AQ/D01 - Bridge

[Ris'maeriiffa Qab'ataar]

Ris' antennae curled in slightly, accompanying a slight furrowing of his brows as the results of a quick analysis of his plan popped up on his screen.

"Well, I can see a slight downside to the EM barrage mucking with everyone's sensors, including friendlies," he observed. "There's an age-old maxim that 'Friendly fire isn't.' Still, at this point, the Cardassians not being able to target clearly may work in our favor more than against it."

He canted his neck to speak over his shoulder to Captain Brooks.

"Captain, I can reconfigure a swarm of Class I probes that we can release to begin a broad-spectrum barrage sensor jamming. They would be on random, rotating frequencies to make it highly improbable they would be free of any jamming for more than a second or two. The downside is that it would impact all vessels in the area, including friendlies, though that may be more boon than bane to us." A brief, thoughtful pause. "In fact, given the advantage the Cardassians have in both firepower and defenses, such a loss of IFF capabilities would hamper them far more than us."

Turning to look at Lieutenant JG Coppola, he continued, "Perhaps we could follow up the Yeager's ploy of dumping some mines in the path of the Cardassians ships, which could seriously damage the Hidekis, if nothing else. I'm going to see if I can get a better read on what portions of the EM spectrum would be most effective, and what frequencies, as well."

With that, his fingers moved swiftly, and with slightly more confidence, directing the Aquila's sensors to get a detailed look at their foes' sensors. He hoped to gather information that would give the plan higher effectivity.

== Tag Brooks, Coppola, Bridge ==
== Request GM input: looking for anoy information on the Cardassians' sensors that might aid this ploy in any way ==

[Alexander Talion]

Talion had appeared as if he was unaware of the entire rest of the Bridge while he was feverishly working at his consoles. Now, he suddenly said, "That's a great idea!" He stopped, glanced to the floor then continued again, "Yes...yes...The problems of the EM won't do a great deal, but it might make it just that little bit harder to hit the spot you want. At the same time, we drop smart torpedoes behind us. We can even pre-program for them to travel to specific locations and patrol. If they get with in range to verify IFF, then they are to proximity detonate. If they can confirm a known hostile signature, then they can pursue following whatever other protocols you want to give them. We can arrange it about as fast as you can say it...certainly faster than I can say it."

Alex turned and looked at Ens Qab'ataar, "I'm willing to bet that you play a good game of Tri-Dimensional Chess."

Just then another Disruptor shot hit their shields, returning Alex's attention back to the Command Pit, "Sir, I think we might at least make life very miserable for the smaller ships. It might be a bit before I know more about our previous project. Maybe, if we can remove enough of the support ships, their main weapon might withdraw. The worst that might happen is that several torps will be floating around, we could even empty our entire supply of them out the back door as we move. The upside is that all of those unexploded ones are instantly available when we drop the EM noise and fire them all at once at a single target...that could be fun. It really seems a like a win/win sort of thing, if I'm being honest."

Alex glanced back over at the Andorian. He was starting to like this new guy. He certainly made a good first impression.

== Tags to Ens Qab'ataar, CO, FO, and anyone who is trying to find ways to blow up bad guys. ==

[Jez Mala]

Jez listened carefully as the discussion moved from sensor jamming to smart torpedoes and mines. The possibilities were promising, but one particular problem kept nagging at her.

If we blind everyone, we had better know exactly who is supposed to be blind to whom.

Another disruptor blast struck the Aquila's shields, making the deck tremble beneath her boots.

"I think there's a way we can reduce the IFF problem before we start filling the area with interference," Jez offered.

She turned toward the others, keeping her tone conversational rather than directive.

"What if we establish a temporary friend-or-foe whitelist between the Aquila, Yeager, and any other friendly vessels before the jamming begins? The smart torpedoes wouldn't need to rely entirely on the local IFF signal. They could carry the encrypted identification profiles of friendly ships and treat anything that doesn't match as unknown rather than automatically hostile."

Jez glanced toward the tactical display.

"That wouldn't eliminate the problem, but it could give our weapons a second layer of identification. The Cardassians would have to get past the jamming and then somehow impersonate a valid Federation signature."

Her eyes moved back to the Cardassian ships.

"And I'd keep the torpedoes on a very specific rule: unknown targets don't get engaged automatically. They wait for confirmation. That keeps our own ships from becoming targets simply because their IFF gets swallowed by the interference."

Jez paused, then studied the sensor readings for several seconds.

"But there's something else we could try."

She stepped closer to the display, examining the shield telemetry.

"If we're already going to have probes studying their sensors, why not have them study the shield frequencies at the same time?"

Her expression became more thoughtful.

"Most defensive shields aren't one solid wall. They're a series of overlapping energy fields constantly compensating for one another. If the probes can identify the frequencies the Cardassians are using to redistribute power after an impact, we might be able to find the point where that compensation becomes unstable."

She looked toward the tactical display again.

"Instead of trying to destroy the shields with one massive hit, we could hit different sections of the shield envelope at carefully chosen frequencies and timings. Force the system to keep redistributing power until it can't compensate anymore."

Jez made a small gesture toward the cluster of Cardassian ships.

"Then, when the shields collapse, we don't necessarily have to destroy the ship. We can disable it. Engines, weapons, sensors, life support. A ship without shields and weapons is a much smaller problem."

She considered the idea for another moment.

"Although..."

A faint smile crossed her face.

"If the shield collapse creates a temporary vulnerability across the entire defensive envelope, we could coordinate the smart torpedoes to converge at that exact moment."

She looked around the group.

"One concentrated volley while their shields are down would be considerably more effective than firing everything at a shield that keeps regenerating."

Jez glanced toward the mine proposal.

"And the mines could make the timing even more unpleasant for them. Force the Hidekis to maneuver, keep them inside the jamming field, and make their shields work harder while we're collecting the data."

She folded her arms again.

"So we aren't really trying to win a contest of firepower. We're making their sensors unreliable, their movement dangerous, and their shields work harder than they were designed to."

Another impact rocked the bridge.

Jez steadied herself and looked back toward the tactical display.

"That sounds like a problem the Cardassians might have a difficult time solving."



== Tag All, Tag Talion.==

[Jennifer Braggins]

[This is Captain Braggins of the Yeager, I'm taking command of the engagement. Aquila, engage the Battlecruisers marked Contact 2 and 3. Zephyr, engage the Escorts. Do not engage the Dreadnought, do not engage the Dreadnought.]

Sensors would show the Yeager making violent maneuvers away from the Zephyr and the Hidekis, moving at full acceleration towards the Keldon marked "Contact 1".

[Beno Velaul]

The new Science Officer was impressive, he had some wonderful ideas that would work pretty good. If they put it to good use than it could make a difference, by that it would save many lives. Just when she was going to say something, there was a communication from a familiar voice. It gave them some direction, and in an attack such as this that is what they needed. 

The order came to attack as she put it Contact two and three, Beno recognized her style even at a far. The Captain had a lot of orders to give, Beno didn't want to interrupt anything he had to say. So she kept things quiet as possible, giving the nod of approval. Alex could read her facial cues that said she was impressed by this too, the attack needed the most concentration. This was a new feeling for Beno, usually by now everything was different. 

==Tag==

[Daniel Brooks]

The idea would take a while but the comms came over from Captain [This is Captain Braggins of the Yeager, I'm taking command of the engagement. Aquila, engage the Battlecruisers marked Contact 2 and 3. Zephyr, engage the Escorts. Do not engage the Dreadnought, do not engage the Dreadnought.]

Brooks looked at Talion,

"Oops." he said as he turned to look at the helm,

"Bring us about to tackle the two battlecrusiers. Full spread of phasers and torpedos once we are locked on."

"Captain Braggins, this is Captain Brooks of the Aquila, we are heading towards the targets suggested, good to hear from you. After this I will buy you a drink. Brooks out."

"Let's do this." said Brooks getting up from the centre chair he moved towards the helm.

==Tag all, sorry for delay was at college==

[Cologero Coppola]

There was a lot of tension on the Bridge from all of the attacks, now that there was some kind of unified plan some of it went down. Cologero heard the order from the Captain and he was counting on Diaz, the two were going to continue to be synced up. The trick to this was going to be avoiding being hit, the reality was it was only possible to limit the hits. 

"Time to pull the hat down tight and just LeDoux it." Cologero said to himself, while getting the firing pattern into the system. It was a small country song reference, when they start to twist it would be a good thing no one was going to get sick on the bridge. "Captain  sensors indicate minimal damage is done to the Dreadnought." From what he witnessed this was going to be a difficult one, if they could get another ship to concentrate their fire on one target the success rate will be higher. 

For this second Cologero had placed some of his targets but didn't lock them into the system, as it happens sometimes targets change. If they were locked it would take longer to change, plus the target lock wouldn't show up on the enemy sensors. If they were going to make it through this, it might be a matter of making them unable to fly the ship. For now the target was in their sights, this Captain whoever she was seemed to have a plan. Right now his one job was to help prevent this ship going down in history like the Hood, or if it couldn't be avoided go down firing.

"Diaz you are doing good so far, lets keep it up." Cologero was trying his best to keep calm, it wasn't going to be easy for anyone.

==Tag anyone? Diaz?==

[Jez Mala]

[This is Captain Braggins of the Yeager. I'm taking command of the engagement. Aquila, engage the Battlecruisers marked Contact 2 and 3. Zephyr, engage the Escorts. Do not engage the Dreadnought. Do not engage the Dreadnought.]

Jez stared at the tactical display for a moment as the transmission ended.

She wasn't sure how she felt about another Captain suddenly taking charge. Captain Brooks was clearly a strong, capable, and confident man, but who was this Captain Braggins of the Yeager to take command? Oh, yes, Commander Braggins had been a great officer, but this was different. Captain Brooks was still the Captain of the Aquila, and yet it seemed like he was being shoved aside like an old shoe or something.

The thought barely had time to settle before Brooks looked toward Talion.

"Oops."

Jez couldn't help the faintest smile.

Captain Brooks turned toward the helm.

"Bring us about to tackle the two Battlecruisers. Full spread of phasers and torpedoes once we are locked on."

He then opened the comm.

"Captain Braggins, this is Captain Brooks of the Aquila. We are heading towards the targets suggested; good to hear from you. After this, I will buy you a drink. Brooks out."

"Let's do this," Captain Brooks said as he got up from the center chair and moved toward the helm.

Jez turned her attention back to the tactical display.

The two Battlecruisers were maneuvering together, maintaining enough separation to create overlapping fields of fire. If the Aquila charged directly between them, both ships would have a clean firing solution, and neither would have to expose itself unnecessarily.

Jez studied their movement.

"They're covering each other," she said quietly.

Her eyes shifted toward the Dreadnought.

Braggins' order suddenly made more sense. The Dreadnought didn't need to be their immediate target to affect the engagement. Its position limited their maneuvering space, and any attempt to swing too far around the Battlecruisers could potentially bring the Aquila into its weapons envelope.

Jez began calculating the Battlecruisers' likely firing arcs and maneuvering options.

The solution wasn't to meet both ships on their terms.

"Captain," Jez called, "if we attack the lead Battlecruiser directly, the second will have a clean shot at our flank. If we break their formation instead, we can force one of them to expose itself while the other maneuvers to compensate."

She brought up a projected flight path.

"Recommend we concentrate our initial fire on one ship. Phasers to weaken the same shield quadrant, then torpedoes through the opening. Don't split our fire between them. If we can force one Battlecruiser defensive, the other will have to decide between maintaining its firing solution on us or maneuvering to protect its companion."

Jez tracked the second Battlecruiser's position.

"Either choice gives us an opportunity."

Her attention returned briefly to the Dreadnought.

"And we need to keep our maneuvering options open. If we become predictable, the Dreadnought doesn't have to be our target to become our biggest problem."

Jez settled back over the tactical console, eyes fixed on the approaching Battlecruisers.

Two Battlecruisers were dangerous.

Two Battlecruisers supported by a Dreadnought were considerably worse.

But they didn't have to beat all three ships.

They only had to make sure the two ships in front of them couldn't fight as one.



== Tag All. ==

[Cologero Coppola]

The attack patterns were being fully developed between him and Diaz, it just needed something more. As he was looking into more attack patterns involving weapons fire, there was something else that circled back to the front of his mind. If they were going to use those probes like Qab'ataar suggested they would need to be strategically placed, if they were going to use the mines as well they would need to know exactly where they were placed plus how they would move out there in space. Outside of a propulsion system keeping it in place there was nothing to keep it in place, the natural state of open space didn't stop any kind of motions. 

"Ensign if you have probes that will do those tasks, I am open to using them. Don't forget Tactical should be aware of trajectories of the mine probes, that way we know where to steer clear of." He turned his attention but not his head to Talion. "Commander if we put this together for a working plan, we should align the blast patterns for maximum damage." If they get all of that information together, the Aquila would be able to safely navigate through it without risking further damage. 

The Dreadnought remained to be their biggest threat not their biggest concern at this time, in order for them to be destroyed by them the weapon would need to hit them first. "Captain engaging hostile." Contact number three was closer to them than two, the full spread attack focused on weapons, if Cologero could at least naturalize those the Aquila would be better off for it. 

==Tags with GM input on the attack on contact number three.==

[Ris'maeriiffa Qab'ataar]

"Ensign if you have probes that will do those tasks, I am open to using them. Don't forget Tactical should be aware of trajectories of the mine probes, that way we know where to steer clear of."

His antennae perking slightly at the question from Coppola, Ris directed his response towards him, timing it between other commands and reports crisscrossing the very busy and tense space.

"Understood, Lieutenant. I am sending you the suggested trajectories, primarily between the dreadnought and ourselves, but, also a healthy spread around Contacts 2 and 3. If we're going to focus one one of them, we can concentrate more on the one we're not engaging in the moment. I'll set the EM barrage parameters, including the frequency hopping and duration variations, then release them to your controls, if that's acceptable?"

His fingers had continued to move steadily and purposefully across the LCARS display on the console in front of him, working as best he could with the time constraints.

Most effective frequency agility is...changing amplitude and phase at the same time. Key in a random start for each probe...and that will have to do. He sent the program to the probes stored within the ship, even as it shuddered, shimmied, and whined.

"With your permission, Commander" he said to Talion," I'll release control of these probes to Tactical."

Ris focused on keeping his breath as even and under control as he could. Well, if you survive this, it's a helluva story to tell the folks back home...

== Tag Coppola, Talion, all ==

[GM-CD]

==Qab==

The thing that was most evident from analysing Cardassian sensor profiles was that, despite the assurances of Starfleet Intelligence, Cardassian capabilities were far closer to Federation levels than had been predicted. They would be difficult to jam, and given the primary focus of all Cardassian starships being military-focused, they probably had extensive ECCM suites to counter any attempts the Aquila could throw together quickly.

That did not mean that the Aquila's plan would fail, however; it would just be a temporary solution and require constant refinement under fire while potentially doing more harm to the small band of Starfleet ships than good.

==Coppola==

Coppola was finding out, simultaneously with Qab'ataar and the Zephyr crew, that the Cardassians had way better technology than had been indicated by Starfleet Intelligence. Where once upon a time, a single Galaxy-class could have swatted an individual Galor out of the way, the Aquila's full spread only seemed to bring the ship's primary shields down before secondary generators sprang into life microseconds later.

In return the Aquila was rocked by repeated disruptor blasts from Contact 3, each one taking a sizable chunk out of the shields. Meanwhile, Contact 2 was moving to position itself behind the Aquila and catch her in a crossfire that even the Ross-class could not withstand for long.

[Cologero Coppola]

The attack that was ordered didn't do the job they wanted, instead they received valued information that could bear fruit. They could create an opening that won't be able kept open for long, the microseconds it will be open for would be hard to work with.  "Captain our shields have taken a considerable hit, we can not withstand a lot more of that." Cologero was more interest in shield percentage plus how they can prolong the strength, every percent they can get the higher the odds.

Cologero sent the information to Talions station. "Commander we have an open window we can exploit, I have a feeling you can come up with something." There was a small window of time where the ship was unprotected by shields, if they could get something in-between the hull and the shields in that time frame they could really get to work. The best Cologero could think of at this time was some kind of time delay, right after the volleys that collapse the shields have an explosive device that attaches itself to the hull before detonation. If that explosive device could have an electro magnetic pulse they had another window, in theory there would be a smaller window of time their systems would be unprotected as well. 

If Science had a chance to turn the tides, they were going to need all the information Tactical had, the times between when the primary shields went down to the time the secondary shields went up. He had that brilliant idea of how to deal with the main problem, now they were going to need something new for the others. 

==Tag with the BM input about how much in percentages what the shield strength is.==

[Beno Velaul]

The attack wasn't going as good as Beno had hoped, seeing the whole thing and hearing about the window of time made it seem like it wasn't all lost. It perked her interest that might come in handy, the issue would be time. If they had something actionable the two factors that go against them would be time and amount of attempts, they could possibly do two attempts with the third being too dangerous. 

Between the Tactical team they were going to need to come up with fancy flying and attack patterns, meanwhile Science could have a plan to bring it all together. Engineering was busy enough keeping the ship together, if they lose shields it would be a matter of seconds before they lose everything else. Getting up to go to the Science station, there was something that they could work on together. 

"Qab'ataar I like your idea that we can work on, I have an interesting idea that might help." They have the timings they needed between detonations and the collapse to rise of the shields, if they get the timing right they could get something directly on the hull unchallenged. 

Going off what Beno observed there was a lot to work with. "If we go off what we have the last volley they collapse the shields with the secondary shields up before we can blink, now I estimate if we can fire out those probes at point zero four seconds and point one of a seconds after launch we can attach these things to the Hull." It was a theory that if it was against the hull it would go unchallenged, if it worked on the one ship they might have to change it a bit for the second ship. There was now more of a professional interest that Beno was taking in the young man, he has great potential. "Lieutenant Coppola we are going to need the timings between volleys, we can send out those probes accordingly." If they can neutralize the one ship, the second might back off a little, they might even have enough to do the same trick twice. 

==Tag==

[Jez Mala]

Jez's eyes moved across the tactical display, studying the changing positions of the Cardassian vessels. The engagement was not progressing as they had hoped, and every additional exchange of weapons fire increased the risk of further damage to the Aquila and the other Federation ships. They could continue trading fire, hoping that superior coordination and persistence would eventually turn the tide, but hope was not a strategy.

*There has to be a more efficient way to end this.*

Her attention shifted from the tactical display to the specifications for the Aquila's photon torpedoes. Starfleet already employed matter-antimatter reactions to produce devastating amounts of energy, but perhaps the existing weapons could be modified to achieve a different tactical result. Rather than simply increasing the destructive yield, what if they could concentrate the energy of an antimatter detonation against a specific section of a Cardassian vessel's shield envelope?

The concept was worth investigating. A carefully engineered warhead might deliver an intense, concentrated energy pulse that would force the target's shield generators to absorb an extraordinary load in a very short interval. If the shields could not redistribute that energy quickly enough, a localized failure might occur, creating a temporary opening in the target's defenses.

*The objective would not necessarily be to destroy the vessel with the initial detonation. We only need to create an opening long enough to exploit it.*

If Tactical could identify the vulnerable section of the shield envelope and coordinate a follow-up attack, the Aquila might be able to target the exposed area before the Cardassians could compensate. A concentrated strike against the affected shield generators, weapons systems, or propulsion could potentially disable the vessel and reduce its ability to continue fighting. If the target played a significant role in coordinating the Cardassian formation, disabling it might also disrupt the enemy's overall response.

Jez recognized that the idea carried considerable risks. Photon torpedoes already contained antimatter warheads, and simply increasing the quantity would not guarantee the desired effect. The challenge would be engineering a modified detonation capable of concentrating its energy in a useful way without compromising the torpedo's containment or endangering friendly ships. There was no guarantee that Cardassian shield technology would respond as she hoped, either. Engineering and Tactical would need to determine whether the concept was feasible and whether the resulting opening would last long enough to exploit.

Jez turned toward her captain.

"Sir, I have a proposal that might give us an opportunity to bring this engagement to a quicker conclusion. Rather than continuing to wear down the Cardassian shields through conventional weapons fire, I would like to investigate the feasibility of a modified antimatter warhead designed to concentrate its energy against a specific section of a target's shield envelope."

She brought the relevant torpedo specifications onto her display, indicating the concept she had in mind.

"The objective would be to overwhelm a localized portion of the shield grid with a sudden energy pulse, potentially forcing a temporary failure before the generators could redistribute the load. If we could create even a brief opening, Tactical might be able to concentrate a follow-up strike against the exposed section and disable the vessel's shields, weapons, or propulsion before they recover."

Her gaze returned to the tactical display, where the Cardassian ships continued to maneuver.

"I'm not suggesting that we deploy an untested weapon in the middle of an engagement without understanding its limitations. The antimatter containment, the detonation characteristics, and the Cardassian shield response would all need to be evaluated. But if Engineering can determine whether the modification is viable, we might have a way to disable a key vessel without having to destroy it outright. If that vessel is important to their formation or coordination, the resulting disruption could allow us to force a withdrawal or secure their surrender."

Jez paused, considering the risks against the cost of allowing the battle to continue on its present course.

"With your authorization, Captain, I'd like to consult with Engineering and Tactical to assess the feasibility of the design and identify an appropriate target. I believe we should investigate the possibility of breaking through their defenses decisively rather than continuing an exchange of fire that risks more damage and casualties on both sides."



== Tag All. ==

[Daniel Brooks]

The Aquila came under attack causing the ship to rocked.

"Bring us about Diaz." he ordered,

"With your authorization, Captain, I'd like to consult with Engineering and Tactical to assess the feasibility of the design and identify an appropriate target. I believe we should investigate the possibility of breaking through their defenses decisively rather than continuing an exchange of fire that risks more damage and casualties on both sides."

"Sounds like a good plan Mala, make it so." he said looking at her briefly before turning his attention back to the viewscreen.

==Tag all==

[Alexander Talion]

After hearing Mala give a report on her latest ideas for the battle, Alex spoke up, "Lieutenant Mala, your idea is based on a strong foundation, but it is already available to us. When you look at the torpedo configuration options, look for the one marked as a shaped charge. It is designed to focus more of the detonation in a specific direction. Think of it as an armor piercing design. It is terrible for use with a proximity fuse and if not pointed directly at the target it will have little effect, but when used correctly, it can do far more damage to shields and structure. The good news is that you only need to select the configuration and the torpedo will be modified automatically. You can also overload the design and it will increase the yield as well."

Turning to look at her, he smiled, "Don't waste any time, Jez. Hit them hard."

Alex then took a second to glance over at the new guy they had added to the roster. He was interested to see what the Andorian came up with after their brief conversation about the idea he had. The guy was smart, which was never a bad thing.

== Tag Mala, Qab'ataar ==

[Jez Mala]

The impact of the Cardassian weapons rocked the Aquila, but Jez remained focused on the tactical display. Captain Brooks had approved her proposal, and Commander Talion’s suggestion offered a more immediate path toward putting it into practice. She had been looking for a way to concentrate the destructive force of an antimatter detonation against a specific point in the enemy’s defenses. The shaped-charge configuration was an established solution to precisely that problem.

“Understood, Commander. I’ll examine the shaped-charge configuration and determine whether we can improve its effectiveness against the Cardassian vessels.”

Jez brought up the torpedo specifications, studying the configuration parameters and the targeting requirements. The shaped charge offered a significant advantage over a conventional detonation, concentrating more of the explosive energy along a directed path rather than dispersing it broadly. That made accuracy critical. A proximity detonation would waste much of the weapon’s potential, and even a direct hit could produce disappointing results if the charge struck at the wrong angle.

Her attention shifted to the Cardassian battlecruisers. Rather than simply increasing the warhead yield, she wanted to identify a target location where the focused detonation could do the greatest damage. A weakened shield facing, if the tactical sensors could confirm one, might provide an opportunity to penetrate the defensive envelope. Failing that, a concentrated strike against a vulnerable structural section could force the enemy to divert power from its weapons or shields to damage control.

“Captain, Commander, I recommend we prioritize precision over simply increasing the warhead yield. An overloaded shaped charge may inflict greater damage, but it will also increase the risk of destabilizing the torpedo and complicate our targeting calculations. I’d like Engineering to verify the limits of the modified warhead while Tactical identifies the most vulnerable impact points on the Cardassian vessels.”

She paused long enough to bring up the available torpedo configurations and compare the shaped charge’s specifications against the Aquila’s remaining tactical resources. There was little value in expending their torpedoes on a strike that failed to achieve a decisive result. Every shot needed to count.

“If we can concentrate the detonation against a single section of their defenses, we may be able to breach a shield facing or compromise a critical system without having to sustain a prolonged exchange of fire. Once we have a viable firing solution, we can determine whether the standard yield is sufficient or if an overload is justified.”

Jez glanced toward Commander Talion. She admired Alex, but she sometimes found him to be a bit of a smarty-pants. She thought of him as an older brother, uncle, and father figure all rolled into one. 

Oh, do you have to be such a smarty-pants?  Jez winked at Commander Talion. 

“Thank you for pointing me toward the existing configuration, Commander. It gives us a practical starting point. I’ll coordinate with Engineering and Tactical before committing the Aquila’s torpedoes.”



== Tag Brooks, Talion, Thorn.==

[GM-CD]

==Coppola==

Every hit took ten percent from the Aquila's shields, which, thanks to efficient power distribution, regenerated a handful of percent between blasts. The Aquila's shields were at 78% overall when he checked the display, climbed to 80%, then dropped drastically to 60% as the ship was hit fore and aft by the now-pincering Keldons. When evaluated by shield facing rather than overall shield strength, forward shields were actually closer to 50%, aft shields 80%, with all other shield facings currently undamaged.

The microsecond delay in shield regeneration and coverage on the Keldons was exploitable, but not with kinetic weapons. The time taken to target, arm, and launch a torpedo was far longer than the delay that had been observed, and that was before the time required for the torpedo to reach its target. On the other hand, Phasers were light-speed weapons, and therefore could theoretically make the shot if the computer was appropriately programmed.

And underneath those double-layers of shields, the Keldon shared the same basic spaceframe as the older Galor-class. The hull might be reinforced slightly, but realistically, all a Battlecruiser was was a Cruiser with larger weapons. They could outmanoeuvre or outrun the Aquila with ease, and keep up with her damage output, but in terms of survivability, they were glass cannons.

==All==

Now bracketed by both Keldons, the Aquila came under punishing volley of torpedo fire. EPS overloads blew out the Master Systems Display on the Bridge, and damage and casualty reports flooded in from throughout the ship.

[Kalli Thorn]

A call came in to the Bridge from Thorn: [Thorn to Br-dge, I've got...bzzzt...or a hull breach here...bzzt...deck...fzzz...I'm going to *loud metallic sound)*BZZZZT...] 

There had been the sound of an impact of some kind as the last bit of the comm suddenly cut out, but it was timed at the same moment as the ship was hit by another shot. After that was silence and the channel was closed. Efforts to locate her would show her and a Damage Control Team were on the forward port, but her comm badge was blinking in and out, likely the reason the comm was lost and  making it impossible to lock onto her as internal sensors in that area for a 5 deck range were damaged and highly erratic, but indicating debris and loss of pressure. Further investigation would reveal minor structural damage spanning decks 5 thru 9. It had mostly been affecting labs and quarters that had been evacuated. The external hull damage wasn't too bad, but the weaker internal structures were damaged and were sealed off. Structural integrity was beginning to return, so whatever the crew was doing, it was working, but Thorn was currently out of contact. Such damage wasn't uncommon, but it could be quite traumatic if you were in such an area without an EVA suit when it happened.

Another message came across OPS in text form only: [Repairs in progress, casualties minimal, updates to follow. Structural integrity should be restored in 12.5 seconds.]

The format of the text indicated that it was being reported by one of the drones in the area, but that it reported to OPS indicated that it had been directed to do so by someone. With the Master Systems Display down, it was hard for the Bridge to have a good overview of everything going on. They were going to have to try and monitor systems one screen at a time and rotate through them for updates. Comm traffic could be monitored to indicate that a couple of the team had been near the breach when another shot had hit in almost the same spot as the previous one, causing it to penetrate and it took out some of the individual comms. It was not clear who had been considered casualties at this time, but the crew was working feverishly to close up the hull with welding a patch in place. Efforts to access their remaining helmet feeds would show that a couple of the team were pretty scorched and at least one was being assisted out of the area while the others worked. At least one of the team in the badly scorched suits was Thorn, but it was hard to tell which one it was with the bright light of a plasma welder going. 


== Close inspection might give it away, as Thorn was known to be only 5'2" tall. That would be the person almost hidden in the hole and doing most of the welding. ==

== Tag OPS...or whoever feels like taking it... ==

[Alexander Talion]

Alex saw the results of the attacks on the enemy and shouted out, "We're hitting them, but we need to make it count for more. We need to program the phasers to work together, but not to just make a stronger single punch into their shields. We need to take advantage of their system trying to react. The program needs to try and turn our combined arrays into the equivalent of a pulse phaser. Several rapid strikes from different arrays that function like a jackhammer, giving only a fraction of a second between the pulses, but striking the same targeting data. That way, as their system tries to react, at least one of the pulses might still punch through during that gap."

He was typing feverishly while he was talking, "Cologero...You seem to have found some weak spots that you're working on. Keep hitting them. We're just going to try and make it count for more. I've almost got it...and...done. You're going to get the most out of it if you can fire where we have more than one array able to hit the same spot, so try to use the overlapping arcs to make it happen, but the phaser arrays will now work together when you give them the chance to do so. It isn't quite a pulse canon, but it's the closest we can get in the middle of a fight like this."

== Tag Cologero ==

== To GM: The program is intended to use the "burst fire mode" which are a form of pulsing phaser that overlaps with another array to try and alternate the timing of the pulses to mimic the pulse canon effect as closely as possible. ==

[Ris'maeriiffa Qab'ataar]

With the ship shuddering under the relentless assaults, Ris' antennae reflexively curled inward, and he did his best to make use of the calming breathing technics he'd learned from T'rohhna during their time together at the Academy, and even mostly succeeded.

We need to do something about being the meat in an unpleasant sandwich.

Turning his head slightly to address both Talion and Coppola, he spoke as directly as he could muster, though a slight waver made its way into his voice.

"Commander, Lieutenant, I suggest utilizing some of these EM mines against the Keldon on our aft quarter, that should allow us to present a slightly stronger shield facing to the one that's hammering our nose. They're not likely to buy us much time, but, hopefully a few seconds is enough. Perhaps sprinkling a few regular mines in amongst them will give them pause. Cardassians have a reputation for being stubborn, but, not generally reckless or stupid." He allowed a momentary pause. "Then again, our information may be out of date on that." A hesitant, rueful grin creeped onto his youthful, mostly stoic visage.

"Ready to coordinate when you are."

== Tag Talion, Coppola ==

[Jez Mala]

The impact of another weapons exchange shook the Aquila, the deck vibrating beneath Lieutenant Jez Mala’s boots as she steadied herself against the nearest console. Her attention remained fixed on the tactical display, studying the Cardassian vessels and the damage sustained by both sides. Continuing to trade fire without changing their approach risked turning the engagement into a battle of attrition, and that was a contest neither ship nor crew could afford to prolong.

Jez turned as Lieutenant Kalli Thorn, the Aquila’s Chief Engineer, arrived on the Bridge. The timing was opportune. If her proposal to modify an antimatter warhead had any chance of succeeding, Engineering would need to establish what could be done safely with the torpedo’s existing design.

“Lieutenant Thorn, I have a weapons modification proposal I’d like Engineering to evaluate. The objective is to improve the effectiveness of an antimatter warhead against Cardassian shielding without simply increasing its yield. A shaped charge might allow us to concentrate the energy released at the point of impact, but I’m concerned that modifying the warhead could compromise the torpedo’s stability or delivery accuracy.”

She gestured toward the tactical display, where the Cardassian vessels remained highlighted.

“My initial recommendation is to investigate whether we can improve the warhead’s energy concentration and detonation characteristics while remaining within the torpedo’s structural and containment tolerances. If we can focus more of the available energy into a smaller impact area, we may have a better chance of penetrating a localized section of shielding without requiring a larger antimatter payload.”

Jez glanced toward Tactical before returning her attention to Thorn.

“Meanwhile, Tactical could analyze the Cardassian vessels for potential vulnerabilities, particularly shield geometry and any structural features that might make a concentrated strike more effective. We would need to coordinate those findings with Engineering’s assessment before committing to a firing solution.”

Her expression grew more serious as another shudder passed through the Bridge.

“I don't recommend deploying an untested modification during an active engagement without first establishing its failure risks. If the warhead destabilizes, we could lose the torpedo before impact or, worse, create a containment failure. But if Engineering believes a controlled modification is feasible, even a limited improvement in penetration could allow us to end this engagement before either side suffers further losses.”

Jez paused, giving Thorn a chance to assess the proposal.

“Lieutenant, what do you think? Is there a viable way to concentrate the warhead’s energy without exceeding the torpedo’s safe operating limits?”



== Tag Thorn and Coppola.==

[Kalli Thorn]

== NPC Ens Dayna Ross, Engineer ==

The Engineering Officer was dressed in light what almost looked like light battle armor, but was in fact protective gear for Damage Control. She also had a helmet hanging off the side of her belt as she had entered and began working on the ruins that had previously been the Master Systems Display. Mala had been speaking to her, and she did indeed look rather similar to Kalli Thorn from behind. They both had almost identical ponytail and skin tone, but under that armor, Dayna had nothing like the strength of her supervisor. She was also a few inches taller, but it was hard to tell with her trying to make repairs as she listened to the enthusiastic Lt next to her.

Dayna finally turned and said, "Sorry Lieutenant, I'm Ensign Ross, but I get that a lot. Hang on a second, I think I might be able to help you." She glanced around and then said, seemingly to herself, "DD2, did you get that?"

A small sphere appeared next to her, even startling Dayna a little, "Affirmative. Database information on Cardassian ships is within predictable parameters of those currently engaged with us, but some upgrades are noted from scan data being observed on some of these consoles."

Dayna held up a hand and the sphere fell silent, "I meant about her specific question. Please reduce to the most concise answer."

"Yes."

There was a second before Dayna rolled her eyes and then said, "Fine, elaborate a little more."

The sphere reported, "Yes, it can work."

Dayna made a rolling gesture with her hand as she rolled her eyes again, to which the sphere then continued, "The shape of the charge with an overload setting will not require additional alterations of the warhead. My original existence began as a targeting computer program for a ship such as this. You can still set the desired target location as normal, but simply require an additional input of the desired angle of attack on the targeted location for the torpedo to autonomously alter trajectory for optimal impact. It will automatically alter speed and approach vector to compensate so impact is as instructed. To instruct multiple vehicles to strike, you need to designate numbers to them to form a flight group, then input the desired interval between impacts. For the type of torpedo you're suggesting, I recommend no less than 0.05 seconds and no more than 0.25 seconds for your desired effect, given your current data set on shield reaction times, with an optimal setting at 0.08 seconds."

There was a moment of silence and Dayna shrugged to Mala and went back to work. The sphere then added, "Lieutenant Mala, did you find this information to your satisfaction? Would you be interested in filling out a survey to help us improve how we serve you in the future?"

From Dayna could be heard, in an exasperated tone, "People are dying, don't ask her to fill out a survey. Come back when this is all over, if we're all still alive."

The sphere made a clicking noise and then said, "Please forgive the error, Lieutenant. Have a pleasant war."

It then faded away and Mala felt a tiny disturbance in the air as it relocated itself somewhere else. meanwhile there was a small amount of mumbled cursing from Dayna as she struggled to sort out repairs on the display.

== Tag Mala...sorry, but that previous post from Kalli mentioned she was doing some Damage Control elsewhere on the ship...so I improvised... ==

[Alexander Talion]

Alex lifted his head from staring at his console when the Andorian made his comment. Walking over toward  Ris', Alex didn't even miss a step when the ship was rocked again by another shot.  When he reached the new Science Officer, Alex leaned in and said in an almost conspiratorial manner, "I'm normally long winded about things, but we're short on time and long on enemies. I like your idea and think you're smart. We have more torpedoes than we might live to fire and we need to find some way...any way...to do more to them than they are doing to us or nothing else is going to matter. I don't care if you use my idea or any other, but I'm giving you a green light to start dropping your mine equivalents behind us in any manner you think might be effective and adapt as needed. Once you can determine if any have done anything or not, then let us know and we can adjust from there. If it goes wrong, I'll take the heat. Sound good?"

Alex had tried not to come across as anything other than someone speaking a simple truth. He didn't give any orders and it could have been mistaken for two people discussing what to do over the weekend. They were in the middle of a fight for their lives, yet there had been no pressure and only permission in his words. He was now only waiting for a simple acknowledgement from Ris'. Even in that simple act of waiting for a word or even a nod, there was no rush to get back to his console, just the calm and cool calculations of the risk and rewards within their situation.

== Tag Qab'ataar ==

[Ris'maeriiffa Qab'ataar]

Talion's casual, subconscious adjustment to his gait and stance as the ship rocked beneath them caused a reflexive wideness in his eyes.

I don't have time to ponder how much ship convulsing you have to endure to adjust with such little effort to them.

Taking in what his section head said in a low tone, his antennae picking up the subtle signals, Ris' shoulders relaxed slightly when Alex gave him a lot of wiggle room for permission.

"Understood, sir, on all counts." His antennae straightened out, and a firm resolve mixed with his inner thoughts as he turned back to his console and the task before him.

"Computer, configure ten warheads for low-yield, high EM burst between us and the Keldon at bearing 1-8-0. Trigger detonation within 75 meters of the vessel. Intersperse with ten warheads port and starboard of that vessel, triggered by proximity. Finally, disperse ten Class I probes in a 30 degree cone in front of the target vessel, each firing an EM barrage according to the sequence program that's just been uploaded to them. Do this five seconds after the EM bursts trigger."

As he had been giving the verbal directions to the ship's computer, his fingers had been deftly dancing across the LCARS keyboard on his console.

"Launching mines and probes now."

== Request GM input on effect/effectiveness of the mines and probes ==
== Tag Talion, Coppola, Mala, Bridge ==