Work crews were running back and forth across the cavernous main hangar, making last-minute preparations for the battle. Repulsor sleds laden with quantum torpedoes were maneuvered underneath the fighters and runabouts, and crewmen began loading them into the ships.
The Knight's industrial replicators had been working overtime fabricating torpedoes with the new Han'gosian phasing components for both her small craft and for the starship itself. They had several thousand stockpiled by now for the Knight, the runabouts had been specially modified to carry an extra heavy load of fifty full-size torpedoes, and the Peregrines were outfitted with their standard load of fifty as well.
All the ships had been outfitted with the Han'gosian phase shields as well, which hopefully would prove to be effective against the awesome energies of the Kelvan weapons.
Up on the bridge, Commodore Pike sat in the center of sea of activity. Reports were flowing freely between different departments on the Knight, as well as between the Knight and the other two starships, the Orion and the Gettysberg.
But in the midst of this seeming chaos, Pike was lost in thought. He thought about the incomprehensible destruction that had already been wrought by the Kelvans that Starfleet had been unable to prevent. If only they had had more time, maybe something could have been done -- more people evacuated at least.
He blamed himself, and the guilt weighed heavily on him. He felt a thousand years old. If only he had had the foresight to take the Knight further back in time after they learned of the Kelvans, the Federation would have had more warning. There would have been more time to prepare an adequate defense.
But no. That wasn't how it happened. The Knight only regressed two weeks, and as a result the Kelvans were able to overrun everything they came across until now only Earth, at the very center of the Federation, remained.
All the destruction, suffering and death was on his head.
"Commodore?" came a voice from Ops, rescuing Pike from his own psyche.
"Yes?"
"I have a direct link with Starfleet Command sir. They say they have the Kelvan Battle Planet on their outer monitors. They estimate four and a half hours until the Kelvans reach Earth."
Pike nodded in reply.
From his console in front of Pike, Churok said, "Sir, we've entered the Sol system."
Well, this is it, thought Pike grimly. Aloud, he said, "Wait until the last possible moment, Mr. Churok, then switch to sublight. We want to intercept them before they cross Jupiter's orbit."
"Aye sir."
Pike thumbed a switch on his chair, and his voice was broadcast throughout the entire ship. "Attention all hands, this is the Commodore. We are about to engage the Kelvans." That's all that needed to be said.
"We are about to engage the Kelvans," boomed the voice from the hangar's loudspeakers.
"A man of few words," said Max approvingly. She was helping Jo button up the last of the access hatches on her fighter, while Kim was helping Sam with hers.
Just then, Lee Carter came striding around from the other side of the Peregrine. She clapped her hands once to get their attention and said, "All right people. Let's go. We launch the second the Knight drops out of warp. And don't worry, Kimmie. You'll be all right as soon as you get in your ship." Lee put her hand on Kim's shoulder.
"What?" said Kim.
"If we were in a bar and you were a guy, I'd think you were trying to pick me up," ribbed Lee.
"What? Oh no, not again," said Kim in dismay. She put a hand to her face and felt her muscles twitching uncontrollably. Kim had a small nervous condition that caused muscle spasms in her face when she was stressed out or anxious. It made her look like she was winking. "Why didn't you tell me?!?" she exclaimed at Sam.
"I thought you knew!" answered Sam.
The red launch-ready lights came on just then and interrupted their fun. The women broke up and each headed for her own ship. Lee flew the Griffin of course. Max climbed into the Basilisk, Jo would pilot the Chimera, Sam flew the Roc, and Kim ran towards her ship, the Manticore.
The large tube that had housed the components for the Genesis Device had been removed from the underside of the Basilisk and installed in the torpedo room of the Knight itself.
Lee climbed aboard her ship and buckled herself into the acceleration couch. She pulled on the helmet and began her pre-flight check. She glanced to her left, and happened to catch Kim's eye. She noticed it wasn't winking any more, and she gave Kim the "thumbs up" sign.
The Knight's main hangar door began its slow trek upwards, so Lee knew it was almost time. The stars outside shortened their streaks until they were normal pinpoints once again. A voice came over the speaker in her helmet saying, "Launch!"
The quintet of fighters rose as one on their repulsors and were shoved out the hangar door by the bay's tractor beams.
"Form up," ordered Lee. The ships closed their formation.
Jo the navigator said after a moment, "I have the intercept course, wing commander."
"Upload it to us, Jo.... Good. Let's go Banshees!"
And with that, they were off, quickly leaving the Knight and the other starships behind. The Peregrines were much faster at sublight than the big vessels, and would be the first to engage the enemy.