Southern Cross by Windstar

"Make certain to come see me if there are any more headaches or blurred vision. I'll be back for
your next warp gate."
With that he stalked off the command deck stiffly. Emily had to force herself not to snarl at his
retreating back. Of course she understood the stresses involved! I understand perfectly. The
pompous little twit can't really understand what it takes to form a warp gate. No one who isn't a
Guardian can.
Her tactical officer looked up from his readings and cleared his throat.
"Ma'am, I've got multiple warp gate formations behind us."
"Range?"
"Five million clicks."
That was well outside of missile range, but it was closer than the Bak'ra had come out last time.
They were catching up, slowly, but they were catching up.
"At this rate they'll catch up to us in another four jumps."
Emily smiled without any humor at her Provost and cautiously started to make her way towards
her ready room. It would help if she could get some fluids into her before they had to make
another jump.
"Good thing our next jump will bring us to Sol then, isn't it?"
She hoped everything was going to be all right when they returned. The Expeditionary Fleet had
been gone for nearly three weeks now. They'd waited for the Bak'ra for two weeks before they
had showed up in the system that Emily had decided to intercept them in. Then it had been a
frantic pursuit across space, leapfrogging their way ever closer towards Earth. The Bak'ra only a
step or two behind, always drawing closer with each jump, eventually they would catch up to the
fleeing Tiri. Thankfully, they'd be at Earth long before then.
"I'll be back out before we have to warp gate again. Pass the word that when we do, we have to
make positive that the Bak'ra are within a million kilometers from us. We want them to be
occupied with destroying us when we reach Earth."
"Yes, First Guardian."
The command deck was silent when the doors slid shut behind the First Guardian. Angwar
watched those doors with a worried frown before taking his station. No one had ever done so
many jumps in so short a period of time. He'd heard that the other Guardians were not holding up
as well as the First Guardian. He hoped that the Expeditionary Force would survive to reach Sol
intact.