UNSC Everest

UNSC Everest was a that served as the flagship of Admiral Preston Cole's fleets during the Human-Covenant War. In 2525, it was the fleet command cruiser of UNSC Battle Group X-Ray, and in 2543, it was the flagship of UNSC Battle Group India. She was likely named after either Earth's Mount Everest or the mountain's namesake, Sir George Everest.

Specifications
The Everest was divided into 51 distinct decks: 20 levels, 30 subdecks, and the hangar deck that divided the two. They were numbered according to their proximity to the hangar deck, which was labeled level zero. Although most decks could be reached via a simple touchpad on an elevator, Levels 13 through to 20 required a biometric fingerprint scan in order to gain access to them. Level 19 was the Flag Deck, where Admiral Cole coordinated the actions of the entire fleet.

Before the Chester W. Nimitz Secure Conference, the coordinate had holograms of a dozen historical naval commanders. Among these included Marcus Agrippa, Oliver Hazard Perry, and Isoroku Yamamoto.

Human-Covenant War
The Everest served as Cole's flagship in battle against the Covenant in the Epsilon Indi, Alpha Aurigae, XI Boötis A, Groombridge-1830, Leonis Minoris, and Psi Serpentis star systems.

On March 7, 2526, during a conference that determined the viability and details of Operation: SILENT STORM, Staff Sergeant Avery Johnson was evaluated and recruited for the operation. After the Battle of Netherop in June 2526, a Court of Inquiry was convened on the Everest to go over the events and to decide what to do with the Castoffs.

Following the Battle of Groombridge-1830 in 2530, Subject 386, a Sangheili captive, was interrogated in the Everest's biohazard ward; from this interrogation, Cole learned the reason for the Covenant's war against humanity. Shortly thereafter, Cole wrote the first draft of his eponymous protocol.

The Everest was presumed destroyed following the Battle of Psi Serpentis while taking out over 300 Covenant vessels by causing the planet Viperidae, a super-gas giant, to undergo artificial fusion and ignite temporarily as a brown dwarf star. In commemoration of Cole's efforts while in command of the Everest, a painting titled Admiral Cole's Last Stand was hung in HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6 in Sydney, Australia, Earth.

Post-war
Codename: SURGEON speculated in his report, Historical/Psychological Analysis of Cole, Preston J., that Cole actually survived the Battle of Psi Serpentis. SURGEON's theory, supported by multiple AIs, was that the ship lost at Psi Serpentis to the Viperidae micronova was actually the, an irreparably damaged cruiser. Codename: SURGEON postulated that Cole used Io as a decoy while the Everest escaped. In any case, the Everest was never seen again.

Crew and complement

 * Vice Admiral Preston Cole
 * Lieutenant Ruta
 * Ensign A. Tischler
 * Petty Officer Second Class Anagnos

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Adjunct
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole
 * Halo: Silent Storm
 * Halo: Oblivion