White Aerie

White Aerie
Vessel Profile
TypeWarShip
ClassBlack Lion

As of 3057, Black Lion-class battlecruiser White Aerie was a WarShip in the Clan Jade Falcon touman assigned to the Gyrfalcon Galaxy.[1]

History[edit]

In 3059, the White Aerie was still a WarShip in the Clan Jade Falcon touman. The White Aerie was one of three ships of the Black Lion-class to be serving with the Falcons at this point, operating alongside her sister ships CJF Blue Aerie and CJF Jade Aerie.[2] The White Aerie would continue to be an active part of the touman throughout the next decade[3] and into the beginnings of the Wars of Reaving.

After Khan Brett Andrews' attempt in 3069 to have the Falcons declared dezgra for their continuing exposure to the Inner Sphere was rejected by the Grand Council, Clan Steel Viper launched an aggressive campaign against the Jade Falcon enclaves in the Clan Homeworlds, and the White Aerie was soon on the front lines.[4]

The first Steel Viper strike was against the Jade Falcon enclaves on Ironhold, where the White Aerie and the other ships of the Emerald Talon Star fought to try and block the Steel Viper forces from landing. The Emerald Talon Star managed to blunt the first wave of attacks, but the arrival of the Steel Viper flagship, the Nightlord-class battleship CSV Dark Asp, and the Cameron-class battlecruiser CSV Zalman's Endeavor stymied the Jade Falcon's resistance in space, with the Emerald Talon Star being pushed back while the landing forces were escorted to the planet by three other Steel Viper WarShips, the Aegis-class heavy cruiser CSV Steel Python, the Lola III-class destroyer CSV Snake Pit and the Whirlwind-class destroyer CSV Snake in the Grass.[4]

The Jade Falcons within the Homeworlds were quickly pushed back across multiple fronts; the Emerald Talon Star fought again above Lum in February 3070, Lum being the last Jade Falcon enclave in the homeworlds outside Strana Mechty to survive. The Steel Viper forces were led by the Essex-class destroyer CSV Martial Legacy, which had successfully bid for the right to lead the Steel Viper fleet against the Falcons. Despite the odds the four damaged WarShips of the Emerald Talon Star fought a three-hour naval battle to hold off the attacking Vipers; only when the Blue Aerie, the Liberator-class cruiser CJF Gauntlet and the Carrack-class transport CJF Ironhold Provider had all been destroyed did the White Aerie retreat to Strana Mechty.[4]

The White Aerie survived the Steel Viper offensive in the Homeworlds and rejoined the Jade Falcon forces in the Occupation Zone. It subsequently served as a part of the Jade Falcon contribution to Operation SCOUR, the allied coalition campaign to liberate the Word of Blake Protectorate. During the assault on Terra the White Aerie served as a part of Task Force CRONUS, the predominantly-Clan WarShip flotilla tasked with securing the Titan Yards.[5] Following the Jihad, the White Aerie would continue to serve in the Jade Falcon touman.[6]

In the mid-3140s the White Aerie was attacked by Lyran Commonwealth fighters at Wroclaw. The fighters evaded the defending Falcon fighters and launched five nuclear weapons at the WarShip. The White Aerie's escorts, at least three NL-45 Gunboats managed to draw the nuclear weapons away from the ship. None of the Lyran fighters survived.[7]

The White Aerie was selected as part of Clan Jade Falcon's bid for ilClan. From Rigil Kentarus, the ship was part of the Falcon's Warship fleet making their assault on the Sol System's Zenith Jump Point in early part of 3151. The six-warship fleet was engaged by Republic's surviving Warships and massive capital missile armed battle stations. As the battle between the fleets ensued, White Aerie would take significant damage from the Lola III Class Destroyer, Triumphus, where it's crew was willing sacrifice the ship in the exchange for damaging the Falcon's Warship. After the battle, while operational, the ship was significantly damaged.[8]

References[edit]

  1. The Falcon and the Wolf, p. 51: "Clan Jade Falcon Unit Summary"
  2. Field Manual: Crusader Clans, p. 95: "Naval Assets"
  3. Field Manual: Updates, p. 49: "Naval Assets"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Wars of Reaving, pp. 46–47: "Exodus Requiem"
  5. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 95: "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"
  6. Field Report: Clans, p. 15: "Fleet Assets"
  7. Technical Readout: 3145 Mercenaries, p. 50
  8. IlClan, pp. 34–35, 55–56: Zenith Jump Point & The Death Ride of the Republic

Bibliography[edit]