LtCmdr Connor Dewitt - The Khitomer Gambit

[Tim]

((Conference Room, Deck 1, USS Khitomer, at warp))

The last couple of weeks had been a strain on both the Khitomer’s systems and her crew. Refitting entire subsystems and adding new ones was something that usually was done by a trained crew. In this case, due to the delicacy of the technology, things looked different. It had been Connor’s team together with a few SCE engineers who had developed those systems doing the install work.

As he entered the conference room, he was for once, not too late. A PADD in his hand showed the latest reports on system integrations and tests. Everything looked good for the time being. He had ordered additional security measures after what they had gone through with Proteus. Every experimental system could only be activated with Bridge Crew authentication. No SCE engineer would be able to activate those systems on his own - in theory.

Connor’s eyes scanned the room, for a moment resting on Ayemet. She was her wife. It sounded crazy, even to his own brain. A content smile formed on his face. It was part of their every day life now. And he loved every second of it. Usually, the Captain started these kind of mission briefings. Today, he was not. It was only Nolen standing in front of the table at the center of the room as Connor sat down.

Hobart: Ensign Cain, our course is set on the path I gave you?

Cain: Response

Connor nodded, wondering why Nolen was being so mysterious as he turned his head to the first officer again. He would have his reasons.

Hobart: Good work, I'll give you the final coordinates when we're done here. ::to the rest of the room:: Thank you for coming, everyone. Normally, Captain Shayne would be giving this briefing, and as you can tell I'm not him. He’s away to attend to other matters, and will be rejoining us upon the completion of our mission.

Whatever that meant, the reasons would be valid. Again, Connor nodded, just now discovering the trust his best friends ability to command the ship through rough waters. For a second, the Chief Engineer asked himself if that was a good or a bad sign. After all, Rusty McWorkaround had saved the ship more than once with good judgement, but had also somehow gotten hold of a stolen Romulan shuttle in a previous life.

Hobart: As most of you are aware, Khitomer has undergone substantial upgrade and modification since we arrived in the Sol System. What you may not know is that a number of these modifications are experimental upgrades meant to neutralize the Lattice Alliance’s most powerful weapons: the Sencha wave disruptors. What you're about to hear doesn't leave this room. Commander?

Nolen nodded towards Connor who opened his prepared notes on the PADD in front of him as Nolen activated the holoprojector, displaying a blue wireframe of the Khitomer with technical data all around it.

C. Dewitt: Right… We have worked tirelessly with Starfleet’s Corps of Engineers to install two new experimental systems. Access to these systems on the command level is restricted to senior staff and bridge crew. There is no one with access outside of this room. These systems are a sensitive matter to our safety and the ability of the Federation to defend against Sencha Wave Disruptors. I expect you to report any suspicious activity to both me and Commander Hobart.

He stumbled over the automatism of his brain to want to put Randal into that sentence, but managed to divert with only a small noticeable change in tone.

C. Dewitt: The Sencha Dispersion Array, or SDA, experimental advanced defensive system integrated into the USS Khitomer's navigational deflector array, designed specifically to counteract Sencha Wave Radiation attacks from Lattice Alliance vessels. Before firing, the SDA requires a charge-up period, during which the deflector harmonizes with the ship’s power grid to build the necessary energy. In an emergency, specialized high-capacity energy capacitors allow for a single additional discharge even if main power is offline. However, due to the strain on the deflector, each activation weakens the structural integrity of the dish, limiting repeated use and requiring recalibration after multiple firings. You’ll find technical specifications as necessary in your mission briefings.

Connor paused for a moment to wait for questions before continuing.

C. Dewitt: The second system is a subspace resonant hull plating. It is an experimental countermeasure designed to mitigate the neurological effects of Sencha Wave Radiation on telepathic crew members. By generating a low-frequency subspace resonance field across the ship’s outer hull, the plating disrupts the radiation’s harmonics before they can penetrate the interior and affect organic minds. However, this system requires constant fine-tuning, as excessive resonance can interfere with the ship’s own subspace communications and sensor resolution. Additionally, prolonged activation can cause localized energy fluctuations, temporarily weakening shield efficiency in certain sectors of the ship.

Connor waited for a second, indicating to Nolen that he was finished with his short description. Any questions would have to wait for later. He hoped everyone had followed his remarks. In principle the SDA was there to disperse sencha wave disruptor shots, the adaptive hull plating should at least prevent the neurological effects from happening.

Hobart: Thank you, Commander. Given that there are two experiments, we're going to have two independent teams focused on them.  Commander Dewitt will run the hull plating tests, with Lieutenant Croix and Ensign Matthews as support.

Connor kept his answer short. They would need to coordinate with the second team for the deflector and the Sencha wave attack to do proper field tests.

C. Dewitt: Yes, Sir. ::nodding to Croix and Matthews::

Croix / R. Matthews: Response

Hobart: For the navigational deflector, Mister Semara will be project lead, supported by Ensigns Michaels and Cain.

Connor nodded again, this time into Semara’s direction to indicate that they needed to talk some time after the meeting.

Semara / Michaels / Cain: Response

Hobart: In order for these tests to work, we need Sencha waves. That's where our friend from SCE comes in. ::indicating to the Vulcan:: Commander T’Dara has mounted a tuned-down emitter salvaged from DS33 to a probe, and it'll be shooting at us. Which is why Commander Ohnari and Lieutenant Dewitt will be responsible for making sure we don't kill ourselves in the process.

T’Dara / Ohnari / A. Dewitt: Response

Hobart: While all that is going on, Lieutenant Matthews will work up strategic plans for combating Lattice boarding parties. Lieutenants Zerva and El’Heem will assist. Make the most of our downtime, gentlemen. I don't want to be close quarters again, but if it happens I want us to be ready.

Despite testing technology and keeping everyone alive during that test, this task was not less important. The battle of DS33 had shown that they were totally blank on a specific defense against Lattice Alliance boarding parties. And none of their experimental technologies had improved those odds.

C. Matthews / Zerva / El’Heem: Response

Hobart: And now the catch. Ensign Cain? This is our final destination: the Lagoon Nebula. It's a stellar nursery, filled with enough different gases, dusts, and radiations to make long range communications and scans impossible. The enemy won't be able to observe, but neither will Starfleet. Which is just as well, since we've been under radio silence since we left Sector 001. Official word in the Fleet is we're being reassigned, and the Renown and Lowell are taking our place. We're on our own for this. Questions? Concerns? Floor's open.

Connor had not known about that specific location until today. It was typical Starfleet. He was expected to trust that decision and oversee the testing of experimental technology on the ship he was responsible for without knowing if somebody had thought about the interactions of Sencha Waves, the experimental technology and whatever came up in a nebula like that. He tried to be as constructive as possible with this one.

Dewitt: I’ll urge every team to keep in mind the radiation and particles coming up in a stellar nursery… ::pause, looking at Commander T’Dara:: Do we expect any interaction between the matter and Sencha Waves inside that nebula?

T’Dara: Response

He nodded. Connor was not entirely satisfied with the answer - the SCE had failed him before. But for the moment, it seemed sufficient. He looked through the ranks of his colleagues to see if other questions would arise.

Any: Response

LtCmdr Connor Dewitt
Chief Engineer & Second Officer
USS Khitomer
A239901CD3