Unreviewed JJF-262 "Horizon" Netherdrive

[Helix]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a sinister form of FTL travel for the Dzara
• Image Source: Generated via ChatGPT
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: The Dzara
• Affiliation: The Dzara
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: JJF-262 Horizon
• Modularity: Yes
• Production: Minor
• Material:
  • Organic Components: Formgel
  • Electronic Components: Helglass
  • Mechanical/Structural Elements: Helsteel/Blightsteel

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Allows starships to travel to and from the realm of Chaos

STRENGTHS

• Bat Out Of...: The Horizon's transportation speed and accuracy are both superb, particularly over relatively short travel distances.
• Certain Damnation: Horizon-equipped vessels do not utilize hyperspace or hyperlanes, and thus, are particularly difficult to intercept.
• Devil You Know: The Horizon is directly operated by a possessing spirit, and thus, has no traditional input/interface methods. This renders it all but impossible to disable through cyber-attack or other methods intended to seize control of it.
  

WEAKNESSES

• Lost At Sea: The Horizon's transit is fairly hazardous for ship and crew alike, rendering it unsuitable for especially long-distance jumps.
• Exorcised: The drive and its demonic operator are highly vulnerable to strong Light-side emissions, and thus, to boarding parties using such techniques.

DESCRIPTION

An experimental form of FTL transportation, the Horizon is designed to transform and revolutionize Dzara starship design.

Advised by the Dzara's primary demonologist, Neryn Ka, the Horizon is designed to propel vessels through the Netherworld for transport, rather than conventional hyperspace lanes. While this technology is not entirely unknown to the galaxy, the Dzara could not resist putting their own sinister spin on the concept, refining it in ways that only they can.

In effect, each is a large containment chamber housing a live Helwraith, who is responsible for operating the technology directly via its possessive abilities. In turn, the machine enormously amplifies the creature's ability to jump to the Netherworld, enough so to allow it to pull entire vessels into that realm. Dependent on the size of the equipped vessel, these devices might vary wildly in size and appearance. All, however, as a much grown as made, and are revolting fusions of quasi-living flesh, pulsing blood vessels, and mechanical and electronic components. As such, they can be adapted to fit anything from a freighter to a super star destroyer.

This concept offers a number of key advantages, not least among them the inability of interdictor-style vessels to pull Horizon-equipped ships from a jump. Nor is such a ship bound to conventional Hyperspace lanes. It can emerge to virtually any point of the galaxy from virtually any other point, and most conventional forms of FTL interdiction cannot reliably halt it. Last, and perhaps most importantly, a vessel emerging from the Netherworld cannot be detected until it has already materialized. These features make it perfect for the piratical slavers that make up much of the Dzara, suiting an aggressive, risky style of transit.

Netherdrive travel is significantly faster than most traditional hyperdrive alternatives, effectively allowing these vessels to get there fast, get there quiet, and get there reliably.

While intercepting these vessels in flight is effectively a lost cause, the "reliably" part of the pitch still has a few kinks. As the ships in question are dragged through what some cultures refer to quaintly as "hell", travel in this method is far from safe. Long journeys experience an exponentially-increased risk of mishap and ugly consequences, among which death ranks quite low. As such, vessels utilizing this system over long distances typically perform several smaller jumps rather than single larger one, somewhat slowing overall travel time.