Editing Tehuantepec

{{infoBoxIndividualVessel
| image      = 
| vesselname = Tehuantepec
| prevname   = 
| type       = WarShip
| class      = [[Essex]]
| prevclass  = 
| servicesince = [[2736]]<ref name="BT:25YoAaFp203+"/>
| serviceuntil = 3 August [[3072]]<ref name="WORp104"/>
}}

The ''[[Essex]]''-class destroyer '''''Tehuantepec''''' was a WarShip of the [[Clan Star Adder Touman|Clan Star Adder ''touman'']].

==History==
As of [[3059]] the ''Tehuantepec'' was one of two ''Essex''-class ships to be in service with the Star Adders, the other being the [[Eagle (Individual Essex-class WarShip)|CSA ''Eagle'']], and formed part of a ready reserve star of five WarShips.<ref name="FM:CCp119">''Field Manual: Crusader Clans'', p. 119, "Naval Assets"</ref> Following the absorption of former [[Clan Smoke Jaguar]] holdings the ''Tehuantepec'' had been returned to full service by [[3067]] under the orders of the Star Adder [[Naval Adjutant]], [[Star Admiral]] [[Tobias McKenna]].<ref name="FM:Up50">''Field Manual: Updates'', p. 50, "Naval Assets"</ref>

===First Engagement in the York System===
In late [[3063]] the ''Tehuantepec'', commanded by [[Star Commodore]] [[Kris Paik]], led a Star Adder taskforce in a successful attempt to gain a foothold on the [[Clan Blood Spirit]] homeworld of [[York (Clan)|York]]. The ''Tehuantepec'' jumped into the York system via a [[Pirate point]], and engaged Blood Spirit space forces including the ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyer ''[[Blood Fury]]'', as Adder forces attempted to land. 

During the last stages of the orbital battle when the Adder's committed the majority of their [[DropShip]]s to landing, the ''Tehuantepec'' was able to attack the ''Blood Fury'' unhindered while the Fury itself focused on causing massive losses to the Adder's troop transports. This caused fatal damage to the ''Blood Fury'', which then chose to attempt a suicidal hyperspace jump in order to cause as much further damage to the Adders as possible. This jump destroyed the ''Blood Fury'', as well as a number of Adder DropShips and [[aerospace fighter]]s, and caused significant damage to the ''Tehuantepec''.<ref name="BT:25YoAaFp203+">''BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction'', pp. 203-210, "The Color of Rage"</ref>

===Second Engagement in the York System===
In [[3072]], [[Khan of Clan Star Adder|Khan]] [[Stanislov N'Buta]] of the Star Adders was looking for revenge against [[Clan Blood Spirit]] for their actions on [[Strana Mechty]], in which the Star Adder enclave was destroyed and [[saKhan of Clan Star Adder|saKhan]] [[Dante Truscott]] was killed. In August, N'Buta mobilized a large part of the Star Adder navy including the [[Alpha Naval Reserve Star (Clan Star Adder)|Alpha Naval Reserve Star]] and again struck at the world of [[York (Clan)|York]]; the ''Tehuantepec'' was one of the WarShips mobilized for the attack.<ref name="WORp104">''The Wars of Reaving'', p. 104, "The Fall of York"</ref>

The ''[[Aegis]]''-class heavy cruiser [[Exsanguine|CBS ''Exsanguine'']] was in the York system at the time, and immediately on arrival the Star Adders engaged both the ''Exsanguine'' and the nearby recharge station. The Blood Spirits launched five assorted [[Star]]s of [[aerospace fighter]]s and [[DropShip]]s to join in the battle, but were unable to prevent the Star Adders from crippling the ''Exsanguine'' and leaving its commanding officer, [[Star Admiral]] [[Ilse McFadden]], with no way to retaliate.<ref name="WORp104"/>

Once it was obvious that the ''Exsanguine'' was crippled, the Star Adders pulled back from the battle and instead pressed on to York. In the face of attacks from military and civilian vessels—up to and including civilian DropShips ramming Star Adder vessels—the Star Adders secured themselves in orbit above York and then landed DropShips to evacuate the Star Adder personnel located at their one enclave on the planet. One of the casualties from the suicidal Blood Spirits attacks was the ''Tehuantepec'', which broke up against the planetary atmosphere after being left spinning out of control following three Merchant Caste ''[[Union]]''-class DropShips ramming themselves into her maneuvering thrusters; despite the damage taken and the impending loss of the ship, the ''Tehuantepec'' did manage to launch all of her DropShips before breaking up.<ref name="WORp104"/>

When the evacuation of the Adder enclave was complete, the Star Adders began a twenty-two day orbital bombardment of York, striking at all of the major cities and industries on the planet, shattering the Blood Spirits. More than three quarters of the planetary population were killed and upwards of ninety percent of the industry was destroyed. While the Star Adders ceased the bombardment short of completely destroying the capital world of the Blood Spirits, the bombardment tipped the planetary ecology into decline as the damage resulted in conditions akin to a nuclear winter, beginning York's slow death.<ref name="WORp104"/>

==Notes==
In ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]'' the ''Tehuantepec'' is referred to as the ''Tuhantepec''.<ref name="FM:Up50"/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[BattleTech: 25 Years of Art & Fiction]]''
* ''[[The Color of Rage]]'' (short story)
* ''[[Field Manual: Crusader Clans]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Updates]]''
* ''[[The Wars of Reaving]]''


[[Category: Individual WarShips]]
[[Category: Individual Destroyers]]
[[Category: Individual Essex-class WarShips]]