Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dagen Thor (CE) in Engineering - Main Sim
snip

The ships were using fusion energy for the most part. However, they have a functioning but not very efficient matter-antimatter system. Instead of using dilithium, the ships were very dependent on strong magnetic fields generated by fusion energy for the matter-antimatter reaction chamber. It was not as safe as the Federation systems, but it was relatively safe in short distances and lower warp factor speeds. They had lasers for energy beam weapons and spatial torpedoes (similar to Enterprise in its early NX days). Their containment for antimatter was still not stable enough to develop photonic torpedoes or photon torpedoes. They had not phase cannons for the same reason. They were not able to stabilise plasma flows with their technology. In the same way their shields were also rather primitive, with lower graviton generation that produce rather weak shields, enough for warp travel but would likely to be ineffective against the Genesis’s weapons.

While waiting on that part of the scan, Dagen sent a summary up to the Bridge on the findings. He sent it up to Reia’s station as she was the intel lady. =^= Homeworld 28 billion km away. Planet hot. 50C. Underground society a good km down. Surface structures are huge skylights. Underground factories, Crops. Ship launches from underground hangars to a small moon that has shipyards. =^=
- Dagen, CE

GM

“Just out the door, I see,” Dagen said as he studied their tech. “Good job. One step at a time there.” As an engineer he could well imagine the care that their engineers had when traveling. Their systems were ‘stable’ but just and he could see they would need constant monitoring. Not that ‘they’ didn’t - Starfleet just handed that over for the most part to clever AI programming and well tuned fail safes. Then sensors noted their powering up … “Uh oh ..” he said.

Dagen transmitted the information to the bridge - tactical and to Reia. =^= M-AM propulsion fusion generated. Stable but for limited speed and output. Weapons are laser with spatial torpedoes. Shields low grade graviton. They’re challenging the wrong people. Phasers across the bow to shut them down before they get hurt? =^=
- Dagen, CE

The sensors showed that they were not discharging their weapons 15 seconds after the weapons were fully charged. At the same time, the sensors revealed a flaw in their shield arrays. The ship could not fire the weapons unless they dropped shields. The Lesscoo shields covered the whole ship, and would not be able to allow their weapons to discharge at the risk of damaging themselves.

GM

“Ohhh,” Dagen said when he saw what was happening. “There’s an oops.” He had the flash of early Terran aircraft in their, what was it, first world war? when their craft were unable to shoot through their propellers until they worked in some kind of timing methods. Here they just needed to work their shield frequencies to allow their laser fire. Were they waiting for the Genesis to lower shields for them to take the first shot? Was this the proverbial standoff in the quickdraw duels?

He sent this data up to the Bridge as well =^= They can’t shoot through their shields. They need to lower their shields to fire their lasers. They might be thinking we must do the same. Suggest a warning shot from us firing ‘through’ our shields to show that we have the upper hand and it would behoove them to talk rather than fight? =^=

Dagen pondered things. They too were on the verge of space flight. Was there a way to offer a carrot rather than a stick? Was this people bent on conquest or was it simply their tiptoeing about in this new pond called space? What happened to their world? Would a probe get there and be able to have a better look see?
Dagen, CE

Dagen rubbed his hand on his jaw, feeling the inevitable five o’clock shadow there. The ‘all hands to battle stations’ sounded. He shook his head. This wouldn’t be a battle and didn’t need to be one, but he was here and not on the bridge. He called out, “Deeg, Bat! Make sure power levels are optimal for propulsion.” They wouldn’t need much for weapons.

He composed a note for the bridge that might help. =^= Main power fusion energy but warp system unstable with their fusion driven magnetic fields. Their shields amount to navigational shields at warp. They are no contest for phasers. Even a moderate strike can unbalance their matter-antimatter system and cause it to blow. Suggest 20% phaser power if we still want to talk with them after. Running estimates on our strike probabilities on their ship. =^=

Then he sent a message to Kesh. =^= Kesh, run strike probability matrix based on graduated phaser power levels. I see their ships as fine for travel but hopeless for battle. =^=
- Dagen, CE

Dagen watched the power output of the lasers and the timing of their shields as they went down, fired and then raised. Was there a noticeable power drain on the ship that required the time to do a recharge or redirect of power? Would they ‘get it’ when they realized that nothing happened? He was sad that they had done that. Sighing he went back to his study of the ships. Would someone notice this from the planet, he wondered. Sure their ‘eyes’ were disrupted but it still didn’t leave out amateur astronomers and the like who might be looking. You can’t hide a laser from a telescope.
- Dagen, CE

=^= Aye, sir.. Oop. =^=

Kesh began to speak over the comms the same moment the ships fired, causing a verbal note of startle. Her following reply carries a noticeable edge of agitation.

=^= Mmmnnm. Even at minimum stable power output on the phaser arrays, the computer predicts hull penetration within point five seconds. =^=