The Ingeborg Incident was a catastrophic event involving weaponized nanotech that occured in the Ingeborg System in 1710 PD. It was remembered by Manticorans for causing the death of Rear Admiral Ellen D'Orville.
Prelude[]
In 1710 PD, the government of the Terre Haute System received information that the regime of Ingeborgian President for Life Adrian Lipsky was developing a nanotech contagion that they intended to use against Terre Haute. A call for help was sent to the allied Star Kingdom of Manticore, which dispatched a small but powerful squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Ellen D'Orville to investigate the charges. (Companion)
Course of the incident[]
D'Orville proceeded to the Ingeborg System, where the authorities initially denied any interest on their part in nanotech research. The Rear Admiral declined to believe them and pressed politely, but firmly, for a meeting with Lipsky, who eventually agreed to meet with her aboard Ingeborg Alpha, the largest of the system's three artificial habitats.
Unknown to the Manticorans, the laboratory in which the weapon had been developed had already lost containment, and the weapon had already contaminated and depopulated the orbital habitat which had contained it, killing over 350,000 people. President Lipsky hoped to meet with D'Orville, convince her of his innocence, then arrange an "accident" to destroy the contaminated habitat and any evidence.
However, Ingeborg Alpha was also contaminated, although that fact became evident only after D'Orville and her security detachment had boarded the habitat. Lipsky immediately attempted to flee, but was prevented by D'Orville, who took command of the effort to rescue as many of the habitat's over two million inhabitants as possible. Although urged by her flag captain to evacuate herself, she remained, using her own personnel, small craft, and every available civilian Ingeborgian vessel to evacuate personnel from the path of the nano weapon while simultaneously coordinating the effort to contain and confine it.
Approximately two thirds of Ingeborg Alpha's personnel had been removed from the habitat when the nanotech breached the final firewall and containment failed. Rear Admiral D'Orville's final message to her flag captain was the order to destroy the entire habitat with a nuclear strike to ensure the total destruction of the weapon. (Companion)
Aftermath[]
For her rescue of 1.4 million civilians at the cost of her own life, D'Orville became the second ever recipient of the Parliamentary Medal of Valor. After her death left no body behind, she was "buried" in an empty coffin in King Michael's Cathedral in Landing. She went on to become one of the most inspiring heroes of the Royal Manticoran Navy. (Companion,HH8)