Hobus Supernova

The Hobus Supernova [aka the Hobus Hypernova] was a natural disaster which occurred in the year 2387, when the Hobus star went hypernova and sent subspace shockwaves approximately 500 light years in all directions. The event had massive consequences for the galaxy and the galactic powers within it, and claimed the lives of billions of people. Perhaps the most significant consequence was the annihilation of the planets Romulus and Remus.

Cause
The Hobus star in Romulan space was amongst the oldest known stars in the galaxy. On stardate 64333.4, the Romulan mining ship Narada observed unusual behaviour from its magnetic field, forcing it to abandon its mining operations on Hobus I. Realising the threat a potential supernova could cause, Ambassador Spock tried to convince the Romulan Senate and Starfleet that action should be taken. Starfleet refused to commit to any scientific mission, by which time it was too late. Hobus went hypernova approximately 27 hours after stardate 64444.5 and sent a spherical wave of destructive power into space. Romulus and Remus were destroyed along with scores of other colonies. Spock and a small team of scientists formulated a plan to stop the wave by creating an artificial black hole with red matter; the mission was successful, but Spock was killed.

Fallout
The event left the Romulan Star Empire in total disarray, with an estimated 60% of their territory destroyed. The immediate effect was the formation of the Hobus Committee by Starfleet which was intended to deal with the anticipated humanitarian crisis to follow.

Casualty Figures
Whilst the Romulan Star Empire's population has never truly been approximated, even before the event, initial estimates put the total loss in the range of 300 billion souls.

Notable Casualties
- Ambassador Spock

- Praetor Tal'aura

- Armin Doakes