Phoenix-class

## Phoenix-class Assault Frigate

The **Phoenix-class Assault Frigate** was one of the more common ships the the Red Wood Industries (RWI) Navy. The vessel's unique design (compared to that of other RWI ships) gave the Phoenix-class certain advantages and special features, making it a worthy opponent in battle. Over the course of the Green Drone War, the Phoenix-class received several updates, including a shield generator and changes in weaponry and armor. The Phoenix-class was often deployed in groups of two or three to ensure maximum effectiveness in battle.

## History

The Phoenix-class Assault Frigate was introduced early on in RWI's history, several years before the events of the Colony War and the Green Drone War. While the Defender-class Frigate was an effective ship, RWI needed another warship to counter any major threats. Since the mighty Daedalus-class Battleships were too costly to mass-produce, the Phoenix-class was constructed to be a capable warship in any circumstance.

### Green Drone War

#### The War Begins

At the outbreak of the war, the fleet of the RWI *Valiant* was ambushed by a Green Drone Armada (GDA) fleet at Monus III. Many RWI ships were lost, including at least one Phoenix-class Frigate with an unknown name. A team of RWI marines from the RWI *Malta*, a Defender-class Frigate, were sent down to investigate the wreck but were attacked and lost several troops. After the battle died down, any remaining Phoenixes retreated into orbit and hid, awaiting orders from the *Valiant*.

#### Battle of the Orion System

After the *Valiant* retreated from Monus III to the Orion system with the Colonist crew led by newly-reinstated RWI Captain Jack Roberts, the Phoenix-class Frigate RWI *Savannah* was sent to assist them. Unfortunately, two GDA Destroyers arrived at the system and attacked the RWI ships during a salvage mission. The *Savannah* was sent to intercept them, but since it was only a Mk1 Phoenix, it stood no chance against the Atlas Superlasers of the GDA Destroyers and was quickly destroyed.

#### Battle of Ravcor

Upon learning that the Artifact, an ancient device worshipped by the Green Drones, was being held at their fortress on the lava planet Ravcor, RWI sent a small fleet led by the *Valiant* to attack the base. Two Phoenixes, the RWI *Achilles* and the RWI *Griffin*, both of which were newly outfitted with shield generators, took part in the attack. However, during the attempted escape with the Artifact, the *Achilles* and *Griffin* were both destroyed while fighting waves of GDA Destroyers. Nevertheless, the RWI *Eclipse* under Captain Roberts and the RWI *Valiant* under Captain Jonathan Hunter managed to escape with the Artifact to the Amre system.

#### Rescuing the *Eclipse* Crew

After the Battle of Demus, the *Valiant* was destroyed and crashed on the planet, though Captain Hunter made it back to friendly space along with the Artifact thanks to the assistance of the RWI *Discovery*. Hunter soon recovered from his injuries sustained during the battle and found his new command aboard a Phoenix-class Frigate, the RWI *Strident*. Two other Phoenixes were also placed under his command, the RWI *Siphon* and another Phoenix with an unknown name. This task force was sent to aid Captain Roberts' team after they were attacked by the GDA during their mission to steal a GDA Destroyer from the shipyards above Demus.

#### Battle of the Demus Shipyards

Soon after the Artifact was secured at RWI's capital world of Icarus, RWI mounted an attack on the GDA's shipyards above Demus. The RWI *Saragossa*, one of the first fully-outfitted MK.II Phoenixes, took part in the attack. Despite the upgrades, the *Saragossa* was destroyed after putting up a good fight.

#### Battle of Icarus

However, while the battle for the shipyards was going on, the GDA launched a massive invasion of Icarus, which overwhelmed the RWI Home Fleet. Several Phoenixes were part of the Home Fleet and were destroyed. One such ship crash-landed on the surface of Icarus, squarely in the center of the capital city's park. When Grand Admiral Adam Williams caught wind of the invasion, he mustered his flagship, the RWI *Apollo*, the Defender-class RWI *Tigris*, and two reinforcing Phoenixes, the RWI *Aegis Fate* and the RWI *Pursuit*, and raced back to Icarus to bring aid to the Home Fleet. During the ensuing battle, both the *Aegis Fate* and *Pursuit* were lost.

Other Phoenixes soon arrived as well to help the *Apollo*'s fleet, including the RWI *Charon*, which was sent to destroy the GDA Destroyer bombarding the capital city. Three Phoenix-class Frigates also protected with the RWI *Osiris*, the command ship of the Home Fleet, during its repairs. The RWI *Liberty* covered the strike team led by Captain Roberts, who were sent to secure the RWI Black Vault Facility, where the Artifact was being held. The GDA Command Dreadnought was hovering above the entrance to the facility, and it engaged the *Liberty* and obliterated it with its four Atlas Lasers. Although the *Liberty*'s sacrifice enabled the strike team to infiltrate the Black Vault, the team was unsuccessful in securing the Artifact, which left the planet on board the Dreadnaught.

#### Invasion of P3-X2

After the loss of the Artifact, countless RWI ships rallied at Icarus for a counterattack against the GDA to retake the Artifact. Multiple Phoenix-class Frigates, now all upgraded to the MK.II standards, were present and took part in the invasion. When the initial invasion fleet arrived, the RWI *Payne*, a Phoenix-class, was targeted by a GDA ship and destroyed. Another Phoenix was shot down by a surface-to-space Atlas Laser cannon, next to which it crashed.

During the escape of the Artifact aboard the GDA Super-Dreadnaught, all RWI ships were called back to space to help stop the GDA fleet from fleeing. At least two Phoenixes, the RWI *Bristol* and the RWI *Louisa*, were present. The RWI fleet took heavy damage, despite aid from their allies, Crazy North Logistics (CNL) and the Royal Coalition of Spatial Protection (RCSP), and the *Louisa* was destroyed.

#### CNL Moon Attack

The *Bristol* managed to leave the system along with the RWI, CNL, and RCSP command ships without suffering too much damage. Captain Roberts later commandeered the vessel to help a wing of V-203 Interceptors liberate CNL cargo ships from a GDA Destroyer. He used the *Bristol*'s forward bombardment batteries to blast the GDA ship to bits, securing the much-needed cargo supplies needed to repair the damaged Allied fleet.

#### Battle of the Black Hole

The *Bristol* also participated in the Battle of the Black Hole, the battle to end the war for good. Also present were the RWI *Solar* and RWI *Jaeger*. They were still important in the battle as they fought off GDA reinforcements trying to protect the Super-Dreadnaught.

### Post-War Operations

During the end of the Mission to Monus III about three months after the war, the RWI *Bristol* was under the command of Admiral Jones and was the flagship of Battlegroup Omega. Jones commanded the *Bristol* to rescue then-Admiral Roberts' strike team from remnant GDA forces, along with three Defender-class Frigates.

Approximately seven months after the war, three Phoenix-class Frigates, the RWI *Sabre*, RWI *Epee*, and RWI *Foil*, all a part of Battlegroup Sword led by Captain Malcolm Beckett, were dispatched to reinforce the strike team led by Admiral Roberts at the end of Operation: Chrysaor, the mission to recover the RWI *Pegasus*.

## Characteristics

### Armament and Shields

The MK.I Phoenix-class Frigate's weaponry was quite heavy. Situated in the main bow were five Mk1 fixed cannons that fired in sync, which could deal serious damage to enemy ships. On either side of the bow was a dual-barreled 2x300mm Autocannon, which had a wide firing arc. On the main hull's port and starboard sides were weapon banks consisting of four single-barreled 1x300mm cannons and two M-61 Vulcan PDCs each. Two 300mm cannons and one Vulcan each were mounted on the top and bottom of those weapon banks, allowing for heavy firepower in all directions. Dotted among the dorsal and ventral hull of the aft section were a few other 40mm Bofors Turrets and M-61 Vulcans, although on the MK.II Phoenix, the Bofors were replaced with Vulcans.

On the dorsal hull of MK.II Phoenix frigates was a shield generator that emitted a bubble-like energy shield around the vessel. Inside the ship was a control bay where a control console for the shield generator was stationed, allowing for a crewman to monitor the shield's heat and strength while under fire. These bubble shields could easily deflect conventional ballistic weaponry such as shells and missiles. In some cases, the shields were strong enough to deflect one Atlas Laser blast, although it drained the shield's strength significantly.

### Other Systems

The Phoenix's interior was divided into many decks. Unlike on most warships of RWI, the bridge was stationed in a small space on the lower front section of the ship, just underneath the Mk1 cannon battery. The awkward placement of the bridge allowed for more protection but also lowered visibility. One deck below was the medical bay and crew quarters. In the aft section was a large and spacious engine room which housed most of the ship's thrusters, hydrogen and oxygen tanks, reactors, gyroscopes, and other systems. Other rooms included an auxiliary control room and a hallway leading to the main staircase and port and starboard airlocks.

The Phoenix was capable of entering atmospheres with normal gravity conditions (1.00 G). The ship also lacked a hangar bay; the only docking capabilities were at the port and starboard airlocks, and few ships could fit in that space. There was also no proper CIC, meaning if the bridge was destroyed, the ship was dead in space.

## Ships in class

* RWI *Savannah*
* RWI *Griffin*
* RWI *Achilles*
* RWI *Strident*
* RWI *Siphon*
* RWI *Saragossa*
* RWI *Aegis Fate*
* RWI *Pursuit*
* RWI *Charon*
* RWI *Liberty*
* RWI *Payne*
* RWI *Louisa*
* RWI *Bristol*
* RWI *Jaeger*
* RWI *Solar*
* RWI *Sabre*
* RWI *Foil*
* RWI *Epee*

## Behind-the-Scenes

The Phoenix-class was first built in 2017 by Captain Jack and Venom415. Inspiration for the Phoenix-class came from the 'Halo' franchise's UNSC Stalwart-class, Paris-class, and Charon-class ships.