Southern Cross by Windstar

The young voice that answered the First Guardian wasn't familiar to the redhead.
"Where did the gate form?"
"Near Pluto, First Guardian."
"What's Intel say?"
"Guardian-Class, Variant Ten."
The pause that followed was long enough for Julie to roll over and study her lover. Emily had a
strange look on her face, and when Julie stroked her back, the muscles were tense.
"Do you have a positive identification?"
"No, First Guardian, we just received the preliminary…" The Lieutenant paused and looked at
something off the screen, then back at the First Guardian.
"Ma'am, we've just picked up a hail. They are identifying themselves as The Banshee, Imperial
Guardian Class, Registry number 3443-006789."
Emily knew that number, Julie realized, feeling her love tense even further at that information.
The tall woman's voice was like a low rumble vibrating Julie's hand where it rested on her back.
"Send acknowledgement, and my compliments. Ask them to rendezvous here, also send a report
to my father and Winston."
"Yes, First Guardian."
The screen went dark, but the First Guardian stayed right where she was; perched on the edge of
the bed, back ramrod straight. Sleep all but forgotten, Julie sat up behind her love, and stroked
her back.
"Emie? What's going on?"
Julie could see the dark haired woman's jaw work in the dim night lighting.
"After we first arrived here, I asked for volunteers to scout and find out what happened in the rest
of the Empire and our Allies. Mira and Talia were the first to volunteer. They were old, Variant
Ten ships, but they were small enough to use the new stealth systems we'd been developing."
Julie scooted closer and wrapped her arms around Emie's waist, leaning her head against the tall
woman's back. Responding to the old pain in her voice.
"They were supposed to be on an extend scouting mission, twelve years maximum. We gave up
on them after three decades had passed."