Eridani Class Dreadnought

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"The only war time ship the covenant actually went out of their way to destroy was the Eradani class dreadnought. I think that means the covies were scared shitless by those things. If i was facing a battleship with that many fighters, I'd be too. If only we had more during the war... if only." Unnamed UNSC Naval Officer
The Eradni Class dreadnought was a unique vessel within the UNSC navy having gone through 4 generations of the class rather than being replaced by subsequent classes. It was one of, if not, the most advanced ship class within the UNSC during the Human Covenant war. 
==Overview==
In the late 25th and early 26th century, the Dreadnought type was redefined and reactivated within the navy. The redefinition defined a dreadnought as a battleship like vessel with some carrier role capabilities.
In 2499, the first 16 Eradani class dreadnoughts, named after the Epsilon Erindani system, began construction and were launched in 2512. Another 6 were made in 2523. These were considered the first generation of Eridani class dreadnoughts.
They carried drop ships, support craft, and fighters as well as a large compliment of marines, armor, and other ground vehicles. They carried three Super MAC guns, two pointing forward and one aft. They also contained a near impenetrable point defense and flak wall, thousands of Archer missiles, mini-MACs and other high powered ship to ship cannons. They also had 24 nuclear missile launch tubes. The ship also had modular hard points to mount extra weapons and equipment as well as mutiple guns that could be used either as anti-vessel or for orbital bombardment. The vessel made use of powerful dedicated port, starboard, top and bottom, thrusters for maneuvering making the ship surprisingly agile. To support all of this, the ship had a total of 3 nuclear fusion reactors. The ships also had deployable solar panels for use as an emergency energy source out of combat.
Then the Human covenant war broke out. During the outer colony campaigns, these Dreadnoughts were sent into battle the covenant. They performed wonderfully and were able to almost hold there own in an even fight against covenant cruisers, but still struggled against groups of them, or anything larger. During these engagements, the covenant quickly realized the value and danger these ships posed and went out of their way to destroy these capital ships whenever possible, even at the cost of massive unnecessary losses. These efforts began to dwindle the dreadnoughts numbers until only a few remained.
In 2528, another 18 total were commissioned and built, and 2534 were launched, with the remaining 6 generation ones being updated and refit, to replenish losses. These were the second generation of the class, which brought the total number up to 24 total ships of the class. These new ships were made with updated technology and materials as well as slightly modified frames. Lack of time, and an already existing tried and true space frame lead the class to be continued in a newer generation of these ships.
The war progressed and these ships were used whenever possible. But overwhelming firepower and numbers of the covenant navy began to destroy these ships as well. By 2552, of the first generation, only one remained. Of the second, only 3.
In 2548, another 10 vessels were planned, but only 6 were built due to shortages in materials with a seventh being rapidly converted into a super carrier part way through construction. In March 2552, refits for all the ships equipped them with a small area of energy shielding around the bridge only, and 5 of these ships received an ion slurry cooling system similar to that used by the Pillar of Autumn.
Of these ships, two were assigned to the UNSC Trafalgar's battle group, with another one being assigned as part of the Sol Defense fleet. In early 2552, a single 4th generation Eridani class dreadnought was launched and sent to Earth to act as the new Sol defense groups flagship days before the invasion of Reach began. This fourth generation Eridani class dreadnought represented the most advanced UNSC ship built during wartime. In 2552 during the battle of Reach, all Eridani Class dreadnoughts were recalled to defend Reach save for the UNSC Eye of Jupiter, and UNSC Pride of Earth, which were in the Solar system. 10 of the 11 dreadnoughts that fought at reach were destroyed, with the last one, a second genertion Eridani Class dreadnought named UNSC Pride of Tribute, being severely damaged but managing to flee to the solar system with remainders of the Trafalgar's battle group.
During the battle of Earth, the UNSC Eye of Jupiter served as one of the command ships for the UNSC home fleet, but was destroyed during the fighting. The UNSC Pride of Earth was the main Flagship for the sol defense group. She survived the initial wave of the Prophet of Regret's ships, being boarded at one point with boarders repelled, but was eventually overwhelmed and destroyed by several battle groups of the Prophet of Truth's reinforcement fleet. The UNSC Pride of Tribute did not participate in the battle as it was undergoing hefty repairs at the time the covenant arrived and was destroyed in drydock.
The legacy left behind by this ship, including its frame and capabilities heavily inspired the larger and more powerful Infinity Class super carrier.
Post war the Eridani class was replaced by the Reach and Tribute class Dreadnoughts. The Reach class maintaining the Eridanis Battleship-carrier status, while the Tribute ran much closer to a true battleship, but still retained some of its predecessors carrier capabilities.
== 1st Generation ==
In the late 25th century, the UNSC would redefine and reintroduce the dreadnought line of ships back into the navy after the term had been loosely used in a nonstandard fashion for several centuries.
In 2499, the first Eradani Class dreadnoughts were built and launched in 2512. Upon the realization of a possible full blown civil war for humanity, another 6 were commisioned in 2522, and launched on 2527.
Like the Punic, the 1st generation carried two Super MAC guns. However, while only one pointed forward, the other aimed aft. It was lined with dozens of new Dresden-XIV mini-MACS and hundreds of other naval auto cannons and coil guns, hundreds of Archer missile pods, hundreds of varying point defense guns and AMAA (Anti muntions Anti Aircraft) short range guided interception rockets, 4 nuclear missile tubes, several dozen newly introduced pulse laser point defense turrets, and 48 small Thunderbolt-IV MAC turrets on each side of the ship arranged as powerful broadside guns (each with a 130 degree cone of fire).
It also sported several advanced command suites allowing it to serve as a command ship for a fleet and direct ground forces at the same time. It had several honey combed areas in the super structure to support its weight and increase its durability. Some hypothesis say the vessel could theoretically survive a small MAC barrage, albeit taking large amounts damage, and still remain combat functional.
The first generation vessels carried a space compliment of 2 horizontally docked corvettes docked side by side, in the underbelly, 4 prowlers, 58 longsword fighters, 8 shortsword bombers, 6 Sparrow interceptors, 10 pelicans, a condor, and 2 Vulture Gunships or 2 DCM-30 heavy drop ships.
Their ground compliment had 80 SOIEV launch tubes with 160 SOIEVs, 60 warthog LRVs, 20 M-808 scorpion tanks, 4 Jaeger Main battle tanks, a number of mongooses, 10 hornets, 12 falcons, 200 ODSTs, and 1000 marines.
They also included 40 recon drones.
All in all, the ships first generation was a fierce one and served its role well as an ship killer and pseudo-super carrier.
During the insurrection, these ships could effectively destroy most make shift insurrectionist fleets by itself.
During the human covenant war, all but 6 of the 1st generation Eridani Dreadnoughts were destroyed by the covenant during the outer rim campaigns. Preston Cole tried to requisition one of these ships, but had his request denied as NAVCOM refused to let such an important warship be used in Cole's fleet which regularly suffered moderate to heavy losses. The aft and forward mounted design of the Eridani was a quirk Cole loved, and advocated for, as it offered much more flexibility to the way the class fought.
The covenant however, also quickly realized the danger these ships posed and went out of their way to destroy this class, even at the cost of unneeded casualties. With the loss of 16 Eridani Dreadnoughts, hundreds of other UNSC naval assets, and vital Punic super carriers, the UNSC was forced to abandon the outer colonies as its fighting force was diminished. The remaing six 1st generation Eridani Dreadnoughts (Galileo, Solar Pride, Huck Finn, Oxford, Tribute, and WuKong), were refit and modernized at Reach in 2531.
The performance of the class, and onset of war with an alien empire, lead to the creation of a more updated version of the Eridani class. However, instead of this new line being named a different class, partially due to the almost identical superstructure, these new versions of the class were simply called the Eridani II class or second generation Eridani class.
During the 2552 refits for all Eridani Dreadnoughts, the last remaining generation one Eridani Dreadnought, UNSC Galileo, would not receive energy shielding around its bridge due to it being incompatible with the system.
All remaining first generation Eridanis would be destroyed in combat during the defense of Reach.
== 2nd Generation ==
The second generation of Eridani class dreadnoughts were commissioned in mid 2528 as mounting losses continued to dwindle the numbers of the 1st generation of the ship. These ships were almost exactly the same as their predecessors except for a few minor changes. The vessel boasted more advanced and powerful point defense systems, better naval guns and auto cannons, and more powerful MACs though still only carrying two; one aimed aft, one aimed forward. 18 of these were built rapidly to supplement UNSC naval losses. 
The generation also remained with the advanced commend suite.
The second generation vessels carried a space compliment of 2 horizontally docked corvettes docked side by side, in the underbelly, 2 prowlers, 60 longsword fighters, 8 shortsword bombers, 12 Sparrow interceptors, 40 pelicans, a condor, and 2 Vulture Gunships or 3 DCM-30 heavy drop ships.
Their ground compliment had 80 SOIEV launch tubes with 160 SOIEVs, 70 warthog LRVs, 20 M-808 scorpion tanks, 6 Jaeger Main battle tanks, a number of mongooses, 10 hornets, 12 falcons, 240 ODSTs, and 1100 marines.
The second generation fought at the tail end of the outer colony campaigns, fighting valiantly, but being defeated one by one. When the covenant pushed into the inner colonies, most remaining Eridani class dreadnoughts were recalled to serve as defensive flagships for critical worlds.
This second generation, though eventually defeated, they greatly helped stall the covenant offensive into the inner colonies. For a ship its size, it had a small marine compliment as its primary focus was ship destruction. However, this made repelling boarders much harder. Several vessels were nearly overrun by boarders until they self-destructed. This led the 3rd generation to carry a larger compliment.
The second generation Eridani dreadnought, UNSC Pride of Tribute, escaped from the fall of Reach and made it to Earth, though heavily damaged. She did not participate in the defense of Earth as she was still undergoing heavy repairs at the time. The Pride of Tribute was destroyed in dry dock.
Most notably about this class, in 2552, the generation twos went through a refit that added extra protection to their bridge in the form of early energy shielding.
The generation two of the Eridani class would be the last dreadnought to focus on the insurrection era doctrine of a landing force.
== 3rd Generation ==
The third generation of the Eridani class saw little improvement over the second generation aside from newer, more advanced technology and materials.
== 4th Generation ==
The UNSC DDN-3005, Pride of Earth was the only 4th generation Eradani class Dreadnought ever constructed. She was commissioned at an unknown date at a shipyard in the Epsilon Eridani system, but was launched on May 15th 2552. The sole purpose of her construction was to wield as much firepower the UNSC could muster on a single vessel. A true warship.
She many new design features that made her use her space much more efficiently than previous warships. Part way during her construction, she was re-designated as a super dreadnought, but remained part of the Eridani class line of ships. She was more heavily focused on space based combat rather than landing forces, but kept a large contingent of marines to defend her from boarders, as lack of masters at arms, had caused several of her predecessors to almost be captured. However, this extra amount of fighters caused her to sacrifice almost all recreational facilities. The 4th generation, as a warship, gave up its prowler compliment for more fighters.
After completing space trials, was sent to earth on July 18th with the recently refit, Eye of Jupiter, to act as the flagships for the UNSC home fleet. Pride of Earth had energy shielding around its bridge and was utilized the same technology to pressurize the hangars when the blast doors were opened. She had a reverse engineered-forerunner tech enhanced communications and navigation system, created from salvage from the crashed forerunner ship on Reach. She sported state of the art sensor packages and other technology. Her sub-light drives, engines, and FTL drive were all enhanced with reversed engineered covenant technology, and she even sported 4 prototype plasma cannon batteries (8 guns total), and a single prototype plasma torpedo battery; though both of these paled in comparison to their covenant originals. The plasma cannons had a limited effective range, and the torpedoes were relatively slow, unmaneuverable, and also limited in range. Both required a central magnetization device to be launched within the center of the energy projectiles in order to keep the plasma in a contained field.
This made the UNSC Pride of Earth, the only UNSC wartime vessel to make use of integrated plasma weaponry instead of experimental plasma based ordnance like the plasma lance missile.
In addition to these experimental plasma weapons, she sported two series 7 Super MACS pointing forward, and another series 7 Super MAC aimed aft. Supporting these were hundreds of Archer, Spearhead-37, and sparrow tail missile pods and turrets, varying point defense and flak guns, hundreds of short range Anti munitions Anti aircraft guided rocket pods helping the point defense system, hundreds of heavy coil guns and auto cannons, 40 plasma lance missile pods, 160 pulse laser turrets, three spartan laser point defense guns near the bridge, and 140 thunderbolt-XII MAC turrets fixed alongside the port (35), starboard (35), top (30), and bottom (20), each with a 140 degree cone of fire, in strategically placed batteries and locations all over the hull to provide fire power in every direction. it also had a specialized MAC gun located on the bow with a 165 degree cone of fire aimed forward in order to provide a sort of suppressing fire while the main MACs would charge. She also contained 10 nuclear missile tubes, 120 moray nuclear mines carried by the corvettes and prowlers, and 30 high powered EMP missiles. Part of her counter measures systems included flares and other targeting dummies as well as model-004 Kepler EMP flares, which proved the capable of dissipating or at least weakening covenant plasma weapons, but saw limited use, and primarily with high value capital ships.
Her ground compliment included 500 ODSTs, 140 SOIEV launch tubes with 300 SOIEVs, 2100 marines, 13 Falcons or 26 Hornets, 110 Warthog LRVs, 38 M-808 Scorpions, 2 M-837 Titan Main Battle tanks, 12 Viper APCs, 8 MANTIS walkers, and a number of mongooses.
Her space compliment included 6 corvettes ventrally docked in vertical bays, 2 winter class prowlers and 42 recon drones. She could also carry 66 long swords, 4 Short swords bombers, 26 Sabre interceptors, 28 Pelicans drop ships, and 2 Vulture gunships or 4 Moa Heavy Drop ships.
During the battle of Earth, the Pride of Earth sacrificed its armored ground compliment to load another 20 long sword fighters, and 17 more Saber interceptors. Its ground compliment was prematurely deployed to Earth, however a battalion of marines stayed on board the Pride to repel boarders.
The infinity class, which was based of the Eridani Class, sacrificed much of the possible carrying capacity the 4th generation Eridani had for more long term expedition and recreational facilities, scientific research wings, and spartan training facilities, in order for it to be used as a last resort lifeboat for humanity. The infinity class also sacrificed the Eridani's larger space compliment for a larger amount of ground forces.
She was sent to Earth along with the Eye of Jupiter to act as the home fleets Flagships due to their lack of Punic super carriers. By the time she reached Earth, Reach had almost fallen and it would return to try and defend it. Upon its return, Reach had fallen and was being glassed, with a large amount of ships already having left to pursue the fleeing Pillar of Autumn. The Pride of Earth then jumped randomly into slipspace to avoid the covenant forces. A small detachment of 6 covenant cruisers pursued it, but were destroyed by the dreadnought before it jumped to Earth. Upon its return, the Sol defense group was reorganized with what few ships remained of the navy. The remaining two active Eridani dreadnoughts helped tow many ODPs into place in orbit. During the invasion of Earth by the Prophet of Regret and his fleet, the Pride of Earth, or simply, the Pride as she was called being one of the last few high value capital ships, Survived almost unscathed. She was boarded, but boarders were quickly and easily repelled. The ship alone destroyed two CCS battle cruisers, and Regret took his ship into atmosphere above New Mombasa in order to avoid fire from the ODPs and the rest of the fleet. Then, reinforcements from the Prophet of Truth arrived. 
The Eye of Jupiter and her escort were almost immediately overwhelmed and destroyed by over 30 covenant vessels, but managed to destroy or damaged a large portion of them. 
The Pride of Earth, on the other hand, held on for far longer. She soon become the last remaining capital ship larger than a cruiser and assumed battle command of all remaining naval assets in orbit. She held out with the fleet for several weeks until she finally succumbed to battle damage and was overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers. She managed to destroy or disable multiple ships on her own and with the support of the UNSC home fleet and her escort. She damaged many more as well. multiple attempts were made to board the vessel, all but 9 ended with many boarding craft destroyed by point defense guns, and those who made it on board killed during intense fighting with heavily armed marines. 
Her personnel successfully repelled 9 separate boarding attempts. In the end, she was overwhelmed by superior numbers as dwindling UNSC naval ships and ODPs could no longer support her. 
After her MACs and heavy coil guns either ran out of ammo, or were disabled, she rammed into a few battle cruisers destroying them, but suffered major damage to her bow. Her ground compliment had long been deployed planet side, and almost all of her space compliment was destroyed as well. By the time the covenant managed to disable her propulsion, she was nearly out of ammo save for a few deck guns. Her pulse lasers and other energy based weapons had long turned themselves to slag. She had lost over 70% of her armor, had multiple hull breaches, and suffered severe structural damage. As covenant infantry boarded the Pride of Earth, overwhelming her remaining defenders, and began bombing it with plasma, the engineering crew, and acting commander, first mate Dallas Cromwell, detonated the vessels last remaining nuclear warhead that had jammed in its launch tube, and its reactors. The following blast destroyed two nearby covenant ships, but the EMP also disabled two ODPs and a UNSC frigate. 
On November 1st, 2552, the last Eridani class dreadnought, the UNSC DDN-3005, Pride of Earth, was lost with all hands during heavy combat in orbit above Earth. She and her crew, both fighting tooth and nail to defend their home world, unto the bitter end.
Pieces of her remains showered the the north eastern Eurasian continent and North western edges of the North American continent, an especially large piece landing in the ocean causing a tsunami that hit China's coastline. Her destruction marked the loss of the battle in orbit, though naval resistance continued on until the last day of the war. 
The Pride of Earth was vital in delaying the covenant ground invasion of Earth, despite her short service time.
Pieces of the Pride of Earth's armor plating and remains were used in constructing the United Nations Space Command Memorial Park in the remains of New Mombasa and in several other memorials, including the New Phoenix Great War memorial. The UNSC naval memorial includes several recovered remains of her name plating. A piece of her armor lines a corridor in the UNSC Infinity, inscribed with the names of her fallen crew and marines. Another corridor is lined with armor segments from the Eye of Jupiter, Pride of Earth, and Pride of Tribute, containing the names and service numbers of all Eridani class Dreadnoughts that had inspired the Infinity's design, and helped the UNSC fight the covenant from the very beginning, to resisting them in the final days of the war.
==SHIPS PRODUCED AND STATUS AS OF 2559==
Gen-1
UNSC Eridani DDN-1180 | KIA
UNSC Reach DDN-1181 | MIA
UNSC Tribute DDN-1182 | KIA
UNSC Titanic DDN-1183 | KIA
UNSC New Alexandria DDN-1184 | KIA
UNSC Solar Pride DDN-1185 | KIA
UNSC Guardian of Earth DDN-1186 | KIA
UNSC Peacekeeper DDN-1187 | KIA
UNSC Galileo DDN-1188 | KIA 
UNSC Harvest's Pride DDN-1189 | KIA
UNSC Orion's Blade DDN-1190 | KIA
UNSC Scorpio DDN-1191 | KIA
UNSC Oxford DDN-1192 | KIA
UNSC Yamato DDN-1193 | KIA
UNSC Bismarck DDN-1194 | KIA
UNSC New Harmony DDN-1195 | KIA
UNSC Edwards DDN-1244 | KIA
UNSC Harlem DDN-1246 | MIA
UNSC Edison DDN-1247 | KIA
UNSC WuKong DDN-1250 | KIA
UNSC Tom Sawyer DDN-1258 | KIA
UNSC Huck Finn DDN-1260 | KIA
Gen-2
UNSC Pride of Reach DDN-1506 | KIA
UNSC Pride of Tribute DDN-1509 | KIA
UNSC Durandal DDN-1510 | KIA
UNSC Hades DDN-1511 | KIA
UNSC Gabriel's Light DDN-1512 | KIA
UNSC Fire of War DDN-1530 | KIA
UNSC Romania DDN-1531 | KIA
UNSC Lance of God DDN-1532 | MIA
UNSC Heavens Fury DDN-1533 | KIA
UNSC Spartan DDN-1534 | KIA
UNSC Leonidus DDN-1535 | KIA
UNSC Magellan DDN-1543 | KIA
UNSC Lucifer DDN-1545 | KIA
UNSC Eridani II DDN-1548 | KIA
UNSC Reach II DDN-1556 | KIA
UNSC Unbound Fate DDN-1557 | KIA
UNSC Victorious DDN-1560 | KIA
UNSC Memory of Harvest DDN-1566 | KIA
Gen-3
UNSC Eye of Jupiter DDN-2020 | KIA
UNSC Eridani III DDN-2026 | KIA
UNSC Dauntless DDN-2030 | KIA
UNSC Valiant Dream DDN-2045 | KIA
UNSC Pride of Reach II DDN-2047 | KIA
UNSC Spartan II DDN-2049 | KIA
UNSC Humanty's Fire CVC-2050 | ACTIVE (Converted into a super carrier)
Gen-4
UNSC Pride of Earth DDN-3005 | KIA (re-designated as a super-dreadnought)