Star Trek: Sigils and Unions--The Thirteenth Order

[CeJay]

I've never quite bought the idea that using your impulse or warp engines would cause terrible danger to the planet because of the gravimetric interference or whatever.

If that was truly the case why bother come up with devestating weapons that could destroy a planet, all you gotta do it use your warp or impulse drive in close proximity to the surface and voila ... wide spread destruction and death.

But I digress. This was actually very cool and intensely written. I had a powerful image in my mind of that Cardassian cruiser falling out of the sky while reading this just for it shoot back up like a rocket along the smaller ships.

Great stuff.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I've never quite bought the idea that using your impulse or warp engines would cause terrible danger to the planet because of the gravimetric interference or whatever.

If that was truly the case why bother come up with devestating weapons that could destroy a planet, all you gotta do it use your warp or impulse drive in close proximity to the surface and voila ... wide spread destruction and death.

But I digress. This was actually very cool and intensely written. I had a powerful image in my mind of that Cardassian cruiser falling out of the sky while reading this just for it shoot back up like a rocket along the smaller ships.

Great stuff.

Well think about it, impulse engines are nothing more than a futuristic fusion drive, and we know how devastating fusion can be. And going to warp on/near a planet could destroy it through subspace stresses. Not good at all.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Well...warp drive, due to the entry into subspace, I personally see as more dangerous to the ship than the planet--the gravimetric shear would tear the ship apart if you weren't careful. (Which is why I consider Berat's stunt at Septimus III one of his List of Moving Violations. )

For impulse...I see it as partly related to an ion drive. We HAVE seen an instance where such a drive was inadvertently weaponized (Star Trek IV). However, what I'm seeing is an effect more like a lot of lightning. It charges the atmosphere around it, and when that electricity discharges, you get a lot of lightning strikes. Do that in an inhabited area, or a heavily forested area, and you've just succeeded in starting a damn big forest fire. Or do it in a city and the effect could make it look like an area got firebombed. There is also the possibility of power grid and weather disruptions...not on the order of the Probe, by any means, but on a planet that's more atmospherically active than what I imagine Lessek to be, I think there's the chance of creating a storm (not a huge one, but possible...hell, even a big enough forest fire can create a lightning-generating storm).

So basically, the maneuver is banned partly because of property damage (power disruptions, infrastructure disruption), partly because of ecosystem damage (forest fires, etc.), and partly because of the threat to any life that happens to get caught in any of these conditions.

Not to mention the threat to air traffic in the area (which you saw with that shuttle that took one of the lightning strikes).

THAT SAID...as I said at the top of this segment, I made a decision to only go so far with the science, and I'm aware it may not hold on closer examination...you do have legitimate opinions and I probably did some stuff that may either be flat-out wrong, or impossible. As a writer, I am more interested in dedicating my detail work to the character, culture, and linguistic aspects...so I can live with that.

Thanks for reading, guys!

 

[Rush Limborg]

WOW!!!

It's bigger than I expected!

A larger-than life explosion of enegy--I would pay THROUGH THE NOSE to see that on the big screen!

My compliments.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

LOL, glad you liked!

 

[Mistral]

Impulse= I. M. Pulse= Ion-Magnetic pulse drive. Ionizing the atmosphere with the engines a Galor would need to push it would raise hell. I thought you were doing something like this-well written!

 

[BrotherBenny]

Impulse= I. M. Pulse= Ion-Magnetic pulse drive. Ionizing the atmosphere with the engines a Galor would need to push it would raise hell. I thought you were doing something like this-well written!

Canonically, the impulse drive is a series of fusion reactors. Starfleet have never been able to create a working ion propulsion drive.

 

[Thor Damar]

WOW!!!

It's bigger than I expected!

A larger-than life explosion of enegy--I would pay THROUGH THE NOSE to see that on the big screen!

My compliments.

I'm in full agreement with Mr Limborg on this. Seeing a Galor actually move like a warship instead of wallowing dead in space hardly firing(Sacrifice of angels, I'm looking at you...) is a very welcome surprise.

As to Berat's tactics I am assuming that there is a reason for the lighting strike and shockwave attack on the shipyard (it's more effective than orbital bombardment after all) and I may have some idea what the CUW Sheruok will do next but I'll wait until the next exciting installment to confirm my suspicions...

Speaking of suspicious, I wonder if the Hidekiy attack ship was supposed to explode like that?

(by Oralius I love seeing the Cardassians in action righteously kicking arse)

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

The lightning was uncontrollable; however, Gul Berat had good reason to expect there would be damage to the base. The loss of the attack shuttle, however...everyone hoped that wouldn't happen, but unfortunately...

 

[Thor Damar]

^ Ah, I was too busy looking for wheels within wheels to realize that the destruction of the attack ship was an unfortunate accident. I guess I'm too used to the Cardassians being ruthlessly devious for my own good.

Still, I'm sure that Gul Berat will not disappoint

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

One thing about war is that sadly...there ARE unfortunate accidents.

 

[PSGarak]

^ Ah, I was too busy looking for wheels within wheels to realize that the destruction of the attack ship was an unfortunate accident. I guess I'm too used to the Cardassians being ruthlessly devious for my own good.

Still, I'm sure that Gul Berat will not disappoint

My thought process was much the same as yours, Thor Damar. I thought it could actually have been deliberate, or at the least a deliberately calculated possibility. Sacrifice for the greater good of the Union.

I really enjoyed this segment, physics and engineering purists be damned.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'm glad you liked it.

I hope you're not disappointed to know it was an accident!

 

[PSGarak]

I'm glad you liked it.

I hope you're not disappointed to know it was an accident!

Nah. That would only disappoint me had it been someone like Garak or Tain at the helm.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Ahh, but even Garak or Tain should know that sometimes in war, there are variables that really, truly are uncontrollable. Determining the location of a lightning strike under these particular circumstances is definitely one of them.

 

[Thor Damar]

^ I do believe that Mr Tain was made well aware of the consequences of an ill judged preemptive strike and of his choice of allies, something he shared with Dukat...

 

[PSGarak]

^ I do believe that Mr Tain was made well aware of the consequences of an ill judged preemptive strike and of his choice of allies, something he shared with Dukat...

It's not "Mr. Tain", just Tain. Plain, simple Tain.

 

[Mistral]

Impulse= I. M. Pulse= Ion-Magnetic pulse drive. Ionizing the atmosphere with the engines a Galor would need to push it would raise hell. I thought you were doing something like this-well written!

Canonically, the impulse drive is a series of fusion reactors. Starfleet have never been able to create a working ion propulsion drive.

Nasa has one on the boards. I believe an explanation i read once about Starfleet's impulse is that the magnetic forces cause the deuterium fuel to configure to an ion (combining with what I do not know) and the resultant energy release is what propels the ship. But i could be totally off-base, I've read a lot of fanfics and sometimes get confused.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Impulse= I. M. Pulse= Ion-Magnetic pulse drive. Ionizing the atmosphere with the engines a Galor would need to push it would raise hell. I thought you were doing something like this-well written!

Canonically, the impulse drive is a series of fusion reactors. Starfleet have never been able to create a working ion propulsion drive.

Nasa has one on the boards. I believe an explanation i read once about Starfleet's impulse is that the magnetic forces cause the deuterium fuel to configure to an ion (combining with what I do not know) and the resultant energy release is what propels the ship. But i could be totally off-base, I've read a lot of fanfics and sometimes get confused.

NASA is working on it and the ESA has a working prototype, but as I said, the Federation could never get one to work, though the Romulans supposedly had ion drives prior to their development of the warp/singularity drive. I would love to be proved wrong, and you have to wonder why the Federation couldn't do it and we can three hundred years earlier...but we're way behind in other ways. We still haven't launched a single sleeper ship.

 

[Marie1]

K- I think I missed one- so I had to read two installments- but they were great!
They were well written visually- you could "see" what was going on vividly- great job there. And a daring plan! A bit on the dangerous side given the effects of full impulse not only are hurting the planet- which isn't a huge deal is it? Probably some enemy forces lurking there- but the danger to allies- the 13th Order, makes it a bit scary- but also not something that the enemy would expect. Sad about the casualties- but if there were none for the good guys, it wouldn't be realistic.