Solutions in Subspace

Posted on 14 May 2012 @ 11:37pm by Lieutenant JG Kestra Orexil & Lieutenant Commander Evelyn Coleman

1,908 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 3 - Security Office
Timeline: MD03 - 1300 hrs

[ON]

Leaving Drusilla to her meal and her thoughts, Kestra checked her PADD and then headed off for her meeting with the ship's intelligence officer. If all went well, by the end of the day, they'd be well on their way to having a defensible solution to the potential threat of their Empire escort during the next phase of their mission.

Crossing into her office, she stopped by the security console and peered over Davison's shoulder. "How are we doing?"

"All quiet on the western front," Davidson reported. "Lieutenant Coleman's waiting for you in your office."

"Thank you. What's Ruktah's status?"

"Formal apology from Clearwater. He seems to be coping all right."

"Good. Keep me updated by PADD. No interruptions while I'm in my office."

"You got it, Chief."

Kestra slipped into her office and bowed her head in respect, "Lieutenant Coleman. Thank you for joining me."

"Of course, between getting this vessel prepared is a must." Evenly replied handing Kestra a Data PADD, "These are the minor modifications needed for the torpedo. I recommend we have it set to a higher than normal yield."

Kestra scanned the information on the PADD, nodding, "I agree." She pressed her thumb to the screen, allowing the PADD to register her print and accept her part of the joint authorization. "I can put my Second on to overseeing the modifications, if that's all right with you."

"That is fine. The torpedo modifications are going to take the longest time of our countermeasures." She said looking down at her hands, "Are the transport inhibitors being distributed properly?" She asked raising her head looking at her.

"They are," Kestra inclined her head, pulling up an image of the ship's deck layout on her PADD and tapping the places she'd arranged for the transport inhibitors to be placed.

Nodding with approval, "I've been going through my head on ways to improve our defenses... the main weapons of the Bird of Pray are disruptor cannons. Pure energy weapons, is there a way we can use that to our advantage?"

"None that I've thought of," Kestra sat down on the edge of her desk. "I've run through every possible scenarios. If we're attacked... it would take - at most - two centered strikes from the disruptor cannon to completely wipe out our shields. One, if they manage to hit our deflector arrays. After that, we're completely unprotected. The hull integrity on this ship is... unimpressive by Klingon standards. A single torpedo would break us apart once the shields are down. In the event of an attack, it will be up to flight control to dodge their cannon fire and keep the shields alive. Which will be nearly impossible if we're working to to fend off more than one attacker... and that leads me to the reason I requested this extra meeting. Remington, Barel, and I are looking into possible ways to break down their communication systems. The Lieutenant Commander believes that a well-aimed expulsion of radiation might cut out their ability to coordinate via normal measures with any other Klingon ships in the area. But they have a secondary recourse. Are you familiar with the Klingon subspace emergency ping communication methodology?"

Evelyn looked at Orexil. "Yes I'm familiar with ping communications." she said with a nod and with a confused look, she asked. "Why?"

"As I said, we may have found a way to break down the Klingon's ability to communicate by normal means, but - as I explained to Remington - they can still coordinate with each other through the pings. Unless we are able to manipulate the Klingons through the coded channel. And since the only way they can tell where the ping communications come from is through the code signatures..." She leaned her hip against her desk, "I was wondering if you might now how to get ahold of those signatures ahead of time. I know we can source them once they're in use, but slipping in ahead would give us a tactical intelligence advantage, don't you think?"

"I've tapped into those signatures before. Believe it or not, Klingons haven't changed their codes since..." She thought about the last time she had to adjust her tactics, "I would say about four decades ago. The problem I have with the plan is, that wouldn't stop them from firing their weapons. Sure they won't be able to call for backup but one Bird of Prey is bad enough."

Kestra nodded. "One is bad enough; hard to outmaneuver, deadly in a firefight. But we have a well-established Flight Control team and Lieutenant Mialin has a background as a fighter pilot. The Galileo is small and nimble, especially under the right hands. If it comes down to it, we have reasonable probability of avoiding a catastrophic event with the right piloting and two well-aimed torpedoes to take out the Na'vi's disruptor cannons. But with more than one Klingon vessel, the only recourse would be voluntary defeat. That's why it's imperative we keep any additional ships from joining the Na'vi. So, can we do that?"

Evelyn thought for a moment, "I think we could do more then that. Maybe we can create a fake diversion." She said with a knowing smile. "We could have a distress signal go off in a nearby sector that could divert any nearby Klingon ships away from us."

Smiling, Kestra considered the intelligence officer. "How?"

"You didn't hear this from me..." She smirked as she leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs. "Starfleet Intelligence has many "spy satellites" in various regions," She quoted with her fingers. "Several are located in the Klingon Empire. I could have one, emit a fake distress signal through those subspace channels. Don't worry about the satellite, it'll be safe, but it may help keep it to a one-one battle with the Klingons."

Kestra nodded. "Between that and potentially being able to misguide the Na'vi through ping communication, our chances of surviving a confrontation with them just went up astronomically." She folded her hands, "How long will it take to activate the satellite's distress signal?"

"Pretty easy, I can have it done within the hour." She smiled.

"We don't need it, yet," Kestra shook her head. "I just like to know how long these things will take. If it takes an hour to activate the signal... I'd like to keep that one in our pocket until we've got the personnel from one-five-two on board. Would you agree?"

"Absolutely" Evelyn replied, nodding in agreement. "Anything else you want us to have up our sleeves?"

"I'm working on installing programs on the ship-wide holoprojectors and forcefields to create false pathways to a containment zone in the event of a boarding party. Do you have any suggestions as to other avenues we might pursue?"

"Actually i think we should develop containment strategies that would be useful without using more power from the ship's warp core. Perhaps, we could rig sections of the ship to lose life support and artificial gravity."

"I had actually thought of that," Kestra said calmly. "And high gravity areas have already been established for quick release during the event of a boarding. Here, take a look." She opened the ships's schematics on her PADD where she had already noted high gravity fields, portable forcefields, and ship wide hologram usage. "The forcefields run off of individual pre-charged sarium krellide cells, so they won't be using the ship's power. They can run continuously for up to eighteen hours. After which, if we haven't found a way to contain the situation, we're in worse trouble than forcefields warrant. The holograms would be displayed on the forcefields in order to make the fields appear as walls to route an incoming force to the appropriate containment areas without their being aware of the fact. Because the holograms will be purely visual, the amount of power needed for that enterprise is significantly less. The Chief of Engineering actually came up with that idea. I like to think he had the interest of the ship's power in his mind at all times." Handing the PADD over, she sat back to let the intelligence officer look.

"Engineers tend to think with what they have, not with anticipation of what they won't have." Evelyn replied as she looked over the data PADD. "This is a valid and workable plan, but there are no rooms for variables." She said.

"That's true," Kestra inclined her head, watching the El-Aurian with a half smile. "Do you have any variable space hidden up your sleeves?"

Evelyn smirked, "Several," she began as she placed the PADD on Kestra's desk. She was about to continue when a familiar image flashed through her mind, and she froze for a moment. You're tainted Cousin. a familiar male voice echoed inside her head. She shut her eyes, trying to expel the thought from her mind. She shook her head slightly, and adjusted herself on the seat. "I'm sorry." she said smiling up at Kestra, as if nothing had happened "where was I?" she asked.

Kestra blinked hard, her fingers gripping the desk; she couldn't help it. It hadn't been so much a thought as an echoing pulse from the El-Aurian's mind. Kestra's telepathy was a reaching thing and she controlled its reach by carefully keeping her awareness focused inwardly - a process that was neither easy nor all too pleasant for her sometimes, but often when the thoughts were too loud or too frenzied, they beat at her brain regardless of her attempts to keep to herself. This wasn't loud. Not in the way of sound, anyway. It was a whisper, almost a hiss, in a voice that was familiar in an intangible way. Pure energy, like wisps in the dark, tinted blue, brushed her ear. Tainted. She felt as thought the wind had been knocked out of her. As Evelyn shook her head, Kestra took a deep breath to recenter herself in the case of another mental expulsion, but Evelyn seemed to have it under control. "Alterations to the plan to allow for variables," she supplied, still a little distracted. What was that? she wondered.

"Right." She said as she thought things over. "I think we should follow this plan. I'm going to have to do some research. Two centuries ago, I was able to ionize the hall and with a specific shield modulation, was able to absorb the disruptor fire. The shields would act like a sponge to drops of water. We actually burnt out the shield generators during the battle." She laughed at the memory. "I want to see if there is a way we can adapt the Galileo."

"They can still absorb disruptor fire aimed at them; do you mean they pulled the blasts out of their natural course somehow and absorbed them?"

Evelyn shook her head, "No. When they fire at us, instead of each disruptor hit weakening our shields, they would in fact strengthen them. The new energy would then be diverted to our auxiliary power and be used elsewhere."

"Show me?" Kestra nodded to the PADD.

Evelyn reached for the PADD, and smiled as she lifted it up. Rising from her seat, she circled around the desk and keeled next to Kestra, "This is what I have in mind..." she began.

---
[OFF]

Lt. Jg Evelyn Coleman
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

LT JG Kestra Orexil
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

RSS Feed