UNSC Spirit of Fire

The Spirit of Fire (hull classification symbol CFV-88) is a Phoenix-class assault ship in service with the UNSC Navy. Built in 2473 as a colonial support vessel, Spirit of Fire was later refit into a warship following the outbreak of hostilities between the UNSC and Galactic Empire. In 2531, her commanding officer was Captain James Cutter and her primary shipboard AI was Serina. After the crew sacrificed her slipspace drive to destroy the Forerunner shield world known as the Etran Harborage, the Spirit of Fire was forced into a slow return trip back to UEG space at sub-luminal velocities and was officially declared "lost with all hands" in 2534.
== History ==
===Pre-war service===
The Spirit of Fire was originally a colony ship, transporting colonists as well as equipment such as hydroponics, atmosphere generators, and prefabricated housing modules, in the UNSC's expansion efforts.
Almost fifty years after being constructed, it was recommissioned and refitted for military service prior to the period of history known as the Great War. The last civilian Captain of the Spirit of Fire, Nathaniel Alexander, retired from active duty on July 20, 2520 after visiting the world of Verent. Directly after Alexander's retirement, the vessel was requisitioned by the UNSC Navy and scheduled for refit in order to better prepare it for the combat operations in which it would participate.
The ship was refitted with a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon and other armaments to serve as a warship. Storage bays that had previously housed machine parts now carrying everything from M12 Warthogs and M808 Scorpions to construction supplies for fire bases involved in frontline engagements or in rearguard actions and repair equipment for herself and other ships and crew.
===Great War===
The Spirit of Fire took part in the Harvest campaign as part of Battle Group Delta of Admiral Cole's Third Fleet, providing ground forces with supplies, reinforcements, air and ground support, orbital strikes, and more, giving it a major role in the battle.
After the events on Harvest, the Spirit of Fire arrived at the planet Arcadia, where it assisted in the evacuation of civilians, and the eradication of Imperial forces from the planet's surface. When Professor Anders was captured by Inquisitor Valin Draco, the Spirit of Fire quickly gave chase, following Draco's frigate to an unknown planet in the Korinth Prior system. This planet eventually turned out to be a Forerunner Shield World, containing a fleet of dreadnoughts. To ensure that the Empire would niether be able to use these warships against the UNSC, or reverse-engineer their technology, the Spirit of Fire's Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine was detonated inside the Shield World's artificial sun by Sergeant John Forge. The ship managed to escape the exploding Forerunner installation, but without a functioning slipspace drive, the journey home would take many years, if not decades. Most of the crew entered cryosleep at this point, with only a skeleton crew remaining active to run the ship.