Arcania Cluster

The Arcania Cluster is a stellar cluster in Federation territory of the Deneb Sector, consisting of eight star systems in the Alpha Quadrant. There are no inhabited systems in the cluster. It is also home to the Liakso Array, located on the cluster's periphery.

Overview

The cluster itself is a navigational nightmare for any starship. Starfleet has avoided sending any ships into it; only through unmanned automated probes has it been able to map what is there. The most significant hazards in the cluster are extreme gravimetric distortion and gravimetric shear. In addition, it is known to have neutronic storms constantly. There are also unconfirmed rumours of subspace sinkholes appearing in the cluster too. In the past decade, Starfleet has also been mapping a string of quantum singularities within the cluster. It would take an experienced pilot and skilled stellar cartographer/astrometrics officer to navigate around these anomalies.

Ships with advanced deflectors and shielding have been known to barely survive entering the cluster and returning from it. Not only are there numerous dangers within the region that could damage a ship, but there are also fields of high levels of tetryon radiation that can greatly affect a crew if they’re exposed to it for a long period of time. In some cases, these tetryon fields can pose a hazard to crafts entering them; this includes making energy-based weapons inoperative.

History

Though far from the Breen border, some of Starfleet’s unmanned crafts have been attacked from within the cluster by Breen mercenaries attempting to steal Federation technology and reverse engineer it for their own benefit. However, the last encounter with the Breen in this area of space was last recorded at the end of the Dominion War.

In mid-2397, the Liakso Array detected a large number of spaceborne lifeforms entering and leaving the cluster. Though the telescope has not been able to confirm it, Starfleet scientists have theorised that it is a breeding ground for them. Those planetoids that have been scanned have revealed they are saturated with high amounts of kefnium.

In Play

The Arcania Cluster features in the ‘The Array’ mission in the Lost Fleet campaign and is intended to be used for reference by that mission’s writer. The Liakso Array should thus not be interacted with without consultation with the Intelligence Officer or the mission writer.
The rest of the Arcania Cluster, a vast stretch of space, can freely feature in your storylines as a dangerous and difficult to navigate region of the Deneb Sector.
When entering the cluster (or even flying near it), a ship is advised not to use its auto-pilot system. Due to the constant instabilities within the cluster, Starfleet has not been able to find a way to predict the changes. As a result, your pilot must carefully move your ship through this region and avoid one of the many dangers that inhabit it.
Using the tetryon fields to your advantage may help when trying to escape from the cluster if being pursued by enemy vessels, as their energy-based weapons will not function. However, shields and deflectors must be fully operational to protect your crew from radiation exposure.
Your vessel may encounter one (or a herd) of the spaceborne lifeforms while flying through the cluster. Starfleet has a top priority that these creatures must be left alone and not harmed. They are known to be able to deal heavy damage to anything they consider a threat, especially to their infants.