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

[mortalcoil]

[who knew that signing could be dangerous? and he frowns a little bit, but it's probably not over her cricking her own neck. it probably has more to do with the bruise on her face.

Coil nods to answer her question, but she's going to end up with a penlight shining in her eyes with very little warning right after that. gotta check those pupils.]

[blindoptimism]

Oh-- [she starts at the sudden appearance of the pen light, especially in front of her eyes. They rapidly blink at first until she adjusts and then attempts to look to the side. She accidentally asks out loud]

S-Should I do something in particular?

[mortalcoil]

[forgive his lack of bedside manner-- his patients are either dead already, or are skullfaced losers that he doesn't have to bother giving instructions to.

he moves the penlight away just enough to illuminate himself from the side instead of directly blinding her.

he points fingers at his own eyes and then draws them out to point at the light. look here.]

[blindoptimism]

[she nods, understanding. And with instruction she accidently sits up a bit straighter and looks forward toward the light with extra... vigor. But as he works she raises her hand again to slowly sign]

Thank you

[mortalcoil]

[he doesn't reply, really... but, once he's done blinding her and puts his light away, he questioningly signs 'pain?' near his forehead.

if she has a headache, he'll have to monitor her more closely. Zhas would kill him if he overlooked a concussed Nunnally.]

[blindoptimism]

[Ah... she pauses, not sure how to properly sign her feelings]

Little [but her hand falters and she finishes with words]

I think it's just a little sore, nothing serious.

[mortalcoil]

[not that he's concerned or anything, but... he frowns.

and then forms the sign for 'dizzy?' which is nice and self-explanatory. even if she interprets it as confused or lightheaded, it works just as well.]

[blindoptimism]

[Hm, in response to the question she holds out to the side, as if she's imagining that she's walking on a tightrope. Finally she shakes her head]

No, I don't think so. [she imagines that dizziness feels different for standing people, but from her perspective she doesn't feel dizzy]

[mortalcoil]

[he nods, but he's in still far too clinical of a mindset to seem anything like relieved.

instead, he moves right onto the next matter--which is to check out the bruise on her face. and again, it's without asking.

he's not going to press directly on the mark itself, but he is reaching for her face without much of a warning, intending to feel out the extent of the injury. knowing how far the pain radiates, and if anything might be broken under there is important... but he probably should have at least considered seeking her permission first.]

[blindoptimism]

Ah-- [It's partially the leftover adrenaline, and partially the surprise of the motion, but Nunnally jumps a tiny bit as he reaches out. Her hands begin to reach up to intercept his own, but she forcefully shoves them back into her lap. It's a sign of trust, despite her instinct. As he examines her face she looks up and to the side, a bit uncomfortable]

Is there... something on my face?

[mortalcoil]

[finally letting her face go, he nods to answer her question, and crooks a finger a couple of times over where her injury would be on his own face. she's got a little wound there.]