Q's Departure Flash

An instantaneous, incandescent burst of light and spatial distortion that detonates around Q and the Enterprise like a snapped film negative. A concentrated core of electric-blue-white luminescence unfurls into a peripheral shimmer that rips the visible starfield into streaks; no solid form, wiring, or device underlies it. The effect lasts a breath — enough to displace the ship and then collapse into a lingering afterglow — and the bridge crew recoils, mouths open, their features registering shock, humiliation and grief as instrumentation re-centers and empty duty stations register casualties.