Lieutenant Is’Kah Xiron - Theory Time

[Is'Kah Xiron]

((Bridge, Deck 1USS Valkyrie, Tavros III orbit ))

The hybrid’s head throbbed, leaving zhen wondering if it was because of the planet or something else. Is’Kah suspected it was something else, judging by the raw anger that zha couldn’t clear, demanding to be release. The bridge felt so hot that sweat beaded at zhen temples, but at the same time, the chill to keep the air comfortable for most humanoids filled zhen bones.

An urge filled the Trican causing zhen to close zhen eyes for a moment to steady zhenself. Now was not the time to bite someone, even if zhen favorite target was a meter away from zhen. Is’Kah’s eyes shot open, wondering where that thought had come from. Why would zha want to bite T’Ama? The First Officer wasn’t even Borg at the moment, nor was she a threat to anyone. Besides, zha had been given strict orders not to do it ever again.

Exhaling slowly, Is’Kah opened another sensor log, there had to be something there. Zha hoped the distraction would help focus zhen anger in the correct direction. There wasn’t anything in that log either, causing the Trican to purse zhen lips before speaking in a monotone.

Is’Kah: Commander, are you aware of any Ion surges that didn’t have any explanation?

Lennai: I hope so, because every scan I'm running from up here is coming up with nothing.

Aleron: Okay, if this is not a true cloak as we suspect, then it’s possible they're leaving an ion trail. Good catch, Lieutenant Is’Kah. Let’s start looking for those trails.

T’Ama: Response

Is’Kah: I see. Captain, if they are using optical camo and sensor scrambling they might not think to scramble their drive trails. Perhaps science could find it and see if it leads to a blank spot in our sensors?

T’Ama: Response

Is’Kah: It also might be possible to detect them via the solar wind. Locate any spots that deflect it without explanation.

Lennai: Changing our angle where we are best defended.

Aleron: Good thinking, Ensign. However, next time I would appreciate a recommendation first. Let me make the decision. But please, carry on.

T’Ama: Response

Lennai: Captain, should we open hailing frequencies?

Aleron: Yes, Ensign. All channels and frequencies. Let’s see if they’re willing to talk.

Lennai: Understood. At your command.

Is’Kah started quick diagnostics on the shields and weapon systems, ensuring that they would be ready for anything if things became extra spicy.

T’Ama: Response

The Tactical station flashed green on the shields and weapon systems. After checking the logs, Is’Kah sent the commands to load the torpedo tubes in preparation for anything. Zha’d charge the pre-fire for the phasers, but that would be like putting a neon sign on the ship saying the weapons are armed.

T’Ama: Response

Of course, there was no response.

Aleron: Okay, let’s get into open space. I don’t like the idea of being trapped between them and the planet. If they start shooting, I want room to maneuver.

Lennai / T’Ama: Response

The ship began heading toward open space, giving the hybrid a sense of relief, as they would have space to maneuver if things shifted to a shootout.

Aleron: They seem to be letting us depart. Maybe they just don’t want us here. :: she decided to play a hunch, as the humans called it, although she was certain one or more of her officers would say something about it later. :: Helm, set a course for deeper into the sector. Let’s see if they’re really letting us leave or not.

Is’Kah started filtering out blips that didn’t matter from the sensor scans, such as passenger ships on the far side of the system. Zha hoped that by quieting the board, a pattern would appear.

Lennai / T’Ama: Response

The Trican continued removing ships from zhen board with one hand while the other brought up a calculator. Pausing, Is’Kah’s eye twitched at the thought of doing something zha used to do mentally, but it was time to let go of zhen pride in the name of protecting the ship.

Aleron: As the humans say, T’Ama, I am playing a hunch.

Is’Kah raised an eyebrow. Zha wanted to know what that was, but it wasn’t zhen place to ask, nor was zhen name T’Ama.

Lennai / T’Ama: Response

Aleron: I want to see if they’re really letting us go, or if they just want us to go back where we came from.

Is’Kah felt that zha was close to the formula zha needed to locate the cloaked ships, but the math wasn’t mathing yet. The Trican felt zhen frustration building, getting caught up in the underlying anger, for that. Zha used to be so much better with numbers, but now the digits transpose themselves when zha reads or writes them. Multiple calculations had to be redone as a result.

Lennai / T’Ama: Response

The tactical panel lit up at the same time another ship appeared in their flight path. Furrowing zhen brow, Is’Kah overlaid the sensor readings from the first time to this time, looking for anything that stood out when they decloaked.

Aleron: Helm, alter course zero-zero-six mark zero relative.

Lennai: Response

The ship changed course, but it wasn’t much longer before a third one appeared. Is’Kah’s lip twitched as another surge of fury filled zhen. How dare they do this to a Starfleet vessel! Did they not know who they were?! Apparently not, because they kept taunting them.

Releasing a slow breath, Is’Kah brought up the navigation sensors for each time a ship appeared. Again, nothing stood out from the background noise.

Aleron: Alter course again, Ensign. Continue trying to take us deeper in.

Frustrated with not finding them, Is’Kah overlapped the six different readings and told the computer that they do not appear in each snapshot. Zha watched the information that didn’t match slowly get removed.

Lennai / T’Ama: Response

Tilting zhen head, Is’Kah noted that the solar wind was behaving as if a boat was going against the current just before the computer deleted it. Quickly, the hybrid had the data returned and confirmed what zha had seen. The space around the target vessels didn’t return anything, but the space behind them showed signs of something they might use.

Is’Kah: Captain, I still cannot cut through whatever interference is preventing us from detecting those cloaked ships. However, using the navigation sensors, I believe I have found a way to estimate a location.

Zha overlaid a portion of the view screen with a map of the solar system, ensuring it was transparent enough not to obscure information, then zoomed in on their location. There are also the symbols for the solar winds coming from the star.

Aleron / T’Ama / Lennai: Response

Is’Kah: Every star emits a a high speed stream of charged particles from its corona. Where this ends marks the boundary of a solar system. However, we can detect the charged electrons and protons, allowing us to detect where they do not behave in a straight line, much like the wake of an ocean-going vessel.

Zha expanded on an area of a few thousand kilometers a few seconds before the third ship appeared.

Aleron / T’Ama / Lennai: Response

Is’Kah: As you can see, the ionized electrons are not behaving in a straight line, mixing instead. If we add in the disturbances of the heavier ions, such as helium and oxygen, it appears to confirm my theory. If someone could please confirm my work, I’ve been known to make math errors lately.

Aleron / T’Ama / Lennai: Response

Lieutenant Is’Kah Xiron

Chief of Tactical and Security

USS Valkyrie, NCC-76418-A

R240101I14

Pronouns:

She/Her (Player and Character)

Zha/Zhen (Character)