Lost Empire Ch. 10

"Had you not come for me, would I have survived?" Derrick asked. Shelby only shook her head no. "The way that you had to come in to stop me, was there any other position that you could have taken that would have allowed you to jump out with less damage?" Shelby was thinking, calculating every position, every direction that she could have come in from, every position that she could have been in to catch him. Derrick watched her face; he knew that she'd see it in a moment. When her face lit up Derrick nodded, "you did the absolute best that you could I know that, therefore I don't blame you. Rather I praise you for your precise and quick actions. Shelby without you none of this would have been possible."

Shelby's face lit up, "thank you Derrick I again pledge myself to you I will do all I

can to protect you."

"As do we all," Zan said, turning he saw that all the holograms were there. They all bowed each pledging their existence to him.

Mary appeared a moment later, "executive order is being carried out, all planets of the empire have been informed. The president lost control of his bodily fluids when I informed him that the emperor was returning. I am releasing all the information on all his atrocities and those with him to the council, well those that are still trust worthy. All heavy arms and armament have been destroyed on the Republic home planet. I have a fleet now within fifty thousand miles of the imperial planet; they are at present removing the ten I disabled."

"Very good Mary, stay under executive order 'til further notice, also arm all robot sentries, I have a feeling they are going to try and take the rest of the planet. Have all the people's identities on the planet downloaded into their memories, I want them protected also." Derrick ordered Mary smiled, reaching out she activated all the sentries, loading each as Derrick said with the identity of all the people on the planet. Finally his strength still not yet full he lay back down and slept. For the next two days Derrick drifted in and out of consciousness taking reports and issuing orders, though the one thing he especially wanted to check on was the condition of Tempro. The fact that there was still a message from still an unknown person or persons was still a major bur in his side. Finally able to sit up but still not released Derrick thought he was going to go bonkers waiting for the bio-bed to clear him.

Sighing he looked at Shelby a few days later, "Shelby how much longer must I be subjected to being babied?"

"The bio-bed has your body at ninety five percent, the nanomites are still working on your leg. I am afraid that it will bother you the rest of your life Derrick." Lowering her head she started, "I am sorry that you will be reminded of this failure by me to protect you fully Derrick."

Sighing Derrick looked at her sternly, "Shelby, if you were a human I'd slap the taste out of your mouth!" Shelby just looked at Derrick shocked. "You didn't fail me if anything I failed to protect you; if I remember right, an emperor does everything he can to protect all the citizens of his empire." Here all the holograms had appeared as Derrick had signaled them. "I...," Derrick bowed to all the holograms, "you are all citizens of this empire, I have failed you therefore I beg your forgiveness." All the hologram's mouths were wide open; the emperor was apologizing to them? Who was this man, in all their (a few only a few) years they had never met a human as kind and giving to them as this one. All of the holograms had tears in their eyes each told Derrick thank you, then went back to their ships. Mary, who had also been listening as she did now, had tears in her eyes. Finally she thought a true emperor of the people, sighing now she thought; we just need to take the empire back.