What is the network latency like between the two machines?

171k rows is pretty small. Are you executing the index create from the server direct?

Have you tried to kill the create statement?
How long does the kill take...

How do we know it was disembodied? That sounds like we are defining the null.😀

Reminds me of the client that said they couldn't do patching because it would break too many of their ETL consultants processes.

That's about how i feel most days.