RM/MND vs Nomads/Wild | Pandora's Gift | Sun Apr 7, 8PM UTC

[Barrier]

Kapitänleutnant Hans Blumenfeld appeared utterly calm on the outside, but inside felt as if his brief lunch was about to exit his body. Everything was proceeding well so far - if one could call a tactical screen filled with nomad IFFs "well"... His blocking cruisers were in position, and the Kaiser was leading the forward battlegroup, all according to plan.

He flicked a glance at VIOLET, who's eyes were instead glued to the readouts on one of her six screens, taking up two whole bridge stations. She suddenly made a gesture as if snapping her fingers, and said something urgent into her headset. One of the nameless techs who always orbited around her jumped up from his seat and looked wildly around, as if unsure to whom he should report.
One of the leutnants leaned in, and the tech half-shouted into his ear, a breach of protocol on the focused bridge. The man quickly stepped towards Hans.

"Kommandant, they say to stop all drives. Another power surge."
"Negative, we are almost at the objective. Continue ahead full."

Suddenly, his Leutnant was wrenched to the side by VIOLET, who shouted "You have to stop the ship! Just wait until it passes!'

"Negative! Return to your seat immediately!"
"But Kapitan, if we don't-"

The overhead lighting and screens flickered, and the emergency lighting came on, suggesting auxiliary power. Then all was plunged into darkness, save for the hardened emergency checkpoint labels.
"Report! Are we hit?"
"No sir, a power surge, we're reboo-"
"Sir, I am NUC. I say again, NUC!"
"Engage manual override!"
"Manual engaged!"
"Course.. ought twelve twenty!"
"Ja sir, my course is zero, one twenty, twenty degrees!"
"Tactical up, five-six contacts within CQB. Seven, now eight!" The sensor tech's voice cracked on the last number.
"Course ought ought eighteen! Flank speed ahead!"
"Course zero zero one eighty, flank unable."
"Say again?!"
"Course set, flank unable, 64 percent, steady at 63!"

Hans took one look at tactical and knew it was all over.

It took him another few moments to gather his thoughts and unbuckle his harness. He leaned over the console and pushed a key.
"This is the Kommandant! All crew, abandon ship!" He slammed the alert key, and as if in a dream, moved towards the six screens as the alarm galvanized everyone into action.
VIOLET was frantically speaking into her headset. As if sensing him behind her, she turned and took one look at his face, then yelled "Nein!! It's not ready!"
The Kolleda bucked, and everyone ended up on the floor. Hans knew there was one last thing left to do, and now no one stood in his way.

He pulled himself up by the console, and slammed his fist through the protective plexiglass. He engaged the lever to maximum power, marveling at how easy it was to unleash destruction. The Kolleda bucked again, and emergency lighting bathed the bridge, along with an ear-splitting wail that was even louder than the alarm. Hans stumbled towards the escape pod in the arms of a marine Korporal, snatching one more glance at tactical. He saw something there that finally made him vomit his lunch.

---

The event concludes in the eventual destruction of the Kolleda and the unscheduled firing of the Dragon's Egg. The crew and the scientists on the Kolleda were mostly recovered by forces on scene, who also managed to mop up the remaining nomads and Wild vessels. The rest jumped away, back into their corner of Sirius. The firing of the weapon has unleashed an unprecedented event in Thuringia, and no one can currently guess at the outcomes which will follow.