Southern Cross by Windstar

He was over northern Europe, there were millions of people below, the decision wasn't a hard
one to make.
"Transfer all power to the planetary shield emitters."
Elzhan met his eyes in perfect understanding and saluted a small smile playing around her lips.
"Sorry I won't get to meet your partner Elzhan."
That had been a source of contention between him and his second in command since the
beginning. The Tiri might not care what a persons sexual orientation was, but damn it, he did.
Well, he had. It just didn't seem very important at the moment.
Elzhan's smile was surprised, but real.
"She would have liked to meet you General."
Elzhan's partner as he remembered, gripping the chair again as the fort shuddered under fresh
explosions, was assigned to the base on Governor's island. For Elzhan he was glad she wasn't
here. More warning lights sprang to life as missiles, and then energy weapons began hitting the
exposed armor platting of the fort itself.
The Betty started shedding armor plating.
--------------------
The firing started as the Tiri fleet entered active missile attack range eight hundred thousand
kilometers away from the Bak'ra. For ten minutes the Tiri fleet writhed under the return fire,
heading straight down the throats of the Bak'ra. The smaller ships suffered, they tried there best
to cover the Guardians, to protect them from the murderous fire, but there were simply too many
incoming missiles and too few destroyers and cruisers. A human Guardian was the first to go,
followed by a second, then a third. By the end of the ten minutes eighteen Guardians, and twice
that number of smaller ships had been blown apart. Thousands of crew had died, and there were
holes in the Tiri formation, high earth orbit was littered with debris and bodies. Not a single ship
was undamaged, and many were bleeding atmosphere and trailing debris.
Hold your course.
Emily's thoughts echoed through the link between Guardians.
The Antwerp blew apart, her Guardian from Belgium, and a person that Julie had talked to quite
a few times.
Hold your course.
Emily's words held them steady.