posted
While researching the Federation Tac-Fighter, I noticed a few interesting things from "What You Leave Behind"[DS9-7]. What really caught my eye, though, is in the following caps:
Now, if you look at those small ships flying five-abreast at the bottom of the screen, you'll note a few things.
Screenshot 1. They are significantly smaller than the Vor'Cha, as seen when one flies in front of the Vor'Cha, obscuring part of its profile. Eyeballing it and not accounting for range, I would say that the shot limits them to no more than 1/3rd a Vor'Cha's length.
Screenshot 2. They are smaller than a Bird-of-Prey, as well, since one passes in front of the BoP at the bottom of the screen. Eyeballing it and not accounting for range, I'd give it no more than two-thirds the length of a BoP.
So what the hell is that?
Note the symmetry which Breen ships lack, as a rule. That precludes us from concluding that they are Breen warships subjected to a Classic Stipesian Screw-Up(tm).
Could they be a surprise re-use of the Romulan runabout from "In the Pale Moonlight"[DS9-6]?
I just don't see it. Extrapolating a bit further from the visuals, these vessels seem to have a somewhat boxy-curvy forward section with two booms on the rear which feature green-glowing nacelles.
But perhaps that's extrapolating too far. Or maybe not. Though I don't have DS9-7 in full DVD quality, I can take what we've got and run with it to produce the following zoom-in of one of these mystery ships at closest approach:
This gives us a possible small wing for the nacelle, but extending beyond it. Further, there doesn't seem to be a runabout-esque central rectangle . . . instead, the play of light seems to suggest two "walls" on the side, with a central box in between.
Given the green nacelles and greenish hue to the hull, it is most likely Romulan. However, it could theoretically be an older Klingon design from their green-glow days. The notion that it is a curiously-symmetrical Breen ship seems rather unusual.
Unfortunately, we don't see the ship fire, so there's no clear indicator of who it shoots at. Further, I don't think we get any other clear shots. One more may fly under the Galaxy saucer, but I can't tell very well.
I believe the ships are visible in the combat scene just afterward, which shows the Defiant headed toward a bigass Dominion ship being fired upon by a Vor'Cha. However, the ships are just about little dots in those scenes.
Two may flying to the right just before the Cardassians switch sides, with another following moments behind. But, again, they're small as hell and difficult to distinguish. If so, however, then we get additional indicators of the shape of the vessels. They would seem to have a claw-shaped front-end, not unlike the very front of a Ferengi Marauder. Beyond that, though, it's hard to say with my what I've got.
Anyone with DS9 season seven on DVD care to provide better caps? Anyone have other thoughts? Is this something someone else noticed before, or have I just pulled another "oh hey look Cardassian shuttles are in that base" thing?
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
I take it they're flying left-to-right across the screen? Doesn't look like anything familiar. . . They remind me of the Reman fighter from NEM (or a ship from B5, although I can't think which one).
posted
Do you people really keep your monitor brightness turned up that high? I had to turn mine up just about all the way to even see the ships.
Registered: Mar 1999
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No, not bugs. Bugs are too big, incapable of appearing that way, and so on.
TSN:
I always forget the brightness thing. The variability in default monitor brightness is mind-numbing. I happen to have one of adequate brightness, but I had to fight to get one of the one model of decently-bright monitor at work.
As for the caps, it might help to copy them and put them against a black background. The bright bluish tone here doesn't help with visibility (hence the dark background on my site, for all the space pics).
Mark:
The new ship is symmetrical, and does not feature the pointy bits at front and back center.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
At first glance I too thought they might be Bugs. But they're a noticeable different colour. And you can see another Bug in the shot. . . Hey, is that a Sabre between the Defiant and the Bug in the second pic?
posted
Nope. Looks like another bug. Compare with the upper image.
A Sabre would have red ramscoops, a protrusion rather than a dent atop, and probably less well "separated" nacelles.
One wonders if the mystery fighters aren't just "cut/invert/paste=>symmetry" versions of the Breen ship. After all, didn't we see exactly that type of "CGI-bash" vessel in a VOY episode?
In any case, DVD caps rule! These images look fantastic on my new monitor. I was close to fainting when I could discern "Cal Hudson" sitting inside the Maquis fighter cockpit in that other thread...
posted
Lee & Timo: I ran the scene forward . . . that's another bug that gives chase to the Defiant.
Here's the shot I mention where two pass to the right and away from the camera. We therefore see them from a little above, and a little to the rear. Note the crescent or claw-shaped front end.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
Well they are moving from left to right - towards the Allies - so they seem to be the Dominion coalition forces. I don't think they have perfect symmetry - especially in the first pic - I think they are Breen ships.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
posted
Ok it seems to me that (and I'm only judging this from the caps on show here) the ship is constantly motion blurred, even more than other, more recognisable ships. Could the ship be a suitably Klingon/Romulan looking Alien-ship-of-the-week added simply to give the impression of more diverse fleet, just heavily motion blurred to disguise it? Just a theory, anyway.
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Well, the original two pics seem to show these ships moving WAY faster than any others, so the blur is quite justified...
I rather think this isn't a new design, but just a heavily blurred standard Breen ship - which of course doesn't stop us from labeling it a new vessel, especially considering the scaling.
Or are Breen vessels considered "biotechnology" ("Scorpion I") because they get larger as they age?
posted
Looks like the Breen ship to me as well. Doesn't seem as symmetrical as you infer. And I find it HIGHLY unlikely that they created a new ship just for the last episode, which was already like 25% stock footage from previous ones, anyway.
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
I don't see the asymmetry. Taking the pixellated zoom-in, you can see that the two long shapes are of equal or near-equal length (with the difference, if any, easily explained due to the shadow). Also, besides the front cut-out, there are no crescent shapes as are so common on the Breen ship.
-------------------- . . . ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.
posted
That's the Breen ship from the front.: I've got a model of it built, so I can see it.
The violet glowy part on the ventral side is it's deflector.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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