Star Trek Nemesis: Basen Rift battle notes

[Picard]

Scimitar scored hits against the Enterprise

iiiiiiiiiiii (shield failure, shinzon orders to target weapons and shields) ii (enterprise out of warp, shields regenerated) iiii (attack pattern shinzon theta) iiiiiiiiiiiii (enterprise losing dorsal shields, rolls to port) ii (evasive pattern kirk epsilon, shinzon hails, fighting stops)

(romulan warbirds decloak)iiiiiiiii(aft shields down to 40%)ii(second romulan warbird disabled)iiii(enterprise loses shields)iiiiiii(troi connects with viceroy)iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii(enterprise ventral shielding lost)iii(intruder alert)iiii(firefight, riker follows vicroy into vents)iiiii(enterprise bridge penetrated, enterprise rams the scimitar, picard tries to order the autodestruct sequence)

edit: it seems that Scimitar needed 12-13 shots to lower Enterprise's shields, but they were back up within minutes

note: neither enterprise or scimitar showed the shield glow during the ramming incident, and the fact that Picard successfully transports to the Scimitar means that Scimitar's shields were down

note 2: shot when Data flies out of the Enterprise clearly shows that the Enterprise has a double hull

note 3: I finally understood why they killed Data; apparently, that act of self-sacrifice was him fully understanding and embracing humanity, achieving his lifetime's goal

[2046]

I did this for my Nemesis review page. It is at the bottom. I will give the link, but you must promise not to scroll to the top because at the very top of the page is an embarrassing segment where I gave Nemesis a B-plus and a few glowing comments which, in retrospect, make me throw up in my mouth a little.

http://www.st-v-sw.net/STSWstnem.html#Exchange

- The Enterprise was hit at least 71 times, possibly 80 if all the unknowns hit, and more still if one counted more internal observations.
- The Scimitar was hit at least 77 times . . . 52 of those by Enterprise. There could be 91 hits if the unknowns were hits, 64 by Enterprise.
- The Valdore was observed to be hit 24 times, the Romulan-Brown was hit 21 times.

[Picard]

I was interested specifically in how many shots did the Scimitar need to drop big E's shields, not in how many shots were fired in total. First barrage may be the most relevant, since it appears that Scimitar at the time was firing unrestrained - only after Enterprise's shields failed did Shinzon order the Scimitar to fire to disable, and in any case two or three full power shots are unlikely to destroy a large warship. This also shows that the Enterprise was able to regenerate shields fairly quickly during the battle, a feat I do not remember from any other Star Trek battle.

[2046]

The Equinox could recharge the shield emitters within a minute or so to bring the shields from 30 to 100 percent, but that was an exposed minute. There's a chance that this was a unique opportunity due to the nature of the attack in question, however.

BURKE: Shields are down to twenty nine percent. They're breaking through.
RANSOM: Let them!
BURKE: Sir?
RANSOM: Take the shields offline and recharge the emitters. That'll bring them up to full power.
BURKE: The charging cycle takes forty five seconds. We'll be vulnerable.
RANSOM: We'll be dead if we don't get the shields back up. Arm yourselves! Drop shields!

Later:

TUVOK: They are heavily damaged. Multiple hull breaches. Warp drive is offline.
NEELIX: What's happening to their shields?
TORRES: They're being disrupted by some kind of energy surges.
PARIS: Weapons fire?
TUVOK: There are no other ships in the vicinity.
KIM: We're in hailing range.
JANEWAY: Open a channel. This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship Voyager. We're responding to your
RANSOM [OC]: Voyager, you've got to extend your shields around our ship! Match the emitter frequency!
JANEWAY: Are you under attack?
RANSOM [OC]: Shields, quickly!
JANEWAY: Do it.
PARIS: We're in position.
TUVOK: I am attempting to match their shield frequency.
EMH: Do you hear something?
SEVEN: Interspatial fissure are opening on decks ten, six and one.
JANEWAY: Tuvok!
TUVOK: Stand by. Shields are holding.
CHAKOTAY: The fissures?
SEVEN: No sign of them.

Later:

SEVEN: I've run a thermographic analysis of our shields. It revealed multiple stress points. We believe they're the result of alien attempts to infiltrate our vessels. Each time a fissure opens within a meter of our shields it weakens them by point three percent.

The interspatial fissure screwing with the shields could possibly be taken to imply that normal weapons hits wouldn't do similar things to the shields. But, that seems like a weak case that would have to be well-argued to be convincing, at least by itself.

However, we've never seen a ship lose shields completely in combat and then be able to pull of that trick, with the possible exception of Worf versus the faux-Husnock in "The Survivors". Most of the time, shields getting downed or damage involves a long period of time to repair. I seem to recall that the love tap from the Romulans in "Tin Man" as well as the difficulty getting shields back online in "Best of Both Worlds, Pt. II" would be indicative of this normal state of affairs, which is why the Equinox example was so odd (and, might I add, completely unnecessary to the episode).

[2046]

Also, as far as rapidity of shield defeat, the Tin Man example shows Romulan weapons almost knocking down the shields in a single volley of, say, a dozen shots. But, Romulan weapons were historically more powerful than Federation or Klingon weapons.

[Picard]

However, we've never seen a ship lose shields completely in combat and then be able to pull of that trick, with the possible exception of Worf versus the faux-Husnock in "The Survivors". Most of the time, shields getting downed or damage involves a long period of time to repair. I seem to recall that the love tap from the Romulans in "Tin Man" as well as the difficulty getting shields back online in "Best of Both Worlds, Pt. II" would be indicative of this normal state of affairs, which is why the Equinox example was so odd (and, might I add, completely unnecessary to the episode).

Maybe Equinox had newer tech than Galaxy or Intrepid class vessels?

[Mike DiCenso]

The Original Series has at least a few instances of shields being recharged in relatively short times and all under pretty bad conditions:

"The Doomsday Machine"

[Constellation Auxiliary Control]

SCOTT [OC]: Captain Kirk.
KIRK: Yes, Scotty.

[Constellation Engineering]

SCOTT: I've hooked in ship's communication. The best I can give you on impulse is one third power. The shields are up but they won't last long.

Given the Constellation's condition when found, and the limited amount of power, any shields back is amazing under these circumstances, and so quickly after Scotty got the repairs underway with only a handful of men working on the systems.

"Journey to Babel"

CHEKOV: Number four shield has buckled, sir.

KIRK: Auxiliary power.

CHEKOV: Switching over. Shields firming up. Number four is still weak, sir. If they hit us there again, it'll go altogether.

(Thelev is brought to the Bridge.)

KIRK: Your friends out there are good. They'll have to destroy this ship to win.

THELEV: That was intended from the beginning, Captain.


Even under the stress of battle, shields on the Constitution-class Enterprise can be brought up, though individual shields can be stressed beyond what can be done at the time.

"The Changeling"

SCOTT: Shields still holding, sir.

KIRK: Good.

SPOCK: Temporarily, Captain. Our shields absorbed energy equivalent to ninety of our photon torpedoes.

KIRK: Ninety?

SPOCK: I may add, the energy used repulsing this first attack reduced our shielding power twenty percent.

UHURA: First attack, sir?

KIRK: I think we can expect others, Lieutenant.

SPOCK: We can resist three more such attacks. The fourth will shatter our shields completely.

KIRK: Mister Spock, pinpoint the source. Mister Sulu, evasive manoeuvres.

SULU: Aye, sir.

KIRK: Lieutenant, contact Starfleet Command. Patch in my log. Tell them what has happened. Tell them the entire Malurian race seems to have been destroyed by an unknown agency, and that we are under attack by an unidentified force.
(Another ball of light is on the viewscreen)
KIRK: Helmsmen, I said evasive manoeuvres.

SULU: We're losing power, sir.

KIRK: Scotty?

SCOTT: I'm having to divert the warp engine power into the shields, sir, if you want the protection.

KIRK: Mister Spock, speed of those bolts.

SPOCK: Approximately warp fifteen, Captain.

KIRK: Then we can't out run them. Good, Scotty. You're doing the right thing. (another hit) Source, Spock.

SPOCK: Unknown, Captain. Nothing within sensor range. (a third bolt approaching) Something now, Captain. Very small. Bearing one two three degrees, mark one eight. Range ninety thousand kilometres.

KIRK: That's our target, Mister Sulu. Prepare photon torpedo.
(The third bolt hits)

SCOTT: Shields still holding, sir, but the drain on the engines is reaching the critical point. Ach, we lost warp manoeuvreing power. Switching to impulse.

Scotty is able to buy additional time by diverting warp power to shields and firm them up.

"Elaan of Troyius"

KIRK: Hard over, Sulu. Bring her around. He's going for our flank. (another disruptor hit) Sulu!

SULU: Sorry, Captain. She won't respond fast enough on impulse.

SPOCK: He's past us again. Damage to number four shield.

KIRK: How bad?

SPOCK: It will not withstand another full charge, Captain. I'm getting some very peculiar energy readings.

SULU: He's paralleling us again. He seems to have broken off the attack.

KIRK: What sort of readings, Mister Spock?

SPOCK: She is the source.

KIRK: Elaan?

SPOCK: The necklace.

KIRK: What kind of jewels are in this?

ELAAN: They call them radans. The necklace is supposed to bring you luck. It is of little value. They are common stones.

SPOCK: These are common stones? (scans them) See, Captain? Here and here.

KIRK: Common stones? Now I see why the Klingons are interested in this system. May I have this?

ELAAN: If I can be of any help, of course.

KIRK: You may have just saved our lives. Mister Spock, do you think Scotty could make use of dilithium crystals?

SPOCK: No doubt, Captain.

SULU: He's coming in again, sir.

KIRK: Mister Sulu, prepare on my order to turn quickly to port. Try and protect the number four shield.

SULU: Aye, sir.

KIRK: Now, Sulu. hard a-port!

(Another disrupter hit)

SULU: Shields holding, but weakened, sir.

UHURA: Captain. Message coming in.

KLINGON [on viewscreen]: Enterprise, our readings confirm your power extremely low, your shields buckling. This is your last chance to surrender.

SULU: Captain, number four shield just collapsed. Impulse power down to thirty one percent.

KIRK: Lieutenant Uhura, open a hailing frequency.

UHURA: Channel open, sir.

KIRK: This is Captain James Kirk of the United Spaceship Enterprise. May I request your terms for surrender?

KLINGON [on viewscreen]: No terms. Surrender must be unconditional and immediate.

KIRK: Scotty, your estimate.

A short while later after the crystals have been installed:

SCOTT: Fluctuation. It's the shape of the crystals. I was afraid of that.

SULU: Seventy five. Seventy. Sixty. Fifty.

KIRK: Fire at minimum range.

SULU: Forty.

SCOTT: She won't steady down.

SULU: Thirty.

KIRK: Warp in, Scotty. Full power to shields.


The Enterprise, after having taken a considerable pounding to her weakened shields is able to bring them back up to full power almost instantly once the warp power was restored to them.

So the idea of recharging or pumping more power into the shields to repair them is nothing new in Trek.
-Mike

[2046]

I would consider those distinct from the Equinox example. Routing additional power to the shields or getting them up to some low level from zero is notable, but not the same as dropping shields and recharging them to full power.

One could argue that the Constellation example fits but that the ship having only impulse available limited the power available for the charging cycle, hence the low shield power. Perhaps other examples where the warp reactor was offline would also work.

And, maybe in combat scenarios the emitters themselves have issues or damage whereas this fissure thing doing mosquito bites to the shields do not have that effect.

In any case, there just doesn't seem to be any evidence for this simple recharge to full power in combat. Even Worf reassembling the shields in "The Survivors" seems more related to disruption than knock-down.

[Mike DiCenso]

Oh, I would consider them very closely related issues. The use of power to bring back shields that were pummeled down. In the case of the quotes, pay close attention to the "Elaan of Troyius" :

"Captain, number four shield just collapsed. Impulse power down to thirty one percent."

And yet later all shields went back to full strength when the warp drive was cut in. The "Equinox" evidence is that shields are indeed storing their energy in capacitors, presumably, if they have time to build up a sufficient charge. This explains the odd bit in "Q Who?" and some subsequent Borg references about the shields being drained by their weapons and tractor beams.

Scotty and his damage control team's efforts to get the Constellation's shields back on one-third impulse power is remarkably similar and the Constellation was far worse off in many ways than the Equinox.

So my basic theory would be this: the shields can be regenerated in some circumstances because the shields generally act as capacitors that store up a certain amount of energy that is then used up during the course of battle, unless extra power is pumped into them to keep them going, or to restore them when then collapse. Also the source of the power being added into them directly is paramount as impulse power, along with auxiliary power, and batteries are obviously inferior to the warp reactor. So in "Elaan of Troyius", the shields cannot be regenerated as easily since the impulse engines alone are not enough, and reduced impulse at that. Same with the Constellation. A severely damages ship being repaired on the fly by a skeleton crew. Captain Ransom of the Equinox just left his ship wide open while the aliens attacked in order to recharge his ship's shields fully. In battle against an enemy vessel of comparable or greater strength, that kind of tactic would risk instant destruction. In that instance, Ransom could take the risk, its a few lost crew versus the whole ship.
-Mike