Editing Dreadnought (Individual Dreadnought-class WarShip)

{{otheruses|the first [[WarShip]] of the ''[[Dreadnought (WarShip class)|Dreadnought]]''-class|the ''[[Dreadnought (WarShip class)|Dreadnought]]''-class of WarShips|Dreadnought (WarShip class)}}
{{InfoBoxIndividualSpacecraft
| image      = Dreadnought WS.jpg
| vesselname = Dreadnought
| prevname   =
| type       = WarShip
| class      = Dreadnought
| prevclass  = 
}}

==Overview==
The TAS '''''Dreadnought''''' was the first true combat [[WarShip]] in history. Its construction ordered by Admiral [[James McKenna]],  the ''[[Dreadnought (WarShip class)|Dreadnought]]''-class WarShip is named after this vessel. The vessel served with the [[Terran Alliance]], [[Terran Hegemony]] and [[Star League]] as the TAS, THS and SLS ''Dreadnought'', respectively.

==History==
===Construction and Terran Alliance Civil War===
Upon his assumption of [[Terran Space Navy|Alliance Global Navy]] command in [[2295]], Admiral [[James McKenna]] began a program of construction for true combat warships. It was the first of six similar vessels built at the orbiting shipyards of [[Terra]], [[Terra|Mars]] and [[Venus]].

The TAS ''Dreadnought'' was launched as the flagship of Admiral McKenna in [[2300]] and over a period of fourteen years led a fleet of at least twenty-six ships for the Alliance Navy. McKenna eventually transferred his flag to the ''Black Lion'', another ''Dreadnought''-class vessel, and which would later give its name to the ''[[Black Lion]]''-class WarShip.

In response to the civil war on Terra between the [[Liberal Party|Liberal]] and [[Expansionist Party|Expansionist]] factions of the Alliance, the ''Dreadnought'' was used to bombard the island of Strand Rock, Scotland and another island off the coast of Australia from orbit, completely destroying them. This action on June 2, [[2315]] focused the attention of Terra and effectively ended the major fighting, paving the way for the creation of the Terran Hegemony. <ref name=HLoTV1-78>''Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1'', p. 78 "Conquering the Hegemony - Last Stand of the Grand Old Queen"</ref>

===Terran Hegemony era===
The THS ''Dreadnought'' would serve as the lead ship in [[Director-General]] James McKenna's numerous [[Campaign of Persuasion|Campaigns of Persuasion]]. Even after Director-General McKenna transferred his flag to the first ''[[Black Lion I]]''-class battle cruiser, the ''Dreadnought'' would serve the Hegemony for more than two-and-a-half centuries, earning more battle stars and kill awards than any other WarShip in the [[Hegemony Armed Forces]]. Those awards were not earned without cost; the ''Dreadnought'' also suffered crippling damage in numerous battles, as well as the highest number of crew casualties of any Hegemony ship. Most notably, a near-catastrophic fire occurred during an early [[Age of War]] battle near [[Cylene]], after a disabled [[Draconis Combine]] [[aerospace fighter]] made a ''kamikaze'' run into the ship's port landing bay. In total, the ''Dreadnought'' spent almost four decades in dock during her centuries of service life, repairing battle damage and undergoing service life extensions.<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>

===Star League era - Museum Ship===
By the formation of the Star League in [[2571]], the ''Dreadnought'' was one of the last four remaining ''Dreadnought''-class ships, with all nearing the end of their viable service lives. Though the other three ships received their last of dozen lifetime upgrades in the [[2550]]s and [[2560|60s]], [[Commanding General of the Star League Defense Force|Commanding General]] [[Shandra Noruff-Cameron]] of the newly formed [[Star League Defense Force]] chose to cancel the scheduled upgrade for the ''Dreadnought'' and assign all four of the ships to the League's reserve fleet. Ultimately while the three other ships would be reactivated and see service during the [[Reunification War]] before their final retirements in [[2602]], the SLS ''Dreadnought'' instead became the cornerstone of the [[Luna Air, Space and Stars Museum]].<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>
 
In orbit around [[Luna]] above the sprawling museum complex, though designated a museum ship, the SLS ''Dreadnought'' remained active on the SLDF rolls. While many of her cargo bays were converted to showcases for notable artifacts from humanity's race to the stars, the ''Dreadnought'' retained a full crew of SLDF personnel, typically all on their final tours before retirement with her commanding officer always a retiring SLDF [[Rear Admiral]]. Thus the ''Dreadnought'' was maintained in pristine near-combat ready condition, as well as supporting a demonstration wing that flew a variety of vintage fighters during special shows and events. As of 27 December [[2766]], the ship was under the command of retiring Rear Admiral Martin Castillo.<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>

===Amaris Coup - Death of the Grand Old Queen===
Considering the ''Dreadnought'' little more than a museum exhibit, Amaris' troops ignored it completely as they launched nuclear strikes against the two largest SLDF bases on Luna during the opening stages of [[Operation APOTHEOSIS]]. Rear Admiral Castillo ordered his crew to battle stations upon detecting the first explosions, but realized that with only limited fuel and ammunition that they could not make a viable contribution to the battle of Terra. Instead, the ''Dreadnought'' took aboard civilian refugees and survivors from the moon bases as the ship moved to dock with the orbiting Tranquility Base to refuel. Watching as the battle over Terra unfolded, Admiral Castillo broke orbit 18 hours after it began, escorting dozens of Civilian [[DropShip]]s as the ''Dreadnought'' traveled to Jupiter, stopping at the Deep Range Gunnery Station to rearm before jumping out of the system at a [[Pirate Point]], carrying thousands of passengers transferred from the civilian DropShips.<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>

For the next three weeks, the venerable ''Dreadnought'' would jump from system to system, watching from the edges to gauge the strength of the Republican defenders before striking and eliminating the invaders at the least defended [[Jump Point]], allowing numerous civilian ships to escape the Republican blockades. Castillo would slowly amass a civilian fleet of almost thirty [[JumpShip]]s and over sixty DropShips saved by the ''Dreadnought'', accompanying the WarShip as it attempted to make its way through the now hostile Hegemony to safety.<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>

Unfortunately, the ''Dreadnought's'' luck finally ran out when Admiral Castillo's "fleet" reached the Hegemony border world of [[Wyatt]]. Ambushed by a heavy squadron of Republican ships, the ''Dreadnought'' held on for nearly thirty minutes of withering fire that crippled her engines, jump drive and most of her turrets, leaving her adrift. Seeking to deny the Republicans their prize, Admiral Castillo ordered the ''Dreadnought'' scuttled, the grand old ship destroyed and her surviving crew killed as her remaining ammunition magazines were detonated in unison. Watching from the safety of the other jump point, the civilian ships were finally able to jump to the safety of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]], taking with them stories of the horrors [[Stefan Amaris]] was inflicting upon the Hegemony as well as the courage of the ''Dreadnought's'' crew.<ref name=HLoTV1-78/>

==Notes==
The ''Dreadnought'''s role as a museum ship desperately reactivated and guarding a fleet of civilian ships trying to escape an overwhelming foe is acknowledged as a fairly overt homage to the modern [[w:Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]] series, cemented by its captain sharing the same name as the character [[w:Edward James Olmos|Edward James Olmos]] (who played the ''Galactica''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s commander in the reboot) played in [[w:Miami Vice|Miami Vice]].

The ''Dreadnought'' name itself is likely derived from [[w:HMS Dreadnought (1906)|HMS Dreadnought]], a revolutionary warship design of the early twentieth century that also was the first of its type, although unlike the BattleTech WarShip HMS ''Dreadnought'' was a one-off design rather than the first of a class.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Explorer Corps (sourcebook)|Explorer Corps]]''
* ''[[Historical: Liberation of Terra Volume 1]]''
* ''[[Historical: Reunification War]]''
* ''[[The Star League]]''


[[Category: Individual WarShips]]
[[Category: Individual Battleships]]
[[Category: Individual Dreadnought-class WarShips]]