Lost Empire Ch. 28

"You will find that this emperor is far different than any other we have known. Sleep for an hour then you can emerge into space." Shelby lovingly told them.

"Yes mother, thank you," voices said then were quiet.

"That was beautiful," Hartwell said tears in his eyes. This was the first time he'd ever seen the ship emergences.

Derrick went back to reading up on the five major Nobles that they were going to be visiting first. In particular was the Duke Risen, Derrick already knew the man was a traitor he just had to have solid proof.

Looking behind him he could see that the now solid hologram of Mary was watching his every move. 'Damn, ' he thought, 'the damn thing even followed him even when he took to relieve himself. Damn, ' he thought, 'I knew when I went into this I wouldn't have a lot of privacy but I didn't think I wouldn't have any!'

At Ranger headquarters a tall, thin female was bent over a computer console. A device was hooked to the side enabling her to extract almost anything she wanted. Almost anything, the encryption she kept running into was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Sighing she had enough to start. Walking out she walked past several of the techs who didn't give her a second look. Cradling the data disc she smiled, soon bastard you will pay for the death of my son!

Derrick's communicator went off a few minutes later. "Emperor are you busy at the moment?" Came the voice of the Ranger High Commander.

"No High Commander, I will always have time for you." Derrick told the man whose eyes opened wide in shock.

"We have detected a break into the Ranger central data center. When we checked the video feeds there was nothing unusual. At present we are at a loss." The man reported.

"What was accessed?" Derrick asked though he had an idea he already knew.

"It appears that all information on you was accessed sire, on anyone that might have spoken, interacted, or actually seen you. This is a serious breach; I'm just glad that you planted all that false information in the data base." The older man reported.

"Thank you high commander, please keep me informed." Clicking off Derrick thought, 'so that ass is at a dead end. He's trying to get all he can on me and others that have been near me.' Smiling, 'good, ' Derrick thought 'the false information should lead whomever he sent into the open soon.'

"Derrick, it's time." Shelby said.

"My sons, the emperor wishes to speak you before you emerge into space." Shelby informed both of the ships.

Two holograms appeared on Shelby in front of Derrick and bowed. One, a tall, slender blonde teen, the other a young man barely out of his teens with jet dark hair. "Yes Sire?" They both stated.

"As I have told all ships after emergence, I require that they go by the name that they were given or were allowed to choose. I therefore ask you both for yours or if you wish to be given one." Derrick asked of both the holographic males.

"Yes Sire." the blonde 0125 started, "I was known as Lars I was told it was a proud name, it was also the name of my first crew commander." Derrick nodded making note glad that the man would be remembered.

Turning toward the jet black haired teen Derrick asked, "And you 0403?"

Suddenly standing proud and tall the young man answered, "I was called Johnathon for a few years. I was told that I was allowed to keep it by supplemental crews later on."

Derrick had a wide grin on his face as he looked over at Hartwell. Hartwell had a shocked look on his face, which of course had Derrick again about to fall out of the command chair laughing.