Star Rider Phase Engine

The Star Rider Phase Engine is the standard engine used by the Protectors Of The Alliance and the Raiconian Alliance for Faster-Than-Light-Travel and slower-than-light travel.

The Star Rider Phase Engine was designed to assist the Raiken in exploring the stars when they sought to expand their influence and find new worlds. It is a dual-purpose engine, allowing STL and FTL travel. Designs for the Star Rider were originally developed around 375 RAC and have been improved since. It is now a much faster and more stable engine.

• Designer: Protectors Of The Alliance (Ziras Shai vi Culir)
• Manufacturer: Protectors Of The Alliance (Ziras Shai vi Unar)
• Fielded By: Raiconian Alliance
• Maximum Speed (FTL): 720c
• Maximum Speed (STL): 0.075c

The Star Rider Phase Engine, as its name implies, goes through phases as it is used for FTL travel.

The first phase is when the ship stops moving and begins charging the FTL engine with its central fusion reactor. This process takes several minutes and leaves the ship vulnerable to attack, as it is unable to maneuver. The engines start to glow brighter and brighter as the engine is charged.

When the engine is fully charged, the ship will create a bubble around itself and anything that is nearby. Anything within this bubble is protected from the dangers of FTL travel. The ship will start moving forward very slowly, the engines pulsing brightly. After a few seconds, the ship will appear to glow then disappear as it enters FTL.

While the ship is traveling at FTL speeds, the fusion reactor will continually supply the FTL engine with power. The ship is capable of moving at FTL speeds for very long periods of time. While the ship is in FTL, weapons and other defensive measures are offline.

As the ship nears its destination, it begins to slow down, although this change is not noticeable to the inhabitants of the vessel. When the ship slows to an appropriate speed, the FTL engine will cease to generate its protective bubble, returning the vessel to normal space. It is advised to be either sitting or holding onto something when this change occurs, as the sudden shift is liable to throw unsecured objects to the ground. With FTL travel over, the engine will revert to its STL state, where it draws much less power from the fusion reactor.