User:Imperial Misanthrope/Lilium-Class

Lilium-Class

The Lilium-Class Type-19 Medium Assault Cruiser is a ship classification in the ISE Imperial Navy. Considered a Light-Medium warship, it is used primarily as a multipurpose vessel in various Imperial Fleets, its usage ranging from support vessels for larger ships, to the glassing of enemy planets. The Vessel was designed during the waning days of the Covenant Empire, and implemented into the Imperium a year after its foundation in 2555CE (The ship being implemented in 2556CE).

Synopsis
The Lilium-Class is a light-medium sized warship employed by the ISE Imperial Navy as a common vessel seen in multiple fleets and patrols in and out of the Empire. The classification was designed by Covenant architects during the last years of the Covenant Empire. In 2551CE, the plans were to be brought before the Council of Masters for final authorization; however they went missing several days before. Suspecting thievery by Kig-yar, an investigation was issued that lead to little-to-nothing being accomplished because of the political turmoil occurring at the time.

During the Great Schism, the plans were uncovered in the quarters of a deceased San ‘Shyuum by Sangheili warriors, and were taken with them back to Sanghelios after they escaped High Charity. After the fall of the Covenant Empire, the new Sangheili Empire modified and extended the plans slightly, pushing it into production during the rise of the Imperium as part of the reconstruction effort.

The Lilium-Class cruiser is a fairly common vessel amongst the ISE fleets, replacing the aged Covenant Cruiser as the new Medium sized warship. Sporting just as many plasma torpedo launchers, 2 fewer Pulse Laser Turrets, and an Energy Projector, the new class easily outgunned its predecessor. The Energy Projector is what made the new classification so inviting too; never before had a vessel so small been able to hold such a powerful weapon, making it a threat to even Medium-Heavy classifications.

Size and Armament Issues


The Classification has been under dispute among Shipmasters and Fleet Masters alike, over the exactness of the Lilium-Class’s actual category, as either a Light or Medium vessel.

The original plans made it a light classification, and the ship was considered as such until it was actually built. While being built, the engineers and technicians disputed over the modifications, saying that although it would have little overall effect on the maneuverability and speed of the vessel, the ship was 300 metres longer than its first intended dimensions. This additional space was designed to accommodate the added firepower of an Energy Projector, systems, and carrying space required for the weapon to be integrated with the ships system’s safely. As such, the gap between light and medium size classification bridged ever so closely as the size and added firepower was taken into account. During the days of peace before the First Remnant Wars, much debate and arguing ensued.

The issue was eventually settled by Supreme Commander Dtar ‘Sin Zealonf, who determined that the addition of an Energy Projector alone constituted enough fire power to make it a Medium-Class.

Although this is now the official designation, some still strategically consider it a light class cruiser.

Variations
Because of the Lilium-Class’s popularity as a small and numerous vessel, several variations of it came into being, though only one of them rose to significance.

Type-12 Medium Escort Cruiser


The Type-12 is a variant of an earlier scrapped design of the Type-19 that is used exclusively as part of escorts and convoys. The reason for this is because in an earlier design, the Covenant technicians had an idea to limit casualties by assigning control of small vessels over to a created Artificial Intellect. The idea was discarded because of the inherent unpredictability of putting an AI in charge of a ship.

This design was revived by the ISE and developed into the Type-12. The Type-12 is controlled entirely by an AI, with only a few onboard security forces, and numerous onboard automated defences. The minimal security forces present are mainly for defending onboard items and prisoners, as the ship cannot be taken control of manually, a stronger and more advanced AI with the capabilities to assert control over a ship must overpower the one in place.

The ship may only be used for escorts and convoys, because the AI’s are controlled directly from the main consular ship; if that ship is destroyed then the AI’s prime directive becomes to destroy the attackers regardless of the cost.

The vessel type is almost never used in battle or planet defence because ISE AI’s do not have the incredible creativity of human AI’s, and so are not as effective in a battle that requires malleable strategy. Escorting and convoys require a basic strategy: Defence, at any cost.

Type-22 Planetary Defence Cruiser
Perhaps the most popular variation of the class, the Type-22 is specifically designed for defence fleets. The ship is almost exactly the same as its Type-19 counterpart, however unlike the Type-19, the vessel possesses no hanger, no Slipspace drive, and no permanent onboard living quarters, though there are food stations. The vessel is designed to stay near a designated area where there are resources, otherwise the crew aboard would not last very long.

In addition, the vessel possesses additional plasma torpedo launchers, reinforced armour, and a different set of targeting systems that optimize its defencive capabilities. All in all the ships is designed to defend a large localized area, such as a planet or space station.

The Type-22 is the only variant of the Type-19 that becomes one of its popular variations; the Eayn Mercenary Guild purchases many of them because of their relative cheapness and their performance capabilities. The Type-22 is also popular because of its ability to be mass produced rather effectively and quickly, making it also an export of the ISE

Trivia

 * The Lilium-Class had over 60 different variation ideas, only four of which ever made it to the completion stage, and only three of which were ever utilised.
 * The Earth Empire purchased 50 of these vessels six years after the rise of the Imperium because of the sheer lack of ships in its own Navy at the time.
 * The Covenant Remnant managed to steal the plans for this type of vessel during the waning days of the First Remnant Wars. However, as they began construction, the naval yard that it was being built at was attacked and destroyed by a UNSC Fleet.
 * During The Accidental War, an Unggoy Naval officer took one of these vessels as her flagship

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