Ion Storm

Sure, a lack of Tide is bad of course, you can't go anywhere if the Ion density is too low. But believe it or not, it is entirely possible for there to be too much Tide. In this lecture series I will...

— Carie Wu, senior Astrogator

The background of dark matter plasma that forms the Ion Tide is far from static. It is a highly dynamic system, whose currents periodically wax and wane, flow around the deep gravity wells of star systems, and push against each other. Flow instabilities and boundaries between opposing currents give rise to turbulence that grow and dissipate over the span of days to weeks.
Notable persistent storm systems include the Ion Maelstrom surrounding the galactic core, and the Orion Tempest that separates Sol from the galaxy at large.

Weather Warnings

Ion Storms are extremely hazardous for interstellar travel. The sudden, sharp changes in Ion density put extreme forces on the sails and booms, and excessive dynamic loads will easily de-mast a ship that was never designed for them. Being de-masted is catastrophic, leaving the stricken vessel stranded in the cold, empty void of deep space lightyears away from any nearby star system. Ships that find themselves caught in an Ion Storm are forced to reduce sail or furl entirely to prevent de-masting, and must wait out the storm until it passes.
Ships equipped with Vortex Drives typically fare better than the older Ion Sail ships when traversing an Ion Storm, however the rapid changes in Ion density dramatically reduce travel speed, and create a "slamming" effect on the drive system. Rumours and horror stories abound of vortex drives being ripped from their mountings and tearing through the unfortunate vessel at relativistic speeds.