driftfleet | warning! warning!

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Keep the visuals as open as possible. It may be possible to fire if the line of sight is clear, even if we can't maneuver. I'll make sure we have enough power to sustain heavy fire.

[Heavy fire may not be necessary, but then, it may. He'll try to be prepared for any eventuality and hope the engines can handle it.]

They're as open as they're getting without one of us going outside with a squeegee.

[Not much of a joke, but this isn't really the time. Still, only so much you can do to cope with stress in these situations, and she's been spending too long with the wrong kind of people to not quip.]

I'll try to keep everything else as clear as I can. As soon as I get another body up here I'm going to see if we can get access to steering, propulsion, anything. You may have to deal with some turbulence down there.

I'll do my best under the circumstances. Until you do gain control, resources will be allocated to shields and weapons. [It'll actually make both stronger, if they don't have to dedicate anything to steering.]

[True enough. With fewer draws on the power supply, they can boost what they have--but in this case, she'd appreciate a little maneuverability. Their weapons only go so far, and even the best shields run out. At least this way she can do something, instead of feeling useless.]

Acknowledged. Wrath should be hitting weapons any minute now. Do you need one of the extra bodies down there with you?

[Her words are punctuated by metallic banging as she pries at the panel covering the steering console.]

Not at present, but if possible please send Ray if I give the signal.

[There are a few quieter noises from his side, mostly beeps. None of them sound urgent.]

Is there still visual on the other ships?

Noted. Doesn't seem like we're having much luck up here, I'm sending him to you and heading to weapons stations.

I can see the Vanquish, and the Red Fish--A few of the ships have disappeared into the nebula. Nothing's come back out of there yet.

Understood. So far all systems are green here.

[He makes a "hmm" sound.] Have they disappeared altogether or are they still on sensors?

Off and on. I don't know if our sensors are going, or their systems. Maybe both. Either way, I don't want to find out what's in there.

I would like to know, if only so we can prepare for it, but I suppose we may not be able to in time.

I don't think so. Brace for first wave, they're coming in fast!

[She's still struggling with the panel, but finally gives up as she watches two small ships come zooming towards them. It's the worst feeling, watching that come at her and not being able to do anything about it. As they fly over the ship firing weapons, she grabs the back of the pilot's chair to keep herself upright, comm banging against the metal.]

[The Vision manages to brace himself well enough, and there's only one small crash from his end of the comms. And then there's a surge from Wrath using the weapons in retaliation, and he's busy enough that he doesn't say anything until they get caught in the tractor beam.]

I take it that's not my imagination?

[As the ships open fire and Wrath returns the volleys, Natasha makes her way down to weapons. They do what they can, defend themselves well enough until the last of the weapons batteries are knocked offline. After that, they're easy prey for the enemy, and Natasha's voice as she replies is both irritated and tired.]

Not unless we're having new and exciting group hallucinations. They have some kind of lock on us.

[He knows a few things about group hallucinations - namely, that they wouldn't actually affect him.]

Understood. I'll give the shields everything we have to spare.

[She doesn't think it'll help, but it can't hurt. The Windrose shudders as it's dragged forcibly into the nebula, and all but groans as all nonessential systems just...shut down.]

Vision? Can you hear me? What's going on down there?

[Do the comms even work right now? Maybe not. He might be able to hear her shouting regardless, though.]

[The comms are indeed being unreliable, but he has no difficulty hearing her. Oddly enough, his voice comes to her in a normal speaking tone even though he's rather far away.]

Yes, I hear you. We appear to have a temporary blackout. I have light [since his forehead kinda glows] but if you do not, I can place some of my fish in a portable container.

[See? See? He knew having glowing fish would come in handy!]

[The voice thing is weird. She blinks at the sound of it, the closest she gets to nervous twitching, before continuing to slowly move, finding her way by touch more than sight.]

Any light you can get us would be good. I'm making my way from the battery to engineering now.

[Glowing fish. Who knew they'd be such a valuable resource? She shakes her head, making her cautious way out the door.]

[Down in Engineering, he has two of the fish in little globes - the red one, which spreads light through the whole compartment, and the blue one which they're using more as a flashlight in specific areas.]

There. It seems to be either a surge of some type, or discharge directly from the nebula particles--ah, hello, Captain.

warning! warning!

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