Lt. JG. Alidar Raedai - Lower Deck status
Alidar Raedai
((Stellar Cartography, Science Lab Complex, Decks 10-11, USS Ronin, Outside the J-0922A System))
Raedai: first data arrives...:: Alidar was silent for a moment and reviewed the data coming into the console, did a quick check of the probe systems before saying anything. :: This doesn't make sense... or we have a huge problem.
Almost instantly, one of the frigates in the holotank began to turn a deeper shade of orange. Input from the consoles revealed a Sencha Radiation surge, possibly associated with the activation of one of the weapons. But more than that, the data began to course through from the probes.
It was a superstructure. Not exactly the same as the one they had encountered previously in the Olidra system months ago: it was in a more bulky, cuboid shape, and appeared to be erected with various communication pylons that protruded from it, making it resemble a pin cushion. Their level of Sencha Radiation emissions was well below what they had previously observed, but the overall shape made it clear what their proposition was. It was a communications relay. It was not what they expected, and its presence gave them as many answers as new questions. Worse yet, surrounding and protecting it, with weapons blazing and ready to defend the station, there were six more frigates.
Lorana: They do like their stations big I see. Commander, that's a listening post. Perhaps that's how the LA has been keeping one step ahead of movements in this region.
Alieth: It sounds logical.:: The commander said the phrase softly, but her frown deepened:: However, it conflicts with what we have known so far about their movements... where is their base or their rendezvous point, then?
The Romulan raised an eyebrow, he didn't know the alliance's technology and fleet well, but it didn't fit a station of that size for so few ships. It occurred to him that they would need a huge core to generate the subspace field, and they couldn't do something as refined as a singularity core.
The image of the holotank shifted, and the undamaged frigate started to retreat very slowly, pulling the disabled one along with it in a tractor beam.
Lorana: The frigates appear to be pulling back towards the border? They have charged the Sencha weapons and locked the Ronin… I'm not sure why they haven't used them…?
Alieth peered over the railing, a smile dancing in her dark eyes.
Alieth: What did we learn in the Rhine about how their Sencha weapons work, Miss Lorana?
Luxa observed the new data that was coming in, her golden eyes focused in the line of the border, which marked the cloaking devices. Suddenly, she turned to Alieth, practically yelling at her on the mezzanine above.
Lorana: :: smiles :: We're too close to the border … :: turns to Alieth :: Remember what happened when the Sencha radiation interacted with the chronitons from the cloaking technology? :: in a science tangent :: It created quantum fissures, some of these fissures then resulted in wells that absorbed all the objects around them. They don't want to risk their valuable listening post being pulled into a fissure?
She looked to Raedai, and then back to Alieth. The petite Vulcan nodded, subtle pride percolating through the tiny tensions of the muscles around her mouth.
Alieth: Exactly. So they would need to put distance to prevent their weapons from interacting with the field that cloaks them. :: tapping as she spoke, forwarding her theories to the Captain:: It is possible they will sacrifice the damaged ship to attack us, or try to force us into the cloaked sector if they intuit the trap, but they will not risk a subspace fracture so close to a critical facility.
Raedai: Unless they don't mind or the station can take advantage of them in some way.
It was the first idea that came to his mind, but it was one of the few logical ideas for such a large station, there were a couple of other logical possibilities with what they knew. But if that wasn't the case, it didn't make sense to make such a large station just for the sake of it. Apart from the fact that both Alliance species had very different life needs.
Alieth: Elaborate on what you have found, Lieutenant.
The Romulan kept looking at the console and examining for as much data as he could, not only from the Ronin itself, but also from the chain of probes that communicated with the interior of the subspace field.
Raedai: On the one hand, that thing is huge because given the differences in the two species they may have to basically duplicate everything. It's two stations in one. But given its size, it's more than likely to have a huge reactor that generates a lot of power. With that much power, the station could possibly control or harness the problems of its own technology. Something that is more difficult to implement in something that requires the mobility of a starship.
Lorana: Response
Alieth: Leave passive sensors out, switch to active sensors. Lieutenant Raedai, use whatever means you need to give us as much information as possible about what is happening inside the cloaked area. That formation is not something we have previously encountered, nor are those radiation bursts.
Raedai: The Tollian ship has released the most damaged ship. I think they're overloading their weaponry by creating one last pulse of Sencha radiation before exploding.
He had to learn about these people, and fast. And about their technology, so he focused what sensors he could on that ship as he performed his overload. Boosting their power would give them a powerful weapon but it also showed more of how everything was connected. And seeing how they worked was something Starfleet needed.
Lorana: Response
All the laboratory consoles began to resonate, while in the Holotank the damaged frigate acquired a bright yellow hue that approached white.
Alieth: Brace for impact!
The impact was not only from the radiation, the enemy ship had exploded, overloading its weapons to make the explosion even bigger. This caused some minor overloading of the EPS conduits.
Raedai: the explosion has broken the connection with the probes, it has been bigger than expected, trying to recover it.
He said as he typed as fast as he could. The computer had recorded the entire explosion, the entire overload of the Sheliak ship, but it was not yet time to review it.
Lorana: Response
Raedai: Regaining control of the probes, repositioning them to re-acquire data from within the subspace field. And trying to compensate for the distortion caused by Sencha radiation.
He observed the interference and time lags created by the radiation. He'd seen that kind of effect before, but it was caused by something different. Alidar opened the Starfleet database and began to look something up.
Lorana/Alieth: Response
The big screen showed the Ronin trying to get into formation with the Khitomer to continue the fight. While the Romulan finally found what he was looking for, an event that was overshadowed in Federation history by the attack on Mars.
Raedai: One question, I don't know all the data from previous encounters against Lattice Alliance ships, have you tried using a temporal shield or a subspace field with a phase discriminator to diminish the effects of Sencha radiation?
Both had been used to avoid problems with temporal displacement and with considerable success. It was likely that the subspace field and radiation could cause a quantum rift, but it was better to take advantage of his Lower Deck status and have his idea rejected, rather than have a possible solution never tested.
Lorana/Alieth: response
[TAGS/TBC]
OCC: I've tried to fix a few minor mismatches in the narrative of this scene with that of the bridge, and I think it's going well so far.
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Ops Officer
USS Ronin (NCC-34523)
Cpt. Karrod Niac Commanding
E239702S10