Crusader-class Brigantine

The is a massive Sangheili battleship, pre-dating the Covenant. Long considered obsolete, the recent need for capable warships has pressed it back into service, with the Republic going to great lengths to refit these vessels for combat operations. A massive vessel, armoured in a thick outer shell, and equipped with an enormous complement and ample communication facilities, allowing it to act as a command vessel and battle carrier. 
==History==
Once a common sight in the Sangheili fleets that opposed the San 'Shyuum, the Brigantine was a heavy warship that functioned as a command ship, a carrier, and a battleship. Unlike its successor, the , it was designed purely for fleet operations, rather than planetary assaults, leading the charge with heavy armour plating, and swarms of fighters. 
Such mighty vessels were rendered obsolete by the rapid advances in technology following the end of the war, and we're relegated to exploratory and tithe fleets. However, this would not be their end. These ships remained in small numbers, waiting the opportunity to be roused for war once again. The Sangheili employed these warships in their bloody civil wars, once again filling their cavernous bays with fighters. While they lacked the versatility of the assault carrier, they were widely employed as both heavy warships and carriers. 
The Republic was unwilling to allow them to remain outdated, and began to upgrade them, bringing them in line with their current fleet, and turning them into powerful ship killers. Naming them for the ancient order of warriors, The Crusaders, these vessels now serve as flagships in the Republic.
==Design==
The Crusader-class has a long, narrow designed, with an aggressively shaped hull ideal for fleet battles. It has an organic profile, with flared cowling covering it's engines. It has numerous hangar bays strewn across the hull, usually arranged into large blocks than the smaller hangars made more famous on later vessels.
The ship is heavily armed, especially for a carrying, carrying huge batteries of plasma cannons, pulse lasers and point defence batteries. These are massed together, giving in incredible broadside capabilities. Its secondary armament, the pulse lasers, are not arranged offensively, but rather defensively, with clusters close to it's launch pays and engines, intended to ward off smaller vessels hoping to exploit it's weaknesses. The point defence batteries are purely for self-defence, arranged close to it's vulnerable spots too, warding off fighters hoping to cripple it. For it's heaviest armaments, it possess two energy projectors, and one heavy energy projector. One projector is mounted on the dorsal surface, with a good view in front of the ship. This is used purely for ship to ship combat, taking out threats approaching towards it. The second is slung underneath the nose, and is mostly leant towards planetary assault, firing on ground positions on defensive stations, though in a pinch it can also be used for attacking enemy vessels. Lastly, the heavy projector, in the nose of the ship, is a monolithic weapon. The heavy energy projector is a massive siege weapon, designed to fell heavy warships in a single strike. 
The fore end of the ships features layer, after layer of thick armour, with overlapping plates, shock absorbing gel columns, and an abundance of redundant shielding emitters. It has three massive hangars, that run the horizontal length across the ship, from port to starboard. These create plenty of room for mass launching waves of attack craft. These bays are protected by thick armour plates, and heavy bulkheads, and have numerous redundancies designed to protect them in the event of damage, preventing fuel or ordnance detonations from spreading through the ship in a catastrophic chain of events. 
The ship has an impressive internal bridge, a sprawling, cavernous chamber with room for hundreds of attendants. Fitted with row after row of consoles, all tied to the advanced communication systems. The ship's communication system allows it to coordinate not only it's own sizeable fleet of fighters and bomber, but a fleet of combat vessels, including cruiser and other carriers. This is tied into an Associated Intelligence, dedicated to coordinating the flow of data, and easing the tasks of those commanding the ship. 
==Role==
The Crusader's role is that of battleship, heavy carrier, and command ship, all rolled into one. It not only possesses a massive complement of fighters, bombers, and ground forces, but it's own fearsome armament for ship to ship combat, and enough coordination to lead a whole fleet. While it has not taken the role of fleet command from the more common Venerator-class Assault Carrier, it is commonly seen leading fleet actions against opposing fleets. 
Category:Carrier classes