How was the Enterprise damaged by the Bajorans in Parallels?

[PhaserLightShow]

When the Enterprise-D came under attack by a Bajoran Battle Cruiser, Captain Riker calls for Red Alert, which should raise the shields. But then Commander Worf orders to Tactical Officer Lieutenant Wesley Crusher: "Shields!" as an order for shields up. We even hear the customary sound of shields being raised before the ship is hit and the bridge shakes. Then, Lieutenant Crusher reports damage to the Enterprise power system. They take another hit and more damage (the E-D did not have to return fire because all the Enterprise's appeared shortly after).
How did they take this damage with shields up?

@PhaserLightShow

 

[Shikarnov]

The most likely scenario is that Bajoran weapons in that timeline are significantly more powerful, and capable of inflicting damage even when shields are up -- which is not that unusual, after all. Star Trek shields tend to act more like dampers than outright barrier protection.

As for the Red Alert/shields matter -- it's just drama and writing. In the first season, shields came on automatically on approach of any vessel, regardless of alert status. But that doesn't give our heroes much to do.

 

[Timo]

We know that Bajorans have taken possession of 24th century Cardassian ships there. We know that those were extremely wimpy in the prime 2360s, and the E-D was extremely resilient. But Cardassian ships did get better later on, in DS9, even before the Dominion gave aid; they could have done that earlier on in this particular parallel timeline.

And the E-D could be considerably wimpier, too, by the same token: the tech can evolve, but only evolves in response to a rat race with enemies, and the previous enemies of that timeline might not have been particularly strong.

Hmm. When Red Alert is commanded, all sorts of things no doubt happen - and sometimes they get called out even when mere "Red Alert!" should suffice. But this isn't one of those cases - shields really do remain down until Worf gives the special command. (This being necessary because he doesn't know the button himself, not being native to this ship? But this time around, he did have time to familiarize himself with his console, so why bark out orders?)

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Crow T. Robot]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty clear that they were saying the Bajorans were seriously hardcore in that universe. It wasn't a weird mistake or anything, but a narrative decision to make it known that what we thought were a peaceful, religious species could have potentially become a powerhouse in the alpha quadrant if only a few events in the past differed.

Which isn't really a surprise since they do have access to a wormhole and could have acquired Delta Quadrant technology.

 

[TwoJakes]

Also, in the prime universe the Bajorans have been a civilized species for a very long time. In a alternate universe with a more aggressive culture the Bajoran weapons tech could have been of their own design and was simply more advance than anything the Federation possessed.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

This is a universe where the Occupation happened in reverse, amirite? Meaning, it was the Bajorans who invaded and occupied Cardassia, rather than the reverse as in the 'regular' version of history. So the Bajorans of this universe could be as nasty, or even more so, than the regular universe Cardassians.

 

[Timo]

We don't know of an "occupation in reverse": the wording is that the Bajorans "overpowered the Cardassians". This might refer to them throwing an occupying force off their planet, or to an act of unprovoked Bajoran aggression, no telling which.

In any case, the Bajorans are flying a familiar Cardassian ship design. But then again, they were always doing that in DS9 already: all ship types except for the big combat vessels were seen in both Bajoran and Cardassian hands. Spoils of war, no doubt - but going which way?

Timo Saloniemi