Covenant (Individual Covenant-class WarShip)

Revision as of 17:38, 15 November 2020 by DragonoftheRust (talk | contribs)
Covenant
Vessel Profile
TypeWarShip
ClassCovenant
Previous classesKirishima

History

Falling somewhere between being a first-of-class WarShip and a modification of an existing class, the Covenant was a one-of-a-kind WarShip whose origins lay in the curious military detente between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Commonwealth during the 3050s when the Great Houses were loosely unified by the Clan Invasion.[1]

Originally manufactured by either Stellar Trek of Togura or Midway Shipyards of Midway as a Kirishima-class cruiser, the Covenant was never completed by the Combine; instead, the unfinished hull was gifted to the Federated Commonwealth and to Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion by the Combine, and delivered to New Syrtis Shipyards of New Syrtis for final fitting out. New Syrtis Shipyards completed the ship, but as a part of introducing the ship to service, subjected her to extensive internal and external modifications, delivering a cruiser that looked nothing like a Kirishima. With the exception of a few internal components still labelled in Japanese - a mixture of terminals and access plates - the origins of the Covenant would remain a mystery to many outside the AFFC High Command and the personnel of New Syrtis Shipyards.[1]

The legacy Japanese detailing on those few components not adjusted led to some speculation amongst the crew as to the origins of the Covenant when it was introduced to active service as the FCS Covenant, with the Covenant's class officially being designated as Covenant-class, not Kirishima-class.[1]

The FCS Covenant fought during the FedCom Civil War; Duke George Hasek of the Capellan March maintained a façade of neutrality during the early years of the Civil War, motivated primarily as he was by acting in the best interest of the Capellan March above all else, while covertly acting against Archon Katherine Steiner, who he had come to view as a despot during her time on the throne. When Duke Hasek's refusal to support either the Archon or Victor Steiner-Davion became public, Archon Steiner responded by ordering an attack on New Syrtis.[2]

The Loyalist forces dispatched to attack New Syrtis were escorted by the FCS Hanse Davion, an Avalon-class cruiser, and consisted of the Eleventh Avalon Hussars, Fourth Donegal Guards and the Ridgebrook CMM. The Loyalists hoped to persuade the Vanguard Legion mercenary unit to defect to their cause, giving them a numerical edge over the defending Eighth Syrtis Fusiliers, Davion Light Guards and New Syrtis CMM; arriving on the 27th of October 3065, the Loyalist attempt to suborn the Vanguard Legion was robustly rejected, and the FCS Hanse Davion was soon locked in combat with the FCS Covenant. The resulting battle saw both WarShips destroyed.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Field Manual: Federated Suns, pp. 24-25, "AFFS WarShip Fleet"
  2. 2.0 2.1 FedCom Civil War, p. 141, "New Syrtis"

Bibliography