Raider-class corvette

A Raider-class corvette, also designated as a CPV-class fast attack ship by and commonly referred to as a , is a light-tonnage warship fielded by the . 
Originally designed and crewed exclusively by members of the species, Raiders became prominently used by various and after the , favored for their maneuverability and surprising reliability.
== Specifications ==
=== Design detail ===
Kig-Yar raiders are utilitarian ships that, while appearing clumsily assembled, are deceptively sturdy and possess an overall uniform design that most other Kig-Yar vessels lack. The core hull features a distinct "needle-nose" shape, similar in appearance to a human sailboat. Most of the ship's bow is reinforced with plated metal to help protect it against small debris when navigating asteroid fields while the very foremost half of the bow is completely solid, making it an effective ramming weapon against other small ships. Their are a number of antennae along the hull for sensory and communication purposes while girders and cables help to reinforce the ship's superstructure and keep outer modules in place.
At nearly 1,000 feet in length, raiders are the largest warships manufactured by the Kig-Yar yet are still highly maneuverable. Six thrusters line the ship's stern while another four tertiary emergency thrusters are placed along the port and starboard sides of the hull. Another distinct feature that a raider features is the single, massive thruster attached to the outside of the ship. It usually runs at a lower setting than the aft thrusters but when engaged at its maximum, this engine can rapidly accelerate the ship to speeds greater than what most other Covenant ships its size can achieve.
The internal layout of the ship is an intricate network of tighly-woven tunnels and small cabins, almost all of which are too compact for a large crew to navigate. The largest compartment on the ship is the hangar bay, which is big enough to support at least three Type-40 Corsair shuttles and Type-31 Widow platforms. As it is a small class of ship, raiders can be effectively operated by fewer than eight deckhands and usually carries a modest complement of forty Rangers or less. Most Raider-class corvettes lack any form of , making them unable to fly in-atmosphere and forcing their crews to operate in a perpetually zero-G environment.
=== Armament ===
Prior to the Kig-Yar's assimilation into the Covenant, raiders were equipped with rudimentary and inefficient energy weapons systems as well as high-explosive mine layers. After their joining, however, the corvette's offensive capabilities were improved over the centuries. As of , all Kig-Yar raiders were outfitted with plasma turrets, effective against armored and shielded targets with fewer energy costs than their previous arsenal. The ship class still holds a mine-dispersal system, though they now carry small supplies of antimatter mines. After the Great Schism, the armament of raiders became less uniformed as the Kig-Yar, no longer bound by their treaty with the Covenant, began customizing their ships to their liking. Many were refitted with pulse laser arrays and larger numbers of plasma cannons, though it depended entirely on the preference of the shipmistress.
== Operational history ==
The Raider-class corvette is an antiquated line of vessel, existing roughly two centuries prior to the Kig-Yar's first encounter with the Covenant. During their colonial period, the Kig-Yar employed these ships to map the asteroid field of , then it became the primary class of vessel used both by colonial militia fleets and pirates in their conflicts against one another. Inevitably, raiders became an integral part of folklore and culture in the colonies. Even after newer lines of ships were designed, the Raider was still favored due to their familiarity and legendary status in Kig-Yar society, though subtle design improvements would occur over the course of generations.
When the Covenant arrived in the Jackal home system in , the once-warring militia and pirate armadas joined forces to oppose the invaders, with the Raider serving as their mainline ship of war. The maneuverability and versatility of these vessels allowed the Kig-Yar to wage a drawn-out naval war against the technologically-superior Covenant. Although Raider corvettes proved a match against and , they were incapable of battling against larger warships without suffering substantial losses and were ultimately unable to repel the hegemony.
Following the Kig-Yar's assimilation into the Covenant, raiders saw the integration of various new technological systems but – at the behest of the San'Shyuum – were also stricken with a number of restrictions and regulations that, in the eyes of most Kig-Yar, stripped the raiders of much of their effectiveness. Some vessels, such as the , were even subjected to substantial design alterations that made them nearly unrecognizable; this was perceived as an attack on Kig-Yar culture, though there was little that could be done to oppose these edicts. 
The low social standing of the Kig-Yar and their lack of Shipmasters in the Covenant ensured that very few of these vessels were attached to fleets beyond their home system. After the Great Schism however the Kig-Yar, emboldened by their relatively advantageous position in the chaos, began taking these vessels to territories that'd never seen these ships before, heavily modifying them in defiance of the treaty with the now-defunct .
== Ships of the line ==
*Dur's Cunning
*Reaver
== Gallery ==
Raider profile.jpg|Starboard view of a Raider-class corvette.
Raider rear.jpg|Stern view.
Longclaw.jpg|The Reaver was the first Raider equipped with an anti-gravity kit. 
Category:Corvette classes
Category:Covenant ships