Antares

Antares is the Imperial Gloriana-class Battleship that served as the flagship of Absalom Vaughn, the Primarch of the Black Stars. When Absalom assumed command of the Black Stars and joined the Great Crusade, he required a flagship that matched the grandeur of his vision. Thus, he commissioned the shipyards of Antire, which had, by then, completed its conversion into a Forge World by the adepts of Mars, with creating his personal ship, with which he would lead his sons in the conquest of the stars.

The Antares' design is based on the zulmoxite template, though the Antiran shipwrights deviated significantly from the standard style. It is noticeably larger than the average Gloriana, sporting a longer, more slender shape and a pointed prow, slanted upwards. The ship's hull, deep and gleaming black, is decorated with enough gold and precious gemstones that their worth is measured in entire systems, while the statues of the Legion's greatest heroes line its flanks. Furthermore, the prow is graced by a majestic figurehead in the shape of a female warrior, her form both gracious and fierce as she points her spear ever forward, evocative of the figureheads found in ancient Terran ships.

The interior of the ship is no less extravagant, as the Amber King decreed that it would serve as an unstoppable engine of war and his royal palace both. Thus, its vast halls are richly furnished, a testament to Absalom's opulence, while his throne room is believed to be second only to that of the Emperor on Terra in luxury and beauty. The ship is also home to numerous workshops for the Legion's hundreds of Remembrances, of whom the Primarch is so fond of.

However, one should not mistake the Antares for merely a showpiece, an addition to Absalom's collection of trophies, for he would find himself in unpleasantly surprised; For the intention of its builders was two-fold: Create the most beautiful ship in the Imperium's vast fleets, as well as the most heavily armed. It is equipped with a truly ludicrous number weapons such as lances and macrocannons as well as a secondary plasma reactor to make up for the weapon systems' massive energy consumption. Its main armaments multiple Hecutor plasma macrocannon batteries, a formidable bow-mounted Nova cannon as well as its signature weapon and the reason its name is feared throughout the galaxy; the Darkstar cannon, making use of exotic, barely understood archaeotech that borders on tech-heresy, launches the core of an artificial star that rapidly collapses upon itself, creating a miniaturised black hole in the designated location. The weapon's effects are near-apocalyptic in scale, as enemy ships are caught in the event horizon and pulled towards the singularity, all the while twisting unnaturally and tearing themselves apart under their own weight before being swallowed by the hole. In addition, the blast radius is dangerous even after the black hole has dissipated, as it leaves a localised gravity storm in its wake that can heavily damage passing ships. A single shot at full power is enough to decimate entire enemy fleets, while its effects on a planet are equally devastating. As the weapon is burdened by a truly titanic energy drain and poses a threat to allied ships as well, its use is seen as either a pre-emptive measure, aimed to end a conflict in a single, crushing blow, or as a last resort against an overwhelming foe, much as Absalom would loathe to admit it.

Technical Characteristics
Classification: Gloriana Class Battleship

Design Template: Zulmoxite

Dimensions:
Length: 26km bow to stern

Width: 2km wide tapered at bow approx., 2.5km abeam at main hull approx., 3km abeam at superstructure approx. (4km at fins approx.)

Height: 3.5km at hull, 5km at superstructure.

Mass: 145 Megatonnes approx.

Crew: 1,000,000+

Accel: 1.0 gravities max sustainable acceleration.

Other Features: Training Decks, Mausoleum, Dreadnought Hangar, Apothecarium, Manufactorii, Teleportation Decks, Throne Room, Executive Suites, Ballrooms, Remembrancer Workshops, Extensive Gardens, Diplomatic Suites, Royal Chambers, Theatre stage

Systems

 * Majorly improved Plasma Reactor (Secondary reactor installed)

Bow

 * Grav-Storm Cannon
 * Nova Cannon
 * 8x Torpedo Tubes

Dorsal

 * 7x Quad Barrel Lances (2x Photon Lances)

Port side

 * 7x Hecutor Class Plasma Macrocannon Batteries
 * 1 Hanger Bay

Starboard side

 * 7x Hecutor Class Plasma Macrocannon Batteries
 * 1 Hanger Bay

Ventral

 * 6x Quad Barrel Lances (2x Photon Lances)
 * 2x Drop Pod Launch Arrays

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