The question is, if Riker and the crew of the Enterprise would have not changed the modulation of the shields, although they have, as Ted C has satisfactorily established, known, that matching frequencies would be the most likely cause for the sudden Klingon ability to penetrate the shields of the Enterprise because they have first-hand experiences with that weakness of their own shields?Mike DiCenso wrote:Who is like God arbour wrote: I have read somewhere, they have changed the modulation. But, because they have not known, that the Klingons see, what Geordi has seen, wile setting a new shield modulation, they couldn't explain, why the Klingons are able to penetrate the shields nevertheless. So they have concluded, that further shield modulation changes are unproductive.
That must be from fanon speculation, the non-canon novelization, or an early draft script, but it is not anywhere in the movie dialog.
-Mike
If that would be the case, it would demonstrate their incompetence.
We know, that it has not happened on-screen.
But many things can happen, but are not shown on-screen. That doesn't mean, that we assume, that they have not happened.
With our knowledge of common human behaviour and needs and our knowledge of the specific mannerisms and skills of a character, we usually extrapolate, what could have happened off-screen.
Thus, the next question is, if it is plausible, that Riker would not have ordered to change the shield modulation off-screen.
I think, it is not plausible. As Ted C has satisfactorily established, he has first-hand experiences with that weaknes of the shields and it is unlikely, that Riker would have forgetten that. He is neither in the series nor in the film depicted as so stupid and incompetent. Starfleet regards him as a competent officer, who has been offered his own command several times.
Sure, if one would assume, that Riker would have not orderd to change the shield modulation off-screen, one could conclude, that he is incompetent. But that would be a circular argument because what Rikes has done off-screen is exactly what we are trying to ascertain and if he would have ordered to change the shield modulation, one could not claim, that he would be incompetent because he has not done it.
The fact, that the Klingons could penetrate the shields all the time is not enough to show, that the shield modulation of the Enterprise was not changed. As Roondar has already said, Geordi would be the most likely person to do these alterations and the Duras sisters would have seen, to which new modulation he has adjusted the shields in the moment, he would have entered the change into the console. Only if he would have programmed the shields to change their modulation continuous and at random, the Duras sisters would not be able to know, to which modulation the shields have changed, in those moments, Geordi has not looked at the console, which shows the modulation. But from what the crew of the Enterprise has known, there was no need for this because, they have not known, that the Duras sisters were able to see at once, to which new modulation the shields were changed. The conclusion, after the first change, done by Geordi, has failed, would be, that the Duras sisters abiliy to penetrate the shields has nothing to do with the shield modulation or that they somehow know the shield modulation even after it was changed and that further changes would be futile anyway because, however they were able to gain the ability to ascertain the shield modulation of the Enterprise, they could do it again.
Insofar, I see nothing, that would make it plausible to assume, that the shields modulation was not changed off-screen, but that, because the Duras sisters have seen the new modulation, the change was futile and that they have concluded, that further changes would also be futile.
In that moment, the decision to retreat, was the correct decision.
Without her shields, the Enterprise was an easy target for the Klingon Bird of Prey. And even if the Enterprise wouldn't have been damaged and all her weapons systems would have been fully functional, it seems dubios, if the still with shield protected Bird of Prey could have been destroyed, even if all weapons of the Enterprise would have fired at it.
At the time, Generations happened, the Bird of Prey was "only" 20 years old and was only retired from service due to defective plasma coils, which were components of the cloaking systems.
The Enterprise was at this time already over seven years old.
Although the Bird of Prey was thrice as old as the Enterprise, he was not totally obsolete. Sure, he wouldn't have a chance against the Enterprise with her shields. But without her shields, the twenty years old, still by his own shields protected Bird of Prey would be a too strong adversary.
