| T’Ong Nebula |
|---|
 T’Ong Nebula [Reference Grid 2217-Beta]
|
| Astrometric Catalogue Entry |
|---|
| Other Designations | Daq Qel’joQ, Na kilhra |
| Sector | Qo’nos Sector, Beta Quadrant |
| Class | Class-7 Subspatial Plasma Nebula |
| Category | High-Volatility / Subspace-Disrupted Region |
| Physical Characteristics |
|---|
| Radius | 2 ly |
| Age Estimate | <100,000 Sol years (likely formed by stellar collapse) |
| Distance from Qo’nos | 12 light years (to centre) |
| Composistion | Ionised trace gas, silicate microdust, polarised tetryons, chronometric shear flux |
| Anomalous Details |
|---|
| Subspace Index | Δ-3.78 (anomalous oscillations detected) |
| Warp Propagation Grade | Class D – Navigation restricted to ≤ Warp 2 under standard shielding |
| Sensor Status | Resolution degradation at 65% due to plasma interference and latent graviton scattering |
| First Surveyed By | Klingon EmpireIKS Qorcha’ (K’t’inga-class), under Captain Torath of the Blade, c. 2293, during pursuit of fleeing Romulan scouts after the Khitomer Accords. United Federation of PlanetsInitial Starfleet charting by the USS Mayhew (Oberth-class), Lt. Cmdr. Elira T’Nass, Astrometrics Officer, 2321, Beta Quadrant survey initiative. Romulan Star EmpireBelieved to have had covert knowledge as early as 2289, with Commander Siran tr’Vennak reportedly using the region to mask classified Tal Shiar reconnaissance activity. |
 Beta Quadrant Galactic Starmap - Displaying Major Systems in the [Qo’nos Sector]
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Nestled along the border between Federation and Klingon space, the T’Ong Nebula sees the long disputed border pass through it. While its location and ability to conceal those traveling through it has been used to hide entire task forces and fleets multiple times through the years, the nebula itself has not historically been seen as particularly tactically significant to either side.
Sometimes the nebula has been referred to as “The Romulan Veil” by Klingon patrols, citing past skirmishes and mysterious vessel disappearances in the region.
Classifications & Local Naming
| Known to Klingon navigators as Daq Qel’joQ (“the Cloud of Half-Sight”) - a place where glory is earned or lost without witness.
| Federation cartographers refer to it as a Class-7 Subspatial Plasma Nebula or ‘Hazard Zone’ under the Unified Nebula Designation System.
| Among Romulan crews, hushed reference is made to “the Veil”, linked to older Tal Shiar training folklore.
Navigational Advisories
Class D – Navigation restricted to ≤ Warp 2 under standard shielding. For further information see: Warp Propagation Grade and associated Warp Traversal Speeds/Times in this data entry.
The T’Ong Nebula remains on Strategic Watchlist Delta. Vessels entering the region should be equipped with adaptive shield modulation, hardened deflector arrays, and subspace dampening fields. Transporter operations are highly discouraged due to severe signal refraction. Temporal irregularities observed in drift beacons near sector fringe (G-9 subzone).
History
The history of the T’Ong Nebula is mostly captured through conflicts and failed exploration attempts from Klingon, Federation and even Romulan efforts. While some exploration efforts held more success than others, the volatile region and frequent ongoing conflicts left little room for ongoing studies.
Notable Historical Incidents
| 2329: Klingon patrol ship IKS Vorkar vanished; wreckage later found with heavy disruptor scarring and no life signs.
| 2387: Following the Hobus supernova, several Romulan refugee vessels were reported missing while transiting near the nebula.
| 2424: Unstable subspace readings spike following suspected singularity breach event. The USS Tucker initiates investigation.
Notable Contemporary Events
The Dovarnis Initiative Exploration and Colonisation Effort (2425)
The newly established colony of Dovarnis III, in a previously uncharted system deep within the nebula, operates under the aegis of the ‘Alliance’ on paper, but remains outside its direct control in practice.
With colonisation and terraforming efforts ongoing, the initiative represents a bold, fragile foothold for life in a region marked by rising instability, spatial anomalies, and latent political intrigue.
Please see this reference file for more information on the Initiative.
The Mycelial Crisis and Klingon Civil War (2419-2421)
Suspected but never confirmed, it is believed that Klingon forces were significantly built up in hidden shipyards within the nebula following the Iconian War, allowing the Klingons to field larger fleets in a shorter period of time than the Federation had been able to. These forces would not be revealed to the galaxy until J’mpok sought to claim control of the empire in 2420.
The Klingon-Federation War (2404-2413)
Long a thorn in the side of the Empire and the Federation, the shrouded worlds in this system hid the approach of ships from the far sides of the Neutral Zone.
Young, ambitious captains in the KDF often cut their teeth on patrols in this area, often stepping beyond their bounds and pushing further into Federation controlled areas, often being pushed back by the newly recommissioned and refit Delta and Epsilon outposts.
Control of several research bases (and their high gain sensor arrays) within the interior of the nebula swapped sides multiple times until 2408 when several stations were destroyed with tricobalt weaponry.
Both the Federation and Klingon Empire denied responsibility for these actions, but it is strongly suspected a rogue faction within either side purposefully carried out the attack to ensure neither side had an advantage over this area of space.
Notable Phenomena
The T’Ong Corridor
In 2419, the first known occurrence of the corridor was observed, with a second sighting in 2422. It is expected to be observed again in Earth date August, 2425.
A subspace phenomenon, the corridor has the unusual effect of acting as a shortcut through the nebula between two points of normal space. Those travelling through the corridor, even at impulse speeds, do not notice a significant difference from traveling at warp 5, able to cross the entire 4 light year distance in just over a week. Light also seems to be affected by the corridor, and a clear path can be seen through the nebula from the right angle, with the same light-lag as would be expected from a distance of 0.2 light years. Each time the corridor has been observed, it has existed for 3 months.
Graviton Flux Behaviour
Navigational scans have confirmed vector displacement anomalies of up to 1.3 light-minutes, wherein starship course telemetry appears to diverge from actual position due to temporary, micro-localised warping of space. This results not from traditional gravimetric shear, but from short-range spatial refractive lensing, distorting both inertial reference frames and subspace navigational signals.
Starfleet vessels operating within the affected band have reported:
- Loss of synchronisation with standard galactic positioning systems for intervals up to 47 seconds.
- Temporary misalignment of stellar cartographic overlays, leading to ghost object duplication on short-range sensors.
- Sudden inertial drift despite engine stabilisation, requiring constant helm correction to maintain course fidelity.
While not immediately dangerous under impulse power, vessels at warp or with active transwarp buffers may experience trajectory dilation, causing phased entrance or exit from the subspace domain. This is considered hazardous for ships with non-hardened warp cores or vessels attempting precision approach to known coordinates (e.g. waystations, beacons, or relay points).
Warp Propagation Grade
Class D – Navigation restricted to ≤ Warp 2 under standard shielding.
The T’Ong Nebula is classified Grade D on the Starfleet Warp Propagation Index, indicating severe disruption to stable warp field geometry. This classification reflects intense interference from subspace shear fronts, polarised plasma turbulence, and fluctuating gravimetric gradients within the nebula’s structure.
Warp fields above threshold velocity tend to deform unevenly, causing:
- Lateral drift off projected vectors.
- Warp bubble instability, risking core dampening fluctuations.
- Intermittent slipstream bleed, triggering navigational sensor ghosts.
Ships traversing the nebula at speeds greater than Warp 2 risk field collapse or unintentional emergence into adjacent subspace layers. Vessels equipped with advanced adaptive field harmonics or reinforced warp governors may navigate safely at slightly higher thresholds, but such actions are discouraged without continuous telemetry relays.
Due to the nebula’s influence on subspace coherence, it is also rated Red Priority: Restricted by Starfleet’s Hazard Navigation Office. Transit must be authorised and pre-cleared via Beta Quadrant Command.
Warp Traversal Speeds/Times
Traversal at Warp 2: ~ 145 days (entire diameter)
Traversal at Warp 6: ~ 4 days (entire diameter)
Changelog
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Changelog
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1.4 - Wikipedia style “infobox”, minor rearrangements and heading changes. @NefMoose
1.3 - Wall of Text reduce using Details functionality. @nynik
1.2 - Added traversal by warp speed/time calcs. @nynik Source: https://www.st-minutiae.com/resources/warp/index.html
1.1 - Adjustments to format structure, expansion of flavour info, addition of body text in places @nynik
1.0 - Initial Data @NefMoose
