The Paramount made with graceful ease a shift from faster-than-light travel to sublight speeds. As it came back to relative space and exited the warp field around it the fabric of space seemed to ripple momentarily before settling into a calm stillness. Navigational thrusters engaged in moving the ship with precision as it moved smoothly into its designated position.

Nitus walked from the rear of the bridge to the command area as the Paramount dropped out of warp. The subtle hum from the ship signaled to her the transition back to sublight speeds. Her eyes flicked to the viewport, where the starfield had snapped into a coherent tapestry of distant points of light.

“Anything on sensors,” she asked her voice calm and flat but authoritative.

“Yes, ma'am," Laura responded from the science console. “I'm detecting strong readings of gravimetric radiation just beyond the ship.”

Nitus nodded at the update looking out of the viewscreen feeling the all-too-familiar weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders. A weight that if anyone else on her ship was put under they would surely crack, but she had to stand strong not only for her sake but the ones under her command as well.

“Continue on course at quarter impulse power,” she ordered. “Ms. Jackson, begin long-range scans. Let's see what else is out there.”

Nitus sat in her ready room as she waited for more information from her senior staff. She had come to appreciate how efficiently they carried out her commands, their professionalism, and skill a testament to the high standards of Starfleet.

Breaking the calm atmosphere of her private space was the emergency klaxon and the red lights she had grown to associate with danger. She moved briskly onto the bridge.

“Report!” she said urgently crossing the space from the door to her chair in a blur.

Laura moved quickly trying to scan what was transpiring. “Commander, we're detecting a large spike in gravimetric radiation,” she reported, her tone calm but urgent. “It's off the charts. Something big is happening.”

Nitus' eyes narrowed. “Source?”

“Unknown, ma'am,” Laura said, her fingers moving quickly across her console and dancing over the controls. “But it's escalating rapidly. Wait-," she paused, panic overcame her facial features. "I'm picking up an energy distortion. Some form of vortex is forming.”

Looking out of the viewport everyone on the bridge could see a swirling vortex of dark energy, its edges cracking with an eerie light goldish light. Nitus felt a chill run down her spine. She like most officers of Starfleet had read the stories from the Voyager.

“Shields up,” she commanded. “All hands to battle stations. Lieutenant, get me a detailed scan of that aperture.”

Before Laura could even respond, the ship lurched violently. Nitus grabbed the arm of her chair, eyes wide as the gravity of the situation reached her once again.

“A large field of debris is leaving the aperture,” Mason shouted from the operations console. “We've been hit-”

The ship was hit again this one caused everyone on the bridge to hit the ground. Everyone on the deck fell unconscious. Debri had hit the port nacelle, and then the impulse drive which sent the ship spinning.

With no input from the helm console the ship drifted towards the aperture, and with all the ship's power cut off the vessel moved helplessly into the aperture as it swallowed them whole.