Editing Botany Bay (Individual Gazelle-class DropShip)

{{Cleanup|reason=review needed|date=September 2023}}
{{otheruses|the DropShip|the planetary system|Botany Bay}}

{{infoBoxIndividualSpacecraft
| image      = 
| vesselname = Botany Bay
| prevname   =
| type       = [[DropShip]]
| class      = [[Gazelle]]
| prevclass  = 
| servicesince = 
| serviceuntil = 
}}
The '''''Botany Bay''''' was an ancient ''[[Gazelle]]''-class [[DropShip]] operated by a group of warriors of [[Clan Wolf]] Watch, as part of the failed [[Operation SPATHA]], part of Clan Wolf's [[Operation DAMOCLES II]].

==History==
The ''Botany Bay'' was an old DropShip in service in the [[Clan Homeworlds]] in the thirty-first century. In [[3071]], it was located and purchased by [[Dark Caste]] members. A faction of the Caste, led by [[Satinka]] the ''Zimnyaya Ledi'' Winter Lady, located it, and a shell-guild of hers was used to buy the ship. The Winter Lady was associated with [[Garmen Kerensky]], an old friend of hers who had been sent by [[Khan]] [[Vlad Ward]] as part of Operation SPATHA: a mission to board the [[WarShip]] [[McKenna's Pride]] and steal [[Aleksandr Kerensky]]'s body.<ref> ''Icons of War'', p. 29</ref>

The Wolf and Dark Caste pair purchased it in [[Strana Mechty]], renamed the DropShip Botany Bay, and spent two months making it spaceworthy. They recruited members of the guild to crew it, and once repaired and staffed, the ''Bay'' performed several cargo runs for the ''Red Willows'' Guild, to test both ship and crew. In December 3071, the DropShip was ready.

===Destruction===
On the 3rd of December, Operation SPATHA was launched. The Botany Bay was docked in the laborer droport of [[Katyusha City]] while a [[point]] of [[Elementals]], led by [[Point Commander]] Marsali, watched over the ship.<ref> ''Icons of War'', p. 32</ref> 

Operation SPATHA appeared to be falling apart before it even began when the trucks of Garmen Kerensky's main assault force were delayed by the fighting in the city. When Clan Wolf launched Operation KOPIS to claim or destroy all Kerensky legacies, several Clans began fighting the Wolves. The city was in chaos and Garmen's men were delayed for hours. Before Garmen was able to reach the DropShip, several fights had broken out in the DropPort and at least one mob rushed a nearby DropShip to the ''Botany Bay''. Marsali's men chose to close themselves into their ship, but an [[aerospace fighter]] attack destroyed four DropShips, including the ''Bay''. The [[Home Clans]] had stopped Operation SPATHA without even knowing of its existence.
Garmen's group arrived an hour later, and found the DropShip destroyed with no survivors.<ref> ''Icons of War'', p. 33</ref>
The Clan Wolf members were forced to delay the operation, only succeeding in five years later.<ref> ''Icons of War'', p. 180</ref>

==Notes==
* If the name of the DropShip came from the planet of [[Botany Bay]] or the ancient Australian penal colony of the same name, it is unknown, but the name was, at least ironical, as was buyed by criminals of the Clan society, and crewed by a group of, technically rogue warriors.

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Icons of War]]''

[[Category: Individual DropShips]]
[[Category: Individual Gazelle-class DropShips]]