Pike was back in the command chair on the bridge. It was now less than one-half hour before the Knight's scheduled rendezvous with the special wing of Peregrine fighter craft. Captain Neil sat in the XO's seat to Pike's right, and for this occasion, Lieutenant Lee Carter sat in the seat on Pike's left.
Pike could tell she was excited about the prospect of being reunited with her old comrades-in-arms. She was having trouble sitting still. He couldn't resist a barb. "Something wrong with your seat, Lieutenant?" he smiled.
Carter started at his question, then realized she was squirming uncontrollably. She forced herself to relax and said, "No sir. Chair's fine." She smiled in return.
"I think I understand how you feel," said Pike, thinking back to his days during the Dominion War. He too had forged strong relationships during that struggle.
Just then, Tumock called from Ops, "Commodore, I have an incoming transmission."
Pike looked at Carter and said, "Lieutenant, would you like to do the honors?"
Carter beamed and said, "Thank you Commodore." She stood and took a few paces toward the main viewer. "On screen, Mr. Tumock."
The main view screen flickered and the image of a striking woman appeared. In a crisp, professional voice she said, "USS Knight. I am Maxine Vasser of Banshee Squadron. Requesting permission to dock."
Carter savored the moment. "This is the Knight, Banshee Squadron. Permission to dock granted."
Vasser frowned momentarily at the sound of Carter's voice, then said, "I don't have a visual comm display in here, but that sounded like Lee Carter's voice."
"Never could fool you, Max," said Carter. "It's good to see you again."
"Well, I'll return the compliment as soon as we land and I see you," replied Max.
"Head for the main hangar. I'll meet you there," said Carter as the comm channel closed. "With your permission of course, Commodore."
"By all means Lieutenant," said Pike. He doubted wild horses could keep Carter away from the hangar deck. Carter hurriedly exited the bridge on her way to a long-overdue reunion with her old friends.
The Knight coasted to a halt in the deeps of space. Four small winged craft approached the mighty starship, tiny compared to the titanic mass of one of the largest vessels ever created by Man. They buzzed about it like pesky mosquitoes until, one by one, they were plucked out of the sky by the Knight's main hangar's tractor beams.
The last Peregrine fighter touched down on the deck of the main hangar light as a feather. The tractor emitter switched off and the massive hangar doors began their slow descent out and down.
To Lee Carter's trained eyes, the modifications on the fighters was very apparent. They all looked very much like the Peregrine she herself had been working on. They had the extra warp core deflection crystal housing, pulse compression phasers on the wingtips, larger torpedo tubes for quantum torpedoes, and the new Han'gosian additions. Carter could see the Han'gosian phase shielding emitters at various points on the fighters' hulls.
One of the fighters was different however. This one carried a large tubular housing underneath its main hull. Before she could inspect it closer though, the hatch on the fighter popped open on the underside of the nose. A ladder extended and a familiar figure descended followed by someone Carter did not know.
Carter strode toward the figure and they clasped hands. "Max."
"Good to see you again, Lee," said Max.
Carter smiled.
By this time, the other figure had stopped a step behind Max Vasser. He extended his hand around Max to Carter and said, "Nice to meet you Lieutenant."
Max broke in and said, "Lieutenant Carter, allow me to introduce Lieutenant James Taylor, special tactical advisor under Admiral Ross." She turned to address Lieutenant Taylor and indicating Carter said, "Lieutenant Taylor, this is Lieutenant Lee Carter, ship's small craft chief and leader of Banshee Squadron."
Carter said, "A pleasure," and released his hand.
Taylor said, "Lieutenant, when can I see the Commodore?"
"Right now the Commodore is occupied. I'll have the Ensign there escort you to the visitor's quarters and I'll let the Commodore know you need to see him." Carter signaled to an ensign that was standing near the interior hangar door to come and help Lieutenant Taylor. The Ensign came over and picked up Taylor's duffel bag. Together they left the hangar deck, the Ensign leading the way to the guest quarters.
By this time, the other three Peregrines had popped their hatches and disgorged their pilots. They converged on Lee Carter. Lee was happy to see each one of them. The five of them had spent many hard years fighting the enemies of the Federation, relying on each other through thick and thin. They were closer than sisters, each owed her life to the others a dozen times over.
Carter hugged each in turn. "Sam... Jo... Kim..." Each in turn hugged Lee and smiled.
"The Banshees reunited!" exclaimed Kim, all grins.
"Yes, but in a dark hour," said Max.
"That's right," affirmed Carter. "Our reunion party can wait. Stow your gear quick and go and get a bite to eat in Ten-Forward. We only have a day and a half to get up to battle readiness. Dismissed!"
Max, Sam, Jo and Kim turned as one and headed for the door.
"Not you, Max," said Carter, stopping Max in her tracks.
Max turned back to her commanding officer.
"About that tube underneath your ship?"
An evil gleam entered Max's eyes at the mention of the pod under her fighter. "I almost forgot, boss," she said. "Inside the pod are the components of a Genesis Device. We have to put it together, but that won't take more than a day."
Carter shuddered at the mention of that name. In her opinion, no one should be able to wield as much power as a Genesis Device bestowed.
"The Kelvans will be sorry they ever crossed us Humans!" ground out Max between her teeth. She walked out of the hangar after her wingmates leaving Lee Carter standing alone on the hangar deck.
The Knight held station for eight hours at the rendezvous point waiting for the rest of her battle group, the Orion and the Gettysburg to catch up. During that time engineers were busy repairing damaged systems and finishing the upgrades on the fighters and the runabouts.
The battle group arrived, and the Knight herself was ready. Together they prepared to set off once again on a course to Earth. There was little more than a day to go.
Meanwhile....
The Kelvan Battle Planet worked its way inwards toward what its computers had determined was the heart of the Federation, the dominant power in this portion of the Milky Way Galaxy.
There were the occasional minor obstacles intervening; races calling themselves Cardassians, Bajorans, Miradorn and Binars. There were occasional artificial installations that tried to hinder their progress; Starbase 123 and the Argus Array. Not had survived, all would serve as examples of the fate that awaited those who resisted the will of the Kelvan Empire.
The Kelvan Commander reclined in his command pit miles underneath the surface of the Kelvan Conquest Planet reading the tactical displays that were projected in 3D all around him. Ahead of the planet's course were several more inhabited systems before it reached Earth. Among them were Betazed and Vulcan.
Hundreds of small ships were headed in the Battle Planet's direction. They came from the planets that were in the Conquest Planet's path. They were swept away like so many insignificant flies.
If this was the best the homeworlds of the Federation could do, then conquering them would hardly be worth the effort, thought the Commander to himself.
Back on the bridge of the Knight, Commodore Pike received a report that the Orion and the Gettysburg were back in formation.
He addressed the helm, "To Earth, warp 9!"