Nige walked down the corridors of the Knight on the way to the transporter room. He and Commodore Pike were to beam down to Starfleet Headquarters to discuss the Kelvan situation. He walked into the transporter room to see Commodore Pike talking to Ensign Benson.
"Are you all right Lieutenant?" asked Pike. "You look a bit pale this morning."
"I think some of that Han'gosian food disagreed with me." At that a small smile spread across Benson and Pike's faces.
"I'm sure you'll be all right Lieutenant," said Pike as they stepped onto the transporter pad. "Energize." Benson tapped a few buttons and disappeared out of view to be replaced by Admiral Ross.
"Welcome back gentleman," he said. "If you would like to follow me, I will take you to the meeting." Admiral Ross and Commodore Pike seemed to have a lot to talk about. They occasionally included Nige in the conversation, but he somehow felt out of place. They rounded a corner and entered a large room with ten or so admirals sitting at a circular table.
"Welcome Commodore, Lieutenant. If you'd like to take a seat, we can get underway," called an admiral from across the table. Nige sat down and felt a sudden urge to be sick. He held back and took the glass of water in front of him. The admirals began to talk to each other. Nige couldn't help but think about other things he completely lost concentration. The next thing he knew was the lights dimming and the holoprojector in the middle of the table activating with a spinning diagram of the Kelvan battle planet. He looked around and everyone began to stare at him.
"This is your bit," whispered Pike as he leaned over. Tyran stood up and looked around nervously and looked around. He began to explain.
"Here we see the Kelvan battle planet orbited by the eight moons." He looked at his PADD to refresh his memory. "Each moon is equipped with at least twenty thousand gun emplacements, each one is about ten times as powerful as our phasers. They also have an ability to link to each other in a chain of energy which can do anything from open transwarp conduits to being used as a terrible weapon. Each moon is equipped with forty short-range fighters which are equipped with similar weapons and shielding as the moons. There are a further two hundred thousand fighters on the planet's surface. The worst part of this is their shielding. All their equipment uses it and is impassable by solid objects."
"How do we defeat them then?" asked one of the admirals.
"We do have a theory," said Pike as he stood up. "The Han'gosian ship is equipped with certain technologies which would allow about three ships to disable the planet. One ship if given enough time."
"They use 'phase torpedoes'," interrupted Nige. They phase out of our level of time upon launch and phase back in a few centimeters from their target. In theory we could target the planets core and a single torpedo could get to the center of the planet."
"How will you get close enough with all those fighters and weaponry on the moons?" asked another admiral.
"The Han'gosians also have a type of shielding that displace torpedoes and phaser blasts and sends them into a different layer of time, making their ships near impossible to hit."
"Thank you Lieutenant. Commodore, you may return to your ship. We will discuss this further and contact you when we have reached a decision." The two officers got up and left the room.
"How do you think that went?" asked Nige.
"Pretty well, but you could have been paying a bit more attention."
"Sorry sir."
"Well at least they're considering our proposals. How's your stomach now Lieutenant?"
"Not too good sir." He suddenly seemed to cough up some vomit and swallow it again.
"Maybe you should go to sickbay when you get back."
"I'm way ahead of you sir," said Nige tapping his com-badge. "Tyran to Knight, this is an emergency! Beam me directly to the toilet in my quarters. Sorry Commodore, I'll see you back on the ship," said Nige as he disappeared.
Later that day, Nige was called to the conference room.
"Sit down Lieutenant, I trust you've recovered from earlier?" asked Pike as Nige entered. A small smile of embarrassment crossed Nige's face. "Starfleet has granted us permission to use the Han'gosian technology. We are to install it on the Griffin and the runabouts as well. Carter and Tumock, I want you to see to that. Benson you and Brock will install it on the Knight itself. We have also been given the USS Orion and the USS Gettysburg to help us. Our main job will be to destroy the planet at all costs. The Orion and the Gettysburg, aided by the Griffin and our runabouts, will take on the fighters. Benson, have you figured out where the Kelvans are going to drop out of transwarp yet?"
"They should drop out of transwarp in the Cardassia system."
"When we get there, I want Carter to fly the Griffin. I want Tyran and MacLeod to take the Mekong, Beckett and Harris to take the Congo, Brock, Benson and Tumock will stay here to make sure the technology is working. Now that that is sorted out are their any questions?"
"Commodore, when we get there, how will we destroy the planet?" asked Churok.
"We will target the planet's core and detonate it with Phase Torpedoes." Responded Pike. "Any other questions? No? Churok set a course for Cardassia. Everyone else dismissed." Everyone filed out of the room except Nige. He walked towards Pike, who stood by one of the windows looking at the planet below with a sorrowful look on his face.
"What's wrong sir?" asked Nige.
"Do you think we can stop the planet Nige?"
"Yes sir I do. The Han'gosian technology will work fine. The torpedoes can be launched as normal and the shields will need a few alterations. Why?"
"Starfleet Command has run some simulations with the Knight using this technology. It may not last long. We may be able to last 30 minutes with the shielding but after that it will most likely degrade."
"How so?"
"I don't understand it myself, all I know is that if we're not in and out in thirty minutes, we're dead!" He turns back to the window. "To think, we may never see Earth again."
"Why is Starfleet sending us if they know the technology will fail?"
"It's a suicide mission Lieutenant! Have you not noticed that the Orion and Gettysburg are both Excelsior class and severely undermanned? They don't expect us to be coming back."
"Commodore we can make this work! All you have to do is head for the planet and detonate the core, we'll do the rest. The Prophets will guide and protect us."
"I hope you're right Nige. Don't mention any of this to the crew. We have to keep their morale high. Consider this an order."
"Aye sir. I'll help Tumock on the Mekong." said Nige as he walked out of the room, leaving Pike gazing at the spinning blue planet fading into the distance.