Vesuvius-class heavy carrier
The Vesuvius-Class Heavy Carrier is a super capital ship in the service of the Terran Confederation. It is one of the largest carrier classes ever fielded by humanity.
Overview
The Vesuvius-Class Heavy Carrier is a peacetime design that unfortunately did not see action during the brutal Terran-Kilrathi War. It was first introduced some time after 2669, and was in full-scale development prior to 2673. The Vesuvius was meant to serve as the largest flagships of any Terran fleet, and they were expected to uphold the security of the Terran Confederation.
The Vesuvius remained loyal to the traditional design of a standard Terran carrier. It featured a massive fly-through hangar bay with a large conning tower on the right side of the ship's hull. However, the ship was designed to be self-sufficient like the durable Bengal-Class Strike Carrier. Therefore, it was armed with a massive array of defensive turrets and missile launchers, enabling it to hold its own in any major combat operation.
With a payload of 400 starfighters and crewed by a maximum of 7,000 men, the Vesuvius is by far the largest carrier ever produced.
The first two Vesuvius-Class Heavy Carriers were in production prior to 2673. Both were assembled at the Terran Confederation Headquarters above Jupiter in the Sol System. The class leader was named the TCS Vesuvius, while its sister ship was named the TCS Mount St. Helens. By law, most Vesuvius-Class carriers assume the names of volcanoes, namely those on Earth. By the time of the Border Worlds Crisis of 2673, the first two carriers were nearing the end of assembly.
Shortly after the TCS Vesuvius was completed, it was christened by Confederation Senator James Taggart and officially commissioned for combat. Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn quickly took command of the vessel as his personal flagship, which then became the lead ship of the treacherous Black Lance, a secret faction Tolwyn himself had created with the intention of igniting a war between the Terran Confederation and the Union of Border Worlds. The Border Worlds had been fighting for independence from Confed in 2673. The Vesuvius became an immediate threat to their efforts to gain their independence.
The Vesuvius arrived in the Axius System shortly after its activation, and rendezvoused with the Axius Starbase with a full load of Dragon Heavy Fighters. After its arrival, Admiral Tolwyn delivered a victory rally for the Black Lance, vowing to install the Black Lance as humanity's primary defenders once the Confederation Senate declared war on the Border Worlds. Unfortunately for him, Colonel Christopher Blair had infiltrated the station and witnessed this speech, forcing Tolwyn to pursue him. He ordered the Vesuvius' to pursue Blair's flagship, the BWS Intrepid, in order to stop him from warning the Senate of the conspiracy. Before it could destroy the vessel, Captain William Eisen came to Blair's aid on the TCS Mount St. Helens, after having hijacked the vessel with help from his allies. The two supercarriers fought as the Intrepid made the jump into the Sol System.
By the time the two carriers reached Sol, both vessels had been badly damaged by each other's volleys. However, due to its technical flaws and incomplete assembly, the Mount St. Helens suffered greater damage and was forced to retreat. The Vesuvius carried on towards Earth with Blair in pursuit. The Vesuvius attempted to stop Blair with waves of elite Dragon squadrons. Despite fierce resistance, Blair destroyed the Vesuvius with a Flash-Pak. However, Tolwyn fled on a shuttle beforehand. Blair later revealed the conspiracy to Confed and Tolwyn was subsequently convicted for crimes against humanity.
The TCS Mount St. Helens was returned to Terran control and eventually properly commissioned. She would be followed by the TCS Mount McKinley and the TCS Eisen. The Eisen was named for William Eisen, who died some time after 2673.
The Vesuvius-Class Heavy Carriers are currently fighting against the Nephilim after their initial invasion of Confed airspace in 2681. The carriers have proven vital to humanity's defense.
(To be continued)
