The Trial of Captain Taiga Aisaka - Day 2 (Part 5)

Posted on Sat Jun 5th, 2021 @ 5:25am by Admiral Nyanta & Captain Taiga Aisaka & Captain Minori Kushieda & Jennifer Daxer & Commander Nicolas Trigman 'Trigger' & Commander Alora Knight & Commander Alexander "Alex" Knight & Lieutenant Hamlyn Ambrose & Lieutenant Takeshi Nakazato 'Zack' & Admiral Tanaka Miyahara & Lieutenant Shingo Shoji
Edited on on Sat Jun 5th, 2021 @ 5:49am

1,674 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Allegations
Location: Starfleet JAG Court

Previously on Star Trek Tokyo:

"Commander Knight. Do you have any more evidence to present to the court?" Nyanta asked.

She pulled out the data pad she'd taken from the Elachi ship. "I have this. I'm still analyzing it. My husband has the rest."

"Thank you Commander. Dismissed" Nyanta said. Then he turned his attention back towards the Admirals. "I believe you have another witness to present?"

And now the continuation...

Alex stood up from his seat and looked over to Max with a nod. As he walked to the gate he held it open for Alora and whispered. "You did great, Babe. You set them up. Now let me know them down."

She smiled. "I'm looking forward to their faces when you present your evidence," she whispered back.

He made his way to the witness bench and stood there. He went through the process of swearing himself in before sitting down in the seat. Alex sat there silently, looking around for a moment, before finally speaking up. "So... which one of you is going to ask the first question?"

Nyanta raised an eyebrow at his attitude towards the court. "Please state your rank, name and position" he replied. "Then present your evidence to the court for examination"

Alex nodded his head before clearing his throat. "Lieutenant Commander Alexander Knight. Commander officer of the SWORD Team." He paused for a moment before adding quickly. "That's Special Weapons, Operations, and Recon Department." He nodded his head slightly before leaning forward again to add. "I also want it on record that there are two Alexander Knight's in Starfleet. I am the one... uhh... without the criminal record. Just want to be sure in case anyone goes looking. He's Lieutenant Alexander Knight and I am Lieutenant Commander Alexander Knight. I'm from an alternate universe. His counterpart. It was a whole thing that has to do with my crazy twin brother. It's very complicated."

Lena decided to take the lead on this, as this evidence was supposed to be in Taiga's favor. She stood from her seat, and nodded to Alex, as he gave the information Nyanta requested.

"Can you start by telling us about the attack, in your own words?" Lena asked him. "Beginning from the training exercise."

"Training exercise?!" Alex looked puzzled. He turned to the judge, than looked to Alora, before looking back to Lena. "I wasn't part of the Training Exercise. I can't tell you about something I wasn't a part of." He looked at Alora and shrugged before adding quickly. "I know what happened in regards to the exercise. I also know what happened prior to that exercise involved that guy..." He pointed to Takeshi. "And how it led to him being removed as second officer and losing credibility with the other pilots. I can tell you what I know, but I can't speak in detail about how the Training exercise with the pilots went from, my perspective, because I wasn't there. My team and I were doing our own training in the holodeck when the red alert sounded. Do you want to hear about our training? I can tell you about that."

Takeshi went pale in the face.

How does he know? He thought. I've never even met this guy and he knows what happened?? Word travels fast, apparently...

Alora looked over at Takeshi to see his reaction. She wished she'd been here the day before to counter his accusations. It was too bad he was throwing away his career for a corrupt admiral and his draconian thirst for power.

"My apologies. Information about your holodeck training session isn't necessary." Lena explained apologetically, taking notes on her Padd, when Takeshi was mentioned yet again. "You said you got involved, when the red alert sounded, so just start from there, please."

"Not much to tell, Honestly." Alex replied. "Like I said, my team and I, were in the holodeck when the red alert sounded. I instructed my second, Lieutenant John Mackey to head to the Bullpen, thats what we call the SWORD Office, and wait for further information from me. I then proceeded to the bridge. On my way there I was contacted by lovely and very capable wife, Commander Alora Knight, to meet her on the Prowler. I haven't been married for long, but I know when my wife asked me to do something and she has a plan, its usually a good one and proceed as instructed. I haven't learned yet what its like to disagree with her and I don't plan to." He looked at his wife and smiled before looking back to Lena to add. "From there, I contacted my team and told them to meet us there, and after our usual greeting she told me what was going on."

"So you went straight from your training exercises to the Prowler..." Lena said, tapping in some more notes, before looking back up at him. "Special weapons operation, and recon... That, in itself implies that you, and your team likely have decent knowledge of combat strategies. In your expert opinion, do you believe a ship such as the Tokyo would be capable of single-handedly destroying an entire colony, without assistance?"

"Technically, my team went to the Prowler first before being redirected, but yeah. Basically." Alex replied, smiling a bit, before clearing his throat. "Yes... absolutely it can." He said matter of fact like before adding. "Any starship, from high orbit and the right combination of armament, can destroy a colony. For example: The Tokyo has a compliment of tricobalt torpedoes. One or two torpedo shots, in the right place, would certainly destroy a colony without any assistance needed." He raised a brow for a moment before asking. "Are you sure that's the question you wanted to ask and didn't mean to ask something else, Counselor?"

"No, that was the question I meant to ask." Lena said. She looked at the notes on her padd, pulling information from the report Daxer had submitted in her earlier testimony. "According to the repair logs, provided earlier today, the Tokyo still has a full compliment of Tricobalt torpedoes, but is missing only two photon torpedoes. Do you believe two photon torpedoes could do enough damage to destroy the colony completely?"

"Ahh... I see where you are going." Alex smiled. "Smart." He nodded slightly before settling in the chair. "Unfortunately, Counselor, thats a loaded question. If you'll forgive the pun. Two photon torpedoes could do it, but what have to rely on is location. Size of the colony, materials being used for buildings, and what you are targeting. You could shoot at a ship with your phasers with their shields down and not do much damage. However, if you target the same ship, using the same phaser strength, but you target a vulnerable area the damage would greater than previous attempt. You understand?"

"Ok, so it's still technically possible for the Tokyo to have destroyed the colony with two photon torpedoes, but what about the other side of that coin?" Lena started. She knew he was right, but her questions had been leading up to another point. "The Tokyo sustained critical damage during the attack. Testimony suggests that more than 90% of the damage was done, before the Y'lis first fired. Would you say it's possible for a handful of lightly armed planetary satellites to inflict this kind of damage to a Starship like the Tokyo, if the ship were undamaged, and prepared for combat?"

Alex raised a brow, getting the sense the Counselor was barking up the right tree, but using the wrong person. "Counselor? I get where you are going with this question, I do, but you forget I wasn't there for all the things you asked me about. I can only give you speculate using my experience and knowledge, and even then, its just speculating. Not all encounters are the same. May things can happen to alter the tides of battle. Some things you can control and others you can't. Lightly armed orbital satellites could damage the Tokyo if shields were down and they targetted key systems. Playing Devils Advicate, the satellites being of Romulan design could theoretically know where to hit given Romulan's experience with fighting Starfleet ships. Then again, if the shields were up, does that mean no damage would have been taken? Not necessarily either. I've seen alien races go right through shields before, and that was the shields on full, but we don't know that information because those very satellites were destroyed, so unless the Romulans are kind enough to show us the schematics for those satellites to determ their capability, which I doubt." He looked immediately towards the Romulan deligation gathered at the trial. "Nothing personal, but you guys do tend to keep things pretty close to the vest. Not that that's a bad thing, but you want to be allies or enemies. You can't be both." Alex focused back on to Lena. "We have no way of knowing what they were capable of." He shrugged slightly. "Like I said, Counselor, you're in the right ballpark just picking the wrong person to support your theory. There are way too many variables to consider and there is no guarente it will end where you want it to. I'm sorry."

"Can't say I didn't try. Thank you for your time." In the short time that Alora had been answering Marok's questions, Lena had already skimmed through the reports she'd handed in. Since it answered questions she might've had, this had been her only other option, which hadn't quite worked in her favor. She gave Alex a smile, then turned to Nyanta. "I have no more questions, your Honor."

To be continued...

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