UNSC Leviathan: Difference between revisions

{{Era|UNSC|HCW}}

|role=[[Flagship]]<ref name="universe"/>

|height={{Convert|375|m|ft|sp=us}}<ref name="model"/>

|commission=After [[2510]]<ref name="age" group="note"/>

|destroyed=[[2552#August|August 30, 2552]]<ref name="universe"/><ref name="enc270">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 270'' (2011)</ref>

|battles=*[[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]]<ref name="enc270"/>

*[[Fall of Reach]]<ref name="enc270"/>

|captains=[[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]]<ref name="universe"/>

'''UNSC ''Leviathan''''', affectionately known as the '''''Levi''''',<ref name="Drop">'''[[Data Drop]]''', ''#4''</ref> was a {{Class|Marathon|heavy cruiser}} in service with the [[UNSC Navy]], before and throughout the [[Human-Covenant War]]. The cruiser served as the [[flagship]] of [[Battlegroup Leviathan|Battlegroup ''Leviathan'']] and was commanded by [[Vice Admiral]] [[Michael Stanforth]], the former head of [[Office of Naval Intelligence#Section Three|ONI Section Three]]<ref name="TFoR">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 188'' (2010)</ref> and the commander of [[FLEETCOM Sector Three]].<ref name="universe"/>

==History==

By [[2552#July|July of 2552]], ''Leviathan'' was one of the twenty cruisers remaining within the [[UNSC fleet]].<ref name="TFoR"/> Upon receiving warning of the [[Covenant]]'s intended attack on [[Sigma Octanus IV]], Stanforth and [[Battle Group Leviathan|Battle Group ''Leviathan'']] was the first to respond and arrived in [[Sigma Octanus system|the system]] on [[2552#July|July 17, 2552]].<ref name="universe"/><ref name="TFoR"/> Leading UNSC naval forces aboard ''Leviathan'', Stanforth moved his fleet into a position between the planet and its [[moon]] to combat the oncoming [[Covenant fleet]]. ''Leviathan'' and the rest of the fleet managed to fire upon the Covenant vessels with a massive volley of [[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|MAC]] slugs. However, the UNSC fleet was unable to avoid the incoming salvo of Covenant [[plasma torpedo]]es. The {{UNSCShip|Cradle}} positioned itself between the two fleets and absorbed most of the torpedoes, leading to the [[refit station]]'s destruction. Stanforth ordered all ships to break formation and attack the Covenant vessels before they recharged their weaponry.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 215-222'' (2010)</ref>

As the engagement continued, the UNSC fleet managed to prevail over the Covenant and succeeded in destroying many hostile vessels. ''Leviathan'' was hit with a plasma torpedo, heavily damaging the ship's foredecks.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 224'' (2010)</ref> The cruiser took numerous other damages during the battle,<ref name="enc270"/> moderately injuring Stanforth and several members of its crew. ''Leviathan'' and seven other ships later assisted the {{UNSCShip|Iroquois}} in combating a [[Covenant destroyer]], upon Captain [[Jacob Keyes]]' request. As ''Leviathan'' and the other ships attacked the destroyer, the ship disengaged ''Iroquois'' and left the system along with the rest of the Covenant fleet.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 227-229'' (2010)</ref> After the battle, several [[dropship]]s of [[UNSC Marines]] returned from Sigma Octanus IV and docked with ''Leviathan''; the cruiser left the system once the Marines were aboard.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 242'' (2010)</ref>

After the battle, ''Leviathan'' returned to [[Reach]] on [[2552|July 18, 2552]], where a boatswain determined that repairs would take at least two months. Stanforth then sent a request to [[UNSC Fleet Command|FLEETCOM]], asking for the ship's crew to be transferred to the {{UNSCShip|Coenwulf}} while he "made rounds" at [[HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6]] in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]] on [[Earth]].<ref name="Drop"/>

UNSC ''Leviathan'' was presumably repaired and operational during the final weeks of the [[Fall of Reach]]. Stanforth led Battlegroup ''Leviathan'' throughout the [[Epsilon Eridani system]] in battle against the Covenant.<ref name="journal"/><ref>'''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''', ''[[ONI memorial]]''</ref> On [[2552#August|August 12, 2552]], the [[battlegroup]] returned to Reach for emergency repairs and refit.<ref name="journal"/> Soon after the arrival of the Covenant's [[Fleet of Particular Justice]], Stanforth organized the remnants of the [[Epsilon Eridani Fleet]] over Reach aboard ''Leviathan'' on [[2552#August|August 30, 2552]]. However, the Covenant fleet eventually managed to destroy Stanforth's final line of defense and ''Leviathan'' was destroyed, resulting in Stanforth's death.<ref name="universe"/><ref name="enc270"/>

**''[[The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole]]''<ref name="age" group="note">According to the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]'', the ''Marathon'' class was introduced as a replacement for the aging [[Halcyon-class light cruiser|''Halcyon'' class]]. The ''Halcyon'' was designed in 2510 and likely did not enter service until years later. However, ''The Impossible Life and the Possible Death of Preston J. Cole'' depicts a ship called the ''Leviathan'' under the command of then-Admiral Harold Stanforth in [[2503|June 2503]]. One may infer that the ''Leviathan'' mentioned in the story was an earlier ship that served as the ''Marathon''-class ''Leviathan''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s namesake, as well as a previous flagship for the same commanding officer. See [[Michael Stanforth#Age|here]] for more details.</ref>

==Note==

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[[Category:United Nations Space Command ships]]