Husk
System: Cooper’s Veil Nebula
Sector: Cooper
The planet Husk is a dead, charred world that lies in the middle of the hot, churning gases of the Cooper’s Veil nebula. Its own star was engulfed by the expanding wave of stellar matter from the nebula shortly after it was created and if Husk was once a living world, then it is certainly dead now. Husk, however, lies in a “calm zone” in the hot, turbulent stellar gases. Ships can operate there relatively freely without radiation and extreme heat and turbulence concerns. But getting there is half the fun.
The surrounding nebula makes sensors virtually useless, cutting range to 1/10th normal. Gravity and Electromagnetic sensors are completely washed out by the energetic gas clouds. They are useless. Additionally, ships must run their magnetic fields at much higher strengths to keep out dangerous radiation. This requires constant recalibration and adjustments and takes away power from most other systems (especially expensive weapon systems). Every 4 hours a ship is in the nebula, a starship engineering roll must be made at -10% to keep the magnetic shields operating above peak efficiency. Failure means that the hull starts taking damage (4D4x10 M.D. per hour) until the magnetic shields can recharge and be restored (four hours). Engineers must constantly calibrate the magnetic shields, meaning that they must work in shifts, making nebula travel virtually impossible for ships with small crews. If the magnetic shields are down for longer than four hours, the crew begins to take damage: 1D6 S.D.C. the first hour, and then an additional +1D6 for each additional hour (2D6 the second hour, 3D6 the third hour, etc.). Any crew who take hit point damage this way must make a save vs. lethal poison of 16 or better or contract radiation sickness and potentially genetic damage (cancer!).
But Husk is sheltered from all that. And the Arkhon took advantage of that calm zone and their ability to fold space during the first war. Once Arkhon scouts found Husk they were able to use their fold systems to “skip over” the surrounding nebula and its dangers and essentially teleport right into space near Husk. They set up a massive supply depot and shipyard there and from Husk they supplied their ample forces during the war with fresh ships, a place to get repairs and an assembly point for incursions into Protectorate space…all far away from the eyes of Protectorate intelligence.
During the final phases of the war, when the Protectorate was finally pushing the Arkhon back, a task force dared to travel through the nebula to find the hidden Arkhon base. The trip was dangerous and for many it was a one-way journey, but the task force pushed through, discovered the facility and destroyed it in a massive battle. Husk is a graveyard for hundreds of Arkhon ships and its destruction crushed any chance the Arkhon had of winning the war. Once the war was over, both sides left the bleak, burned planet alone. The surrounding nebula and the orbiting graveyard of Arkhon ships make it an inhospitable place, and its only advantage, surprise, is gone. Still, there is a chance that the Arkhon will put another base there, knowing that the Protectorate would have to pay dearly again to get to it. But this time they would have defenses in place to repel an attack, and would not just rely on the nebula to keep the base hidden and safe.
Population: None.
Controlling Clan: None.
Diameter: 5,450
Atmosphere: Sulfur, methane, helium, oxygen and carbon dioxide…not breathable or habitable.
Gravity: .75 G
Calendar: Husk has been knocked free of its mother star, although it is still nearby the star it does not spin nor orbit the star, thus it has no days and no years.
Satellites: None, except a junkyard of Arkhon ships.
Defense Assets: None.
