Chapter 61 - The Ferengi Hand Phaser

“I see you’ve chosen to field phaser energy weapons,” Martok remarked, his tone carefully measured. “We Klingons, of course, favor disruptor-based weapons. Each technology, however, has its own strengths and weaknesses. There is no shame in this choice.”

“You’re absolutely right, General. And that’s big of you to admit,” I acknowledged with a small joke. “Each technology has its advantages. For instance, disruptor weapons proved far more effective against the Hur’q, both their soldiers and their ships, which relied on advanced armor rather than electromagnetic shielding.”

I paused, looking directly at Martok. “That’s why I opted to purchase handheld disruptor weaponry for the Bajoran Defense Forces—it was the better fit for that specific enemy. But when it comes to the choice you’re referring to, I didn’t go down that path and limit myself, at least not in the way you’re assuming.”

Martok raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand.”

“Allow me to show you,” I said, gesturing to T’Maz.

The platform’s firing aperture flared to life in green this time, sending a beam of disruptor energy crashing into the surface of Eros, carving even more devastation into the asteroid. Disruptor energy, as always, proved far more effective against unshielded targets. The choice of color for the energy type was purposeful because that’s what people would expect.

A moment later, the aperture glowed bright orange before another shot erupted from the platform.

Martok’s jaw dropped in astonishment as he realized what I had just happened.

“The Gothic Orbital Defense platforms are equipped with multiple firing modes—phaser, disruptor, or forced plasma beam. You can choose whichever is most effective in the moment,” I explained to the now-silent room. “Madame President, imagine those Hur’q ships back in orbit. The Hur’q primarily relied on armor to protect their vessels. Now picture being able to switch to disruptors dynamically, counteracting their armor far more efficiently than phasers could. Envision a fleet of modern starships, caught in a crossfire from multiple platforms, each using different weapon energy types.”