Lavender Nebula

The Lavender Nebula is a huge gas nebula that dominates the night sky of Oz. It takes its name from the dominate color of the gas. It is roughly centered on 1/-17 the nebula runs for 40 light years, 15 light years wide from the spinward core to the anti-spinward rim.
The Lavender Nebula is noted for the preponderance of second order elements. DiHydrogen is common in the nebula as is DiLithium. DiSodium can even be found. 
It is also a star Nursery. In recent memory two stars have lit off in the nebula.
It is also a producer of weirdness. The ISS Dannon came out of the nebula, a stable Mirror Universe event. Recently it produced four intact copies of the USS Defiant NCC-1764. 
It has some kind of connection with the Ghostlands, tossing ships at Oz from various points in the past.
Driving through the nebula at warp is a sure way to make sure the whole Galaxy knows right were you are.
==Effects of the Nebula==
*Communication is garbled -- Starfleet has a protocol that helps, a little. However both subspace and normal space communication is affected. The greater the distance and higher the energy, the worse it is. Communication Buoys have been placed to route subspace around the nebula.
*Sensors are not reliable -- This is related to the communication issue. At short range computer enhancement can aid the issue but not prevent it. Your effective sensor range is a tenth what you are use to. Sensor ghosts are common. Some are not ghosts. 
*Warp Wakes -- The faster you go the further you can be seen. Warp waves are common to any ship using a warp drive. And the nebula is way too large to cross at sub-light. 
*Cloaks are anti stealth -- As those that use them have learned cloaks stand out. Even at zero relative motion the cloak is a bright spot on everyone's sensors. Don't bother.
*Nebula cooties -- If you spend any time in the Lavender nebula at sub-light your ship gets coated with the stuff of the nebula. The warp wake issue will follow you around for months, at a much attuned effect. Only a though ship wash can eliminate it before it wears out on its own. It also clogs bussard scoops and they should not be used in the nebula.
Starfleet recommends that ships avoid the nebula. It is worth the extra couple of days to route around it.
Category:Hazards
Category:Far Sector
Category:Ane Space
Category:Epiphany Trek