UNSC Pillar of Autumn

This article is about the UNSC vessel. For the longsword of the same name scheme, or other articles of the same name, see C709 Longsword and The Pillar of Autumn.

UNSC Pillar of Autumn
Ship history
	Unified Earth Government
Name:	Pillar of Autumn
Class:	Halcyon-class light cruiser
Identification:	C-709
Operator:	UNSC Navy
Manufacturer:	Reyes-McLees Shipyards, Mars
Naval architect:	Dr Robert McLees Senior Engineer Crokett (refit)
Launched:	December 1, 2510
Fate:	Self-destructed on September 22, 2552 to destroy Alpha Halo
Captain(s):	Captain Jacob Keyes
Artificial intelligence(s):	Cortana Wellsley
Motto:	Ad Arcendam Hostium (To Repel the Enemy)
General characteristics Type: Cruiser Length: 1,171 meters (3,840 ft) Width: 352 meters (1,150 ft) Height: 398 meters (1,310 ft) Mass: Pre-2552 refit: 11 million tonnes Post-2552 refit: 9 million metric tons Power plant: Pre-2552 refit: 3 Mark II Hanley-Messer DFRs Post-2552 refit: Experimental reactor set (1 primary, 2 secondary) Maneuver drive: Pre-2552 refit: 3 Mark II Hanley-Messer DFR Post-2552 refit: 2 Boglin Fields' Starfire-IV fusion rockets (primary) 8 R7 thrust couplings Emergency thruster Slipspace drive: Kawanishi Engineering's SED-2550X (Series V CODEN) Crew: 1,000 Naval personnel Complement: 800 Marines 400 ODSTs Army personnel (unknown complement) Troops: 20 M808B Scorpions 60 M12 Warthogs 9+ M145D Rhinos (previously) 79th Infantry Battalion Hull: Titanium-A battleplate Armaments: Post-2550 refit: 1 MAC 10 M58 Archer missile pods 40 M910 Rampart point defense guns Post-2552 refit: 1 Mark II, Light Coil - 56A2D4/MAC 4 Shiva-class nuclear missiles mounting HAVOK warheads 32 M58 Archer missile pods 18 M910 Rampart point defense guns 8 Mark 33 Spitfire naval coilgun batteries 6 M66 Sentry autocannons Air wing: 5 GA-TL1 Longsword fighters 12 D77 Pelicans 2 D96 Albatross At least 18 Class-3 Bumblebees 216 drop pods (M8823 HEV and M8900 SOEIV) UH-144 Falcons

Thel 'Vadamee: "There was only one ship."

High Prophet of Truth: "One? Are you sure?"

Thel 'Vadamee: "Yes. They called it the Pillar of Autumn."

— Conversation between 'Vadamee and the High Prophet of Truth.

UNSC Pillar of Autumn, (hull classification symbol C-709), was a