Despair-class fighter

Despair-class fighter
Production information
Manufacturer:	Minoris Assembler Vats
Class:	Space fighter
Role:	Hunter-killer fighter
Technical specifications
Length:	178.7 meters (586.3 ft)
Width:	165.7 meters (543.6 ft)
Height:	69.3 meters (227.4 ft)
Mass:	306,000 metric tons (301,000 LT; 337,000 ST)
Other system(s):	Tracking devices A combat Cryptum
Crew:	18 + 1 ancilla
Chronological and affiliation
Era:	Forerunner-Flood war Post-Covenant War conflicts
Affiliation:	Builder Security Warrior-Servants

The Despair-class fighter, also known as the Despair-class hunter-killer, was a classification of Forerunner fighter craft. They were described as curved and sleek in design. The craft's name was chosen in references to the cultural milieu and trials of the era in which it was commissioned in a fashion similar to that of the Dignity-class escort.

Overview

Design details

The Despair is considered the most renowned hunter-killer in the Forerunner fleet, designed with a total focus on overwhelming firepower and tracking capabilities. The craft features an integrated combat Cryptum, which is used to house its pilot in a subdued, trace-like focus. This state allows the pilot to focus all of their neural activity on processing the enormous amount of data the craft is projecting them.

While considered a fighter in its own right, the Despair measures in at a length of 178.7 meters (586.3 ft) - comparable to the 160 meters (525 ft) Razor-class prowler of the United Nations Space Command.

Operational history

Forerunner era

Despair-class hunter-killers were present at the Battle of Janjur Qom. At the close of the Forerunner-Flood war, multiple Despair-class fighters were stationed at Requiem in defense of the shield world. Several Despair-class fighters saw action against the rogue Contender-class artificial intelligence Mendicant Bias. After the firing of the Halo Array, some of the Despair-class fighters were moved to shield worlds and Halo installations. At least one Despair-class hunter-killer was moved to Installation 00 by the Librarian.

In 29,823 BCE, the Ark's monitor 000 Tragic Solitude moved to dismantle the fighter's ship seed, viewing the Ark has having completed its purpose and not wishing to be tempted into using it for greater ill.

Second Ark Conflict

Main article: Operation: SPEARBREAKER

During the Second Ark Conflict in April 2559, the Swarmlord Colony was tasked by Atriox with uncovering new technologies from the Ark with which to fight back against UNSC Spirit of Fire. By May of that year, the buried Despair design seed had been discovered and disguised under a large cloaking field, with the Huragok Floats Low But Steady (among others) tasked with restoring it to full function. Within a day, Floats had begun to "talk" with the ship and its launching systems, resulting in it beginning to grow anew and restore to full functionality.

Despite these efforts, Spirit of Fire's reconnaissance drones noticed the cloaking shield and deployed forces to investigate - with the operated termed Operation: SPEARBREAKER. Sunray 1-1 led the operation, leading the UNSC forces to capturing five Control Towers despite heavy Banished and Sentinel resistance around the site. Once successfully captured, the control towers dropped the cloaking shield, revealing the Despair within and causing a Retriever Sentinel to attack.

With the Banished's Huragok hacking the Ark's local systems to prepare the ship for launch, an attempt was made to send in a Condor gunship to destroy the fighter without success. Instead, Sunray 1-1 an assault on the fighter. While it was originally believed that the Banished intended to use the fighter to get reinforcements in lieu of the destroyed Enduring Conviction, it was quickly determined that the fighter was going to be launched on a collision course with the Spirit of Fire itself with a direct hit being enough to destroy the human ship. Spotting four charging columns connected to the ship, the UNSC forces, fighting through heavy Banished and Sentinel defenses, assaulted the columns' control pads, using Colossus to destroy them, delaying the ship's launch each time one was destroyed. Finally, with the charging columns destroyed and the Banished forces in the area defeated, Alannah Quinn was able to use the control terminal near the fighter to shut it down. Though the Banished sent in a Hunter Captain supported by Goliaths, the UNSC was able to clear out the Banished forces. To ensure the Banished could not try to use the ship again, Sunray 1-1 dropped satchel charges from Hornets while Quinn lowered the ship into the ground. The charges destroyed the Despair-class fighter, keeping both the Banished and the UNSC from using it.

In-game information

Halo Wars 2

The Despair-class fighter appears in the Halo Wars 2: Operation: SPEARBREAKER level Not on My Watch as the mission's central objective. During the level, the player must lead an attack on the fighter's construction site.

Phoenix Log

Phoenix Log - Forerunner Ship

A long dormant Despair-class fighter Forerunner Despair-class fighters saw action during the Forerunner-Flood war against the rogue Monitor Mendicant Bias. After the firing of the Halo superweapon, some of these fighters moved to Shield Worlds and Halo installations. The Forerunner ship found and reactivated by Colony's Huragoks was 'regrown' from a ship-seed planted by the Librarian prior to the Halo activation. Ship-seed technology provides all the building blueprints needed to built a ship upon activation using on-site materials.

Gallery

• 

  The Despair, as viewed from above.

• 

  The Despair, as viewed from the front and back.

• 

  The Despair, as viewed from the side.

• 

  A Despair-class fighter in its dock on Installation 00.

• 

  The Despair fighter's design seed disassembling into the Ark.

• 

  The Despair fighter from the front, during Operation: SPEARBREAKER.

• 

  A Despair (top-right) in the keyart for Halo Wars 2: Operation: SPEARBREAKER.

List of appearances

• Halo: Cryptum (First appearance)
• Halo: Silentium
• Halo Wars 2