Battleship Talos
| Battleship Talos | |
 | |
| Ship Class | Battleship |
| Built by |  Corsairs
|
| Technical information | |
| Guns/Turrets | 0 / 12 |
| Hull strength | 700,000 |
| Cargo space | 1,400 units |
| Nanobots/Batteries | 1500/1500 |
| Max. impulse speed | 90 m/s |
| Max. thrust speed | Thruster not available |
| Power output | 7,000,000 u |
| Power recharge | 220,000 u/s (100%) |
- This is a player owned ship.
Overview
"Talos" is the name of a number of ships through Corsair history that have served as the flagship for the Benitez Family and as guardian of the Corsair homeworld of Planet Crete. Traditionally commanded by the Don of the Benitez, or one of his esteemed lieutenants (known as Benitez Elders) the Talos has a rich and glorious history, and serves as a symbol of solidarity and security for the people of Crete. The current incarnation of the mighty warship, the Talos D was one of the first Osiris class vessels to be built at Tripoli Shipyard, in 797 A.S. under order of the then-Don Rivas Benitez.
Etymology
The name "Talos" was chosen by Don Esteban Benitez for the Benitez' new flagship. Lifted from the mythology of Crete, from Earth, it was an appropreate callsign for a vessel created to guard Crete from invaders.
Talos was a gigantic bronze creature, the guardian of the island Crete, variously connected to Zeus. According to one version of the myths he was created in Sardinia by Hephaestus on Zeus' command, who gave him to the Cretan king Minos. In another version Talos came to Crete with Zeus to watch over his love Europa, and Minos received him as a gift from her. Since Talos was a bronze man, his blood was lead, which they believed was a divine fluid (ichor), identical to that what runs in the veins of the gods. Talos' purpose was to run from his seat in Phaestos around the island three times a day and to throw rocks at any foreign ship coming to Crete without permission.
History
Talos-A
The name "Talos" was first given to a prototype Olympian Super Heavy Fighter in 697 A.S. by Don Esteban Benitez who requisitioned the ship with the purpose of defending Crete during the turbulent time of Corsair history known as the Corp Wars.
The heaviest and most technologically advanced ship available to the Corsairs at the time, the Talos-A sported prototype Salamanca cannons and advanced shield technology.
After 12 years in service, with a glorious record in battle, the Talos-A was destroyed during a battle with Bounty Hunters under the employment of the Artefact Syndicate. Tragically, the Don's right hand; Praetor Salvatore Benitez was also lost in the battle.
Talos-B
The second incarnation of the Talos, Talos-B was an "Olympian Refit Class" Super Heavy Fighter. Commissioned by Don Esteban Benitez in 702 A.S. to replace the original Talos that had been lost in battle, the Talos-B sported thicker armour plating, improved engines, Starkiller Torpedoes and prototype Borocco pulse weapons, in addition to tried-and-tested Salamanca-1 cannons.
The Talos-B proved even more successful in combat than it's predecessor, and lead the strike team that eliminated the Syndicate staging ground in the Amarus Cloud in Omicron-Theta that effectively ended the Artefact Wars in 711 A.S.
After 37 years as flagship of the Benitez fleet and Crete defence squadron, Don Quixote ordered the vessel to be decomissioned in 739 A.S, handing over it's title to a new class of ship; the M26 Gunboat.
Talos-C
Commissioned by Don Quixote Benitez in 739 A.S. the Talos-C was one of the first M26 Gunboats to be produced by the Corsairs. Created using technology gathered from assault vessels used against the empire during the Corp Wars, the Talos-C sported formidable armaments and thick hull plating which, at the time, many commanders believed to be impenetrable by existing technology. The Talos-C under the command of Don Quixote Benitez alongside it's sister ship the Scarii lead the initial assault on Ronneburg Base in Omega-5 that began the Corsair-Hessian war. Although the two M26 Gunboats used in the assault performed adequately, Hessian defences were much stronger than anticipated and the operation failed, leading to the stalemate that continues to this day.
Although the Talos-C was eventually replaced by a newer Osiris class vessel, the ship itself remained in service for 73 years (being renamed "the Tartarus") but was finally decommissioned in 817 A.S, replaced by a newer M41 Imperator Class Corsair Gunboat.
Talos-D
One of the first Osiris Class Battleships to be produced by the Corsairs after the establishment of the Corsair-Order Alliance, the Talos-D was comissioned by Don Rivas Benitez in 797 A.S. to replace the ancient M26 gunboat which he perceived to be a symbol of "the failures of his predecessors". The Talos-D was initially under-gunned with Corsairs only gaining access to more powerful battleship turrets years later, but with the advent of antimatter cannons and Mortars, became a formidable and fearsome craft. Continually stationed in orbit of Crete, Don Rivas relocated Benitez Headquarters to the battleship during his tenure; a decision that was to be reversed by his successor. Fear of such vessels in Omicron Gamma lead to greater security in the system than at any time since the 7th Century, with most of the Corsair's enemies afraid to enter the system until they had access to vessels that could match the size and might of the Talos.
Aside from a weapons platform, the Battleship Talos-D also had a number of other uses. A Prison Deck was established during Rivas' tenure that was used to house captured pilots and, reportedly, a number of the Benitez' political opponents during this period.
The Talos was besieged by revolutionary forces that deposed Don Rivas Benitez in 800 A.S. and their leader, Carlos, became Don. Since then, the Talos-D has continued to guard Crete, and has rarely left it's orbit save for occasional recalls to Tripoli Shipyard or Syros Shipyard.
The Osiris Class Talos-D remains in service.
