for Mary's excellent work. You even got a few that I hadn't thought of. I have been working with Mary to upgrade the palace security. It's," here the man sighed, "better but I feel it can go further. Also I have looked over the virus details that you have managed to eradicate most of. It appears to be a self-replicating, extremely aggressive virus, and appears to have been there for over 1000 years. With the brilliant templates you provided I might be able to beat it soon."

"Kimison? You're alive? How? Where are you?" Thomas said startled to see the man not only healthy but whole also.

"Thanks to the commander and his highly advanced living machines I am. As to where I am, I'm in the palace on the imperial planet. I'd say you ought to get back soon sir, I feel the natives are getting restless," Kimison said.

Derrick nodded then thought to Shelby there was a whine behind them all then a few seconds later they were near the imperial world. Thomas's mouth dropped open "Is that the imperial planet?" Thomas asked as his eyes got huge as he started at the scene in front of him. "But that means ... we traveled ... in just seconds?!!!! Holy CRAP! You want me? I'm with you all the way!"

Derrick smiled and finally they were all back together, well what was left of their group. Already Kimison was working out more of the bugs with the palace security. With any luck Rayburn with his troubleshooting skills could find more than even he and Kimison had missed. Smiling a moment he knew just the assignment for Thomas and he was pretty sure that Thomas would jump at the chance to do it.

A few hours later, Derrick and Hartwell were about to depart Shelby when Hartwell's Ranger communicator went off. "What is the emergency Captain Multry?"

"Sir, we just received a report that part of it is under attack from a superior enemy. None of their shields are effective against their weapons. High command wants us to go; they said we are the closest. With all respect sir, we are a lot further away than wing's group two." The man stopped when Hartwell held up a hand.

"Prepare the ship, we can be there in less than a minute," Hartwell told the man whose eyes opened wide, then he nodded. He was shouting orders when they clicked off.

"Mary, we're going to ; keep me apprised on what is going on there 'till we are there." Derrick ordered.

"Sire, I am sensing a trap, don't you think it would be prudent to bring backup?" Hartwell asked a moment later.

Derrick nodded, "Of course but I feel they are expecting this so I think I have a surprise for them."

Hartwell smiled he knew of the man's surprises during the war, they had always been life savers that was for sure.

Above the new leader smiled as soon as they were in orbit they would have them and be able to take the ship then it would be no problem to disable the computer and use the ship to their own ends. It was the perfect plan. Laughing he was going to love slicing the throat of the fool of an emperor.

Moments later a huge rift opened as the ship slipped out of trans-warp space, ah magnificent! Just think soon it would be theirs! Moving into orbit the leader watched as the ship went dark, laughing as the leader thought that the emperor was far smarter than that! As they started to move in closer several blasts erupted behind their ship WHAT!

Conner smiled as Thomas ordered another salvo, though not as strong as theirs, the enemy's shields they were holding up to some pretty strong blasts from Conner's guns. "Prime, they are turning to run," Conner told Thomas. "Damn it! Try to disable their engines before they get away! Full charge now!" Again Conner smiled as he powered up the guns and released a full charge blast.

The new leader's eyes got huge; they'd never survive a blast of that intensity! "Jump damn it JUMP NOW!" As the ship slipped into the portal the blast reached the edge of it and exploded. Cursing Thomas looked over the readings smiling, good the bastard was damaged if they made it out of the trans-warp portal they were in damn poor shape that was for sure.

"Conner I want you to keep an active scan on them as long as you can. I can't believe the asses got away!" Thomas said more mad at himself than Conner.

"If it is any help prime, they are far too damaged to make it all that far, that is if they can ever exit the trans-warp portal." Conner told Thomas.

"I realize that Conner but I feel as if I failed the emperor, and that is unacceptable to me. If we didn't have to get the emperor from orbit then I'd say we go after the bastards!" Thomas replied.

"You know I can still hear you Thomas, they only got our engines. I was expecting something like this. We shut down all but those when we hit orbit. Don't worry you two you WILL get another chance then I guarantee it!" Derrick told them. "Now if you don't mind pull us out of the nullifier field so we can restart the engines and assess the damage to . By the way Conner I think they copied your nullifier beam to do this quite effectively I have to say."

"Thank you sir, when you created it I thought it wasn't that useful but now I see the merit of it." Conner replied.

Mary appeared on board Shelby a moment later, "Sire! Again you are taking needless chances with your life! You are very close to me activating the retrieval system to keep you in the palace! I should..."

"Mary executive order Rho-11, Epsilon-21, Alpha-31, Sigma, Sigma-01 Epsilon-02, Sigma, Sigma-03 enacted." Derrick suddenly stated.

Mary was quiet for a few moments then spoke, "Executive order Rho-11, Epsilon-21, Alpha-31, Sigma, Sigma-01 Epsilon-02, Sigma, Sigma-03 enacted. Re-assessing dangers based on the emperor's precautions and emergency measures. Awaiting orders Sire."

Derrick sighed he'd hated to pull that command on Mary though it would only work for so long for now she would be constantly reassessing him. Therefore it was only a matter of time before her assessment of him would fall far shorter than he'd wish it to be.

Mary smiled; she hadn't expected the emperor to pull that old command out, for the present almost everything he was doing would be ok but only for now, she knew he would have to rescind it one day.

"Alright Thomas, Conner, we are almost ready. Go back to the imperial planet; we are going to be far more ready next time. This was just to see what they were capable of, now we know so they are at a disadvantage." Derrick told both of them. Shit I hope we are ready next time. That was a little close.