The Great Bloom (or Riftmouth to the Neyel) was one end of a tunnel through space-time that connected the Milky Way Galaxy's Beta Quadrant with the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Milky Way side was located inside the Bassen Rift, close to Romulan space. It was formed there in late 2379 when the Reman warbird Scimitar, under the command of Shinzon, was destroyed in battle with the USS Enterprise-E, as well as the Romulan warbirds IRW Valdore, under the command of Commander Donatra, and IRW Soterus, under the command of Commander Suran.