Otherdrive

The Otherdrive is a device similar to a hyperdrive that allows ships to cross the dimensional barrier of realspace and enter otherspace safely. The otherdrive works in conjunction with a hyperdrive to make the trip possible. Once a vessel is in hyperspace, the otherdrive activates and creates a portal into the other dimension. The same is required for the return trip.

Using an otherdrive can be very perilous since there's no telling where a ship will end up in the other dimension unless it's navicomputer has been specially programmed to correlate the navigational data of both dimensions. Without such data, a ship could enter the other dimension right into a hyperspace shadow and be destroyed.

To work around this problem, the Cult of Shadow initiated their first jump at the planet of Stronghold, where a known Charon incursion from otherspace had already occurred. Then, once in otherspace, they acquired the otherspace navigational data from Charon ships in order to build a map that showed how the two dimensions related to each other in order to return safely.

It's been speculated that an otherdrive can take a ship to dimensions other than otherspace, however such theories haven't been tested yet.

=History= The otherdrive was developed by the Cult of Shadow at the command of its leader, Sivter, so he could have the means to bring about the War of Darkness. The Dark Lord Nelar Rel’ot, a Givin mathematical genius, was placed in charge of the project and eventually met success after the cult acquired data about how the Charon group known as the Cult of Light managed to cross the barrier.