Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To create a new type of hyperdrive for use by the Eternal Empire and CIS
- Image Source: Alexander Lortkipanidze @ArtStation
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Karavin Concern
- Affiliation: Closed-Market | Confederacy of Independent Systems, Eternal Empire
- Model: KC-8086 Phase Shifting Array Hyperdrive (Class 2)
- Modularity: No
Production: Minor
- Material: Chromanin Crystals, Hyperdrive components
- Hyperwave Phase Shifting Array: Utilizing Chromanin crystals in its construction, the KC-8086 is equipped with a Phase Shifting Array, a hyperdrive component which allows ships to slow down and travel at sublight speeds while in hyperspace
- Class 2 Hyperdrive: The KC-8086 is a Class 2 hyperdrive, with average performance during operation as a regular hyperspace engine
- Phase Shifting: Equipped with a Phase Shifting Array, the 8086 allows a ship to slow down to sublight speeds while still in hyperspace, allowing it to remain 'submerged' while this component is active, although it must emerge in order to fire its weapons
- Depth Charges: The activation of gravity wells that are close enough, will pull ships out of hyperspace, even is a Hyperwave Inertial Momentum Sustainer is installed and active
- Gravitational Anomaly: The activation of the Phase Shifting Array will cause a gravitational anomaly which can be detected by gravitic sensors, allowing the triangulation of and eventual pinpointing of the location of the ship utilizing this drive to hide in hyperspace
Developed in the utmost secrecy through a government-commissioned program, the KC-8086 is a new breed of hyperdrive that is produced by Karavin Concern, a Nelvaan-based military-industrial conglomerate which has worked on a number of classified projects for both the Eternal Empire and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, on several other occasions. It is equipped with a device called a Phase Shifting Array, a special component built using Chromanin crystals, which allows any ships utilizing this hyperdrive to slow down to sublight speeds while in hyperspace, effectively remaining 'submerged'.
The potential military applications of this technology, are remarkable, effectively allowing a starship to behave like an ocean-going submarine, only emerging when it fires its weapons, although re-entering hyperspace does take some time and the drive suffers from limitations imposed by the material out of which the Phase Shifting Arrays are fabricated.
The activation of the Phase Shifting Array will cause a gravitational anomaly which can be detected by gravitic sensors, allowing the gradual triangulation of and eventual pinpointing of the location of the ship utilizing this drive to hide in hyperspace and this device does not prevent the detection of the ship upon entry, or exit from hyperspace. Additionally, the activation of a close enough gravity well, will pull the ship out of hyperspace, even if a Hyperwave Inertial Momentum Sustainer is installed, due to interference in the Phase Shifting Array causing a complete shutdown of the hyperdrive, effectively rendering ships equipped with it, vulnerable to gravity well mines and warheads.
Its capabilities have led to the emergence of the concept of Fenris Cruisers, named after Project Fenris, a highly classified program undertaken by the Eternal Empire, which dip in and out of hyperspace, emerging only to scan for targets and fire their weapons, then re-entering hyperspace as swiftly as possible.
