Lt Commander T'Ama - Blockade
Melissa Jackson
(( Bridge, Deck 1, USS Valkyrie-A, Tavros III orbit ))
Is’Kah: Commander, are you aware of any Ion surges that didn’t have any explanation?
T’Ama: No. Ensign Lennai, look for anomalous ion surges please.
Lennai: Of course. checking now.
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?
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.
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.
The planet out the viewscreen shifted as the Valkyrie changed position.
Aleron: Good thinking, Ensign. However, next time I would appreciate a recommendation first. Let me make the decision. But please, carry on.
T’Ama glanced at Captain Aleron, silently noting her reaction. It had been delivered in the tone that had been explained to her, once upon a time, as “gentle”. A tone meant to mitigate hurt feelings. Other species spent an awful lot of time trying to manipulate and manage the emotions of other people. Vulcans expected you to do that for yourself, and as a result every rebuke came in the exact same monotone as everything else. She still had a complicated relationship with tone.
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.
Hailing frequencies were opened and they all sat several moments in silence waiting to see if the mysterious ship wanted to talk. Evidentially they did not.
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.
T’Ama: Agreed.
Lennai: Response
The Valkyrie seemed to move away without incident. Perhaps they didn’t realize they had been spotted and the Valkyrie was on alert. If that were true then they would move their ships out of their vector to avoid a collision since their assumption would be that they could not be seen.
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.
Lennai: Response
T’Ama: Captain?
Aleron: As the humans say, T’Ama, I am playing a hunch.
T’Ama: I thought humans followed hunches.
She would have to double check with Quentin on what one did with their hunches. Hunches were widely considered illogical, but T’Ama had found hers were right often enough she trusted them, much to the irritation of others - including Starfleet officers who did not appreciate her brand of speculative logic.
Lennai: Responses
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.
T’Ama: It is possible they don’t realize we’ve spotted them.
They hadn’t actually hailed them after all. Attention cloaked ships, we see you.
Lennai: Responses
As if on cue, one of them manifested directly in their path.
Aleron: Helm, alter course zero-zero-six mark zero relative.
Lennai: Response
A second ship appeared in the way of the new heading too, and they were staying visible.
Aleron: Alter course again, Ensign. Continue trying to take us deeper in.
Lennai: Response
T’Ama: They are definitely revealing themselves to us now, and even if they thought they were still invisible the way we are changing headings would lead them to conclude we can detect them.
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.
T’Ama: At this rate we just need to point the ship in a direction and one will appear.
Aleron / 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.
T’Ama: Right…
She was following, but did note that this was only going to work within a solar system and not in interstellar space.
Aleron / 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.
T’Ama: Computer, please double check Lieutenant Is’Kah’s work.
Aleron / Lennai: Response
Computer: Lieutenant Is’Kah’s work is theoretically sound.
T’Ama: Implement the solar wake algorithm on the sensors.
Aleron / Lennai / Is’Kah: response
The sensors lit up with multiple more ships, some bigger and some smaller. The area immediately around Stillwater had a wide berth, but many of the ghostly pips seemed to be moving to get ahead of where the Valkyrie was pointing.
T’Ama: They do seem intent on blockading us from proceeding.
It was an understatement.
Aleron / Lennai / Is’Kah: response
T’Ama: Perhaps we should do some maneuvers to see how responsive they are?
Aleron / Lennai / Is’Kah: response
USS Valkyrie-A
C240004T11