Kira felt another shift as the ship moved its cargo to warp speeds. Fortunately, he wasn't experiencing any problems with his energy levels throughout this process. Nevertheless, he was beginning to feel the slightest twinge of fatigue, both mental and physical as he tried to hold together the field. Something wasn't quite right. He could sense a mild disturbance that was tapping his energy before its time. "Kerrin, check the field integrity," was all he could manage to say. Something was definitely wrong.
"One of the Kelvan ships is beginning to lose containment," stated Kerrin.
"Can the nearby ships compensate for their loss?" asked N'tieu.
"The Kelvans?" said Nige in a quizzical tone. "I didn't know they were helping us in this."
"They managed to send us a couple of their ships as you were resting," stated Kerrin as she furrowed her brow. "The nearest ships are beginning to compensate for the loss of power from the Kelvan ship, but it isn't going to be enough."
"Whatever they're doing now, just have them keep doing it," said Kira in a low tone as he tried to maintain his concentration, "I'm making up the lack for the moment, but keep that ship connected to the field and have it output as much as it can for as long as it can."
N'tieu glanced over to his helmsman again to tell him to softly relay Kira's request to the failing Kelvan ship.
"How much longer do we have to go?" asked Nige. He could tell that his friend was beginning to show signs of strain.
"We'll be dropping out of warp in less than thirty seconds," said Kerrin.
"Good," was the muffled response that Kira could muster.
At this point Tyran was mentally counting the seconds until they were to drop out of warp. A definite change had come over his friend's features. Fatigue could be seen on the lines of his face beneath the flowing energy surrounding him.
"Dropping out of warp in five... four... three... two... one..." stated the helmsman.
"Continue to hold the field," cautioned N'tieu, "now comes the hard part. We need to move these two stars apart."
As the collective ships and their stellar cargo dropped out of warp Kira mentally tried to shore up his remaining energies for this final leg of their plan.
"The fleet is ready to begin, Sir," said the helmsman.
N'tieu looked over at Kira for a moment and asked, "Are you ready, Kira?"
"Let's finish it," was his weak reply.
"Can't we let him rest for a little bit before we do this?" asked Nige.
"Unfortunately, no," said Kerrin as she looked up from her console to meet Tyran's eyes. "Most of the engine's warp plasma will be drained as a result of this extended output to create this field. It would take too long to repair or replace the ships and begin again. We have to do it now."
"Don't worry yet, Tyran," said Kira, "I'm not quite spent."
"Begin," said N'tieu in a quiet tone.
As Nige looked on, he noticed that the energy patterns around Kira began to change their color and intensity. Up until this point he was surrounded by the familiar blue-green glow that resembled warp plasma; but now he was surrounded by only a faint purple glow. Tyran had seen this before; Kira was nearly at the end of his energy reserves. The same thing had happened while they were back in their own galaxy preparing to travel back in time.
"Kira," asked Nige, "is there anything I can do?"
"Not unless you have a warp core in your pocket that you won't be needing for a while. I'm nearly out of energy, Tyran, I won't be able to hold this for very long at all."
Suddenly a thought crossed Nige's mind, and before he had even processed it he blurted out, "Can't you use some of the energy from the two stars?"
A weak smile crossed Kira's face as he realized that his friend had just provided him with the obvious answer to his dilemma. In the briefest of seconds the swirling energy patterns around him began to intensify exponentially as they changed their hue yet again. Where there once was a dim, miscible layer of purple energy surrounding Kira's frame, it was now replaced with an ever-increasing bright yellow and white layer of energy that looked like the surface of a star.
"Tyran," said Kira from behind eyes that glowed white with pure energy, "you're a genius."
As a result of Kira's new-found energy source the bridge was bathed in an extremely bright yellow-white light. Nige was having trouble keeping his eyes focused on Kira through the light. Even the Iconians were having problems with the extra light in the room.
"Only forty more seconds until the stars orbits are at optimum position," stated Kerrin as she tried to shield the display in front of her to accurately read its information.
Kira could feel the two stars moving apart at an ever-increasing rate as the gravity well between them was flipped inside out. It wouldn't be long at all before they were back to their original positions.
"Ten more seconds," stated Kerrin.
No one could see anything aboard the bridge now without having to shield their eyes.
"Five more seconds... four... three... two... one... begin dissipating the field now," said Kerrin.
As Kira allowed his concentration to ebb, he felt the field around the two stars begin to drop in stages. He also felt his own minds' consciousness begin to ebb as the field was lowered. The fatigue that had threatened him moments ago was only temporarily abated by the insurgence of energy from the two stars. His mind was spent. As the final bits of energy were released about him, Kira tried to steady himself by grabbing on to a nearby console, only to find that he was falling instead. As the floor rushed to fill his entire vision, he heard a sharp warning cry from Tyran before he lost consciousness.
Fortunately, Tyran had managed to catch him before he fell.