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current_story:the_sword_of_ophiuchus_part_1 [2021/02/20 18:09] – cromwellcurrent_story:the_sword_of_ophiuchus_part_1 [2021/03/07 05:17] – cromwell
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 The blinding blue-white light of the class O9II bright giant star was not unlike the triple-star system of Mintaka back in the Alpha Quadrant, with the main exception being that this was a single-star system void of any planetary bodies.  It's Oort cloud was so expansive that a starship was required to take class-one asteroid field navigation procedures to dodge the debris no matter what direction it was approaching the star from.  The cloud extended deep into the bow shock region, cloaking the raw stellar energy emanating from the powerful star to such a degree that early astronomers mistook it for a blue main sequence star.  Braving this primordial forge of galactic luminosity was a fleet of Federation starships, orbiting the star at low altitude, the hot stellar gases whipping around them, and causing their shields to flicker and glow softly like majestic bowl-shaped luminaries floating on a roiling sea of blue fire. The blinding blue-white light of the class O9II bright giant star was not unlike the triple-star system of Mintaka back in the Alpha Quadrant, with the main exception being that this was a single-star system void of any planetary bodies.  It's Oort cloud was so expansive that a starship was required to take class-one asteroid field navigation procedures to dodge the debris no matter what direction it was approaching the star from.  The cloud extended deep into the bow shock region, cloaking the raw stellar energy emanating from the powerful star to such a degree that early astronomers mistook it for a blue main sequence star.  Braving this primordial forge of galactic luminosity was a fleet of Federation starships, orbiting the star at low altitude, the hot stellar gases whipping around them, and causing their shields to flicker and glow softly like majestic bowl-shaped luminaries floating on a roiling sea of blue fire.
  
-There were eight starships in all: two New Orleans class frigates, two Akira class heavy cruisers, and three Defiant class escorts, all led by a single Sovereign class deterrence exploration cruiser.  Despite their close proximity to the star, the fleet was in a stable orbit, and circled in slow, tight formation around a central point.  The scene was almost peaceful when a minuscule point of intense orange light formed on the star's surface below, immediately exploding into a single column of amber incandescence that protruded straight out into space, bisecting the center point that the vessels were orbit around.  The ray's sudden, brilliant appearance was fleeting, as no sooner did it flash into existence than did it dissipate, leaving behind only the weakest of shockwaves that barely fluttered along the shield parameters of the spacecraft above.+There were eight starships in all: two New Orleans class frigates, two Akira class heavy cruisers, and three Defiant class escorts, all led by a single Sovereign class deterrence exploration cruiser.  Despite their close proximity to the star, the fleet was in a stable orbit, and circled in slow, tight formation around a central point.  The scene was almost peaceful when a minuscule point of intense orange light formed on the star's surface below, immediately exploding into a single column of amber incandescence that protruded straight out into space, bisecting the center point that the vessels were orbiting around.  The ray's sudden, brilliant appearance was fleeting, as no sooner did it flash into existence than did it dissipate, leaving behind only the weakest of shockwaves that barely fluttered along the shield parameters of the spacecraft above.
  
 Onboard the Sovereign class bridge, the brief spear of radiance triggered alarms around the various consoles.  Each Starfleet officer that manned the stations busily jumped on their instruments as the gruff, gray-haired skipper scowled at the bald man sitting at the main sensor console behind him. Onboard the Sovereign class bridge, the brief spear of radiance triggered alarms around the various consoles.  Each Starfleet officer that manned the stations busily jumped on their instruments as the gruff, gray-haired skipper scowled at the bald man sitting at the main sensor console behind him.
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 **Timeframe: One hour later** **Timeframe: One hour later**
  
-As it turned out, a poker face was not needed.  As the ship approached the coordinates, they pierced the cloaking field without challenge over the communication channels.  All subspace frequencies were eerily silent.  At a distance of over twenty kilometers, the base was already filling a sizable portion of their viewport.  The gargantuan 2000-deck station was painted from top to bottom in matte black, and shaped somewhat like a giant seahorse.  It's ebony-colored surface was difficult to discern against the black backdrop of space, and at first glance, the only way they knew it was even there was due to the muted reflection of the nearby star in combination with the starless expanse of nothingness in front of them.+As it turned out, a poker face was not needed.  As the ship approached the coordinates, they pierced the cloaking field without challenge over the communication channels.  All subspace frequencies were eerily silent.  At a distance of over five kilometers, the base was already filling a sizable portion of their viewport.  The gargantuan 2000-deck station was painted from top to bottom in matte black, and shaped somewhat like a giant seahorse.  It's ebony-colored surface was difficult to discern against the black backdrop of space, and at first glance, the only way they knew it was even there was due to the muted reflection of the nearby star in combination with the starless expanse of nothingness in front of them.
  
 As they approached, the two men noted that the base was slowly tumbling with respect to its orbital plane to the nearby red giant, not bothering to maintain any sort of attitude or directional control.  Although the surface contained tens of thousands of windows and portholes, none were lit from within, indicating that station operations were far from normal. As they approached, the two men noted that the base was slowly tumbling with respect to its orbital plane to the nearby red giant, not bothering to maintain any sort of attitude or directional control.  Although the surface contained tens of thousands of windows and portholes, none were lit from within, indicating that station operations were far from normal.
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 "What's that thing?" Saal asked, pointing at a metallic gold dish-shaped structure on the seahorse's "chest".  It must have spanned at least a hundred decks vertically, and appeared as a circular concavity built deep into the hull.  "Is it some sort of subspace transmitter or deflector dish?" "What's that thing?" Saal asked, pointing at a metallic gold dish-shaped structure on the seahorse's "chest".  It must have spanned at least a hundred decks vertically, and appeared as a circular concavity built deep into the hull.  "Is it some sort of subspace transmitter or deflector dish?"
  
-"No," explained Theo.  "The base uses an internally-projected omnidirectional deflector grid.  What you're seeing there is the verteron array.  They use that to stop any warp-capable ship out to a spherical range of one light year."+"No," explained Theo.  "The base uses an internally-projected omnidirectional deflector grid.  What you're seeing there is the verteron array.  They use that to stop any warp-capable ships out to a spherical range of one light year."
  
-"That's amazing!" whispered Saal in awe.  "They can stop any vessel dead in it's tracks before they even arrive in the system!"+"That's amazing!" whispered Saal in awe.  "That means they can stop any vessel dead in it's tracks before they even arrive in the system!"
  
 "Could," corrected Theo, shifting to the past tense.  "They COULD have.  Right now, something's definitely gone wrong over there.  Aside from the cloaking field and a few other sporadic subsystems, I'm not reading ANY other energy signatures.  Are you picking up any lifesigns?" he asked Saal. "Could," corrected Theo, shifting to the past tense.  "They COULD have.  Right now, something's definitely gone wrong over there.  Aside from the cloaking field and a few other sporadic subsystems, I'm not reading ANY other energy signatures.  Are you picking up any lifesigns?" he asked Saal.
current_story/the_sword_of_ophiuchus_part_1.txt · Last modified: 2021/08/08 14:43 by cromwell

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