Keeping Up With the Kraits

Posted on Thu Sep 29th, 2022 @ 7:01am by Captain Samuel Woolheater & Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: USS Elysium - SECURITY OFFICE
Timeline: MD1: Early
1642 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

Lieutenant Woolheater did his best rendition of the "spike pikes" that he saw the Krait using. He wanted to understand the weapon. It seemed like it was far better suited to underwater fire than the hand phasers that the away teams had. That was understandable given that they were totally different environments. Hand phasers typically weren't used underwater. And maybe a "spike pike" wouldn't work so well in the open air? Samuel did not want to go back and ask the Krait for an open-air demo either. Instead, he remembered that Lieutenant Commander S'hib used a pike-like weapon. And Sam wondered if, with some minor adjustments, could hand phasers and by extension, other phased energy weapons issued to marines and Starfleet security, could those be made better for future underwater environments?

He made an appointment with Commander S'hib and brought his drawings, as best as he could render them, along on a PaDD to get some information.

"Ah, Lieutenant... It's good to see you again." S'hib smiled as the door to his office hissed open. "Please come on in," He added while standing up, taking a moment to tug his uniform taught at the waist. "Can I get you... a drink or anything?" He mused while circling around his desk and heading for his replicator.

His office was small, nothing to brag about compared to his department heads, but what it was was lavishly decorated, his own personal oasis of plants, Sequus tapestries and artwork... which only made the small office feel even smaller, and most certainly against regulations.

Sam was impressed by the office. So many Starfleet offices adhere to strict regulations. It was always encouraging to see someone who lived at the edge of thre regulations. Sam had learned and appreciated the people living on the bleeding edge of life; they were the interesting folks. "I'd love a raktajino please? Straight up" he answered the Commander's query.

He simply nodded in response as he walked past, taking a moment to order drinks for them both.

Sam looked at the tapestries and artwork, "Commander, I hope you don't mind me looking at these. Whew! Shit...some of these are exquisite! Man, I didn't know that...wait...these are Sequus right? How do you get the details so fine when you have such big hands? Pardon my ignorance Commander."

S’hib smirked at the Lieutenants comments, handing him his Raktajino, the white porcelain cup and plate looking lost clutched in the Commanders cloven fingers

“Well, you see Lieutenant… the brushes are rather small.” He said in a teasing manner as he rounded his desk and sat back down.

Sam guffawed and said, "Thank you" and took the Klingon coffee. "Ah that hits the spot." He looked at a Commander S'hib and said, "I don't know about you Commander, but I feel rather lucky to have gotten out and away from the last mission. Towing the Jefferson back to spacedock, I don't know, makes me feel uneasy. Especially with what you found in Engineering."

“I have already filled a complaint in regards to the Jefferson, she needs to be quarantined.” S’hib snorted in an unusual display of genuine anger, pushing a PADD to one side.

“But i doubt that is why you came to see me Lieutenant.” He added, forcing a smile onto his face as he tried to ignore another recent report.

"No sir" Sam said, "It is not." Here he activated the PaDD and placed it before the Commander. Displayed on it were Sam's drawings of the Krait large, tentacled 'thing' that glowed and wrapped itself around the ship and then the Krait people and, in particular, their phaser pike weapons. "These pike weapons that they were using. Very accurate and they did more damage than our hand phasers. That's to be expected given the environment. I remember when Admiral Highlaw boarded the ship. In your report you used a perhaps, similar pike? But I don't recall if yours was a phaser pike like the Krait?" Sam took another drink of hot coffee and waited as Commander S'hib reviewed.

“We call them Phase lances, and they are inherently by design far more potent than your standard issue phaser rifle…” S’hib remarked as he examined the drawings. “This is for a couple reasons, mostly the length of the shaft being able to house far more focusing crystals and energy cells.” He concluded, putting the drawings carefully to one side before typing onto his desks LCARs terminal.

“They also act as close combat weapons, though they require a very particular martial style to be trained in order to effectively use.”

Sam thought about that a moment, "We didn't get into too much hand to hand in our recent encounter. They had sheer numbers to overwhelm us. I didn't even need to aim and I could hit them. So, you're saying that if we got into close quarters with them it's probable that they would have a martial style superior to what we've been trained on?

“Starfleet close combat training is centred around self defense and disarming an opponent…” S’hib confessed politely. “When you wield a weapon that had to be modified in order to have a stun setting… you usually wield it with the intent to kill if necessary.”

Sam nodded and took another drink to finish off the mug, "Yeah. Well, our training in the corps is a little bit different. It sounds like yours has been too. And so has Reo's training. I don't like surprises except at parties. And we still don't know what pulled the Jefferson down for sure. And what tried to get a grip on our ship." He shook his head, "It's unlikely that we'll get any modifications to our standard weapons rack. But we could start working on a few 'test' phaser lances? Even start training with them in close combat scenarios? I’m thinking Security and Marines might benefit from such training. Even if they aren't Krait. Interested?"

“While I appreciate the enthusiasm towards a Lance based weapon platform, I have already tried to introduce such weapons to both the Marines and my own department when i first came aboard, it was seen as nothing more than a novelty.” S’hib said with a deep sigh.

"So were airplanes, the first personal computers and private comm badges. It's not a bad thing; being first. Just takes people a while to warm up to a new idea. Besides, you've...kinda...got the Colonel's ear? We could call it...a...fact-finding exercise. Build a couple and see how they do under a simulated environment. And, you already have one if I'm not mistaken? That phase lance you used on Highlaw's goons, I assume, wasn't a rental?"

"It is mine, correct... when my people decided to become space-faring we modified the existing Sovereign guard weaponry into a more... compact design for the halls of a starship," He noted, pursing his lips for a moment. "The ones the Mortuary cult guards use are a bit more, flamboyant... and a full head taller than I."

"Well then, it's settled. It's always better to carry a bigger stick. You bet it matters who's got the bigger stick, but it matters a hell of a lot more who's swinging it." Sam picked up the PaDD and got to his feet, "I'd rather that be us; than somebody else. It seems rather fitting that we use the bigger, badder, mortuary lances; especially if the bad guys are on the wrong end of the stick." Sam finished his raktajino in a big swig. "I'd like to help if I can sir?"

"Lieutenant, I'll be frank with you, I'd be willing to go along with this as long as everything is conducted on the holodeck, a phase lance at full power is almost shuttle weapon grade... if it were to malfunction for whatever reason, it would cause significant damage to Elysium, and that is something as deputy chief of security I cannot permit," S'hib remarked, his voice stern and oddly commanding from his usually jovial self.

"However, modifications that would allow the weapon platform to be enhanced to their full capabilities in the field, when not aboard the Elysium would probably bypass any red tape I am bound to abide." He added before raising a single hoofed digit to the clearly excited Woolheater, his eyes clearly desperate to get a word in.

"So, holodeck first... then we'll talk more, understood?"

He thought about it a moment, considering the requirement for testing and development of a new infantry weapon. He rolled his eyes and then grinned and playfully said, "So, you want to test the weapon in the holodeck first? Huh. Like in a controlled environment. Thereby mitigating the unforeseen problems that might arise? Making it safe for the developers, the weapons testers, the engineers even? Allowing these same people to gauge and measure the results before going into the field. Looking for ways to stabilize and refine a new potential infantry weapon that we've never seen before actually putting some poor sod's life in danger?" He stroked his chin a moment and thought some more. "Huh, well, it's different I'll tell you that. I guess there's always a first time? Sure. It's a deal. He offered the Commander a handshake and a smile.

"When I have some free time..." S'hib began as his hand reached over the desk, smothering Samuels's hand with his four cloven digits. "I'll show you first-hand the capabilities of a phase staff."

"Sir, that would be awesome. Thank you for your time." When he was dismissed, Samuel left the Commander's office.


[OFF:]

1st Lieutenant Samuel Woolheater
Division VI, MARDET 62nd Company "Spartans", 1st Platoon CO
=/\= USS ELYSIUM - NCC-89000 =/\=

&

Lieutenant Commander S'hib
Assistant Chief Security Officer
(Signed off by Woolheater)

 

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