Antaeus Fleet

Antaeus Fleet is a Terran Confederacy fleet of warships originating from the time of Terran Combine and possibly earlier. It is comprised of nearly two dozen legendary ships that featured prominently in the Human-Mantid war. Their exploits and resistance to destruction have had a significant psychological impact on the Mantids, while much of the rest of the Confederacy believes them to be merely myth. Most of the ships bear names from their sea-going predecessors that played major roles in wars, particularly in the early 20th century during the age of Battleships.

The fleet possesses an Operating Mind, a digital sentience, that runs the ship while it is in cold storage in Deadspace. Crew and 'created' or 'Born Whole' when the fleet emerges into Realspace. The Terran Confederacy considers the fleet a key tactical asset that only emerges in significant emergencies. A Total War scenario, such as that which exists with the Lanaktallen, merit the summoning of humanity's black box weaponry.

In the Defense of Leebaw, the Bismarck seems to suffer a critical wounds, causing it to 'sink' into Deadspace, only to emerge moments later fully reformed. This process mimics Daxin's repeated returns after suffering mortal wounds or obliteration, thus making entire ships clinically immortal.

One legend of the fleet states that it takes a captain and adds it to its ships in every battle. In the Battle of Hesstla, the Antaeus Fleet reinforces the Space Force fleet and Admiral Thennis fears she will be the one asked to join the Undying Fleet. Later in the battle, she is proved correct as the Admiral of the Black Fleet arrives and touches Admiral Thennis who collapses. Moments later, she emerges from Deadspace as a new ship of the Undying Fleet, *Steamboat Willy*. She is welcomed by the fleet and joins the fight.

## Description

The following ships have made appearances in First Contact along with references to their real-world counterpart.

* Arizona (Fleet Commander)
* Ajax
* Bismarck  (Other names: Chromium Krautmarine)
* Bringer of Stalwart Fury
* Dixmude
* Dreadnought
* Enterprise
* Furious
* Gloire (Flagship of Bellona)
* Hood
* Iktakak (Strikes Sure in Fury)
* Kaga
* Kawachi
* Marat
* Missouri  (Other names: Mighty Mo, The Destroyer of Worlds, the Reaver of Souls, the Unstoppable Fury)
* Odin
* Singing Duck
* Steamboat Willy  (Other names: Chromium Hammer of the Confederacy)
* Texas
* Vikrant
* Vulcan
* Warspite
* Yamato
* Yorktown

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 First Contact - TOTAL WAR - 256 (Hesstla)
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 First Contact - TOTAL WAR - Part 203.5
3. ↑ First Contact - TOTAL WAR - Part 203
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 First Contact - TOTAL WAR - 260 (Hesstla)
5. ↑ USS Arizona on Wikipedia
6. ↑ HMS Ajax on Wikipedia
7. ↑ German Battleship Bismark on Wikipedia
8. ↑ First Contact - TOTAL WAR - Part 201
9. ↑ Dixmude (HMS Biter) on Wikipedia
10. ↑ HMS Dreadnought on Wikpedia
11. ↑ USS Enterprise (CV-6) on Wikipedia
12. ↑ HMS Furious on Wikipedia
13. ↑ French Cruiser Gloire on wikipedia
14. ↑ HMS Hood on Wikipedia
15. ↑ Japanese Aircraft Carrier Kaga on Wikipedia
16. ↑ Japanese Battleship Kawachi on Wikipedia
17. ↑ Russian Battleship Marat on Wikipedia
18. ↑ USS Missouri on Wikipedia
19. ↑ First Contact - TOTAL WAR - Part 202
20. ↑ HMS Odin on Wikipedia
21. ↑ Steamboat Willie on Wikipedia
22. ↑ USS Texas on Wikipedia
23. ↑ INS Vikrant on Wikipedia
24. ↑ USS Vulcan on Wikipedia
25. ↑ HMS Warspite on Wikipedia
26. ↑ Japanese Battleship Yamato on Wikipedia
27. ↑ Space Battleship Yamato (Anime) on Wikipedia
28. ↑ USS Yorktown (CV-5) on Wikipedia
29. ↑ USS Yorktown (CV-10) on Wikpedia