Southern Cross by Windstar

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"Ma'am! I've got ships breaking off from the Bak'ra fleet." Julie had spotted it at the same moment as her sensor officer had. Through her ship self's sensors she watched as a handful of what looked like planetary assault ships broke away from the oncoming fleet. Now where do you think you're going? It was the work of a moment to plot their new course and project it onto the tactical holo tank. "Mars." Julie nodded in agreement with her Provost and watched the dotted lines of the projected course intercept the red planet's orbit. So, they'd decided to go ahead and land troops before the actual space battle even took place. That was a bit arrogant. "Mr. Webster, com the other ships. Tell the stand <strong>by</strong> Marine forces to launch now. Stealth protocol until they're past the sensor sphere and then burn all the way to Mars. Clarice, tell Katya to go earn her pay check." "You certain you want to do that? If the Bak'ra spot us…" "They're going to need our help on Mars, Clarice. The Bak'ra are far enough away that the Drop Ships should be able to slip out unnoticed under stealth protocol." Her Provost didn't look happy, but she went and relayed the orders. Julie just hoped she knew what she was doing. Emie, I could really use being able to speak to you right now. I don't know what I'm doing. ----------------- "Fuck!" Emily raised an eyebrow towards her Provost and watched Angwar wince in apology. "There was always a possibility that they'd be arrogant enough to launch a planetary assault before engaging us, Angwar." Still she understood his feelings, since she wanted to scream as well. Since screaming and pouting on her Command Deck just before a major battle didn't tend to work well, she stayed as calm as she could. Still her armrests creaked as she clutched them. Julie, please launch your ready Marines. There must be something like a half million Bak'ra on those assault ships. Mars is going to need all the help we can send them.
"Helm, time until course change?" "Fifteen minutes, Ma'am." There was nothing that she could do now, so she concentrated on the holo tank and her link to her ship self. The Bak'ra had emerged closer than she had anticipated. They were still towards the edge of the missile envelope, but not <strong>by</strong> as much as she would have wished. More and more missiles were starting to make it closer to the fleeing Guardian ships. Just a little bit longer, come on, just a little bit longer. ----------------- The Expeditionary Fleet had been incredibly lucky so far. Several ships had suffered minor damage; blown gravitic shield generators, minor damage to outer hull platting, that sort of thing, but nothing serious so far. The fleet had carefully kept at the edge of missile range for as long as they could. Still, the Bak'ra had closed the gap. There wasn't much that the Expeditionary Fleet could do in the way of evasive maneuvers. Small shifts in course, hoping to force the Bak'ra to waste more missiles, but other than that, they depended on their counter missiles, and aft gravitic disks. The sheer weight of Bak'ra fire was cutting the advantage that superior technology granted the Tiri. Even the still long range was not as much of a help as it could have been with that many missiles. It was only a matter of time. --------------- The Medusa hurtled through space, writhing and dodging as much of the murderous fire as she could. The Type-Thirteen Variant Guardian ship was fully crewed, something that her Guardian appreciated a lot at the moment. Nicholas was deep into his ship bond, coordinating the defenses with the other Guardians, when his world went insane. A single warp gate missile had managed to slip past everything the Expeditionary Fleet could throw at it. Others made it through as well, but they detonated at the wrong angle, or wasted their energy on the thick drive disks. This one skimmed under the Heavy Cruiser, Ninia, and then detonated a mere kilometer away from Medusa's rear flank. The missile's small fusion bottle drained itself in one massive burst, powering the small warp gate generator in the missile's nose. The unstable warp gate it created clawed at the Medusa's gravitic shields, like a dozen others at that moment. This one slipped through.
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~ Southern Cross ~ by Windstar Disc
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With a nod towards her nearby Provo
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Casting a quick glance around the c
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"Does this bother you so much?" Clo
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"Looks like it." "That should be en
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"An art she says, don't force it sh
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"All hands, prepare for Transition
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Emily spread her hands and her grin
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Her patience worn away by months of
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that if he didn't have something to
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"Hey, sorry, I just wanted to know
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By Emily's count, Julie McGrath was
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"Depends, what kind is it?" "It's c
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"What's your schedule like?" She wa
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place. When the First Guardian stoo
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punched through the bullet proof gl
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~Major Greggory Sims, Imperial Inte
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Julie's green eyes darkened with de
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Frowning slightly at the direction
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Both men sighed at that and looked
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"Angwar, we seem to have some uninv
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"The Hercules' have turned back, Ma
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Using her suit's sensors, she moved
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Sighing in pleasure, Julie tilted h
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With one more yawn, she closed her
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"Don't make me put the fear of God
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"Orbital forts should be up and run
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A half hour later, Julie emerged fr
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above the door, she wondered how mu
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"We just got a transmission a few m
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"Tell them to stick it up their ass
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jam the more primitive radar system
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Julie had a sudden flashback of sit
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Some of that must have shown on her
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Emie glared at her friend at that,
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tourists, and looking either horrif
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"Leaving already, Jenner? We haven'
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"He's got bags packed, looks like h
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------------ "Oh God, what a smell.
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The First Guardian shook her head,
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"Well darn, Major, guess that Mr. F
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"The bomb sort." That got his atten
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They sprinted down the hall, past t
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"Emily, we've got to get out of her
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The look in the First Guardian's ey
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Her voice was perfectly controlled,
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missile tubes, and eighteen plasma
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A shadow passed in those gray eyes
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"Julie, you have the makings of a g
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"Nearly every government on Earth h
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It took a noticeable effort for the
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The litany continued, on and on, ov
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Julie had high hopes that Emie woul
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"Who knows?" Julie tried to get ove
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"Six hours ago." Emily felt the beg
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Clarice had moved faster than Julie
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The sight was enough to make wetnes
Page 115 and 116: "You mean…" "Yes, together. So pl
Page 117 and 118: Clarice just laughed. -------------
Page 119 and 120: "Julie, it's just one of those thin
Page 121 and 122: hoped for, but for now they would h
Page 123 and 124: Emie had even tacked on a personal
Page 125 and 126: He waved one emaciated hand in fron
Page 127 and 128: Julie hummed happily to herself as
Page 129 and 130: "Tea if you have it, Ma'am." As she
Page 131 and 132: "No, that's alright, I'll handle it
Page 133 and 134: "I can't believe that everyone know
Page 135 and 136: "Which one of them is The Banshee?"
Page 137 and 138: which, such as the fighters, had on
Page 139 and 140: Sixty years was a long time, even f
Page 141 and 142: "Shut up, both of you. This goes be
Page 143 and 144: Southern Cross had done coordinatin
Page 145 and 146: Julie's heart wailed against it, an
Page 147 and 148: "Daughter." His tone was one that c
Page 149 and 150: The First Guardian shared a brief l
Page 151 and 152: The First Guardian nodded absently
Page 153 and 154: "We got them, Ma'am." She kept her
Page 155 and 156: "That's your subtle way of asking i
Page 157 and 158: "I fear you're right on that one, C
Page 159 and 160: Emily took a deep breath as the com
Page 161 and 162: Chapter Twelve Southern Cross hung
Page 163 and 164: "What is it?" "CIC is calling it mu
Page 165: "Lord, I know that is not long for
Page 169 and 170: He grinned at her, ignoring the blo
Page 171 and 172: "Tactical, you heard the Guardian.
Page 173 and 174: -------------- Emily's smile was sa
Page 175 and 176: I need you too, Julie. Get some res
Page 177 and 178: Something that made it worthwhile t
Page 179 and 180: Her thoughts brushed across the kil
Page 181 and 182: They reminded God of nothing so muc
Page 183 and 184: He growled, low enough that Colonel
Page 185 and 186: If her Provost's look was still tro
Page 187 and 188: He was over northern Europe, there
Page 189 and 190: Julie screamed, the pain was almost
Page 191 and 192: down. Each one punched straight thr
Page 193 and 194: was left of his fleet, escape from
Page 195 and 196: Two months which had seen a new Emp
Page 197: "No changing the subject First Guar
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