Tetrahedron Expanse

The **Tetrahedron Expanse** is a dark matter dense area within The Outback approximately 10 light years from the Arborea System and approximately 35 light years from the Lurian Nebula.

Most recently, developments of The 26th Fleet's Science and Engineering Departments on Starbase 381 *"Praetorian"* in improving Metaphasic Shield Arrays have made it so most starships can enter into the region. Missions led by the USS *Ramillies* have entered the expanse to attempt to scout out bases of Na'kuhl after an assassination attempt on Admiral Kenzi Alenis. [AAR] Once the base was located, a task group led by Flagship USS *Kendra Valley* was mobilized and moved into the expanse to route them out. [AAR]

# History

For as long as locals remember, there have been legends about what is called the Tetrahedron Expanse. Ships that wander into this region of space are never heard from before. This had led to rumors, legends, and myths regarding this region.

In preliminary survey missions within the Outback, starships came across the expanse. Attempts to chart the inside of the expanse have been limited to a few thousand kilometers before the probes are destroyed by gravimetric forces. Attempts to scan the expanse have resulted in minimal results due to dark matter disturbance. Ships that wandered into this region were pulled into the expanse and eventually crushed or disabled by the forces within.

After the preliminary survey of the area, a caution buoy was set up within 2 light years warning to not enter this region of space.

# Rescue of the USS *Barclay*

On Stardate 92775.14, the USS *Barclay* was last reported answering a distress signal a QUAC freighter. The freighter had wandered into the expanse either with disregard to the warning bouy or due to damage from an attack by the Outback Raiders.

When the *Barclay* went to investigate the scene, the scans were inconclusive. As more power were put into sensors, 20 raiders attacked. The ship was damaged and pulled into the Expanse.

As reported on Stardate 92783.4, a team of ships from Task Force Avalon led by Commander K'Meiuu M'Rella of the USS *Tavistock*, called Task Force Tavistock for this mission, was assigned with a Search and Rescue of the USS *Barclay*. After some time they located the ship and the freighter, but not soon after, the same 20 raiders attacked the task force. After some time, 2 of the raider ships were destroyed and another caught in the tractor beam of the USS *Avenger*.

After the attack, the USS *Kapteyn* sent in a probe with Lieutenant Commander Jacob Downy's shield modifications into the expanse, showing drastically increased stress resistance, although the engines were minimally functional. The task force utilized a "Fishing Line" method in order to rescue the *Barclay.* This method had ships in a line, keeping each other in tractor beams, to pull the target ship out of the expanse. The QUAC Freighter was destroyed before the task force could rescue it, so attention was changed to the USS *Barclay*. All vessels equipped the shield modifications and attempted to pull the *Barclay* out of the expanse; however, the expanse seemed to actively resist the attempt. Communications were able to be reached between the *Barclay* and Task Force Tavistock during this attempt.

The expanse continued continued to resist and the task force attempted several methods of rescue. Eventually, the *Barclay* was freed through the fishing line method, in combination with Lieutenant Commander Downy's shield modifications and Arrain Lauren Tho Ley's idea to use a warp field to lower the mass of the vessels, allowing them to escape the pull of gravity. This was accomplished when then Commander Jyana Kai expanded the warp field to surround all of the vessels in the task force, significantly lowering the gravitational attraction to the dark matter 'pot holes' of the expanse, finally freeing all the vessels. [AAR]