Shining Destiny

***Shining Destiny*** is an Imperial warship serving as the flagship of the Superluminal Armada's 20th Fleet. It was commanded by General Bel Riose. Glawen Curr served as second-in-command, while She-Bends-Light was the ship's Chief Navigator.

## Characteristics

The *Shining Destiny* is a large warship that outclasses the smaller Trireme-class ships that make up the majority of the 20th Fleet. A spacetime-folding jumpdrive is used aboard the *Destiny*, capable of instantaneous travel between two points. A dedicated Spacer navigator is part of the crew and oversees the jumps. The *Destiny* carries an array of weapons for ship-to-ship combat and defensive shielding, and can produce a powerful energy beam from the artificial black hole that powers the vessel's jumpdrive.

The *Destiny* featured four large hangars in the fore of the vessel, and was large enough to dock an Imperial Shuttle. A squadron of Imperial switchbacks were also loaded onto the ship for combat deployment. Additionally, she carried a single external cleaning module as an auxiliary craft. Stealth insertions to planets could be achieved by launching personnel out of dedicated insertion capsules from orbit. The *Shining Destiny* is four kilometers from end to end, and was crewed by seventy-six thousand personnel.

## History

### Trantor

In 12,240 Era Imperial, the *Shining Destiny* was tasked with investigating the rumours of the Foundation influencing planets in the Outer Reach and building an alliance. The ship, along with the 20th Fleet, departed Trantor after General Bel Riose was returned to command after a six-year prison sentence for disobeying Cleon XVII's orders during a battle over the Lemul Cluster.

### Siwenna

Soon the *Shining Destiny* and the 20th Fleet arrived in orbit of Siwenna undetected. The vessel remained in orbit while Bel Riose and Glawen Curr performed a stealth insertion onto the planet to meet with the Imperial information Ducem Barr.

### The Home-Swarm

After the capture of Hober Mallow by the Spacers following a failed attempt to sway them to the Foundation's side, the Home-Swarm jumped towards the *Shining Destiny* and the 20th Fleet. During an attempt to take Hober into Imperial custody, Hober managed to escape on his ship, the *Spirit Rising*, and jumped away.

### Terminus

Eventually the 20th Fleet joined up with hundreds of other ships in orbit of Terminus to form an Enclosure on the orders of Emperor Cleon XVII. The *Shining Destiny* engaged the *Invictus* in combat, with the latter's weaponry having little effect on the shields of the former. The Foundation deployed their whisper-fleet, which Riose countered by launching Imperial switchbacks under the command of Glawen Curr. Curr's squadron cut a path to the *Invictus*, eventually disabling the vessel by hitting its engines. The resulting damage to the *Invictus* caused Curr's switchback to crash into Terminus. On Emperor Cleon XVII's order, *Shining Destiny* deployed its main energy weapon to force the *Invictus* into Terminus, destroying the planet.

## Appearances

* Season Two
	+ "King and Commoner" (First appearance)
	+ "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
	+ "A Necessary Death"
	+ "Long Ago, Not Far Away"

## Sources

* "Foundation: The Art and Making of Seasons 1 & 2"

## Notes and references

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "King and Commoner"
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Long Ago, Not Far Away"
3. ↑ "Creation Myths"
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Where the Stars Are Scattered Thinly"
5. ↑ "Foundation: The Art and Making of Seasons 1 & 2"
6. ↑ "A Necessary Death"