Max launched Cleansing Light the moment that he stepped inside, not even waiting to strap himself into the seat.
The gravity stabilization would keep things in order as he glided out of the bay on Santa Maria, and he could strap in while the sensor sweep ran its bootup diagnostics. So, while the Mecha powered up, Max checked the sensor logs of the main ship to see what he could learn.
The Arisen Fleet had appeared at the very edge of the solar system, and they had chosen to engage a patrol fleet instead of going straight for the station. The patrol was outnumbered and outgunned, but the Arisen had only sent one main ship, a dark metallic cube that was launching War Walkers and a few of the croissant-shaped fighters.