Halcyon-class light cruiser

The Halcyon-class light cruiser (: C) was a distinguished class of light cruisers which saw service in the and later the . Originally shot down by the on the grounds for its lack of tactical viability, the Halcyon would be mocked for being the slowest, most underarmed and underpowered cruiser developed in the twenty-sixth century. Notable only for its unusually-strong honeycomb superstructure, the Halcyon's advantages would prove too limiting and it would be quickly replaced by its successor, the .
The Halcyon would embark on a limited production run, with only fifty ever being built. Although some would be hastily retrofitted with more weapons and hangars in an attempt to increase their combat viability, by the entire class was reassigned into reserve fleets. They would be saved from certain scrapping with the arrival of the , with their complicated superstructure actually allowing them to survive far longer than their replacements against their quarry's exotic weaponry. As a result, they were pulled out of the dockyards and refitted up to modern standards, and proved to be one of the most powerful ships at the UNSC's disposal. However, even these updated cruisers would take horrendous losses, ensuring that each Halcyon was deployed sparingly. Nevertheless, the class would become an icon symbolising durability, and would inspire SinoViet Heavy Machinery to base the aesthetic appearance of the on these outdated vessels.
__TOC__
== Layout ==
== Specifications ==
=== Propulsion ===
=== Armament ===
=== Armour and Superstructure ===
Widely regarded as their sole meaning for existence, these cruisers became renowned for their durability. A sophisticated ecosystem of supporting skeletons, a mix of internal and external plating, and emergency repair systems work together to expertly hold the ship together while under fire - a configuration that continued to remain unique even decades after the Halcyon's launch. Each component alone is capable of mitigating damage with greater efficiency than any other competitor on the market, but are combined to increase the tolerance so much that they exceeded the structural guidelines the Navy placed upon contemporary battleships and heavy carriers.
Originally unique to this model of cruiser, the first eleven ships were host to a powerful series of interconnected supports arranged in an octagonal pattern. Developed by Dr. Robert McLees himself, this honeycomb structure uses a combination of hyperdense diamond-Tungsten composite
=== Reactor ===
=== Countermeasures ===
== Variants ==
With the unexpectedly low demand found in the Halcyon-class, RMC took to invest in a number of potential hull upgrades to the class, and experimented in an effort to salvage the insane amount of money they lost developing them. Each of the Halcyon's variants added an extensive amount of superstructure to the class, with most of it being fitted over the base hull in case the UNSC contracted them to upgrade them to a set standard.
=== Aegaeon-class carrier ===
Larger than even the later Autumn-class, the Aegaeon-class carrier is designed around an elongated first flight Halcyon hull, hollowed out to allow it to carry an extended amount of and material. Produced only in limited numbers, these carriers, like the ships they are built from, never saw extended production. However, the ships that were built went on to earn a mythical status within the fleets they served in.
Measuring nearly than 1,800 metres from fore to aft, the Aegaeon-class still features the same dense honeycomb superstructure which made the base design so durable. However, it does not retain it throughout its entire frame, and incorporated minor concessions in order to make the construction of a larger cheaper and thus more feasible. The defensive armaments have been improved and brought up to standards. It still retains a single MAC, but this has been upgraded to a heavier calibre and now runs almost half the length of the carrier, with thirty pods of Archer missiles and dozens of point-defence guns added. While this is nowhere near as powerful as a ship of its size should be, it can now adequately defend itself against more capable threats. Its reactors and engines are larger, although it is still considered slow for its size.
=== Ares-class cruiser ===
== Operational History ==
== Ships of the Line ==
Name 	Hull Classification Symbol	Commissioned 	Destroyed 	Notes 	 	
Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built. 	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.	Block I
Commissioned between 2510 and 2511, the first block of Halcyons incorporated a wide range of innovations, including a rigid honeycomb superstructure and an impressive command suite backed up by a reliable communications package. However, their poor weapons for their size and complex design meant that only eleven were built.
 	C-677 	4/2/2510 	2513 	Lead ship for the class. Destroyed by the rebel during the . 	 	
UNSC Pillar of Autumn II 	C-691 	30/6/2510 	N/A 	Commissioned as the UNSC Duties and Desires, initially decommissioned due to outstanding performance issues. Requisitioned by ONI and rechristened the UNSC Dawn Under Heaven, it served as a secret mobile research laboratory and deep-space resupply station. After the disastrous Skirmish of ARC-IX, it was released by ONI to be rebuilt under the Autumn-class standards and was given its modern name.	 	
UNSC Midnight's Odyssey 	C-702 	7/10/2510 	2547 	Destroyed covering evacuation of Alpha Coradis IV, crash landed on planet. 	 	
 	C-708 	8/8/2510 	Unknown 	Engaged an armada of over an unidentified installation. Likely destroyed. 	 	
 	C-709 	1/12/2510 	 	Upgraded to be part of , sacrificed itself to destroy . Would lay the foundations for the Autumn-class heavy cruiser. 	 	
 	C-715 	12/1/2511 	N/A 	Participated in the . 	 	
 	C-717 	26/2/2511 	2535 	First command for , participated in the , crashed-landed on during the Siege of Chi Rho. 	 	
 	C-767 	16/5/2511 	2531 	Captained by George Elliot, participated in the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over. 	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.	
Block II
Ordered in 2510, Block II was composed of thirty-seven ships that were drastically modified to minimise cost and difficulty of construction at the cost of durability. As they were completely outperformed by the Marathon-class in all areas, they would be mothballed before their first decade of service was over.
UNSC MinneapolisSubmitted by . 	C-711 	7/9/2512 	2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
Claimed by . 	C-718 	31/3/2513 	1/3/2526 	Destroyed by the OSA-class super-destroyer Vanguard of Rapture over . 	 	
UNSC Extinction of Fear 	C-720 	2513 	17/11/2552 	Destroyed during . 	 	
UNSC Maginot Line 	C-726 	2513 	N/A 	 	 	
UNSC Prince ArslanSubmitted by .	C-747 	2514 	2544 	Ambushed alongside Destroyer Squadron Brawler after fleeing the . Destroyed after ramming the Protean Soul. 	 	
UNSC Trial by Fire 	C-748 	2514 	N/A 	Participated in the battle of Alpha Coradis IV, Retreated Safely 	 	
UNSC Thor 	C-749 	2514 	February 14, 2536	Part of , destroyed during the . 	 	
UNSC Salamis 	C-757 	2513 	N/a 	Part of Battlegroup Churchill. 	 	
UNSC Rudras 	C-781 	2514 	2537 	Part of Battlegroup Churchill, destroyed during the Battle of NX-355. 	 	
UNSC Båstad 	C-792 	2514 	N/A 	Participated in the and the . Heavily damaged during , later refitted to Autumn-class heavy cruiser. 	 	
UNSC Macarthur 	C-799 	9/9/2514 	2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
UNSC Belfort 	 	 	2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
UNSC Red Wall 	 	 	N/A 	Participated during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
UNSC Illinois 	 	 	2526 	Flagship of Battlegroup Yankee-7, destroyed during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
UNSC Gibraltar 	 	 	2526 	Destroyed during the Battle of New Gettysburg. 	 	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities. 	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.	
Block III
Resulting in only two warships before it was cancelled in 2539, the third block would've resulted in a massive overhaul of the class, with the main improvements being found in its offensive and defensive subsystems. Despite this, nearly all surviving vessels would be upgraded to these specifications, vastly improving their fighting capabilities.
UNSC Fortitude 	C-753 	12/7/2539 	 	Attacked by Thel 'Vadamee's while pursuing a alongside its twin sister-ship the UNSC Enterprise and a . 	 	
UNSC Enterprise 	C-754 	2539 	 	Attacked by Thel 'Vadamee's Fleet of Particular Justice while pursuing a CCS-class battlecruiser alongside its twin sister-ship the UNSC Fortitude and a Paris-class heavy frigate. 	 	
Aegaeon-class 	Aegaeon-class 	Aegaeon-class	Aegaeon-class 	Aegaeon-class 	Aegaeon-class	Aegaeon-class
UNSC Aegaeon 	 	 	 	Lead ship of the class. 	 	
Ares-class 	Ares-class 	Ares-class 	Ares-class 	Ares-class 	Ares-class 	Ares-class
UNSC Ares 	 	 	 	Lead ship of the class. 	 	
==UNSC Remarks==
==Gallery==
Battle_of_Alpha_Aurigae.jpg|A number of Halcyons engage a Covenant fleet at Alpha Aurigae.
Ready Willing and Able By KillaBC.png|A Block I Halcyon undergoing a refit.
BWb5o8z.gif|A Halcyon fending off Covenant gunships and strikecraft.
==Credits==
Category:Cruiser classes