warning! warning!

[thespaceopera]

[The nebulas are beautiful in this region of space, at the very least. They gleam as great distorting clouds of space-stuff that your scanners don't even want to attempt to analyze. They affect the ships' instruments much like other areas of disruption have in the past, but these are actually visible as large swathes of light--like giant flames frozen in their swirling shapes, suspended across impressive stretches of space. For once, there's something like scenery to look at, out here in the black...

And then, the proximity alarms begin to blare.

From a gap between the two nearest clouds comes an assemblage of ships! Familiar to some and new to others--they do not respond to hails or communications of any kind, and they're gunning straight for the Fleet without slowing. Their weapons are locking on and firing as soon as they are in range.

Many passengers have been through this before, and many of the ships are bigger and better than they'd been in the previous skirmish. Today, the Drift Fleet will put up a better fight, even punch a few holes in their attackers.

Your augment knows where you need to go! Do you run to your station? Do you dodge your job? Are you unsure how to help? Are the captains giving orders or panicking, and are their crews paying attention? Everyone's got a chance to fight back before the enemy fleet runs them into the nearest nebula--and things suddenly take a bad turn.

As soon as each Drift Fleet ship hits the nebula, its systems overload and short-circuit before going dead. It stays silent for minutes, no radar, no comms, no network. Stubborn stragglers are ganged up on and forced into the cloud, followed by the poor ships on autopilot being bodily hauled into the nebula with tractor beams. Once the entire Fleet has been set adrift as sitting ducks, before the Marsiva can get too close, the attacking fleet... turns and flees through the cloud, seemingly untouched by the nebula that scrambles your ships.

Eventually, the systems flicker back to life, blinking on one by one. It will be several hours before any other effects of the attack will be noticeable. The network shows up as live again, but Atroma never shows up to explain a thing...]


ooc: the out-of-character event post is over here! respond to this post any way you like; you can have action, comm messages, play during the attack, being stuck in the nebula, checking in after the network comes back online, or whatever else seems fitting.

Comments

[arcanepower]

[Start of the attack]

[His urge to hide under a table is overwhelming, but Hiro actually ordering people around gets him to at least try to be around, try to help. This isn't the first time this has happened. He speeds down to the lab to help.

He lashes equipment to the walls and stashes loose things in cabinets in case they roll. He's discovered that he can keep his mind off the fear if he has something to do. Unfortunately, some things he can't get to in time and there's broken glass but... it could be worse. He'll clean that up when it's over.]

[Engine room]

[When the action is over, he runs into the engine room to make sure his bff is okay.]

Hiro! Hiro, are you all right?

action!

[punchingly]

[ You look like you're panicking and like you need assistance -- not that she should be doing things like oh, shooting at those ships. Whatever. Video game logic says that helping out other people in side quests leads to better rewards, right? ]

Here.

[ She reaches to catch a glass that's awkwardly lurching off of a table, holding it out to him. ]

[arcanepower]

[He looks surprised as the glass is handed to him. He takes it carefully-- just before another blast rocks the ship.]

Giant woman! You should be on the bridge with everyone else!

[punchingly]

Margie.

[ She doesn't seem surprised by his outburst, though the blast sets her off balance. ]

Are you not coming with everyone else? I am on my way there.

[arcanepower]

Margie. [She's still a giant woman with a strangely catlike nose.] No, I was ordered to help Tadashi in the lab.

I will be fine. They need you to man your station!

[punchingly]

Do you not have a station?

[ Has she figured out who cooks magnificent food? Probably not... ]

[arcanepower]

I'm a cook. I don't have a battle station.

[If he could figure out how to reliably cast magic outside the ship, that'd be a different story...]

[punchingly]

I am certain that culinarians would gladly fight monsters if they had a frying pan with which to hit them?

[ or all the ones she knows....would do that... ]

[arcanepower]

[She has a point, actually.]

Tell me when one boards the ship and I will show you I am more than just a cook.

[punchingly]

What can you do?

[ A pause. Oh. stations. That's a thing she should be doing. ]

Maybe tell me and then I will go? I am an astrologian -- a healer.

[everydayhero]

[hiro's sleeves are a little scorched, and there are a couple things sparking, but belth will remember the engine room being in much worse shape last time. hiro is hard at work already, even though the systems are running on backup power.]

I'm fine!

[he straightens, and drops what he's doing to rush over to belth. he can't really help the concerned hands at his shoulders, or the careful inspecting.]

What about you? Are you okay?

[you were the one who got hurt last time.]

[arcanepower]

[He remembers, but he's more concerned about Hiro's burns.]

I'm unhurt, but your hands--

[He takes Hiro's hands from his shoulders, careful not to press against the scorch marks.]

I-I can bandage them.

[everydayhero]

I--Belth...

[hiro notes the gentle way he takes his hands, and that gives him pause in his hero-mode frenzy.]

... I'm okay. It's not that bad, they were worse last time. I promise.

[arcanepower]

I know, but you cannot work like this. It will only get worse.

[He's already grabbing a vial of salve from the inside of his robes. He's quick to yank out the cork with his teeth and pour some into his hand. It smells kinda like mint, and it'll feel nice and cool as he rubs it into Hiro's burns.

He doesn't look at the other boy's face; he's completely focused on the salve.]

Burns get infected very easily. Honestly! Your brother is a healer, you should know better!

[everydayhero]

[belthazar is focused on the salve, and hiro is focused on belthazar. he watches him work, watches his expression, his hands--things he never took the time to really notice before. it almost gives him goosebumps.]

He's only a medic by augment, he's an engineer at heart...

[he misses adra. he can't deny that.]

[arcanepower]

Yes, well, still. It's basic knowledge. [He finishes rubbing in the salve. Though he works quickly, his touch is gentle and barely there. He pulls his hand away only to fetch a roll of bandages out of his robe. Again with the teeth, and he begins the process of lightly, lightly covering the worst of the burns.]

I won't bandage too tight so you need to be careful. The wounds need to breathe and you need your hands. Perhaps Ino can heal them properly later; my training hasn't gone that far and I am not even sure I can do it, but that is a matter for another day.

[He misses Adra, too. He would know what to do.]

Can you move your fingers?

[everydayhero]

[hiro lifts his hands up between them, aaand--spirit fingers! his eyebrows go up, and he smiles.]

I'm all good. It feels better already.

[and it does; the salve is cooling and refreshing.]

... And I'm sure that whatever healing training you're going through, you can do. Just keep your mind to it. It could save somebody you care about someday, right?

[arcanepower]

[Belth finishes tying the bandages in expert time. If nothing else, he's quick.]

It should. I spent a long time perfecting that healing balm... [Lots of trial and error. Mostly error. Mostly Belth hurting himself and then trying to make something up really quick...

Anyway, Hiro's encouragement is nice, but he still doesn't quite believe in himself. He shakes his head.]

I don't know. If someone's life was in my hands like that, I-- I would probably panic.

[He clears his throat.] There, now you and the ship are both in one piece.

[everydayhero]

[he snorts.]

Ship didn't end up in pieces this time.

[he sounds pretty proud of himself.]

Anything big break in the lab?

[he gets his hand on belth's shoulder, to ground himself and reassure himself that yes, they made it through the fight, and this time belthazar isn't hurt. the systems being down is something they can work on.]

[arcanepower]

You did well, but maybe you should start wearing gloves...

[Belth glances at the hand on his shoulder and pinkens slightly.]

Only a little glass. I already swept it up. I am sorry, I tried my best.