Human starship

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UNSC and Insurrectionist ships clashing.

Human starships were space faring vessels built by Humans. Humans have maintained and created numerous starships throughout their existence and numerous factions have controlled them often with their purposes and styles of organization.

Overview

Organization

A number of factions operate Human starships, including the Unified Earth Government and its branches the UNSC and the CAA. The Insurrectionist factions United Rebel Front and the New Colonial Alliance as well operated their own ships. Independent human governments such as the Gao Republic own their own ships also.

Beyond governments and political organizations, human corporations also had ships that they owned or otherwise used, like with the Harris-Romner Bank and the Liang-Dortmund Corporation.

In a rare instance of this, the Covenant remnant faction the Keepers of the One Freedom also made use of some human starships.

These ships are differentiated from one another in multiple ways, though the main method is through their names and their prefix. Known prefixes include:

Other identification methods include the Hull classification symbol, the Crew emblem, the UNSC REG system, the UNc system, and the UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping's Freighter identification codes.

Design and specifications

Colony ships in orbit of Luna.[1]

Numerous companies and organizations using numerous shipyards across human space produced or repaired ships. The companies and organizations include the Oros Trading Company, TanSec AB, Halifax Spacewerx, Aerofabrique SA, Reyes-McLees Shipyards, SinoViet Heavy Machinery, and Rhea Station. While the planets and moons housing the shipyards include Reach, Tribute, Mars,[2] Earth,[3] Luna,[1] Biko, and Skopje.[4] Rion Forge considers the best shipyards in the Outer Colonies by 2557 to be at Komoya, Sverdlovsk system.[5]

In some instances, the design or internal characteristics of a human ship have been modified with the technology of an alien species like with the Ace of Spades and a Design seed or the UNSC Gettysburg and Ascendant Justice.

Armament

Humans have had armed ships since the ancient days with the Fibril cutter. After humanity returned to space, human ships were armed with a variety of weaponry including Archer Missiles, M910 Rampart point defense networks, nuclear weapons, and the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon.

Complement

Starfighters and dropships act as complement for ships and ship types across a number of organizations. As well, some ships carry land vehicles like the Mongoose, Warthog or Scorpions. Others will carry a dedicated infantry fighting force that can be deployed from the ship.

Propulsion and movement

Human ships use a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine in order to enter slipspace.

History

Ancient history

Main article: Prehistoric human civilization
Ancient human ships including an Ancient human cruisers.

Humanity was once a highly advanced spacefaring civilization, spanning a number of star systems. They operated a number of ships, including the Prime cruiser. Many human starships fought at the Battle of Charum Hakkor during the Human-Forerunner wars against Forerunner starships. Following which, humanity was fragmented and de-evolved into a variety of subspecies and lost all space travel knowledge in the process.

Rise of humanity

Main article: Domus Diaspora
An unknown human ship class, in the midst of the chaos of the 22nd-century.

Due to the Great Purification, humanity had to rebuild it's space based efforts. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first person to be in space, again.[6] Early human starships included rockets and shuttles.[7]

Unfortunately, It wouldn't be until 2291 before humanity relearned the secrets of Slipstream Space, thanks to the efforts of Tobias Shaw and Wallace Fujikawa[8] In 2362, the first extra-solar colony ship was created, named the Odyssey. This sparked a wave of colonization.[9] Along with the Odyssey, the first known ship of the prolific Phoenix-class colony ship was built.[10] These colonization ships were built or otherwise serviced above Luna.[1]

Insurrection

Main article: Insurrection

By 2490, humans had established 800 colonies, divided by the prospering Inner colonies and the under developed Outer Colonies.[9] Political tension existed because of this division. One of the starting factors of the resulting insurrection was the Callisto Incident which saw the capture of the UNSC Callisto.[11] Space warfare between the UNSC and insurrectionist factions took place.

Around this time, the CAA Chalybeate touched down on Komoya for repairs in the Sverdlovsk system, but wouldn't take flight again. Instead, over decades more ships would land, forming a ship-based city on the moon.[12]

The UNSC developed a number of ship classes during this period including the Valiant-class super-heavy cruiser,[13] the Orion-class assault carrier,[14] and the Halcyon-class light cruiser.[15]

In 2524, the civilian ship National Holiday was destroyed by a bombing from Insurrectionists over Reach.[16]

The wreckage of UNSC ships over Camber.

Human-Covenant war

Main article: Human-Covenant war

The first contact between Covenant species and humans took place when a Covenant starship, Minor Transgression attacked the human freighter This End Up.

Following the start of hostilities, the UNSC stripped the Colonial Military Administration of most of it's naval resources and gave them to NAVCOM.[17]

Over the course of the Human-Covenant war, the UNSC saw huge losses in terms of starships lost. Though with the war, new developments came. Construction on the UNSC Infinity, the largest starship humanity at this point had, began in 2544.[18]

Two Vindication-class light battleships, a Strident-class heavy frigate, and a Poseidon-class light carrier. From the level Midnight
Some of the remaining and newly constructed UNSC ships, circa the New Phoenix Incident.

Post-war

After the war, an unprecedented addition human ships was created, the energy shield. The Autumn-class heavy cruiser, the Strident-class heavy frigate and the Infinity-class supercarrier were all added to the UNSC's fleet; all three had built in shielding.[19][20]

As well, the various ship battles over the course of the war created debris fields over human colonies. One instance of this was over Tribute.[21] Civilians could also scavenge some of these ruined ships and even claim them using loopholes in the maritime salvage law.[22]

Types

Warship

Main article: Warship
A line up of several UNSC warships, including carriers, cruisers, a frigate and a destroyer.

The UNSC has operated most of humanity's post-Great Purification fleets, including their most powerful warships. These include the powerful cruisers, carriers and a battleship class. Smaller vessels include corvettes, frigates, and destroyers.

Insurrectionists as well managed to capture or otherwise procure warships. The Iliad, a United Rebel Front frigate, was known to harass and attack UNSC ships around Eridanus II in 2517.[23] The URF also operated a destroyer, the URF Origami.[24]

Ships of the type

UEG ships
For the UEG's warships, see UNSC starship and Colonial Military Administration
Insurrectionist ships
For the URF's warships, see United Rebel Front
Faction Class Ship Name Notes
Unknown Charon-class light frigate Bellicose Captained by Lyrenne Castilla.
Independent government ships
Faction Class Ship Name Notes
Gao Republic Basilisk Independence
Patrol corvette Esmeralda

Colony ships

Main article: Colony ship
Phoenix-class colony ships.

Humanity maintained numerous colony ships, the Phoenix-class colony ship, the Star Charter-class colony support ship, and an unidentified colony ship.

Ships of the type

UEG ships
For the UEG's colony ships, see UNSC starship and Colonial Administration Authority
Corporate ships
Faction Class Ship Name Notes
Liang-Dortmund Corporation Star Charter-class colony support ship Meridian 5-Alpha Grounded to Meridian
Unknown NZ-111 27 Colonized Darkstar Station, Meridian
Other
Class Ship Name Notes
Unknown Odyssey Colonized Reach

Cargo and transport ships

Several cargo ships and Freighters were created by humans. This includes the Parabola-class freighter, the Laden-class freighter, the Bactrian-class freighter, the Unidentified civilian cargo ship, and the Mariner-class transport ship.

Ships of the type

UEG ships
For the UEG's colony ships, see UNSC starship
Civilian ships
Main article: Civilian vehicles
Class Ship Name Notes
Parabola-class freighter Laden Unknown
Mariner-class transport ship Ace of Spades Unknown
Unknown Distancia Unknown
Finnegan's Wake Unknown
Floral Express Unknown
Kestrel Destroyed
Petya Abandoned
Pilgrims' Pride Destroyed
Corporate ships
Class Ship Name Notes
HRB Flintlock Securities transit ship
Non-human operated ships
Faction Class Ship Name Notes
Keepers of the One Freedom Laden-class freighter True Light

Luxury vessels

Among the various human luxury vessels are Yachts; personal craft in use by civilians primarily.

Ships of the type

Class Ship Name Notes
Unknown Two Drink Minimum
National Holiday Destroyed in Insurrectionist bombing

Tug

Main article: Tug

Ships of the type

Class Ship Name Notes
Unknown Galileo's Worst Enemy Unknown

Gallery

Sources