[2372] Unorthodox Tactics

August 29, 2021, 07:25:22 AM

NORTHERN COMPLEX, STARFLEET HEADQUARTERS, 2372

Sabrina was waiting at the entrance to a holosuite, her long day at Starfleet Command made longer by a request from her closest confidant: Aurora Marano. Where was she? I thought I had told her to be here at sixteen-hundred hours Lail thought silently as she grew somewhat impatient. It was now sixteen-forty-five as she looked at the holosuite control console. Superimposed, she could see a shadow cast of a familiar silhouette that caught her attention. Sabrina turned around and made eye contact with a blonde woman roughly of the same height and stature as her; it was the woman she was waiting for.

“Sabrina,” the woman said, “it’s so good to see you again.” As they embraced in a platonic hug, Sabrina replied, “it’s been far too long Aurora.”

Releasing each other, Lail walked over to an LCARS display near the holosuite entrance. “I created the requested scenario in our holosuite but I have to ask, what is it you are looking for?” Sabrina inquired.

“The Intrepid-class is fast and smart,” Aurora begun, “but I am looking for something decisive. Unexpected,” she continued.

“Unorthodox,” Lail added.

“Don’t misunderstand me, the Intrepid-class is tactically sound but against a superior foe I do believe standard Starfleet maneuvers underutilize the vessel’s defensive capabilities,” Aurora explained.

“There’s only one problem with this maneuver,” Sabrina noted. “Only one,” the other Lieutenant teased. Sabrina walked up to Aurora and handed her the PADD which had been lying on the console she had been standing by while Lail was getting the simulation ready. Sabrina waited while Aurora’s blue eyes examined the PADD. “This maneuver hinges on the precision coordination of the tactical officer and the CONN officer at very close proximity to the enemy vessel. If that wasn’t enough, the unpredictable nature of the enemy could severely expose the vessel,” Marano stated.

“Even if we pull off a ventral sweep in the holosuite there’s no guarantee that it can be done in the real world to any meaningful degree. It's still a hypothetical maneuver but I suppose every maneuver was at some point,” Sabrina pointed out. “When you’re ready, the program is running,” she continued.

Aurora and Sabrina made their way to the threshold of the holosuite where a swoosh of heavy doors greeted them with the holographic environment of an Intrepid-class starship’s bridge at red alert. They entered the environment and the doors closed with another swoosh and the archway disappeared behind them, leaving them standing on the otherwise vacant bridge.

As Aurora took the tactical station, Sabrina made her way down to the CONN. “I programmed the simulation to be against a Romulan D'deridex-class warbird,” Lail stated as she sat in the chair at CONN. “Computer, run program,” Lail ordered and with familiar beeps, the program began.

“Romulan warbird decloaking directly ahead,” Aurora noted. “No response to hails and their weapons are targeting us. Bringing phasers to full power and loading photon torpedos,” Marano continued.

“Attempting…” Lail was cut off when the warbird opened fire with its disruptors causing violent shaking. “Engaging impulse engines; Aurora when I get us behind that ship, fire at your discretion.”

The holographic Intrepid-class’ impulse engines illuminated red as they were brought to variable power levels in an attempt to outmaneuver the holographic D’deridex-class that had its weapons primed for it. It didn’t take Sabrina much effort to command the Intrepid-class into an advantageous position - the D’deridex was bigger and slower than the Intrepid but in terms of weapons, Sabrina knew the next few minutes would be the real test as she designed the simulation to have the warbird be as unpredictable as a holographic warbird could be.

“Aurora, you’re up,” Lail stated as she tried to keep the Intrepid-class above and behind the D’deridex. “Targeting their cloaking device and sensors,” stated Aurora. “Firing phasers,” Marano continued. The Intrepid’s orange phasers lit up the background of space as numerous ventral arrays laid siege to the target points on the D’deridex. “They’re varying their speed, I think they caught on to what we’re trying to do,” Sabrina stated. Of course, she was talking about a holoprogram but it was real enough for their purposes.

“Firing photon torpedos,” Aurora informed. Two full spreads of photon torpedoes launched from the holographic Intrepid and hit the targets on the warbird. “Cloak and sensors disabled,” Aurora told Lail. “Computer, freeze program at current time index,” Sabrina ordered the computer. She turned to Aurora, “that was too easy; what’s our shield status?” Lail asked. Aurora checked the tactical console. “Seventy-six percent,” she reported.

“I agree with you Sabrina, that was too easy,” Aurora began. “I don’t think this tactic would be anywhere near as efficient in the real world. It poses significant risks. By leaving the ventral section exposed for prolonged periods of time or in this case - the entire time, the enemy has a non-evading target they can focus on. The only reason I think we didn’t suffer more damage is the weapons layout of the D’deridex. I think a ventral sweep has its place but it's not a tactic to be used lightly; the risks need to be weighed - for what purpose would all those phasers need to be fired sustained at once would be the questions I ask,” Marano continued.

Sabrina stood up agreeing with Aurora. “Computer, end program,” Sabrina stated. As she walked up to Aurora near the archway as the holosuite returned to a hologrid she quietly stated, “Let’s hope we’ll never have to use this.”

OOC: My first Director's Cut, I hope this is correct. This is a little backstory that ties into Hidden Raptor. Aurora Marano is an NPC character from Sabrina's backstory that I plan to one day bring on as a full character in Theurgy.