1st Lt Harry Sato - 1:1000000 ... So You're Saying There's a Chance
notyourfrog
(( Mess Hall, Deck 3, CIC Desdemona ))
Harry sat on the edge of his chair scowling at the worst mug of coffee ever replicated. He'd downed two mugs already though. Stimulants were good for the reflexes, and after news of Yannick's demise at the hands of the Shint, he figured he'd need his mind operating at peak efficiency before long. Save the heavy stuff for later. Coffee was an adequate system prep.
It wasn't at all that he was broken up by the news the Trill had been killed. It happened. It was the fact that it kept happening. That was what was crawling under his skin that made him want to vivisect every last one of the Shint - not for educational purposes. He wanted every last one of the bastards to die slowly and painfully. If that couldn't be managed, quick and fiery would do.
Stennes: We’ve all seen what this thing can do. But after years of mystery and rumors, we finally get to look at it. The intel scientists working at Casperia call this a “prismagon.” It’s the key piece of technology in the Shint reality weapon.
The holoimage spun slowly. The prismagon was very nearly the stuff of legends, or ghost stories. Harry had no idea how it worked, but he'd heard what it was capable of, and he would love to get his hands on one.
Stennes: The energy field this thing generates can fragment reality at the quantum level and then collapse it around its target. When directed at a ship, or a planetoid, o —— ::beat:: a person, the prismagon’s energy essentially forces them out of reality, particle by particle.
Stennes: Colonel, we’re going to steal one.
MacKenzie: ::flatly, shaking her head:: There’s no way we’ll last long enough to even get close to one and stay undetected.
Stennes: ::nods:: That’s true. Prismic shields have been a colossal failure at the size and scale we’ve been using them. Commonwealth starships are just too big for the shields to work properly. But, they’re very effective at shielding small craft and—
The projection changed to humanoid figures wearing the equipment. Harry's leg began to bounce restlessly as he predicted where this was going. With every new piece Stennes placed, Harry's smirk became more pronounced.
Stennes: Individuals. ::beat:: Well, at least the testing they’ve done on individuals has been very promising. ::tosses a data chip to Adea:: Colonel Adea, here are all of the schematics and data that Intel has on prismic technology. We need shields that will allow us to get aboard a Shint vessel and remain undetected by their prismic scanners.
Adea: Sure thing.
Stennes: Luana, Lux, Kuva, and Gila, assist the colonel. We need enough shields for a shuttlepod and a small team.
Kuva: ::nodding:: Yes, Major.
Yellir: response
Stennes: Jovenan, any assistance you could provide would be most appreciated.
Jovenan: ::chirpy:: I will assist.
Stennes: Vik, Flint, you need to find us a suitable target. The space between the Celendi and Azure Nebulae is crawling with Shint. To maximize our likelihood of success, we need a ship with at least 3 prismagons aboard. Cruisers or larger. Devise a suitable approach for the shuttlepod, and attack and escape plans for Desdemona.
Olivera: Aye Sir
Kader: Yes major.
Harry was almost laughing at the size of the balls needed to even suggest such a plan. If even one element of this plan failed, it would mean certain death in one fashion or another for everyone involved. In short: it sounded perfect.
Stennes: Ares, Savel, Harry, you’ll put our heist together, with the Colonel’s and my assistance. ::tosses Dakora a data chip:: We’ve got updated holo-schematics of Shint craft and weaponry. Work with Vik and Flint and use the Sim Centers on deck six to anticipate contingencies.
Savel: Roger.
He merely nodded his assent. Harry's brain was already spinning with caffeine-fueled possibilities. He'd identified over a dozen ways this could go wrong before the next words were spoken.
Dakora: Response
MacKenzie: What could go wrong?
oO Everything? But it won't. Not if I have anything to say about it. Oo
Stennes: You’ve all seen the projections. Even the most optimistic forecasts show that the war will be lost within a year. This may be a suicide mission. But it also might be our first, last, only opportunity to defend ourselves against the Shint. Maybe even mount an offensive of our own someday. ::long beat, sighs wearily:: What questions do you have?
Kuva: Either it is suicide by action or it is suicide by inaction. ::beat:: How long until the Shint realize what we have acquired and its implications, Major?
Savel: He's right. We steal this and we become their biggest threat. And their biggest target. How quickly can we turn this technology around so we can use it against them? That's our only chance at staying alive after this.
Sato: Can we go in with a plug-and-play small-scale application? That will increase our odds of being able to get back out. Kind of like grabbing an attacker's baseball bat and bashing their kneecaps before running off with it?
Stennes/Any: Response
Olivera: Looks like we have to find a ship to crash into Kader.
Kader: That sounds far more simple than what the major ordered, captain.
He shrugged and offered a meager smile.
Olivera: Where do you think we should start the planning? I was thinking instead of the Tactical suit we could use Stellar Cartography.
Kader: I agree captain, although I don't remember good things about that system and nebula. Lots of debris.
Olivera: It wouldnt be the first time we surprise the Shint using space debris. And hard as it is to the ship, a nebulae provides really good cover.
Kader: About that, I shouldn’t voice it out here. Should we head to stellar cartography?
Olivera: Response
Sato: ::to Dakora and Savel:: Stealth and speed make sense to get in. If we can rip a big enough exit wound on our way out, we'll have a larger window.
Dakora/Savel: Response
((OOC - this can continue, but it sounds like we have our marching orders. I'm going to jump to the Sim Center))
((Sim Center, Deck 6, CIC Desdemona))
They had recreated the Shint craft at scale within the room with no surroundings. "Fluff" used energy that could better be spent elsewhere. Because of this, the small group walked across seeming nothingness around the craft. It was slightly larger than shuttlecraft Harry had been on, but was so heavily laden with weaponry and equipment - some of which the purpose was still not entirely known - that the interior was rather cramped. While one of their own shuttles could house several passengers plus a bit of cargo, they would be shoulder to shoulder in this Shint monstrosity.
It didn't matter. This wasn't a sightseeing mission.
Any: Response
Sato: What the hell even is this? ::holding up a cylindrical mass of wiring::
Any: Response
Sato: Like this?
He slid his arm into the cylinder, and felt it compress around his forearm. Holding the weapon like this, he could feel multiple triggers within the device. He pointed it away from the group and tested a few. The first fired a familiar but hated band of energy. They all knew that energy signature. The second produced a small, personal forcefield that lasted only as long as he held that trigger.
Sato: Ok, that's useful.
Any: Response
TAG/TBC
1st Lt Harry Sato
counselor, CIC Desdemona
simmed by Hiro Jones E239510KD0