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"Shut up, both of you. This goes beyond her, beyond you, beyond even me. We are fighting to<br />
save an entire race. If risking her death means a better chance at saving Humankind, then that's<br />
what's going to happen. Understood?"<br />
Both nodded, reluctantly, but they nodded.<br />
------------------<br />
"God Damn it!"<br />
Julie stared at the holo display before them. She couldn't believe what she was watching.<br />
"Webster, tell Captain Smith that if he doesn't get The Saipan back into formation, he's walking<br />
back to Earth."<br />
The com officer nodded and swung back to his station. Julie hooked a thumb towards the holo<br />
tank and raised an eyebrow towards her Provost.<br />
"What does Smith think he's doing?"<br />
"At a guess, My Lady, he thinks he's going to show us how it's done."<br />
Julie glared at her unrepentant Provost, who had taken to calling Julie, 'My Lady'. Her true anger<br />
was directed at the tank display though. The Ranger and The Panteleyev were holding formation<br />
with <strong>Southern</strong> <strong>Cross</strong> as her Battle Group tried to counter attack. The war games had been going<br />
on for almost forty hours now, driving both crew and Guardians to the limit. This was the second<br />
time she'd had to pull Smith back from charging ahead.<br />
"Where is Aggressor Force?"<br />
"Still holding formation and advancing, Ma'am. Looks like they're trying to flank us. I've got<br />
fighters being deployed now though."<br />
Julie frowned and sank deeper into her ship bond. Skimming through the sensors, she pulled<br />
more detail about the fifty two Guardian Battle Groups which made up Aggressor Force. As,<br />
barely, the oldest human Guardian, Julie had been put in charge of the Defender Force for this<br />
set of games. She'd done well enough during the first set of games, where she'd led the then<br />
Aggressor Force to, as Emily had called it, Kicking Defender's ass.<br />
Now though, both sides had learned a great deal from that first set, and they were much more<br />
cautious with their maneuvers.<br />
North Star and the other Tiri Guardian groups were doing their own war game practices now, out<br />
<strong>by</strong> the asteroid belt. Julie really wished that Emie was near<strong>by</strong>, but the First Guardian had wanted<br />
to be out with the Tiri Guardians while they trained with their new crews.
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