Ion disturbances can form in the deep void of spaces just outside of the echo star cluster. They are normally prevented from forming by the stellar winds radiating from the stars of the echo cluster. They are area high speed charged particles that are bounded by a natural warp shell that enables them to travel at faster than light speeds. The energies within the disturbance are constant through out the disturbance.
Disturbance have two phases:
The power increase phase: The disturbances voltage and speed will slowly increase as the size of the disturbance decreases to a smaller diameter.
The weakening phase: The disturbances voltage and speed decreases as the diameter of the disturbance increases.
Sometimes a weakening disturbance will suddenly increase in size while loosing a great amount of both speed and energy. These effect is commonly known as pan caking.
The heading vector of a ion disturbance can not change more than 20 degrees per turn.
There are five classes of disturbances, the class is determined by the voltage of the disturbance.
ION Disturbances
Class 1: ( Harmless ) Voltage is less than 50 meV
Class 2: ( Moderate ) Voltage ranges from 50 to 99 meV
Class 3: ( Strong ) Voltage ranges from 100 to 149 meV
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Storm Level
Class 4: ( Dangerous ) Voltage ranges from 150 to 199 meV
Class 5: ( Very Dangerous ) Voltages at or above 200 meV
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Storms and disturbances will not harm planets, only starships.
All starships can navigate a class 1, class 2 or class 3 ion disturbance with full shields.
All ion disturbances and storms make cloaking impossible.
Class 4 and class 5 storms can damage or destroy a starship. They can also kill the ships crew.
When a storm enters a class 4 or class 5 ion storm the ships shields will be rendered inoperative.
There are two factors that can prevent a ship from being destroyed. Mass of the ship and the experience level of the crew. Crews can gain experience from traveling through space and through combat with enemy starships. Alchemy ships gain experience by using the onboard alchemy machinery. Crew experience is also gained from flying through a storm.
Solid matter acts as a damper against the effects of voltage fluxes. If you must travel through a ion storm, be sure to load the ship with as much fuel and cargo as possible.
Class 4 and class 5 ion storms will drag starships along with them. The drag speed is 75% of the speed of the storm.
There have been reports of ion storms with voltages over 451 meV having an unexplained effect on starships. Starships that have entered storms of that power and have ether been destroyed or just vanished, never to be seen again.