UNSC Endeavour

The UNSC Endeavour (: DD-347), originally commissioned with the CMA prefix, is a venerable Beagle-class destroyer which had served from the late and throughout the . Part of a historical line of ships bearing the name, the Endeavour is one of thirty-five destroyers built to trial the installation of state-of-the-art hangar facilities on light-tonnage warships. While still possessing two full-sized , a relatively-high acceleration and as thick a hull as the baseline class, its armaments were lacking thanks to the removal of several Archer missile pods and the downscaling of her axial . Despite these significant drawbacks, it remained a solid vessel which outlived the sisters it was built alongside.
Taking up a supporting role during counter-insurgency operations at and Green Hills, the Endeavour would serve with the Colonial Military Administration during the Insurrection. Soon falling under the authority of the , the Endeavour would be one of dozens of warships brought together to retake . Serving briefly in the conflict, the destroyer would participate in dozens of battles in the war, usually being assigned to civilian evacuation duties. By the Siege of Sol, it was one of the only two ships that remained from the , with the other being the . It was finally forced down during the same engagement, where during the Gulf Offensive, it succumbed to the overwhelming firepower of a Covenant battlecruiser. The Endeavour was eventually lifted up and returned to service, and took part in expeditionary operations in the and Colonial Frontier.
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== Construction ==
The destroyer that would be christened the Endeavour first began construction in orbit of by the local Diadel Systems' construction company, who had been subcontracted by SinoViet Heavy Machinery to construct a number of modified destroyers for the Colonial Military Administration. It would be first laid down on August 22nd, as the third of the thirteen destroyers built its batch, which ended with the completion of the in late-. As its previous two sisters allowed Diadel to fix any issue with manufacturing and shipping of parts, the destroyer would suffer no construction delays, successfully launching from its drydock on the 27th May . Nearing completion, it would be deployed on its rigorous set of space trials, which pushed the ship to its early limits. While fairly standard, the destroyer also had to undergo additional tests on its new MACs. It would be discovered as being unusually solidly-built for its class, with its testing crew noting that it may be rated for atmospheric use should later upgrades be planned. It would be formally commissioned as the CMA Endeavour on October 31st, , being assigned as an escort for Battle Group Omega of the 3rd Colonial Fleet.
== Insurrection ==
=== Insurrection of Sedra ===
Led by the CMA Executor, Battle Group Omega would be ordered to relieve the strained CMA fleets within the poorly-patrolled FLEETCOM Sector Seven. Characterised by its particular lack of infrastructure and development, the region has grown to become a haven for those fleeing the civil war. As there were concerns that rebels may use the lack of security in this region to perform several successful revolutions, the CMA began taking precautions to prevent the UNSC from finding a reason to operate this close to the edge of Human Space.
== Human-Covenant War ==
=== Harvest Campaign ===
=== Siege of Drawn ===
=== Battle of Circumstance ===
=== Siege of Sol ===
Badly damaged and overflowing with starving refugees, the Endeavour suffered a long, slow journey to Sol, and arrived on the inner edge of the system's Oort Cloud on September 21. The captain ordered the ship to make its way towards Mars, although its fusion drives broke down from the abuse during the trip, and it was tugged to Titan instead. It was here that the crew learned that they were the only UNSC ship to escape from Circumstance, and they revealed the details of Operation: LAST STRAW's failure to HIGHCOM. Meanwhile, the Endeavour received rushed repairs to return it to combat status. Luckily, they were permitted to receive new parts from the decommissioned destroyer UNSC Meatloaf, which donated its engines, bridge assemblies, and titanium-A hull to the crippled ship.
The Endeavour was not fully repaired when the order came to mobilise above Earth, where it was assigned into the 39th Attack Squadron of the .
==== Gulf Offensive ====
== Specifications ==
Like all Beagle-class destroyers, the UNSC Endeavour shared most of its hull and superstructure design with the Halberd-class destroyer; in fact, its overall length was only five meters shorter. Past its arrowhead bow, the differences are minimal, mostly replacing parts of its hull with 400mm plates of cheap armour blends. The bow was slightly different, with a larger hangar bay that was half-again as large as on its more common counterparts, and a smaller upper hull. The hangar was divided into two sections, with a long flight deck located on the upper floor, and a general-purpose bay that accommodated both dropships and ground vehicles on the lower one. Both decks used different airlocks, which allowed the destroyer to launch and receive up to two different squadrons at the same time. However, only aircraft entering the front hangar door could benefit from the advanced gravitic breaking system. On the upper surface of the bow was a series of unusual automated elevators and armatures that could rearm up to three space fighters at once. Intended as a forward-thinking feature, it was hoped that the UNSC would introduce a smaller interceptor model to take advantage of it. No such aircraft was ever introduced, so the system laid unused. In homage to its maritime namesakes, the Endeavour was often seen sporting red-or-blue war paint resembling waves on its bow and wings.
===Armament===
The UNSC Endeavour's primary ship-to-ship armament consisted of a fixed 27F11B6 MAC battery, which was selected over heavier gun systems because of its smaller, lighter construction. Rather than focusing on raw firepower, this battery relied on smaller, lighter shells that were quicker to load, charge, and fire. This emphasis made it more suitable against the small, nimble opponents that it was likely to face at the time of its construction. The MAC battery consisted of two coilguns of different calibers; a 647mm barrel and a smaller 400mm model. The larger barrel was only used for short-ranged skirmishes, as the only ammunition available for it were unguided kinetic kill vehicles.
Backing this up was a formidable network of secondary weapons, mixed between missiles and naval autocannons. These not only acted as the destroyer's lighter anti-ship component, but also fulfilled its need for a heavy air defense suite as well. The most numerous of these were its 18 pods of M58 Archer missile pods, although the exact number present gradually increased over its lifespan. These were general-purpose missiles that could be fitted with a wide variety of warheads to drastically change their purpose. For example, those fitted with M58E decoy warheads were used to draw fire away from enemy point defenses. Each pod had five silos, which allowed the Endeavour to fire off a salvo of 90 missiles at once. However, despite their quantity, these were easily defeated by Covenant pulse lasers.
Eight turrets of twin were also installed, each installed on high-elevation Mark XIV mounts. These were fairly adaptable weapons on a warship, able to dynamically engage enemy warships, space fighters, and participate in planetary bombardment. Their high rate of fire made them particularly effective at overwhelming energy shields, especially when they concentrated their fire over a wide region.
To protect itself from missiles and enemy fighters, the UNSC Endeavour boasted a mixed armament of point defense guns. These were the last line of defense, when enemy fighters had evaded its countermeasures and anti-spacecraft missiles and impact was now assured; as such, they were all very fast to fire and automated to ensure accuracy. Originally, this complement was quite modest, with three quad M870 Rampart 50mm/50 cal cannons and 19 there to answer its needs. The Ramparts were positioned in key positions to provide an all-encompassing screen against fighters, while the Bulwarks were concentrated around critical areas to defeat missiles. In time, however, its numbers significantly increased to combat the effectiveness of Covenant plasma missiles and strikecraft.
There were also two large launchers that were used to carry the heavy . Little more than a high-performance and its fuel cell, it could reach velocities that crossed hundreds of kilometers within a second, and those on the Endeavour were fitted with kinetic warheads to inflict mortal wounds on anything that it happened to hit. These were rarely used, however, as their high speed and large turning circle meant that it was easy for targets to avoid them, and as a result were used exclusively at short range. They were also ineffective against energy shields, though they were still carried to make up for the destroyer's lackluster MACs.
===Refits===
As a former CMA warship, the Endeavour was typically passed over by UNSC officials when it came to upgrades, with any improvements made coming from reclaimed parts. This was partly fueled by their disapproval in combining the roles of destroyer and transport, as it was lackluster in both roles when compared to more specialized warships. However, refits were eventually authorized that steadily built upon its capabilities, which were often implemented when it underwent between large-scale repairs.
Prior to 2528, the Endeavour had received a small suite of improvements, as five years of constant action caused severe wear on its systems. Most of its systems replacements were minor and hardly affected its performance, although its powerplant, electronics, and even its superstructure were all modified to some capacity. However, two significant changes were made. The first was the installation of a TN-91sy/n Triad targeting suite and its associated targeting RADAR. "Donated" from the , this bulky computer system greatly improved the Endeavour's accuracy, making even specific targeting of enemy components viable at long-range. The second was a controversial array of radiators at exposed parts of the hull. While it enabled the Endeavour to overclock its reactor and engines well above their designed limits and still remain cool, it left holes in its armor that were never fully addressed over its lifespan. The only other noteworthy change was the increased complement of point defense guns, in a desperate attempt to better protect it from plasma torpedoes and resilient Covenant strikecraft. Because the shipwrights had to rely on whatever weapons were available, it was not composed of one homogeneous type of turret, instead being made up of everything from the M810 Helix to various models of Rampart guns. A number of other weapon systems were temporarily fitted - the Endeavour at one point boasted seven silos for M280 Ares missiles sloppily fitted onto its keel, which were so rarely rearmed that these were removed during the 2528 refit.
In 2528, after suffering extensive damage following the Battle of Drawn, the Endeavour limped back to the regional shipyards of , where it underwent its first major refit. This was an expansive affair, involving the modification of vital internal equipment, the movement or mutation of its armor and hull to maximize protection, and the removal of dozens of patchwork repairs. Most prominently, its forward bow was angled downwards and expanded in size, originally to allow for the installation of a third MAC. However, high demand for such weapons saw the space being given over to supercapacitors, munition storage, and more accommodations for Marines and pilots. Personnel assigned here were nicknamed the 'poundees,' as the firing of the MACs would rock or pound the entire deck when they fired. The last change was the installation of 8 quad M112 Viper 375mm/26 cal naval coilguns beneath the MAC, offering a substantial increase in firepower.
No new major refits occurred between 2528 and 2552, as older material from the CMA was being quickly expended during the remaining battles in the Outer Colonies, while new material was diverted to the construction of new starships. Once again, any changes were made during repairs. An additional six M58 Archer missiles were added, along with 48 M340A4 Streak missile silos that provided enhanced counter-fighter defense. Various improvements over time strengthened the hull, and the obsolete VEIL jamming suite was finally removed and replaced with a Mark XII GREY MIST wide-spectrum jamming computer. The engines had been exchanged on no less than four occasions. The newest ones, four ILT-DTF-9 fusion drives, were secondary units that were taken from a scuttled heavy cruiser, and resulted in a thrust increase of 45% over the original models fitted to the Endeavour.
The rebuild of 2554 also made significant changes to its armament. The twin MACs were exchanged with the Mark IX, light coil MACs, which were a complete upgrade over the old Series-2. Most significantly, they recycled about 35% of the energy used in the firing process back into the capacitors, enough to fire an extra shot per charge. The venerable M66 Sentries were finally removed and replaced with triple-turrets equipped with the new M74 Sentry autocannons. M58 Archer missile pods were still present, but their numbers had been increased to 24 pods. The refitted Endeavour was bristling with dedicated anti-fighter weaponry: 48 cells of M340A4 Streak missiles, 8 quad M910 Rampart 105mm guns, and no less than 120 M710 Bulwark 25mm guns were present to break up any space fighter attack. Two silos for the Ragnarok-class nuclear missiles, each with a 40-megaton nuclear fusion warhead, replaced the fusion missile turrets that were fitted. These were considered weapons of last resort against opponents that significantly outclassed the destroyer, and their EMP qualities made them much more viable against Covenant warships. All these changes leaned the destroyer much closer to the air defense role than it ever been before. It was also under this program that a Rutherford DIS-3081b compound fusion reactor was installed, a completely-new powerplant that was a scaled-down version of the model fitted onto the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. This allowed the Endeavour to overclock its reactor by over 300% for short periods, as it did not have the advanced cooling system to nullify overheating.
== Known Crew and Complement ==
== Remarks ==
== Gallery ==
UNSC_Endeavour_Patrol.jpg|The Endeavour on patrol in a nebula.
UNSC_Endeavour_Top.jpg|An above shot, showcasing its slightly bulkier spaceframe.
Endeavour_Construction.png|The Endeavour nearing completion, during the painting process.
== List of Appearances ==
*RP:Light of the Abyss 
==Notes==
Category:ITU Vessels
Category:Destroyers
Category:Individual UNSC Ships