TL12 only technology which is based on designs left by the Ancients. Black globes generate a field around the ship which absorbs all energy that intersects with it. Once the energy of the field exceeds its capacity, it radiates the stored energy violently.
Black globes prevent seeing in or out, so a en-globed ship cannot navigate or use its own weapons. A globe can be flickered, enabling weapons to be fired during the down time of the globe, but reducing the energy from incoming enemy fire.
If matter intersects with the globe, then it absorbs the kinetic and thermal energy of the matter, which can be considerable. Black globes used within an atmosphere have a similar problem, since they rapidly freeze the air around them and overload.
A black globe generator has a displacement tonnage which is proportional to the square of the radius. Modern warships designed to mount black globes tend to be spherical in order to optimise this. A black globe generator does not take up any surface area, and is entirely located within the depths of the ship. For example:
| Ship | Radius | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Azhanti High Lightning | 200m | 40,000 |
| Tigress Dreadnaught | 112m | 12,544 |
The actual tonnage is equal to the radius (in metres) squared, multiplied according to the TL of the generator. Black globes are not available before TL12. Note that Yags style TLs are used, so TL12 is highest level of Imperial technology.
| TL | Base Mass | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | x0.10 | x0.5 |
| 13 | x0.05 | x1.0 |
| 14 | x0.03 | x2.0 |
The capacity of a Black Globe is proportional to its radius.