The Scorching of Nidira

"A whole world happy, prospering now all gone within a matter of hours, this is a dark day for the coalition." - Shalani President

## The Scorch of Nidira

### Location

Nidira Jughum system, Shalani Coalition

The Scorch of Nidira occurred from mid march to early may 2310, The Shalani world of Nidira home to over 21 billion people along with a small community of 2 billion Humans all lost their lives in the biggest genocide in both the Galactic Entente and the galaxy's history, triggering the troubles and beginning a dark age to come.

## First Reports

January 24, 2310 was supposed to be a very uneventful day in the southern nations, people where finally getting over The Last Light, The Idiots war hadn't yet been initiated, and people where generally getting along fine. Yet, near the edge of Commonwealth space, Yamither defense station z17 was vaporized within mere moments.

A field report was sent from the station to Ortus, a Standard Ortan Hour after the incident, that showed massive power readings reminiscent of a star or the temporary residue of warp-cohesion-disk leading many to speculate exactly what had transpired around the area leading to investigative probes being lunched from nearby systems to check the possible rogue star that is floating through Commonwealth territory.

Commonwealth analyst's ran through the data that probes gathered and began to notice the star-like entity was in fact able to make sudden movements and even analyze the warning shells fired at it by the defense platforms.

It also noticed that it had FTL abilities that made the being easily able to advance whenever and wherever it wanted to be.

A junior analyst's realized that they seen this mysterious entity of light before in a similar incident several months prior after the subsequent Zracon 'vanishing'.

Regardless the creature already proved extremely dangerous, and what was worse the Shalani, a race who hadn't a sin or evil about them where going to be in the direct line of the rampage.

The Commonwealth warned the Shalani coalition, but warnings couldn't prepare anyone for the act of the light.

## Shalani Crisis

The light entity entered the Jugham system in mid march a full week after leaving Yamither, the creature began moving almost immediately towards the only inhabited planet in the system, a oasis world known to the Shalani as Nidira.

The world was covered in deserts, seas, and patches of green forest's along the coast. As the planet was one of first worlds to be settled by the Shalani, it was also boasting a booming economy and advanced infrastructure due to trade.

Population wise the planet was home to over 19 billion Shalani and 2 billion humans who immigrated over to the world in the 2250's.

The being that entered was of such intense heat and radioactive signature, that even the local star was being overshadowed and blinded out on the planet.

The crises of the entity a series of events that wold shocked the galaxy to its core.

* March 16, 2310: Reports and satellite videos on the creature position reach the planetary government, faced with imminent danger and realizing the Commonwealth nor the Shalani navy could respond to assist them in time, the government votes magnamously to declare a state of emergency and a full mandatory evacuation.
* March 20, 2310: Commonwealth and Nidira's reports, pushes the Shalani president to declare a interplanetary state of emergency and orders the Shalani fleet to move out towards Nidira. Satayesh Ibrahim, and Shu Lin on the same day declare their intention of saving the planet and keeping the navy docked in harbor, leading to several weeks of idleness from the navies.
* April 4-17, 2310: After a fierce debate on how the Commonwealth navy should respond to the situation, a great debate was ordered by then leader of the state, Shen Kuo. Satayesh Ibrahim calling to move out against the entity to support the Shalani, Shu Lin of Task Force Eagle did not approve of Ibrahim's proposal calling it a "Suicide mission", and Fonds of Purple took a middle ground approach favoring Ibrahim's plan on moving out, but also favoring Lin's plan to not engage preferring to bait it away from Nidira. The deadlock lasted for a while and eventually Task Force Manticore moved out with the other support fleets following a day later.
* March 20-May 5, 2310: Private civilians who could afford it or mange to sign up with government convoy's evacuate the planet, reports cite that over 630 million people over 3% of Nirdira's population manged to escape. Nidira's government tried to maintain law and order in desperate times, but the situation combined with limited transport space drove citizens over the edge with many either resorting to looting, rioting or committing suicide. The local government with what military personnel they had declared martial law to maintain what little peace was left on their once prospering world.

## The Light of Nidira Goes Black

What happen on Nidira may never be fully known as within mere moments, the planet and the ensuing region of space was effectively turned into techtonically unstable clouded world.

Nidira, once teeming with life was in a singular hour, transformed by the light into a irradiated world shrouded with a strange purple gas. Footage captured a blinding flash of light coming from the planet, its energy radiating matching the same patterns emitted by the acean pyramid on Redamon Prime.

The 21 billion people who lived on the surface were gone. Reports form the Commonwealth, the Shalani Coalition and their allies in the Entente were silent, even the GCN and other Commonwealth news stations usually eager to report on topics were left with their mouths agape at the sudden and eldritch horror of the situation.

The Commonwealth fleets were so abjectly horrified and demoralized to the point were Ibrahim, not trying to sound emotional, ordered her combined fleet to return to Commonwealth space, not risking the fleet to fight against a foe they didn't even know anything about and could at any moment destroy planets within hours.

The Shalani navy pushed head on towards Nidria eager for to gain revenge for their fallen citizens, thought by the time they arrive the Last Light was gone reported moving up north before disappearing into Cizri Union space.

The 630 million people who escaped were offered homes in refugee camps on the Shalani homworld by the Shalani government, most decided to go the Commonwealth worlds as many where traders who could afford the trip.

After the incident, the Commonwealth would provide Humanitarian assistance, terraforming equipment, and worker droids to help out the Shalani recover from this disastrous attack.