Meteor-class super battleship (EXverse)

The Meteor-class super battleship was a class of three prototypes built to give UNSC Navy something that it could fight in a two-way fight. Initially designed as a battle-oriented version of the , from which it derived, the Meteor-class became a super battleship after the successful introduction of the Epoch's battleship variant, which demonstrated the UNSC's needs for a vessel capable of directly engaged the heaviest Covenant ships and potentially win.
So Punic's design owner proposed a class of super battleship, which was distinguished by a cramped hangar but a huge space for weapons and their ammunitions. Later commissioned as Meteor-class, these three prototypes were built at Reach and were launch immediately in battle, each one escorted by a large squadron as their building requested a massive effort for human resources. This was later confirmed when Camber, the primary UNSC Navy supplier, were lost in 2537: due to its fall, Naval Command decided not to proceed to build the remaining twelve battleships, as resources became too important to be employ for vessels that, while powerful, they weren't enough technological advance nor they could be fielded in numbers required by the Navy. Besides, in that year started Project: OUROBOROS, which would drained resources saved by Meteor-class' cancellation.
== History ==
=== Conception and building ===
Ideas for heavily-armed vessels arose immediately after the Second Battle of Harvest, as the Covenant sheer power allowed to a single to destroy thirteen vessels, a ratio not acceptable for UNSC. Soon, human shipyards began to build stopgap models with which counter Covenant ships and, so, decreasing the number of vessels required to destroy a single enemy vessel. While during the Harvest campaign the ratio was five-to-one, in 2530 was already dropped to four-to-one, further decreasing to three-to-one by the Battle of Jericho VII in 2532 thanks to the new doctrine developed.
However plasma weapons were still a concern. As new models, most of which based upon already designed superstructures, came out, none of them was capable of engaging their direct counterparts and win; Admiral Cole was the only one to win every battle he took part, however he suffered many casualties as well, showing UNSC's needs for heavily armed and armored vessels.
Halifax Spacewerx's designers started in 2529 to searching for something useful for the Navy. Many ideas came out, among them an upscaled variant of the and a battle-oriented of the . First one wasn't perfect: issues emerged at the dawn of the 26th century for the assault carrier's project were still present, the top one being the inability to fit too much powerful MAC guns as the airframe couldn't tolerate the massive recoil generated from the shells. Second one, instead, was an old CMA-design which, while useful to ferry ground troops and their supplies, it couldn't accept too many weapon systems and a too thick armor without reducing complement carried: the 2526-refitting process was the best achievable for Punic design and it made the supercarrier a fear opponent for Covenant cruisers and carriers.
At that point three Halifax's architects, Jennifer Cutler, Liam Andersen and Benazir Taseer proposed a recycled superstructure, partially taken from the Punic-class, with which created a new supercarrier. While its design was still far from a typical UNSC layout as much on interiors as on exteriors, it allowed to accept every UNSC weapon systems, including the massive Festung OWP's Super MAC, and the thickest armor ever fitted onto a human ship. At the same time it could host a medium starfighter squadron, in this way supporting itself and a small battlegroup.
However many challenges had to be faced. First of all a new, massive engine had to be designed, tested and built, due to the extensive weapon systems planned, even more the two Super MACs; Starwerx, tasked to carry out this issue, managed to give life to the new reactor in record time, even if lots of resources and money had to be spent in. After that, the OWP's MAC guns needed to be redesigned in order to be fitted on the ship, given the fact that ship's fusion reactors hadn't only one task, namely charging MAC guns just like on orbital defense platforms.
The architects' final airframe was accepted by the Naval Command in 2531, and it featured two Festung-class' ship-oriented variant Super MACs, 120 Archers pods, six Mark 15 Breakwaters, 30 Spitfire coilguns, 72 Sentries, 400 Bulwarks and five Shivas. However, news from the frontline highlighted needs for heavy vessels able to receive and give extreme damages, so forcing, in some ways, to review the project of this supercarrier.
In 2533 Sinoviet Heavy Machinery produced the , which showed to be capable of directly engaging and potentially win; its rapidly introduction, crucial for the UNSC's firepower need, convinced Cutler, Andersen and Taseer to review their project partially to give to the Navy something even more powerful than Alliances, and finally combat on the same level.
So, a year later, what would later dubbed as Meteor, was unveiled to Naval Command. Instead of a supercarrier, the three architects conceived a Super battleship; always based upon Punic-class' airframe, although slightly enlarged, this vessel featured also a partial honeycomb structure based upon the original Halcyon's project airframe, which, combine with that armor's thickness, allowed the ship to resist against a shot from an energy projector or two from a plasma lance. The previous large hangar bay was deeply reduced to accept only twenty Pelican dropships, but this configuration wasn't appreciated as naval officers wanted at least a fighter squadron, to be used in case of emergencies; anyway, officers liked the rest, particularly the engine which was designed specifically for the class, and it was necessary due to the Super MACs and the huge amount of weapon system implemented. 
At the end of 2534 the three architects enlarge again the hangar, giving it enough space to accommodate 18 F-41 Broadsword starfighters; these aircrafts were specialized in dogfighting and they were introduced in that year to counter the high speeds achieved by Seraph fighters, task fulfilled successfully. This choice, instead of conceived the hangar for more traditional C712 Longsword, was taken because Broadsword was as effective as the Longsword-dogfighting variant, but it was also smaller, leaving enough space for weapons' ammunitions.
Naval Command ordered so three vessels as prototypes, and twelve more in options to give green light after some battlefield evaluations. As their construction required impressive quantities of resources and time, Halifax leaders decided to used all three dry docks available for vessels of that size, so building the three prototypes together; it was planned to do so with the other twelve Meteors, giving to the Navy three vessels at a time. This technique was more expensive, but timing concerns were a worse issue according to Naval Command.
=== At war ===
== Overview ==
=== Superstructure ===
Being 4,181.54 meters long, 903.91 meters wide and 817.05 meters tall, with a mass of 537 million metric tons, it was the largest human ships built at the time. Its design derived from 'that of the Punic, but it was slightly different in addition to being larger; a large bridge was set amidships and it dominated the entire hull, allowing the captain to see through windows when not in combat.
The internal layout was made up of two ways: on the prow and amidships there was a series of internal cross bracings and honeycombs; recalling the Halcyon's internal design, they were made up of titanium, boron and tungsten, allowing further survival capabilities against plasma fire; on the stern, instead, the standard layout was fitted, in order to contain some costs. This became a weak spot, even if well 5.5 meters of Titanium-A2 armor were fitted, as Covenant shipmasters could concentrate their fire on the stern. However, seeing as only three ships were built, the enemy hadn't too much engagements to explore that drawback. This choice, anyway, wasn't unintentional, as naval architects knew very well that the prow is always the most hit part of a ship. In addition, the armor was modify as soon as the three ships entered service: UNSC Meteor had a Titanium-A2 layered with tungsten, while UNSC Comet and UNSC Asteroid layered their armor with tantalum carbide; these hand-made modifications granted much more protection against directed-energy weapons: tantalum carbide proved to be an expensive, but useful, tool with which counter the high-temperatures of plasma especially.
A single, double-level hangar was fitted amidships, which could host 18 F-41 Broadsword on the upper level and twenty Pelican dropships on the bottom one.
The officer's club was located near the bridge, while that reserved to NCOs and sailors was on the stern; the presence of the NCOs and sailors' club was a luxury not always found on a capital ships, and Meteors were one of the few UNSC ships to have it. Giving the importance of these ships, crew quarters were single, very comfortable pod. Three locker rooms were fitted, one on the prow, near the first armory, one amidships, below the officer's club, and the last one on the stern, near the other armory; the enormous cryo-bay, lastly, was located near the amidships' locker room.
Due to massive size, many antennas were located throughout the ship, making the ship able to acquiring many datas in order to share them with the flagship. These data served also to redirecting weapon systems against most suitable targets, maximizing damage and effectiveness.
=== Crew and complement ===
=== Powerplant ===
For sublight travels the Meteor-class was fitted with a specifically built fusion drive. Known as SFD-1, this massive engine was made up of a single, large reactor surrounded by four smaller ones and two supplementaries; the primary one worked in concert with the four secondaries, granting an immense output capable not only to power MAC guns, but also to move, although slowly, the ship. Due to the massive energy radiated, a new advanced cooling systems was fitted; initially Starwerx's cooling system was not too far from that designed later for the refitted UNSC Pillar of Autumn, however some unknown issues forced architects to implement a more traditional system. And yet, this was substantial advanced, granting much more efficiency to vent chemical agents into space, preventing reactors to melt.
The two supplementaries engines were installed for extra-power; this trick granted the ship at least 150% more power for at least ten minutes, giving additional power for weapon systems or to move the ship.
The hyperspace drive was Series IV CODEN OKB Karman 47H, specifically built too for the class.
=== Other systems ===
=== Armament ===
== Roles ==
== Ships of the line ==
Name 	Hull Classification Symbol	Commissioned	Destroyed	Notes
UNSC Meteor 	BB-452 	2537 	2542 	Lead ship of the class. Destroy above Alluvion
UNSC Comet 	BB-453 	2537 	2551 	Destroyed during the second stage of the Battle of Meridian.
UNSC Asteroid	BB-454 	2537 	2547 	Destroyed above Coral.