Types of Space Storms

There are several types of events that happen in deep space that space travelers refer to as storms.  This is a brief description of the several types of space storms.

Gamma Ray Burst

Big, cosmic events can release huge amounts of energy in the form of gamma rays.  Even the best shielding can do little to protect life-forms from the full power of a gamma ray burst.  Fortunately, the vast distances to such events means that most of that energy has usually dispersed by the time it gets near inhabited worlds.  Close proximity to such events is not advised. 

Gravitational Waves

These are caused by large-scale cosmic events, such as black holes colliding.  The magnitude of the distortion in space-time caused by these waves is usually small enough that it isn't noticeable in normal space, but ships in hyperspace can be thrown off course substantially, or even broken up by the distortions.  Gravitational waves caused at least one colony ship to crash on New Albuquerque.

Meteor Shower

This happens when a ship passes through an area containing a number of small asteroids, or alternately when a group of asteroids strike a planet or other habitation.  The main threat of this type of storm comes from the relative velocity between the ship and the asteroids.  This type of event can damage or destroy a ship in space.  Planets with substantial atmospheres generally have the asteroids burn up before they strike the ground.

Neutronium Burst

Sometimes, even neutron stars are destroyed.  They might crash into other neutron stars, or get engulfed by a black hole.  When this happens, fragments of hyperdense neutronium can be released in what is known as a Neutronium Burst.  The high density of these fragments makes them far more dangerous than asteroids. 

Stellar Flares

Most stars have events of this type, at least occasionally.  Stellar flares cause plumes of electrically charged plasma to erupt through space.  If they strike a planet or a ship, Stellar Flares can disrupt communications, take out power systems and destroy electronics.

Unstable Wormholes

The fabric of space is not as stable as it might seem.  Wormholes to distant places and times, (and even even parallel universes) occasionally appear for unknown reasons, and at unpredictable places and times.  These wormholes can flash in and out of existence in an instant, or linger for years, providing access to distant places and times.  General Zarlok used such a wormhole to end the 1,000 Years War.

Shipboard Combat

In the space-fairing societies that consider themselves civilized, certain rules have developed for occasions when fighting takes place aboard a ship or space station.  These rules derive from the hard realities of life in space.  Spaceship hulls tend to be thin to conserve weight, and the survival of the crew depends on certain life-support systems working.  The Empire of 1,000,000 Suns developed essentially the same set of rules that developed in Human-controlled space for these very reasons.  These rules only apply to combat on board a ship or station, naval actions between ships have their own rules of engagement.

Combat aboard a ship or station is hand-to-hand.

A variety of exotic melee weapons may be employed, including plasma-swords,  nano-edge graphene blades, stun batons, etc.  Ranged weapons are actually illegal for shipboard use in most cultures because a stray shot could pierce the hull, or damage life support systems.  The same goes for explosives and gasses.

Deliberately damaging or targeting life support systems is forbidden.

In a boarding action this benefits both the attacker and the defender.  Whoever wins, at least the air supply won't run out.

Survivors on the losing side are to be returned to a habitable location.

Depriving the losers of a battle of life-support is not allowed.  Forcibly removing a sentient life-form out of an airlock is considered murder.  Survivors of a battle are to be returned to an inhabited station or planet, where authorities can deal with them.  Most ships include a brig, where prisoners can be kept.  

In extreme cases, the most dangerous captives are marooned in an escape pod, left to fend for themselves in the void of space with minimal supplies.  This exonerates the captor while ensuring the safety of the ship.

There are some entities that do not abide these rules, the Engine of Negation (the extremist branch of the Cult of Troniac bent on the elimination of organic life) is an example.  For this they are considered barbaric, and dishonorable, and typically not afforded the protections set forth in these rules.