Maelstrom

The Maelstrom

The Maelstrom is a large tetryon storm in the Shoals. The storm has existed for centuries and perhaps even millennia. It emerges from the Shadows and follows a regular path as it moves across the sector, and though dangerous, its arrival marks the coming opening of Missirian's Pass as the densest tetryon fields part in its wake.

Until it clears the area and returns to the Shadows, any sane captain will keep his ship out of its way. The tendrils of the storm whip around in a spiral, extending nearly three light years in diameter. The entire storm itself moves at sublight speeds, but it is able to disable the warp drive of any ship that attempts to cross it, trapping it and carrying the unlucky vessel for the rest of its never-ending journey. Over the years, the Maelstrom has "collected" over a hundred ships and small craft that weren't able to escape its clutches. As such, the storm has earned the nickname the "Rag-and-Bone Man" among the locals as it continues to scoop up debris, waste, and other space junk along its path.

In 2394, the Maelstrom destroyed Yorba Station, a small refueling station, after it hurled the freighter Tiburon 433 into the station, obliterating the station before it too was quickly swept up into the Maelstrom's collection.