Southern Cross by Windstar

"Julie, you have the makings of a great Guardian. Despite what you might think, your people
respect you already, and it's not far from respect to trust. Webster nearly worships the ground
you walk on, and your Chief Engineer isn't that far behind. Your Tac Officer is just surly by
countenance I think, and your Chief Medical Officer's just a bit stuck up. Even I don't know why
your Head Sensor Tech acts the way he does, but your Helmsmen is good enough."
Somehow Julie rather thought that if they knew she was taking advice from a Marine, her
instructors at Plattsburgh Air Force Base would have had an aneurysm. The Marine in question
though was making a lot of sense.
"Like just now, when you put Webster in charge of the con, that made his day."
Julie chuckled at that and sat up a bit, easing out of the slumped dejected stance she'd been in.
"We're in geo synch orbit, what could go wrong? I'm in the ready room, even a tech could handle
being officer of the watch right now."
"That's not the point, the point is that you trusted him to do it."
For the first time in four days Julie realized she was rather hungry. The low rumble of her
stomach complaining sort of punctuated that fact.
"Clarice, I've got another hour or so before I have to link up for the Guardian session. I think I'm
going to grab something to eat."
"That might be a good idea, Guardian."
"If you weren't my Honor Guard, I'd swear you were teasing me, Clarice."
"Never, Ma'am."
"That's what I thought."
Rising from her chair, Julie felt a bit of the depression ease off. Things didn't look quite so bad
now.
Now if I can just get Emie to look at me like I'm not some kind of monster.
"Clarice? You're sure the First Guardian still cares about me?"
Her Marine simply chuckled and followed after the Guardian, rejoining the other three Honor
Guard members who had waited outside of her ready room.
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