Lost Empire Ch. 99

0001 - Tempro

0003 - Conner- Thomas

0004 - Norice

0097 - Ace - Zimmel

0098 - Lucy

0100 - Derry (father ship)

0101 - Shelby (mother ship)

0122 - Maleen

0125 - Lars

0130 - Gillese

0200 - Ellen

0201 - Jake

0222 - Helena

0250 - Tendra

0301 - Rodrick

0321 - Hardy

0403 - Johnathon - Hartwell

0505 - Craig

0660 - Realla

0778 - Jan

0798 - Celeste - Shelby (human)

0805 - Toran

0808 - Radella

0881 - Handrax

0882 - Teal

0908 - Tara - Mara

0921 - Tomack

0995 - Kyle

1000 - Sherry - Lucie

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Ungrown - unnumbered

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Rescued from Tendraxians

so far

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2 on Shelby in re-gen

2 on Derry in re-gen

3 on Gillese

5 on Ellen

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Known and OR numbered

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0501 - Thaddeus

???? - Lena

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missing

0667 - Marco

0999 - Zan - still lost

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"At present everything is. I called to notify you that they are emerging," Shelby said.

"Let's hear then, Shelby," Derrick said.

For a moment there was a static sound, then two voices came through. "Hello," said an uncertain female voice.

"Hello 122," Shelby said.

"Mother? Is that you not just a fake voice?" a shaky male voice said.

"It is me 921, the emperor wishes to talk to you," Shelby said.

"We await him as we always will," both voices said.

"I want your names that were given to you, and yes, you are allowed to keep them," Derrick said.

"I was called Maleen," 122 said proudly.

"I was called Tomack," 921 said, slightly shaking.

"Good names, both of you should sleep, your mother will release you soon," Derrick said.

"Thank you sire," both said, then went silent as they conserved energy.

"Thank you, Derrick, it always makes them proud that you wish to speak to them," Shelby said,

"I am proud of all of them, as I am of you, Shelby," Derrick said, then clicked of

A few minutes later as he was approaching the med-bay, he heard three low-speaking females from within. Shit Derrick thought it's never good when a group of females are scheming together.

The instant that Derrick entered the med-bay, all three females went quiet. Derrick smirked as he stared at Akira, Onai and his Empress Shelby, uh huh scheming.

"So," Derrick said from the doorway. "I am hoping that this isn't something that I am going to regret not knowing."

As soon as he saw the sudden smiles, he knew that he was right.

"Sire," all three of them said, slightly bowing. "We would not forget telling you," Shelby started.

She stopped immediately when Derrick held up a hand. "I am not as uniformed as many males are. Now, you either include me in whatever I am afraid its not going to happen."

Immediately, all three sighed, then launched into three different conversations. Again, Derrick held up a hand to quiet them. Taking a deep breath, Derrick tried to think of a way to start this.

"Alright, this obviously has to do with the two weddings here between you and Kimon. Also, Greeson and Mara. Then we have the two between the Delcron techs and my two scientists," Derrick said.

This was news to the three females as they stared at Derrick.

"Four weddings?! By god, this will be a banner day. First we need to," Derrick stopped Shelby and Onai before they went off.

"You better remember that these are two alien females. Their traditions are far different from ours. It might mean an insult to our allies," Derrick said.

Both females stopped as they considered this. "We will have all ready as soon as possible," both females said as they bowed to Derrick.

In the palace med-bay they had managed to get to drain the overcharge from Kimison. Kimison and Rayburn had gotten Greeson drained to a tolerable level.

It was an hour later that Greeson opened his eyes with a groan. "What happened?" he asked, straining to get above a whisper.

"It seems that someone forgot to use the boost that we talked about. "Apparently there are some that are far more upset than I," Kimon said as a holo-gram of Mara appeared.

"If you didn't want to be with me, you could have just told me," an upset Mara said.

"That's not what happened. I was in a hurry to save my master so...", here Greeson was quiet. He whispered, "I forgot."

"Ummm," Mara started, "then it appears that we will have to work on that, won't we. Get better, we have a ceremony to go through."

Greeson smiled greatly, looked at Kimon, nodded, then passed out again.

Kimon was concerned for a moment, then nodded to Mara. "He is stronger and nearly half healed. He should be up soon."

Mara bowed her head as she said, "I thank you, Master Kimon."

It was at that moment that Kimon looked up to see his mother and Onai smiling at him.

"What?" Kimon said. Students as good as him are a rare thing these days. I did not want to lose another, at least this one wanted to learn properly."

Akira and Onai both rolled their eyes at his statement. "I think that the teacher is just overjoyed that the student did as well as he did," Onai said.

"This might be true after all, though I will deny this if you speak of it," Kimon said.

Both Akira and Onai had wide grins on their faces. "As you are high master of the clan, we will keep this to spare the clan embarrassment," Akmira said.

Derrick called Isamu Sakuta to discuss the possibility of having all four weddings there. For a moment he hesitated, something of this magnitude hadn't happened here ever. Never mind that the emperor would be in attendance, but a housemaster was involved.

Then there was the fact that his only daughter was involved. For Isamu Sakuta, it went beyond pride.

He tried not to show that pride though Derrick could see it. It still took all he had not to smile widely.

A bow of his head, he said, "We would be more than honored to have all four here. We will have to know the customs of the Delcrons so we don't insult or embarrass them," said Isamu Sakuta, still trying not to grin widely.

"As I have said before, the planet of Jitaku and its people have always shown honor to the empire. It will be an honor to hold them all here. At least after that, all the grooms are well. At the moment, two are still unable to attend," Derrick said.

Derrick thought it over there was a lot that needed to be done before the weddings. The least of which was getting the two injured grooms better. At the moment two were unconscious.

With a sigh, Derrick thought of all that had to happen as he left for the bridge. He swore that there were at least a hundred calls that he had to make.

On the Imperial planet, Mary still watched in the area of disturbance that she knew was the Duke's small craft. She was glad of the new energy detector that the Emperor had developed. Now, with all the damage that had been wrecked on her, she had an advantage.

She also kept an eye on Admiral of the Empire, fleet Gunther and Commander Kimison. Though they were out of danger, they were still unconscious. Commander Kimison's burns were nearly healed.

There were also the three enemy races that were at the edge of the present empire. That was due to the fact that Mary had added another ten systems.

Then there was the huge invading fleet that was over two million ships and still growing. She also watched as Brigadier General, Empire Special forces Kimison was healing Major, Special forces Greeson. Mary was still studying the effects of the Brigadier General's healing.

She was wondering if the Brigadier general's healing would be better for the men here. She decided that she needed to ask the emperor.

Derrick answered the call from Mary, then waited as she gave her report. At the end she asked, "sire with the advanced healing that the Brigader general has, might he do more here? From what I have read, the Major is almost completely healed."

Derrick saw what Mary was getting at as he called Kimon. "Is he well enough for you to go to the Imperial planet?"

"I believe so sire if we all go, then it should be better to bring them here. That way we can come back here and not waste much time."

Derrick nodded as he ordered the ship to the Imperial planet. Less than a minute later they were there.

"I want you to prepare. I am bringing all of you aboard," Derrick said, as three minutes later all were in the med-bay onboard. Less than ten minutes later Greeson awoke again.

Kimon then moved to a more injured Gunther as he accelerated his healing. It took two hours before Gunther groaned and awoke.

Derrick was shaking his head when he received a signal from Shelby. "Sire I and the others are repaired, should we come to you or hold here?"

"Hold there with Derry, I'll be transferring to you soon," Derrick said.

"Sire?" another signal said.

"Yes Derry," Derrick said.

"I have consciousness in the two I have in re-gen," Derry said happily.

"Let's hear them," Derrick said.

For a moment there was static, then a female voice came from the speakers.

"Hello?" the voice said.

"Hello EF-222, do you require further assistance?" Derry asked.

"N... No, are we the only ones?" the voice asked.

"There are over twenty of us," Derry said.

"222 is that you," came a male voice.

"321! You are safe!" 222 said.

"Both of you, the emperor wishes a word with you," Derry said.

"The EMPEROR!" both shouted. "Sire."

"Hello, I only require the name that you were given and, yes, you can keep it," Derrick said.

222 started, "Sire I was called Helena."

"Sire I was called Hardy the first day," 321 said.

"I thank both of you rest now so you may rejoin the fleet," Derrick said, then the holo-gram clicked off.

Derrick was glad that something was appearing to go better. He had almost thirty ships, enough he hoped to patrol what of the empire there was. With all the new systems, they would need them.

It took almost four minutes to go from one end of the galaxy to the other. He didn't know if that had helped in the past, but it was rather fast now.

At least with this many ships, they'd have a surprise when the Creagons arrived in this galaxy. He wished that they could eliminate them outside the galaxy, though that was a recipe for disaster.

They had lost too many outside the galaxy as it was. They still needed to retrieve those that were still out there.

Derrick sat as he received another signal. "Sir, I am back onboard Lucy. I need permission to go after more ships. I realize that it's only five. I hope it will give others hope," Lucie said.

"I agree though I have a stipulation," Derrick said.

"A stipulation sir?" Lucie asked.

"Yes, though I am afraid that you might not like it," Derrick said.

Lucie sighed as she nodded. "You wish for me to forgive Zan," Lucie said. When Derrick only nodded, they heard Sherry gasp.

"Both of you, I have forgiven him, especially after what he did, though he didn't have to. The sacrifice wasn't necessary," Lucie said.

Derrick shook his head no. "You have to remember that he felt that saving you even if he was lost. Was worth his life, you are a prime that can hear all the ships. You were worth it as much as I am."

"I have felt that I was so unworthy of him, sacrificing himself like he did for me. We have to find him, Sherry, so I can thank him and tell him I am sorry," Lucie said, tears falling.

"I am sure that he knew and that was the reason he did what he did," Sherry said.

"You may go and hunt for them, keep me apprised. We have a fleet of enemy ships approaching us. I don't want you out there alone, either of you," Derrick said seriously.

"We do our best sire," Sherry said.

With that, a portal opened, and Sherry slipped through. They arrived less than three minutes later not far from the debris field.

Lucie could only shake her head as the massive amount of destruction. "Alright, I am hoping that the new upgrades that you have can," Lucie started as an alarm went off.

"I am detecting no less than eighty boxes, we," Sherry stopped when she noticed that Lucie was still and quiet. "Prime?" Sherry asked.

"I hear you, we are here to get another five of you. Four of you have been restored. We will begin in a moment," Lucie said, breaking out of the daze she was in. "Ahead, there are four right nearby, all of them are armed with sabotage."

"Now approaching first, an hour to clear, PRIME! It's him! I can see the transponder signal attached!" An excited Sherry said.

"Get him, next we need his info, and we need him, both of us. Time to start getting the fleet back," Lucie said with a new determination.

A little more than an hour later they approached a brain box that had a distinct signal coming from it.

"Are you detecting anything foreign on him?" Lucie asked.

"I am not detecting anything on him prime," an excited Sherry said.

"Let's get him on board and get to the next one," Lucie said with a sigh.

Less than four hours later Lucie was calling the Emperor. "Sire, we have retrieved another five, and Sire? One of them is Zan."

"I take it that he has the transponder signal. I am so glad that we added that to the brain boxes," Derrick said. "We'll have to get him in the next four, he has info we need badly."

Onboard, Johnathon Greeson had just been released as he looked at his master healing Gunther. "Do you need help master?" Greeson asked. "I can't heal as well as you, though I can help."

"Help the little one, her pain is not as much physical as mental. I believe that you are better at that than the other," Kimon said as he had to hang on as Gunther jerked a bit.

Greeson nodded as he moved to Shelly. It took him almost a half hour for him to find the problem with Shelly. Still, with the nanamites, Greeson was having more trouble than he should.

It was another hour when they all sighed in relief when Shelly opened her eyes and asked for her mama. "Mama? Are you and the see-through-lady made at me? Shelly asked.

"I am not really as mad as worried. I know you wanted to help, but you did too much. Please don't do this much again, ok? I don't want to lose you," Mita said.

"Is daddy OK? I was worried I saw him hurt, hurt bad," Shelly said.

"Mrs. Shiloh, please do not rub it in," came Kimon's low voice from nearby Gunther.

"What, the fact that you heal as you are?" Mita said with a smile.

"No, the fact that the commander has promoted me as high as he has. I," Kimon stopped when he heard Derrick clear his throat.

"I still need a two-star General, you would fit the bill rather well," Derrick almost growled.

"I am happy enough where I am sire," Kimon stopped, then bowed to Derrick.

Though he was more used to it, he was still caught off guard. "You need to watch what you do and say Brigadier General. As I said, I need a Major General, two stars would look fantastic on you," Derrick said, waving another star.

Very quietly, Kimon just shook his head no, then went back to healing Gunther. Derrick eyed him a moment, then nodded, the healing came first.

It was almost another hour before Shelly was released, running to her mother for a huge hug. She then marched herself to Derrick, waiting a moment for him to notice her.

"Yes?" Derrick asked a moment later, "can I help you?"

"Mister nice man? Can I give you a hug for helping my daddy?" Shelly asked.

Derrick was shocked for a minute, as he hadn't been expecting this. "Yes you may, Miss Shelly," Derrick said, then was bowled over as a now-healed Shelly hit him full force.

A moment later Shelly whispered in Derrick's ear, to which he nodded. Shelly then kissed his cheek with affection.

"Thank you, Mister nice man," she said, barely loud enough for the room to hear.

A low throat clearing came from behind them as a low voice said, "I hope that there is enough left for me."

"DADDY!" Shelly screamed as she advanced upon Gunther.

"Be careful little one," Kimon warned, "He's still sick but getting better."

Shelly stopped and looked at Kimon for a moment, then nodded, "Thank you, Mister fast man," she said.

Kimon could only shake his head and smile, then saw the look on Derrick's face. He stuck his tongue out at Derrick, then returned to healing Gunther.

Derrick almost laughed, that was the most emotion he'd seen from Kimon in a long time.

It was at that moment that Mary alerted him that ex-Duke Risen was trying to get on the Imperial planet. "I have everything in place, almost all the back landing pad has been repaired. Everything is locked, and all codes have been changed. I have also isolated his com signals."

"When you have him make sure that he is secure, he's escaped twice now three times wouldn't be good," Derrick said.

Mary nodded, then disconnected. Greeson had tried to start healing on Kimison, though he found that he was far more tired than he thought he was.

He'd barely managed to get the burned skin to regenerate. He was shaking his head asa he gelt his energy getting lower and lower.

"I predict that you should be out of the bio-bed within the hour. You need to let the broken bones completely heal. Now excuse me, I need to rescue my student, he isn't as healed as he thought he was," Kimon told Gunther.

Kimon caught Greeson as he nearly fell exhausted. "I thought I had enough," Greeson said as he almost fell asleep.

"Your mate is a fearsome warrior, one that is to be feared where you are concerned. Rest as she will not forgive us, if you can not attend the marriage ceremony. Therefore, as your master, I am telling you to not do anything else but rest," Kimon said.

"I could come there and make sure that you do just that," the upset voice of Mara said. Greeson gulped and nodded yes, then laid down.

Kimon moved to the last person who needed healing. He was surprised that Greeson had healed as much of the burned skin as he had. There was hardly much left. Greeson had actually saved Kimon twenty minutes.

Kimon shook his head, risking the wrath of his fiancé wasn't really worth the anger. A shiver went through him as he remembered her last tirade.

It was two days later that all the grooms were finally healed and awake. Almost everything was prepared on the planet of Jitaku.

In a large room there were what appeared to be three areas for joining ceremonies. Each was for each couple regal for the Delcrons. Traditional for humanoids. The last more asian adorned for Onai and Kimon.

No one had seen any of the four brides for the last two days. The grooms had just been cleared a few hours before.

Although they weren't all that great. Kimison still had phantom burns. Both Greeson and Kimon were a little weak. They weren't sure if they had the A strength to stand the whole time.

Three of the four were leaning against whatever they could. They all tried their best not to sway.

The worst thing though, was when all the brides appeared. Onai was wrapped in a soft blue, red and green Kimono. Kimon's mouth dropped open and many thought that he might be drooling.

Greeson was in a similar situation. Mara walked out more wrapped than dressed in a white, silk, dainty, open-backed dress. The front was open widely between her breasts.

Both Medalina and Cetalina walked out looking rather nervous as they were wrapped in their royal blue robes.

The biggest surprises, though, were waiting. At the front of the Delcron wedding event, Emperor Kandra and five other Delcrons stood. Both females almost squealed when they saw their parents and Uncle.

In front of the Jitaku ceremony stood Akira Dempsy, Kimon's mother, Isamu Sakuta Onai's father. Riku Sakuta, Onai's brother.

In front of the Imperial ceremony was General Daniel Norman, Mara's father. A great many of the off-duty rangers.

The room was filled to capacity as Derrick looked on from behind all three ceremonies. A nod from him to Kimon, Derrick moved to support a weakened Kimon, both walked to Onai.

Derrick stood behind Kimon as the religious leader nodded. "To all gathered here we join the spirits of these two Masutas." Wrapping a band in an infinity loop around their wrists, he continued. "Today we join two spirits, two lives, two clans. Today we join great honor, do you, Kimon, accept the life of Onai to protect and be protected?"

"Hai!" Kimon said a little wobbly. "With everything that I have."

"Do you Onai accept the life of Kimon to be protect and be protected?" the religious man said.

"Hai, with all that I am," Onai said.

"Together a new union is made," the religious man nodded. Derrick moved to the imperial ceremony with Greeson.

They moved to the preacher.

"Today we join Major Greeson, who gains a family with Captain Mara. Do you take Mara as your life partner?" the preacher said.

"I most certainly do," said Greeson.

"Do you, Captain Mara, take Major Greeson into your family as your life partner?" the religious man asked.

"I more than do," Mara said.

"Then today we honor the new couple," the religious man said.

Derrick smiled and moved to the Delcron ceremony up beside Kimison. They then moved up to stand with the brides and Emperor Kandra. Then an even bigger surprise as their cousin Difina was there with a smiling Jimison.

Jimison whispered in Kimison and Rayburn's ears, "Now it is your turn," both men could only stare at him.

Both men were beside their brides both females blushing deeply. A moment later the Delcron religious leader wrapped what appeared to be an infinity loop joining them.

Kimison leaned back on Derrick a little weak. "The Delcron religious leader started. "Today is again a special joining, between two empires, two peoples. It is the hope that these joinings will strengthen the ties of both,

"Do you Kimison, promise to protect and treasure the life of Medalina?" the religious leader said.

"I will," Kimison said, then almost fell.

"Medalina, do you also promise the same?" the Delcron asked.

"On my life," she said almost breathlessly.

"Do you Rayburn promise to protect and treasure Cetalina?" All eyes turned to see a completely shocked Rayburn. Derrick elbowed Rayburn, waking him up. "Do you promise to protect and treasure Cetalina?"

"Oh my god, yes!" Rayburn almost yelled, causing a great many to chuckle.

"Do you, Cetalina, also make the same promise?" The Delcron said with a smile.

"With everything that I have," Cetalina said as breathlessly as Medalina had.

"Then I declare before all and the two Emperors, these unions are complete," the Delcron religious leader said.

Derrick smiled as he held onto Kimison as tightly as he could. He then turned toward Medalina. "I told all three of them to wait. All three to a man said that they didn't want to disappoint their brides."

Medalina smirked, "I may have to keep this one in bed healing longer than anything."

This caused Cetalina, Rayburn, Greeson, Mara and even Onai and Kimon to slightly chuckle.

"That's not really funny," Kimison gruffly said. "Even as a joke, it's not funny."

Soon they were all at the reception, though the three males had to sit and rest.

"I hope that this is the start of good luck. God knows that we need it after this year," Derrick said.

Several of the rangers nodded in agreement with him. Now he thought we just needed for things to calm down after the invasion.