TAS Granite Mountain

Ship's insginia

- Dual heavy turbolaser batteries (100)

- Quad heavy turbolaser batteries (150)

- Triple medium turbolaser batteries (50)

- Laser CIWS point defense batteries (50)

- Space Sparrow missile launchers (25)

- Starhawk missile launchers (10)

-Railguns (4)

-100 walkers and tanks

-25,000 soldiers

The *TAS Granite Mountain* was a Baltimore-class Star Destroyer built for the Terran Starfleet. She was named in honor of the 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who perished in the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013, and was sponsored by the sole survivor of the team, Brendan McDonough. She was the 15th ship of the Baltimore class, of the first ship built for the Terran Starfleet to undergo a name change while under construction. She was also the first Baltimore class Star Destroyer to include railguns in her design, fitted with 4 railguns as a test for the class' capabilities to use them.

The *Granite Mountain* was commissioned after the start of the Galactic Civil War. Her first action of the war was when she took part in the Attack on Mustafar, when she held off an Imperial task force all on her own.

## History

### Construction and Naming

The ship began construction at the Terran Star Forge in mid June, 2013, with construction estimated to take 6 months. Originally, the ship was to be named *TAS Shanghai*.

Two weeks after the ship began construction, the Yarnell Hill Fire broke out in Arizona in the United States. Two days into the fire, 19 of the 20 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were overrun and killed by the fire, leaving Brendan McDonough as the sole survivor.

In mid July, Calvin Adams, a member of the Anti-Sith Assault Team and a friend of Brendan McDonough, began a motion to have a Star Destroyer named to honor the fallen Hotshots. After the proposal gathered support from people in Arizona and across America, on August 20, 2013, the Terran Starfleet's Admiralty made the decision to name a Baltimore-class Star Destroyer to honor the Hotshots. The *Shanghai* was renamed *TAS Granite Mountain*, and all the names of planned *Baltimore-*class ships were pushed back by one ship. Brendan McDonough was named as the ship's sponsor.

As the ship was constructed, the ship's command center was designed to have the names of the fallen Hotshots engraved on the walls. The decision was also made for all crew to have a patch to honor the Hotshots on their uniform, and instead of the usual Starfleet baseball cap, would wear a cap with a design to honor the Hotshots.

The *Granite Mountain* was commissioned on December 30, 2013, exactly 6 months to the day after the death of the Hotshots. Brendan McDonough and all the families of the fallen Hotshots were present, as was the Mayor of Prescott and the Chief of the Prescott Fire Department. Brendan McDonough spoke at the commissioning, and issued the call to man the ship. The Chief of the Prescott Fire Department presented the ship's captain with a helmet with the symbol used by the Granite Mountain Hotshots on it. The helmet would be placed in a glass case that was kept on the command bridge.

### Galactic Civil War

Following her commissioning, the *Granite Mountain* spent a month in the Home Fleet for training purposes before she was reassigned to the 1st Fleet and deployed to the Andromeda Galaxy.

Just a few weeks after her arrival in the Andromeda Galaxy, the *Granite Mountain,* along with the *TAS Sacramento*, took part in the attack on Mustafar. She carried the strike team to the planet and remained in orbit while the strike team went down to the surface. When a small Imperial task force dropped out of hyperspace and destroyed the *Sacramento*, *Granite Mountain* single handedly held off 7 Imperial Star Destroyers before she was reinforced by the *TAS Bismarck*. Once the strike team had returned to the ship, and the *Bismarck* had destroyed Fortress Vader, the force retreated.

Not long after the mission to Mustafar, the *Granite Mountain* was assigned to take an expedition force to the planet Crait to investigate the compatibility of the planet being home to a rebel base. The ship deployed an expedition team led by Kelly Adams, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa, which investigated a large mine on the ship's surface. Not long after the team landed on the surface, officers on the Star Destroyer detected an Imperial shuttle landing on the planet, and sent a warning to the team. The team quickly evacuated from the planet, defeating the Imperial SCAR Squadron in the process, and the *Granite Mountain* retreated to Naboo.

In late June, the *Granite Mountain* was deployed as part of the invasion fleet assigned to liberate Kashyyyk from the Empire. The *Granite Mountain* deployed men of the Vietnamese 9th Division to invade an Imperial refinery, and conducted a brief bombardment of the area prior to the landings.

Following the invasion of Kashyyyk, the ship returned to Naboo, where she spent the following months as part of the fleet assigned to protect the planet.

After a year as part of the defense fleet over Naboo, during which she had a brief overhaul to update some of her systems, the *Granite Mountain* was assigned as part of the fleet to retake the planet Saleucami after the Empire recaptured it. During the battle in the planet's orbit, the *Granite Mountain* protected the battleship *Yamato* from an attack by some *Imperial* class Star Destroyers. The *Granite Mountain* then assisted the *Yamato* in destroying the flagship of the Imperial fleet. Following the battle in space, the *Granite Mountain'*s air wing provided air support for the troops on the ground.

Following the recapture of Saleucami, the *Granite Mountain* remained over the planet for several months before returning to Naboo. In late October, following the Battle of Hoth, the ship was dispatched alongside the battlecruiser *TAS Scharnhorst* to search for the Millennium Falcon. When it was discovered on the planet Bespin, the *Granite Mountain* and the *Scharnhorst* were sent to Bespin, where they, along with a small task force led by the *Bismarck*, engaged the Super Star Destroyer *Executor* as they evacuated the Millennium Falcon and its passengers, as well as Luke Skywalker, from Bespin before retreating.

#### Defending Earth

Following the retreat from Bespin, the *Granite Mountain,* along with the other Terran ships at Bespin, rendezvoused with with the Rebel fleet and the *TAS Lutzow* in Wild Space. Following the rendezvous, and after receiving orders from Earth, the fleet headed for Earth.

Following the arrival at Earth, the *Granite Mountain* was temporarily reassigned to the Home Fleet. She underwent brief repairs from damage sustained at Bespin before taking her place in the Home Fleet.

When the Empire began preparing for its invasion of Earth, the *Granite Mountain* was ordered to remain at Earth. She was assigned to Task Force 1, the initial task force that would be defending Earth from the very beginning of the Imperial attack.

On March 18, 2016, the Imperial Navy attacked Earth. The *Granite Mountain* helped to protect the bigger capital ships of Task Force 1 and engaged heavier ships of the Imperial fleet. The *Granite Mountain* fought, often unsupported by other ships of the task force, until the reinforcements arrived and Grand Admiral Thrawn's counterattack began. *Granite Mountain* continued attacking Imperial warships until the few survivors retreated.

By the time the battle was over, the *Granite Mountain* had suffered serious damage. After the battle, the *Granite Mountain* was sent to the Terran Star Forge for repairs, which lasted a month and a half, which was immediately followed by a six month refit and overhaul. She returned to active duty on November 12, 2016.