WHO: Prince Gorak
WHERE: Bridge of Suid Sidal, a few minutes ago...

Gorak: "Are the shields up yet? What's the hold up?"

Weapons officer: "My prince, I don't know. Still not responding. Talk to the Engineer."

Engineer: (absently rubbing back of head out of habit) "Yes, well. I think the system malfuntion that affected the cloak is causing a power instability that is affecting the shield grid as well. I told those morons back at drydock I wanted the two systems to be fully independent. They insisted that would not be per specs. The shields ARE drawing power, lots of it, but they simply wont kick in. Ah! Looks like the GREASERS on the hull are inhibiting the shield grid. It was designed that way for, uh, safety reasons." (Then, a little too anxious to please the new captain..) "Let me bypass..."

Gorak: "No, wait!"

Too late. When the shields finally kicked in, the extra energy stored up in the capacitor grid created a brief but massive swell of shield power around the ship. A swell large enough to encompass the fed degreaser crew outside. A swell even large enough to bump into the Pondscum Nebula before it subsided back to normal size.

Gorak: "Oh crap."

Engineer: "Oh Crap."

Science Officer: "There goes the degreaser crew."

Rest of bridge crew: "Oh Crap."

Gorak: (over hangar PA) "The dancing was entertaining fellas, but I REALLY must insist that you get a move on with that GWG."