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Stevens tapped once more and the tactical image sprang to life. The six cones bore down on the da Vinci in formation.

“This variety of the Tholian web has never been observed in the field by anyone from Starfleet,” he said as he pointed to the configuration of red and amber shapes. “It differs from the web employed by Tholian ships for more than a hundred years, which was literally spun around a craft, then constricted. Once the energy field made contact, the trapped ship was powerless at best, or destroyed.”

“That seems like a lot of energy to maintain among those ships,” Domenica Corsi said, her brow knitting in confusion as she studied the computer model. “Why did they engage the web so far from our position?”

Stevens shrugged. “Who can tell? Maybe they hoped it would act as a deterrent. If I were in a Tholian ship, I’d rather scare an enemy away than engage one in combat. Even with the web drawing its energy from their ships’ warp fields, as I’m guessing it does, flying around at high warp with that thing glowing hot is still a safer alternative for the Tholians than getting shot at.”

That made sense to Duffy. The Tholians probably charged their energy web many more times than they actually used it. Even theories on the widespread damage such a web would be capable of wreaking on a snared craft would shoo away the most wizened combat veteran.

“Deterrent? They obviously don’t know what kind of thickheaded people they’re dealing with today,” he said in a deadpan voice.

Stevens laughed in response as Corsi scowled. Duffy couldn’t help but smirk a little himself. There was nothing like knowing your audience.

Corsi studied the screen for another moment before saying, “It’s pretty obvious that we either fight or run. How do we fight it?”

Stevens reached for the keypad once again, the image on the screen responding to his commands. “I don’t know how many ships we really need to disable in order to shut the web down. I recommend targeting no less than three of them, but I’m hoping that getting two might be enough for us to slip through their fingers. That is, if Tholians have fingers.”

On the viewer, the image’s perspective jumped as the distance tightened between the Tholian cluster of ships and the da Vinci. Suddenly a line of white lanced from the Federation ship’s position, connecting to one of the red cones. Two more lines quickly followed it, each one homing in on a ship directly adjacent to the first target. As the animation played out, the Tholian ships broke from their hexagonal formation and swooped past the dot representing the da Vinci.

“Looks good in theory, Fabian,” Duffy said as Corsi nodded her approval.

Stevens’s expression was appreciative, yet he maintained his attitude of concern. “That’s not to say, though, that the remaining ships can’t just regroup and come back at us with a smaller web.” He paused for the others to digest his assessment. “What we really need is another ship on our side.”

Yeah. Wouldn’t that be nice, Duffy mused.

He had an idea of what to expect, should things not go in their favor, but he voiced the question nonetheless. “And when, uh, if we’re hit by the web?”

Stevens entered the command to freeze the tactical animation on the viewer. “Again, Duff, I’m just guessing. It might smoke all of our systems, and that could just shut us down, or it might force us into a warp-core breach. Hell, that thing might cut through us like an exoscalpel.”

To Duffy, it was obvious from the silence that suddenly descended upon the room that his two companions were envisioning their own worst-case scenarios for the da Vinci’s entrapment. Before Duffy had much of a chance to mentally unspool his fate for himself, however, Stevens took a step toward the briefing room’s door.

“As much as I hate to break up this party, Duff, I need just a couple of minutes to run the last check on my deflector equation.”

Duffy nodded his head. “Sure. Hey, Fabian, try not to blow us up before the Tholians get here. They’ll be upset