[001.6] The Briefing

[Leitz]

Captain Smythe introduced Comte Foix, and asked the Comte to introduce his people.

Once the introductions are done, presentations began.

"Weapons." A man stood. "Sir, the idea to reprogram the warheads to send a ship type signal is a good idea. However, the Oshkovs we have are tamper resistant civilian models. If we try to open one up it will fry all controls. Sorry, Captain."

"Helm." A woman stood. "The Lady, now X23, can intercept the warship in a day. I realize interception is not the goal, but we can get there. The remaining ships boat can make it in six hours."

"Sensors and Comms." SENS Fevre stood. "We can process the data SLT Lefron provided and navigate pre-existing courses. We have point to point comms with the DSF-A comm vessel, and the research station. A skeleton crew remains aboard the research station, SCN CMDR Pike, commanding."

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois (Cpt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"I think the first thing to say is that Sublieutenant Lefron has done a sterling job, but the ship is damaged and even if it suffers no further damage the life support will only last a day. I would suggest we try and get Lefron to retreat and we send the ships boat to meet it as relief until the Lady gets there."

[Leitz]

"Engineering. All systems on line. Minor tuning required to recover from earlier evasive maneuvers." She grinned. "Recommend Helm attend dance classes, and get a little smoother on those turns. We can retune enroute if the margins are restored. Roughly four hours."

"Ships Boat, all systems on line. Just need to pack for the mission plan. McConnell is with Rescue One, I'll be lead for the next launch, if one is authorized. Also, while we're maintaining minimal comms with Rescue One, per existing scanner protocols, they report high confidence of success. They understand the potential need to link up with the local fleet."

[joertexas]

"Weapons." A man stood. "Sir, the idea to reprogram the warheads to send a ship type signal is a good idea. However, the Oshkovs we have are tamper resistant civilian models. If we try to open one up it will fry all controls. Sorry, Captain."

"I'm Vee Becker, the Comte's assistant. Can the missiles be directed to launch at a low accel, and then be steered to a specific point in space? I'd like to use them as command-only mines."

[Leitz]

"Weapons." A man stood. "Sir, the idea to reprogram the warheads to send a ship type signal is a good idea. However, the Oshkovs we have are tamper resistant civilian models. If we try to open one up it will fry all controls. Sorry, Captain."

"I'm Vee Becker, the Comte's assistant. Can the missiles be directed to launch at a low accel, and then be steered to a specific point in space? I'd like to use them as command-only mines."

The Weapons Officer thought for a moment, and then replied. "Fifteen at fifty, ma'am."

Captain Smythe coughed lightly. The weapons officer looked confused, and then smiled, "My apologies, ma'am. We'll get on it, and I guess that research will take fifteen minutes. Off the cuff, I feel there is a fifty percent chance of success. It's a good idea."

Smythe looked at Vee. "Sorry, ma'am, he doesn't get out much."

[joertexas]

The Weapons Officer thought for a moment, and then replied. "Fifteen at fifty, ma'am."

Captain Smythe coughed lightly. The weapons officer looked confused, and then smiled, "My apologies, ma'am. We'll get on it, and I guess that research will take fifteen minutes. Off the cuff, I feel there is a fifty percent chance of success. It's a good idea."

Smythe looked at Vee. "Sorry, ma'am, he doesn't get out much."

"That's fine," Vee says with a smile. "Hopefully, we won't need to use them, and we can put them back in the magazine later. Oh, what is their attack range?"

Are these contact nukes, or bomb-pumped X-ray laser warheads?

[Leitz]

"Apologies ma'am, we're just a liner. High Explosive Armor Piercing only, nothing nuclear. They are very long range; with active sensors and boosted comms we can fire them right now and course correct to the warship. They have a scaled burn. Not enough for full out from here to the warship, but we could set them in motion at a lower speed and then control them for a long time."

[joertexas]

"Apologies ma'am, we're just a liner. High Explosive Armor Piercing only, nothing nuclear. They are very long range; with active sensors and boosted comms we can fire them right now and course correct to the warship. They have a scaled burn. Not enough for full out from here to the warship, but we could set them in motion at a lower speed and then control them for a long time."

Vee purses her lips in thought. "Okay, so we need a contact hit. That won't be nearly as good as a nuke, but it's better than nothing. Can we use them as mines, where they can sit while powered down? And, how many do we have on hand?"

[shaidar]

Anne Dusbois

"Lefron's shop has nukes. What are you thinking? An external hit is unlikely to do much damage, unless we can somehow direct them into the spinal gun coils"

[joertexas]

Anne Dusbois

"Lefron's shop has nukes. What are you thinking? An external hit is unlikely to do much damage, unless we can somehow direct them into the spinal gun coils"

"You are right, Admiral. They may not do much damage to such a large ship, but they could serve as a distraction. If the other ship has standoff warheads, then perhaps we can prevail upon them to lay their own minefield."

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois (Cpt, SCN, retired)

"The ship has four nuclear mines. A distraction for what?"

[joertexas]

Anne Dubois (Cpt, SCN, retired)

"The ship has four nuclear mines. A distraction for what?"

Vee faces Anne directly. "We've pretty much established that everything in this system is no match for a fifty kay-ton cruiser. We have also established that she isn't under proper command, thankfully. Therefore, our best, and probably only, chance to stop her is to organize our own boarding party to assist those already aboard. The mines can serve to distract the ship's computer at need, although their benefit is still doubtful. I submit that it would be better to have them and not use them, than to not have them in place at all."

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois
(Cpt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"I see the benefits of a boarding party. However, the mines would be best used to damage the spinal gun coils. If it was an easy matter to disable the ship from the inside then the chief engineer would have found a way by now. If we damage the firing coils then when the gun next fires it could disable the gun completely or put enough stress on the remaining systems that those inside can find a way of shutting it all down. As long as we are RF quiet there is no need to distract the ship as it won't see us coming"

[joertexas]

Anne Dubois
(Cpt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"I see the benefits of a boarding party. However, the mines would be best used to damage the spinal gun coils. If it was an easy matter to disable the ship from the inside then the chief engineer would have found a way by now. If we damage the firing coils then when the gun next fires it could disable the gun completely or put enough stress on the remaining systems that those inside can find a way of shutting it all down. As long as we are RF quiet there is no need to distract the ship as it won't see us coming"

"Respectfully, we have no clue what is happening aboard the ship. The only way to know for certain that the ship is no longer a threat is to board her. As for the spinal mount, it is likely heavily armored. We would need a very accurate hit, and a lot of luck, to damage it. That sort of attack will probably work only once, regardless of the result." Vee says.

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois
(Capt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"I agree we should board the ship. My professional opinion is that while it won't be an easy shot, it is worth the attempt to damage the gun, rather than having the mines just sitting around on the off chance we might need them as a distraction that might not even be effective. It is the simply the best use for them. If they are not successful it will make no difference to the boarding party, but if they are then it could provide the advantage we need. In this case there is nothing lost by trying."

[Leitz]

The Weapons Officer spoke up. "Respectfully, since I'm not the best person for this, the spinal mount cannot be fully armored internally. Quite the contrary. However, there are often apertures on the outside and physical screens internally to protect against random debris floating in. However, those have to be removed for the weapon to fire. Well, it can fire, but it would destroy them."

The WO looked at Captain Smythe. "We do have a more knowledgeable person aboard, sir."

Anne caught Smythe's glance at her, before he nodded. "Get him."

[joertexas]

Anne Dubois
(Capt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"I agree we should board the ship. My professional opinion is that while it won't be an easy shot, it is worth the attempt to damage the gun, rather than having the mines just sitting around on the off chance we might need them as a distraction that might not even be effective. It is the simply the best use for them. If they are not successful it will make no difference to the boarding party, but if they are then it could provide the advantage we need. In this case there is nothing lost by trying."

"The only difference is in the timing. If we do this first, then we risk arousing the ship's point defenses, and then we can't board at all. Once we are aboard, then the risk is a lesser one."

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois
(Capt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

Anne nods "Then we send the boarding party first with an agreed time for the attempt on the gun later" something catches her attention on her hand computer "Excuse me a second, this is relevant..." she spends a few seconds reading something and typing a reply "Sorry... I asked comms tech Ghones to have a go at translating the flashing lights on the warship. From the hull markings he thinks the ship is Telonqi, he's trying to locate any language information. If we want to know more about what's going on onboard, we should see if Sublieutenant Lefron is willing to check if the flashing lights have changed, the captain or chief could be trying to tell us something in a language we do understand."

[Tiglath]

Foix suddenly breaks his silence and says "Give me the four mines. With a small craft I will fly into the spinal mount and place them inside the barrel. We know the cruiser blunders into collisions without concern and so may well be blind to our approach. I will need my retinue for the task: My Knight, Commander Taheri and the Lady Kuryakhina - when she has finished her rescue work". Foix seems to find this faintly amusing and hastily adds "It is no surprise for she has a most generous spirit - very much what one would call "a people person". He continues "Captain Smythe, we will need the company of either an expert in naval ordnance or nuclear demolitions - whichever you can provide, please. Failing that someone to build a command detonator to arm the bombs. I assume a laser mechanism would be safest?"

He looks to Captain Dubois "I assume this plan is sound from a Naval standpoint? We could plant the charges and then search the ship - provided Captain Alba would stop throwing her rocks".

He adds "In jungle warfare my Paras would get so close to the insurgents we couldn't risk our voice comms being overheard. We developed a code of pulses on the transmit button of our radios - perhaps the light signals are a more sophisticated version of this?"

[shaidar]

Anne Dubois
(Capt, SCN, retired, tactical and engineering specialist)

"Historically water based Navies across the worlds communicated between ships using sequences of flashing lights, so I imagine this is along those lines, yes. The most reliable option, because it doesn't require line of sight, would be a radio based trigger." she smiles "Yes, just what our friend doesn't like. However, there is a delay between it detecting a signal and firing, this is what Sublieutenant Lefron has been using to get her ship out of the way. You will need a damn good pilot, when the ship activates all its weapons go online, the spinal gun and the point defence system. This may work to our advantage as it will draw tremendous amounts of power through damaged systems, with any luck something major will blow." she pauses "Did you mean that the mines would be planted and then exploded, followed by boarding, or would that boarding occur prior to the mines being triggered? It would make sense to have an engineer along, to help with the placing of the mines, assess the status of the ship afterwards and where to best to apply any further damage if required. In addition, comms tech Ghones has shown a willingness to join the boarding party, he does seem to have a knack with old languages, that might be very useful."