Southern Cross by Windstar

Emily felt her face twist into a wolfish smile as she began memorizing a map of New York City.
The com officer, a young human from Alberta, Canada, would remember, to her dying day, the
way the First Guardian smiled at that moment. She would often wake up shaking, remembering
the cold blue eyes which promised pain to those who had dared take someone she cared for.
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The smell of food drew her back from the blackness.
For a wonderful moment she thought she was back at Mars Base, having dinner with Emily.
She'd nodded off somehow and was now waking up to find the First Guardian watching her with
laughter in those incredibly deep blue eyes.
Then the memories of what had happened in the elevator came flooding back.
God, I wish I were at Mars Base with Emie. I swear, Emily, I tried to stay out of trouble, and I
didn't do anything this time!
Which was very nearly the exact same thing she had been thinking when she the darkness had
swallowed her in the elevator. Doing her level best to act as if she were still unconscious, the
red-haired woman slit open one eye just barely wide enough to get a glimpse of what was in
front of her, and little more. She dared not reveal that she was awake if she could avoid it.
"Ms. McGrath, how nice of you to come and visit us."
Damn, that worked well.
Julie gave up the pretense of still being out of it, and opened both eyes to look at the area around
her. The voice had sounded familiar, but the scene in front of her was puzzling enough that she
didn't wonder at it.
A long table covered with silver platters and candles in elaborate gold candlesticks covered the
snow-white tabletop. The table itself was nearly twenty feet long, and high-backed wooden
chairs were arranged along either side with a more ornate one situated at the other end opposite
Julie. The gaunt white-haired man watching her from that seat was one she was familiar with
though.
"General Whittecker."
Her mind was still moving a bit slowly and jerking from one topic to another, as it had in the
elevator. The gas, whatever it had been, was still in her system to some extent. Julie reached out
with her mind and touched her bond with her ship self. Southern Cross was still there, but the
link was blurry, like it was out of focus. He must have noticed her slight frown at that, and
leaned forwards, tapping the top of his fingers against the tabletop.