"Scanning, report!" Korith barked.
"Photon torpedos penetrated their shields before they were fully raised, Sir," a Klingon bridge wolf snarled back gloatingly. (Klingon bridges don't have 'bunnies.) "At ninety percent penetration their electronic systems should be knocked out for... belay that. I don't under stand it, but their systems are recovering full power almost immediately. Their shields seem to have now reached peek efficiency and their weapon systems are engaging! I count four, seven.... ten? ... What the...? How many gun turrets do they have on that thing?"
"Engineering, raise fore shields," Korith barked. "Communications, advise our associates to go into stealth and commence a flanking manoeuvre, but aim to cripple not destroy. I want that ship and its command captive. Scanning, decrypt their shield frequency. If they have that many weapons firing out the frequency will be all the easier to spot."
"Already begun, Captain," Scanning responded. "But it will still take me several hours to analyse the patterns."
"With such small weapons, we can hold out. I will beam across as soon as the Transporter is tuned. Terash Kahn, take the con. As soon as I beam board, take evasive action. Assume that their scanners will have our frequency as soon as we have theirs, if not sooner."
"Interesting," Ted observed in his clinically detached way. "Comparison: their shield coverage is at least four hundred percent more effective than ours."
"What's the good news?" Ranma asked as he tsked over the damage reports and felt a chill. Eighteen crewmen had been reported killed in the starboard section. They were dead, because of him.
"Analysis: they do not employ frequency hopping techniques. Confirmation: repeated supercomputer sampling verifies no deviation. Conclusion: we may exploit this."
"You... see an opening," Ranma translated after only a moment. That was something he could understand. "A vulnerable point in their defence? Well, we came in peace, but they chose to attack under parlay. Go for it. Fire at will!"
"Shoot to kill, men!" General Grim ordered and leaned back in satisfaction. Not having to direct every single shot was a step forward from the old days, as it let tactical command concentrate on tactics. Of course, the boys in gunnery were eager, but they sorely needed target practice. Still, the Yamato bristled with enough guns that someone was bound to score a hit, even by accident. It was just a good thing, he reflected, that their turrets could not swivel enough to point at each other, or back onto the ship for that matter.
"Umnn... we appear to be missing the enemy," Ranma observed. Just then an explosion blipped off to the side of his Mr. Radar, and then another. "Oh, I see it now! Strafing fire to seek and destroy the cloaked vessels. Good idea, General."
"Erm... Yes," Grim nodded. "Yes, of course! Ahem. So, shall we try to contact the last ship and hear them beg for mercy before destroying them, Emperor? Or do you wish to just destroy them and be done with it?"
Ranma sighed. It looked like he wasn't going to get to fight anyone. "It's a pity really. I really wish there was some other way but ... perhaps ... fire a warning shot across their bow and demand their surrender."
"Aye aye, Emperor. Gunnery, cease fire! I am assuming personal control of gun turret 3-A. Firing!"
"General... I said across their bow... not through it."
"Er... would you beleive that they moved, my Emperor?"
"Fair enough," Ranma sighed. "Well, I guess that's the end of this..."
"Negative response," Ted interrupted. "Status of celebration: premature. Reason: multiple transmat broadcasts detected from enemy vessel."
"Their crew ... 'beamed' off?" asked Ranma after racking his brain for the term. "Where did they go?"
(Posted Sun, 04 May 2003 16:45)
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