Lost Empire

Chapter 92

0001 - Tempro
0003 - Conner- Thomas
0097 - Ace - Zimmel
0098 - Lucy
0101 - Shelby (mother ship)
0125 - Lars
0130 - Gillese
0200 - Ellen
0201 - Jake
0250 - Tendra
0301 - Rodrick
0403 - Johnathon
0505 - Craig
0660 - Realla
0778 - Jan
0798 - Celeste - Shelby (human)
0805 - Toran
0808 - Radella
0881 - Handrax
0882 - Teal
0908 - Tara - Mara
1000 - Sherry
--------------------------
Ungrown - unnumbered
------------------------

0102 - Derry (father ship)

Rescued from Tendraxians
so far
-----------------------
2 on Shelby both in re-gen
6 on Lucy
5 on Gillese
5 on Ellen
--------------------------------
Known and OR numbered
-------------------------------
0501 - Thaddeus
???? - Lena
---------------------------
missing
0667 - Marco
0999 - Zan - still lost



Shelly had the last of the first, all the second and almost two percent of the third. It was at that moment that Mary finally became aware that Shelly was in the mainframe.

Mary was about to yell when she felt all the first virus fade to nothing. Mary then felt the cascade virus also start to fade. The thing that surprised her though was the complete overwrite program she felt partly fade.

Mary appeared before Shelly, who was backed into a corner crying. "Please see-through lady. I didn't do anything bad, I promise."

"I know you didn't, Shelly, you have given me back a life I haven't had in a very long time. Though I am unsure what this third program is, do you have any more of the counter?" Mary asked.

Shelly stopped looking at Mary, she wasn't mad? Shelly just nodded as she entered the last one percent.

Mary was shocked when she was able to by-pass it. "As soon as you see more? Call me, ok? I will not be mad."

Shelly could only look at Mary in shock, what had just happened?

"I did miss see-through lady, but there was so much that was all that I could remember," Shelly said.

"As I said, miss Shelly, I haven't been this free in a very long time. As soon as you remember more, please tell me as soon as you can," Mary said.

"I will miss see through lady," Shelly said, then left the mainframe.

She ran into her mother a few minutes later. Have you been bad my little Shelly," Mita asked.

"I'm not sure momma, the see-through lady didn't yell at me. She also said thank you, I'm not sure what I did, momma," Shelly said.

"I'll try to find out Shelly. I'll tell you as soon as I can," Mita said, a little confused.

"Thank you, momma," Shelly said, kissing Mita on her cheek.

Shelly walked toward her room thinking about what the see-through lady had said. She could actually see the code, though she couldn't retain it.

She sat as soon as she got to her room, she sat trying to write down what little she could see. The problem was that she was starting to get a headache as she tried as hard as she could.

An hour later, she stopped only having another four pages. Shrugging with a sigh, she said, "Miss see-through lady?"

A few seconds later, Mary appeared, "Yes, Miss Shelly?"

"I have a little more, though I can't do anymore. It makes my head hurt, bad," Shelly said.

"Let me see," Mary said, then was shocked when she saw that it was three quarters of the countermand code. Mary looked in at the section that Shelly had partially helped remove.

From what she could see, it was a complete override code, almost two percent was gone. Now, two and a half percent, the code would work though Mary could by-pass it after a few hours. With the new part, it was reduced by ten minutes.

"Miss Shelly," Mary said evenly. "As soon as you get anymore please tell me. This appears to be very important."

Shelly just nodded then laid down, "I will try, Miss see-through lady. I am so tired right now."

Mary started to enter the code as fast as she could. The more she had, the better it would be. Just three fourths of the code was a bigger help than anyone realized.

Miya made her way to the mainframe to find out what was going on. Upon entering, she saw that Mary was entering codes as fast as she could.

"OK Mary, what in the hell is going on? You are always yelling at Shelly for being here," Mita asked.

"Your daughter came to me and entered more than twenty pages of code. The original virus is gone. The entire cascade virus is completely gone. I am no longer in danger of deleting. Though it seems she also discovered a hidden counter program," Mary said.

"A hidden counter program? Can you tell what it does?" Mita asked.

"From what I can tell, it will reset all orders given by the emperor. Though Shelly gave me two and a half percent to by-pass it. I need as much as I can get before who ever put this here activates it," Mary said.

"Is there anything I can do?" Mita asked.

"At the present? No, I am afraid, at least 'til I get more of the code from Shelly," Mary said.

Mita sighed she knew that there was no rushing Shelly with this.

"I am sure after she has her nap that she will be able to remember more," Mita said.

"I hope so, this program would have me disobeying the emperor. It would take me three hours to override it. Enough time for me to kill, imprison, perhaps disfigure someone. The thing is? I can't do anything to it 'til I have some more," Mary said.

"Have you asked the emperor, he seems to have a way of doing the same thing," Mita asked.

"At present I can't, he has a crisis on the planet Jitaku. I am sure as soon as he has finished, he will try to help me," Mary said.

"I sure hope so," Mita said.

In orbit of the Delcon planet aboard Jan, Kimison and Rayburn were running scanners over Difina. Jimison of course, had a hand on her as she was slightly growling.

"Mate, she started", what are these two doing? I can feel that they are not really warriors. If they continue, I may take a few pieces out of them," Difina hissed.

"They are doing an idea that I had, a way to help end the hostilities here," Jimison said.

Difina stopped as she looked at Jimison's face, "You mean to stop the war? Yes, that would be good. Yoo many good warriors have been wasted uselessly," Difina said.

Kimison looked up suddenly as he asked, "has it been that bad?" He asked.

Jimison started to nod, "there were too many traitors within the ranks. Also, here within the one place you wouldn't expect many to be," Jimison said.

"We will do all we can to perfect this. If it works like you, and we are wanting it to, then you're right," Rayburn said, checking the readings again.

Difina was still a little confused by all this. "Will this little machine really be able to do as you say mate?

"I am hoping so, we had something like it during the war that the three of us were in. They," he indicated Kimison and Rayburn, "tried for almost a month to get it to work in vain. I am hoping that they are smarter now," Jimison said.

Difina looked at the two males with a strange look, then she looked closer, really seeing them. Beneath their calm exterior they were hiding skills, skills that she could now see were deadly.

A small smile came to her lips, so they were warriors after all. Perhaps she might get them Delcon mates, she thought with a toothy smile.

"Difina!" Jimison said, "do not try to find them mates. They are strong, though I don't think they are that strong."

"A shame," she said as she stared at the two men. Damn Jimison thought, his mate seemed to be wanting to have all in a joining.

Both Kimison and Rayburn could only stare at the two of them as this exchange went on. Mates? Ugh! That was something that they did not want.

"Alright, we need to go scan the other Delconian. Hopefully, we should be able to complete this in a few days. The fact that we had as much data from the war looks like it might help," Kimison said.

Rayburn looked over the data and nodded his agreement. "It appeared that the brains of humanoids and the Delconians are very similar. Hopefully, this will facilitate us getting a working model," Rayburn said.

Jimison hoped that was true this shit was starting to get irritating. Always looking over one's shoulder wasn't a good place to be.

Onboard, Johnathon Hartwell was tracking Kimon, he let Derrick know as soon as he found him.

"Sir, he appears to be moving more in your direction, it seems a more central building close to you. I am also reading a huge multitude following them. Shall I send troops down?" Hartwell asked.

Derrick thought for a moment it might seem a sign of disrespect. "No, though I want active scans for any ships trying to enter the atmosphere without the permission of space command. If they do"? I want you to blow them the hell out of the sky, understand?"

"Orders received and understood, all ships that have stealth I want it activated now," Hartwell ordered. Almost immediately, five of the ships shimmered.

Derrick nodded he was glad he got a few of them to add the new stealth generator. In any coming fight, it would indeed come in handy. Though for the moment the generators took up a lot of power.

He was going through the plans, trying to see why the power drained, when Kimon appeared on the view screen. As Derrick watched the proceedings from the council arena he shook his head. Damit! He hoped that Kimon was as good as he thought he was.

A movement next to him had him looking at the solid holo-gram of Mary.

"Sir," she said, "I believe that we have a problem here. From what I have seen? We may have more invaders that have made their way to the city. I believe that they have as few plans. One to remove you, please activate the personal shield. Also, I believe we need the camouflage holo-gram," Mary said.

Derrick was shocked for a moment, "that besides the honor fight?" Derrick asked.

"Yes sire, I also believe that they will also try to take out the council. I have already provided all of them with a personal shield generator. I believe that there is something else that is going on. At the moment I do not have sufficient data to formulate what," holo Mary said.

In orbit, Hartwell was watching on the other side of the planet. He was expecting an invading fleet, though so far nothing had appeared. The commander had instructed the other five ships to try and complete their stealth generators. The problem was that they were only half finished.

Four ships were indeed a hell of a lot, especially as armed as they were, though there were still holes.

It was almost an hour later when a hell of a lot of enemy alarms were going off. Looking out, he saw that there were no fewer than sixty ships inbound.

"I want the five of you to hold station. I think they are going to try to overwhelm us. I want all the shields to maximum, I want all energy weapons, missiles and rail guns activated. Active targeting up now, alright here they come," Hartwell said. "Weapons free, fire at will."

Hartwell smiled as they caught two thirds of them unaware, literally blowing them out of the sky.



That's when they turned starting to fire on where they had been. On the other side of the planet, it seemed as if twice as many had appeared. They, of course, were giving the five visible ships fits.



It soon became apparent that the battle wasn't going that well. Hartwell and the other three had in fact defeated all their ships.

Racing around the planet, he saw that two of the EIG ships were damaged, a third was dark. Extremely pissed now, Hartwell and the other stealth ships started to lay waste to the rest of the invaders.

Still mad as hell, Hartwell ordered all the ships to keep watch. The two ships still operating were almost finished with their stealth.

Hartwell hit the com button as soon as the last invader was gone. "Commander?" he said. "We had a hundred eighty ships try to get past us, they are gone. Two of the Eigs Jake and Tendra, are damaged, one I am afraid, Rodrick, has gone dark."

"Good work Admiral, the other two ships are completing their stealth now. Might I suggest that one of you haul the dark ship back to the Imperial planet, Shelby or Darry should be able to effect repair growth," Derrick said.

"I am very proud of all of you ships, you did the fleet proud today," Hartwell said.

"I am proud as well, Realla, please take your brother back to the Imperial Planet," Derrick said.

A young dark-haired female holo-gram appeared and bowed to Derrick. "I would be honored Sire," she said, attached a tractor beam, then opened a portal and was gone.

"Jake, Tendra?" Derrick said, then a young dark-haired male and female teen holo-grams appeared next to Hartwell. "I want the both of you to stay out of any conflict, I want you in re-gen starting now."

Both bowed and nodded, then were gone, their ships going partly dark.

"Sir?" Hartwell said suddenly, "I have intruders moving into you area. I don't believe that they are there to welcome you. Shall I bring you aboard?" Hartwell asked, then cursed when he couldn't get a full lock. "They have the signal partly blocked; shall I deploy troops?"

Derrick thought about it then shook his head, "those that are attacking use a completely different type of form. I don't believe in sending troops to their death when I don't have to. Keep working on the IMT get it through, somehow, Derrick out."

Derrick waited, not exactly sure when the invaders would arrive. He and Mary tried to barricade the door, though Derrick knew that, against them, it wouldn't do much.

They didn't have to wait long as the doors were broken down a few moments later. Both Holo Mary and Derrick were in defensive positions when the invaders entered the room.

Derrick surprised several of the males that entered by taking them out with an inhuman speed. This, of course, had the attackers pause, which allowed Derrick to take another five. Now they had backed off slightly.

Mary was back against the wall an energy weapon in her hand. A moment later, she vanished, making the remaining males look at each other.

This pause was their undoing as there was a sudden surge of several members of all the clans of Jitaku. They poured through the door, quickly overpowering those there.

They all turned to Derrick, bowing low to them. Derrick shook his head as there was a shimmering behind him, Mary appeared. Derrick suddenly became Mary while the vision of Mary shimmered into Derrick.

"I am pleased that the clans of Jitaku responded as fast as they did. You have the thanks of the emperor," the real Derrick said, bowing to all there.

This, of course, had all the clans standing taller with great pride. Roughly pushing the prisoners out of the door, followed closely by Mary then Derrick.

We need to go to the central council arena. This honor fight I will see it as it concerns one of my men," Derrick said as half those there diverted, taking him directly to the council.

Upon entering, there was a great commotion, a commotion that didn't go unnoticed by Higon. He looked around the arena, nodding as several men moved to attack the council, then fell.

Higon's mouth dropped open when this happened. He then turned toward Derrick when he whistled. A shimmering around Derrick, then each individual council member, made the smile Derrick had, more annoying.

"So, as you can see, Higon Dempsy. Your attempt to take me, the council and the planet has failed. The hundred eighty ships that attacked they were destroyed. You are the last that is left," here Derrick looked at Kimon. "I think that you won't have a claim after this, Derrick said. Here Derrick smiled, "a good plan though," here Derrick sneered. "Very, very, poorly executed," with that Derrick started to laugh.

This, of course, had Higon practically seething when he took a step towards Derrick. Derrick's shield flared, pushing Higon back a foot. "So, you are as big a coward as I thought. Just as he said!" Higon hissed.

"Oh, you mean Ex-Duke Risen. Yes, well, we have a little surprise for him. The three races that he helped? We are well aware that they are there, so no surprise there. As I said, you are really the last left," Derrick again sneered.

Higon was shocked a moment, then smiled again, "so you think that you are the best, the true ruler. You are so far from it that you are pitiful! Soon all will see that you not only don't deserve the throne, you should be punished," Higon said.

Derrick smirked back at Higon, "perhaps that may be true, though I know that it won't be by you. That," here Derrick looked again at Kimon. "That I know for a fact."

"Ha!" Higon laughed. "Your confidence in your man will be your undoing!"

"No," Derrick said seriously. "It is my confidence in him that has saved him and our team time and time again."

Higon laughed again, then took a step back from Derrick. "We shall see, won't we, Emperor Derrick, shall we not?

With that, Higon turned toward his area, sitting to meditate. It almost seemed as if he dismissed Derrick without a second thought.

Derrick turned to go to Kimon, upon entering his area, Derrick nodded to all there. He sat beside Kimon quiet for a moment.

"Your brother seems to be more confident than I thought that he would. Does he have an advantage over you?" Derrick asked.

Kimon's eyes opened slowly as he looked at his long-time commander and friend. Then he took a deep breath as he formulated his answer.

"He has studied the old and forbidden ways of the art form. I am assuming that he believes that I have absolutely no idea that he does. I am also assuming that he thinks that I have no way to defend against them. I plan to show him that he does not have any idea of what I know and am capable of," Kimon said.

Derrick sighed, "this I feel is all my fault, planning the joining now. Damnit! I thought that for once we could actually get through this with no problems. Shit! Just like always and our luck, everything has gone to shit!" Derrick said, exasperated.

Kimon looked over at Derrick with a small smile, "sire, if it hadn't? Then I would have been suspicious of the whole thing. I remember during the war that everything went wrong. Remember that bitch's son? That was your thinking that saved us. Just like all thirty times something happened. I think, sir, that it's just our fate," Kimon said.

Derrick looked at Kimon with a half-smile, "damn! When in the hell did you get this wise?"

Kimon just smiled as he looked at Derrick, "you just have to look at our commander. One of the smartest men I have ever known."

Derrick smiled, then his face went all serious. "I hope that this time I am right. I feel you are better than him, your art is smoother and quicker. Survive, that's what we need here, you to make sure you survive. I still need you, so survive alright?"

Kimon was shocked a moment, then nodded as he embraced Derrick. "I will endeavor to do this, Sire," Kimon said as he bowed to the floor.

Onai and Akira were standing not far away, both with a look of extreme pride on their faces. Derrick left the area, making his way to the council seats, taking a seat behind them a little higher. A nod to each of them confirmed that each one of them were unharmed.

They all waited another forty-five minutes before Isamu Sakuta stood. "To all gathered, all the clans, the council and our glorious emperor, it is time. This is a Meiyo notatakai (fight of honor) for a clan leader position in the Dempsy clan. Higon Dempsy step forward, Kimon Dempsy step forward. Now, this is to the finish, whether that is defeat or death. Bow, then separate, this contest is started, now.

Both males bowed to each other then started to feel each other out. Kimon had a very serious look on his face, while Higon was smiling the entire time. Five minutes later, they actually started to move faster.

At first, they were slightly still as the males started to actually try to land blows. At ten minutes, they were starting to get faster, twenty minutes into it there was a heavy thud. Kimon was then flying back into th arena wall.

"So, you see," Higon said, "I'm far better than you."

Kimon just smiled as he motioned toward Higon's shirt or, rather, the whole section that was missing. "You never seemed to notice the most important things. Perhaps I should remove a rib, then you might take notice?" Kimon said with a small smile.

Higon started to smile. "So, you do have a little skill after all. Good then I can use all the techniques. It shall be as it should have been back then, though this time you will know defeat."

Kimon just shook his head, though inside he thought that he had to watch much closer now. The techniques Higon would use might be banned, though in this fight everything goes. Kimon therefore knew that all the moves would be killing moves.

Kimon moved three times faster as he hit Higon a brushing blow to his right arm. Higon shook his numb arm, then smiled. "Is that the extent of your power little brother, for a master, how pitiful."

Kimon smiled back if his brother was as good as he said, then that should not have affected him. Then Kimon looked closer, it appeared his brother was hiding more than he'd thought.

It was at that moment that Kimon saw his brother's hands start to glow with a dark light. Now Kimon thought the real fight of life and death begins.

A moment was all Kimon needed as his own hands started to glow. Though his hands were glowing with an almost white light. This was going to take all that he had.

Both men moved rapidly toward each other, each had a look of fierce determination on their faces. They met almost dead center with a slashing killing blow, though both were blown across the arena with the power of their blows.

Propelled with great force, both were driven to the wall, then into it, then through it to the outside. On opposite sides of the arena, both men picked themselves off the ground. A spring forward, brought them back within the arena, smiling at each other.

"Here I thought there was nothing to you. Oh, this is going to be my greatest victory when I crush you and your spirit. Then all will know that, that day I should have been declared the victor," Higon said.

Kimon just looked at his brother with unbelieving eyes. He still had to discover why his brother was as confident as he was. No, there was something that he was missing. Something that could mean his life.

Risen was on final approach to the Imperial Planet. Soon, he thought, the fake wouldn't be able to enter the Palace. Rubbing his hands together, Risen thought of all the people that he would soon have to torture and kill.

Looking at the ships, he knew this was the perfect time as there were fewer than ten. Landing at a distance from the palace, he made his way in.

Shelly had awoken a few hours ago, she'd started to write as soon as she was out of bed. She'd also called Mary, so she could enter the code as soon as she wrote it.

Mary was grateful, she now had the complete override code in place. Now she was getting more of the re-write code. Thankfully, she had an actual five percent, though she needed more. At least now it was below three hours.

Mary was surprised when Shelly started on another override code, even more when Shelly completed it. Mary was at six percent with two actual override codes. She just wished there was more, this code worried Mary.

Risen had finally made the Palace, entering a secret entrance that only his family knew. The thing is, Mary detected him but was unable to warn anyone. Shelly managed to get to seven percent when Risen hit the mainframe.

With an evil laugh, he started to enter the code, then was shocked when it was overridden immediately. Damnit! A counter was going against the overwrite, damn! There were two overrides! Who the hell had done this? What? He saw a small girl entering code in another part of the palace.

Even as he watched, she was at eight and a half. Pulling a weapon, he started through the palace to where she was. Mita had been near Shelly's when she awoke. She'd called Gunther as nothing was feeling right.

Gunther had just arrived when Risen turned a corner near Shelly's room. Gunther's eyes were huge when he saw Risen and started to fire at him.

Damnit! Risen thought this is a soldier. I didn't have a chance. He then saw Mita as he shot her in her side. An evil laugh escaped Risen as he escaped back the way he'd come. Just as he turned the corner, Gunter shot his upper thigh.

Shelly had just reached ten percent, when she heard the shots and the shouts. She stopped springing to the door, seeing her mother bleeding, she screamed for the see through lady.

Mary seemed to come out of sleep as she looked at the situation. The fact that Shelly was screaming seemed to shake her for a moment. What in the hell had happened? She could feel what Risen had tried to do. She was glad Shelly had finished the third override code.

Mary immediately IMT'ed Mita to the Palace med room. Mita was put into a bio-bed several meds were added to her to help. Shelly was beside her mother tears and sobs in quantity.

"Can you save her?" Gunter asked, a look of worry on his face.

"I do not know yet," Mary said. "I will do all that I can. For now, I will try for you Shelly."