Lost Empire

Chapter 50

"Thank you Tempro, control?" Derrick asked.

"Control at eighty five percent. Now commencing the shut down of the third engine. Chances of survival have moved into fifty percent range Sire." Tempro advised Derrick.

Nodding Derrick kept typing stopping a moment later staring at something. "Tempro, access to all engines such as these, can also be bilateral can it not?"

"Checking Sire. Yes Sire! Now accessing the fourth engine through its lateral twin engine. Shut down has started. Sire! I suggest we remove ourselves to another position I am detecting several heavily armed ships approaching!" Tempro almost shouted.

Derrick nodded, "Yes, that would be the Rangers. Go Tempro before they enter normal space!" There was a familiar whine then they were in trans-warp. Two seconds later they were outside the system. "Good this ought to be far enough."

Walking to the tall man Derrick helped to get the man to his feet. Still a little in shock the man asked, "What the hell was that? Worse than that time my vest took three slugs!"

"That was an electric shock. Yeah I know, leaves a bad taste in your mouth." Derrick told the man with a smile. "So how about an explanation?"

"Yeah that would be real good right now. Because as of right now; I am confused as hell!" The tall man said to Derrick.

"Ok, to start 'bout a year ago I was way out, working for a salvage company. I was bored falling asleep when I heard something. I ignored it then decided to take a nap that's when it all started..." Derrick started into the story. It was about an hour later when Derrick finished.

"Wait! You say six to seven years have past? She married someone else? Shit! Figures she never was one to stay loyal long. I'm so damn glad that President Maury got his in the end. Son of a bitch only cared for what he could get! Commander?" Sergeant Norton suddenly asked. "What of my daughter? Of everything I regret, missing watching her grow into a woman is the one that hurts the most."

Derrick hid a smile he wanted to tell the man but thought better of it. The surprise that he was sure Sergeant Norman got would be worth it. "All I can tell you at this moment is she is alive. Much beyond that I can't say."

The man nodded as he looked at Derrick. Something was going on, though getting the Commander to tell him was impossible.

Derrick smiled, "It's ok Dan," the man's head snapped up with surprise. "I think you'll like whatever she is doing no matter what!"

Sergeant Daniel Norman, nodded to Derrick even more certain that Derrick was hiding something. Sighing he guessed he'd just have to wait. "So have long before we get back?"

"Well..." Derrick started. "I have a few stops to make before we do."

"A few stops? What ... wait I wasn't the only one who died am I? You're going to try and save all of them. Alright I'm in! All the way! Who are we going after?" Norman asked excited.

"In my time the only ones that didn't make it were you, then Jimison almost a year later during a robbery. Two years later there was a transport accident that took the lives of everyone on it, including Shilo and Grant. All of the ships were partly owned by that bastard Maury. I have looked over all the records, each of you had been manipulated to be where you were." Derrick told Daniel through clenched teeth.

Daniel was nodding his head. A lot of things that had happened the day before were starting to make sense. "What about Jimison? Shit! The bastard President owned that also didn't he!!?"

"Yes! I intend to get all of you; I am still trying to reunite the empire. I have Hartwell; he's my space fleet Commander. Dempsy," Here Derrick sighed.