DFC Pelopidas

The DFC Pelopidas (hull code BB-371) was a Pelopidas-class battleship employed by the Theban Defence Forces. The lead and only ship of its class, it served as the flagship of the Theban Naval Service following its launch in 2525. 
The Pelopidas was, at the time of its inception, a very modern ship that posed a clear threat to any incursions into Theban space. However, following first contact with the , it quickly found itself outclassed by the specifications of the alien warships and the subsequent attempts by the UNSC to match them. Nonetheless, it proved its usefulness during the Battle of Thebes in 2551, where it led combined Theban naval forces in a successful defence of its homeworld. 
Following the , the Pelopidas continued its service and became the primary means of Theban power projection across its local region of space. It frequently found itself outfitted to help transport combined arms task forces to other planets, such as during the Kadanga Crisis. In 2558 it was forced into hiding with the rise of the . Seeking a way to liberate their homeworld, the crew of the Pelopidas traveled to , where the Pelopidas was destroyed in action.
==History==
===Design===
Following previous Theban experiments with homegrown naval vessels, the Pelopidas-class was first conceived and proposed to Theban High Command in 2511 by engineer and naval architect Ivet Mateev. Mateev, who had previously been an employee of , had contributed to the design of the and had been one of the primary minds behind Thebes's previous experiments with ship construction. She proposed the Pelopidas as a commerce raider, large enough to operate semi-independently within UNSC space and disrupt supply lines. The ship's design would not be approved until 2516, with preparations for construction beginning that year.
The hull that became the Pelopidas was first laid in 2517, and the following year a second ship of the class, to be called the Epaminondas was approved for construction as well. The Pelopidas itself was completed in 2525 and launched that same year. However, it would not be allowed to conduct its intended duties as the beginning of the Human-Covenant War led the Defence Forces to largely halt major excursions outside of Commonwealth space. The Epaminondas, roughly at half completion, would have its construction placed on indefinite hold.
===Early Service===
===Post-War===
==Design Details==
The Pelopidas was forward-thinking and modern at the time of its completion. It didn't feature a proper bridge, as in most UNSC designs, but rather a combat information centre within the ship. An observation deck near the hangar provided the captain and other crew with direct visuals when necessary, as well as a number of cameras around the ship's hull. It featured an intraship rail system for easier travel for the crew. 
Its hangar was, originally, small, capable of housing only a half dozen fighters and a few dropships. By 2558, it had been greatly expanded to be capable of housing the armament for two roughly battalion-sized forces. During its mission to Kadanga, it housed a full squadron of Longsword fighters. 
The Pelopidas was propelled by three .
===Hull and Armament===
===Reactors===
The Pelopidas sported two fusion reactors: one dedicated to the ship's drive systems and reserve power (primary), and one dedicated to the vessel's other systems, including its 3 MAC sytems (secondary). This arrangement proved vital during action in 2551; the secondary reactor was brought near to a meltdown, and the ship might have been left without weapons had the primary system not been activated to help reactivate the MACs.
===Shipboard Memorials===
Several memorials, most in the form of plaques, were added aboard the Pelopidas following the Battle of Thebes. The most notable include:
*Plaque featuring the names of all members of the crew aboard the Pelopidas during the battle, including those killed or wounded in action. 
*Plaque marking the site of Staršin Matros Bojan Pasternak who, during the engagement with the second Covenant fleet, was killed in action when a beam emitter struck near his position while carrying out his duties. His body was, unfortunately, partially fused into the hull of the ship by the extreme heat of the strike, and was not successfully removed and provided proper burial until two weeks following the battle. 
*Plaque in primary reactor honouring 2. Staršin Natalia Lovric, who drove a Covenant boarding party from the reactor room with an expropriated plasma rifle. She later died of wounds sustained in the fighting.