Mercury-class destroyer

"The has been exposed for their terrorism ties. All the trust we placed in them - only for us to stab us in the back. It seems to be the end of the Mercury's long reign in the military"

- News Reporter

There are many reasons why spacers are anxious to travel through the border colonies - pirates, rouge asteroids and the dangers of slipspacing in uncharted space mean all but the most desperate traders venture here. Before the war, a single class of ship was usually the only thing stopping stranded traders from being lost forever - the Mercury Destroyers.

Originally manufactured by Helios Weapons as a last-ditch effort to save themselves from bankruptcy, the Mercury-class was originally designed as modular colony ship, but they soon found it had the potential for a heavy warship. It quickly established as the largest leading cruiser of its day, fulfilling everything from long-range patrol to battlegroup flagships - though they were comparatively fragile, given their size. Due to a lack of marketing, Helios dissolved before the class achieved popularity. Under Ryees-Mclees ownership, however, the ships surged in popularity - its modular design, reliable technology and systems and its very low price-tag all assisted in this. Though they fell out of the UNSC's favor about two decades after its first run, the CMA made extensive use of the ships in its later history - the last use for the old ships was employing them as patrol cruisers. It should be noted that, due to the Dormant-sponsored refitting project that occurred every five to ten years meant that the ships had a legendary service life - over fifty years of staying in production. And because of this, there is a wide variety of designs for this class, and many are unique designs - something which delights most captains and crews.

Exterior
While there are a huge number of unique variations, all but the most extensively modified can be identified having a single design plan. Usually, the ships have a long, short and thin profile, easily divided into two main sections - the forward command module, and the rear maintenance area. Linking the two sections is a series of pylons that maintain strength and atmosphere - the number and types of pylons differ from ship-to-ship. The pylons, found on very few other vessels, are fitted with electro-magnets or docking claws to carry additional cargo and materials, solving the problem for the tiny cargo bay. The rear section is the widest part, and often sported the heaviest missiles and ammunitions. A tower or extended structure is where the bridge lies, though later versions lacked this completely - incorporating it into the front of the ship. Finally, every one of the the ships are all larger than a - a massive achievement at the time.

Of course, thats where all similarities end. Even the exterior 'design cue' can be surprisingly different from ship-to-ship - in fact, its often possible to guess when a given ship was made. For example, if the ship is curved and aerodynamic (reminiscent of early twenty-first-century exoatmospheric craft, such as the space shuttle), then it was part of the initial production group in the 60's, while if it has a very boxy and angular, it was produced in the last era of its life - the 2500's and the 2510's. Between then the ships have a mix of these two aesthetic choices, with very few deviations. Of course, the sheer amount of refits and modifications often make it harder to see the original armor. There is almost an unlimited amount of upgrades, ranging from thicker armor to a 'bio-pylon' filled with plants and animals for trade (legal or illegal) and even more superstructure additions, the latter which usually results in a low-hanging section often called the ship's 'beard'. This part houses more weapons, reactors and backup engines in the case the ship is split in two - though this is only available as a very expensive refit.

Ships of the Line

 * UNSC Mercury - First vessel of the class, destroyed prior to the bombardment of
 * UNSC Jupiter
 * UNSC Canberra
 * UNSC Luna
 * UNSC Washington
 * Horseshoe Mounts - Dedicated colonial escort, decommissioned at Mars in 2517
 * What's in the Box? - Civilian trading vessel, given to Insurrectionists of Kingston, recaptured in Operation: TREBUCHET.