Southern Cross by Windstar

"Which one of them is The Banshee?"
"By the registry number, that's Mira. It wasn't her old ship self's name, she must have changed
it."
Julie had never heard of a Guardian changing their ship self's name before and she opened her
mouth to ask why she would have done that. Emie beat her to it though, shifting in the loose
embrace to tenderly brush a hand along her cheek.
"It's an old tradition. When you lose a loved one, or go through something that you feel changes
you completely, you change your ship name. Nearly all of us changed names when we reached
Earth."
Understanding what her love was saying she held onto Emie tighter.
"You mean that Talia…"
"Died somewhere along the way."
The taller woman closed her eyes tight and buried her face in Julie's neck. Gently, Julie stroked
the thick black hair of the woman she held with a feeling of such tenderness it nearly hurt.
Listening as the woman she held whispered in the darkness.
"Mira was my mentor when I went through Guardian training. I sent them to die, Julie, I sent all
of them to die. I should have known what was coming. I should have been able to stop it. Should
have known it was coming, Maker, they're all dead!"
Julie did what she could, wrapping her arms around the taller woman, holding onto her as if she
might fly away. Rocking her as she held her, waiting for the body wrenching sobs to fade. She
kept telling her what she could, how she felt, how Emie had kept the Empire together. How Emie
was one of the reason's that Earth even stood a chance now.
Julie suspected the First Guardian hadn't ever let herself cry before, and she hugged her tighter.
Rocking them both while Emie let the last of the grief go. She'd heard about other Tiri doing
that. Just losing it for a few hours, crying, shouting, screaming. Then they'd go back to work,
always working.
Trying to save us, despite ourselves sometimes.
When Emie shifted away from her, Julie let her go; knowing instinctively that the tall, darkhaired
woman would pull away, ashamed at having broken down for even those few minutes.
"I have to get to the Command deck."
Emie's voice was slightly hoarse, but as steady as always. Julie just nodded and stood as well,
smiling up at her, and surprising both of them by giving Emie a near bone-crushing hug.