Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship

Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship
Production information
Manufacturer:	Primary Assembly Forges
Class:	Auxiliary support ship, Procurator
Role:	Food production, seminary, Supply transport
Technical specifications
Length:	1,550 metres (5,100 ft)
Height:	Approx. 400 metres (1,300 ft)
Mass:	82 million tonnes
Power plant:	Pinch fusion reactor
Engine(s):	Repulsor engines
Slipspace drive:	Equipped
Navigation system(s):	Navigation computer
Other system(s):	Tertiary Assembly Forges
Hull:	Nanolaminate hull plating
Shielding:	Equipped
Armament:	12 Melusean-pattern heavy plasma cannons 8 Jaet-pattern plasma torpedo silos 20 Pallio-pattern pulse lasers
Complement:	4 R'sisho-pattern Ticks 7 Obedientaries 150 Warriors
Crew:	1 Precentor 40 Hieromonks 10 Celebrants 110 Superiors 20 Engineers 9,800 Menials
Chronological and affiliation
Era:	Human-Covenant War Post-Covenant War conflicts
Affiliation:	Covenant Jul 'Mdama's Covenant

The Mjern-pattern agricultural support ship (UNSC three-letter classification: DSC-class support ship), is a type of support vessel that was used by the Covenant attached to their wandering fleets.

Overview

The DSC is not designed for combat but rather is used to provide fresh food for Covenant soldiers. The support ship contains large hunting preserves holding many types of animals to be hunted, killed, and fed to the personnel of the fleet. Vessels of the class are primarily crewed by Huragok and Unggoy, with little to no Sangheili on board, and are occasionally commanded by a single Minor Prophet. Strangely, the "S" (for Salvation) in the classification code "DSC" indicates that the ship is a dedicated warship.

Design details

Design Features

Maintaining a vaguely-triangular silhouette with a curved aft and holes cut into its superstructure, the DSC-class is immediately distinguished from any other class of Covenant warship. The rear and fore sections are connected with four massive arches that are angled slightly outwards, with a wide but thin platform connecting the port and starboard sides. It is here that the support ship's Tertiary Assembly Forges are located, made up of factories and workshops that manufacture food packs, maintenance kits, clothing and even small arms for its tenant fleet. Should they produce more material then needed, they ship off their products to High Charity for redistribution. Carefully protected by the ship's superstructures are two massive hunting domes, which serve as training areas, recreational zones, cloisters of worship, and animal paddocks. They are divided between multiple unique biomes, although these are usually comprised of environments comfortable to the San'Shyuum and the Sangheili. However, these can be adapted to service the particular needs of other species, such as vermiaries that sustain Lekgolo colonies transplanted from their homeworld of Te. On the very back of the vessel is a tall semi-circular structure that extends both from the top and bottom. The outer surface is potmarked with numerous relays and mediator consoles for the ship's proselytization network, which allows the Prophets to reach out to faithful hearts and coordinate the military and administrative activities across the Covenant's many worlds.

A variant of the DSC-class built and maintained by the Ministry of Preparation has the larger aft hunting dome removed. Instead, it is filled with arcane instrumentation and a staff of chirurgeons to create Prelates.

Crew and Complement

Being designed as a support ship first, the DSC-class had an unusually-large crew and small complement, carrying over ten thousand men. Of these, only seven Obedientaries and 150 Warriors stood ready to defend the ship from boarders. 9,800 Menials manned most of the ship's systems, and twenty Huragoks were stationed on these ships to maintain much of the Covenant's technology. Other crewmembers included the sole Minor Prophet, forty Hieromonks and ten Celebrants.

In a regular fleet, the Minor Prophet is expected to serve the Supreme Commander as a religious authority, logistics coordinator, and mediator.

Armaments

Although classified as a support ship, the DSC-class is still equipped with enough weapons to adequately fend off most threats. Its primary ship-to-ship weapons are its six Jaet-pattern plasma torpedo silos. These fire guided comets of superheated plasma that are difficult for warships to outmaneuver in combat, and are capable of causing severe damage to human ships. Backing this up are twelve Melusean-pattern plasma cannons, which are similar but fire unguided munitions. For point-defense purposes are twenty Pallio-pattern pulse laser turrets.

History

Background

Before first contact with humanity, procurators like the DSC-class supported the Covenant fleets that ventured far from established supply lines in search of Forerunner relics to plunder and species to convert to the path of the Great Journey. While bulk transports and barges based on High Charity supplied their need for food, water and power cells, DSC-class ships would improve the endurance of their fleets with additional food from hydroponic pods, hunting grounds and recreation, and using their great maintenance forges and Huragok savant-technicians to repair their weapons, armor and Forerunner mechanisms. Surprisingly, these support ships could not be directly commanded by the militant orders or system governors, although their missions are so closely aligned that disagreements are unheard of. Nevertheless, despite their abundance during the height of the Covenant's power, there were only a handful of ways to acquire the dedicated services of DSC-class support ships without direct intervention from the Hierarchs. This was done to not only reinforce the dependency colonies and fleets had on the Prophets, but also to restrict the power of the Sangheili and Covenant's militant factions. As a result, each Supreme Commander was responsible for ensuring this approval was gained and maintained, while also conducting the political machinations needed to ensure that that warriors, vehicles and ammunition are delivered regularly.

Massacre of the Outer Colonies

Main article: Massacre of the Outer Colonies

By March 2526, the Fleet of Inexorable Obedience had several DSC-class support ships serving as part of its logistics support fleet. As the main force travelled to the human Outer Colony of Biko, the DSC-class support ships were left behind at their previous target of Etalan along with the rest of the fifteen-vessel logistics fleet. When a small UNSC force arrived at Etalan to target the logistics fleet, the Spartans leading the operation ignored the support ships in favor of destroying its accompanying equipment freighters and bladder ships.

Later in 2531, Mjern pattern support ships were present as part of the Covenant occupation of the exterior of the Forerunner shield installation, Trove. At least one such ship was shot down over Trove and impacted on its surface - ultimately succumbing to the world's large-scale widespread infestation of the Flood.

Late-war service

At least one ship, the Infinite Succor, was attached to the Fleet of Particular Justice and participated in the Battle of Installation 04. The Infinite Succor became infested by the Flood who attempted to use the ship to escape the Halo ring and spread into the galaxy. Unable to contain the Flood infestation, Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee sent the ship on a slipspace jump into the Soell system's star, destroying it and the Flood onboard. Only Rtas himself survived the engagement.

Prior to the Great Schism, the Prophet of Truth lured many Minor Prophets in command of these vessels into his service, using the promises of wealth and privilege to guarantee the shipmasters would support his Jiralhanae fleets. After the Fall of High Charity and the death of Truth, these ships would abandon the Covenant, fleeing to join the surviving San'Shyuum in exile.

Post-war service

By late 2558, Jul 'Mdama's faction possessed at least two DSC-class support ships. After the CAS-class assault carrier Breath of Annihilation suffered heavy damage while attempting to travel to the Absolute Record, two DSC-class support ships assisted in making repairs on the carrier.

Ships of the line

Mjern-pattern

• Infinite Succor – Attached to the Fleet of Particular Justice, destroyed in 2552.

Halo: Fleet Battles

Covenant DSC Support Ship This element includes a single DSC-class support ship. Cost: 95 points Movement: 7" Damage Track: 7 • 6 • 4 Build rating: 2 Hangers: 3 Boarding Craft: 4 Security detail: 4 System loadouts: Defense array (3) Glide (4") Labyrinthine Point defense (4) Primary Weapon: Plasma Cannon Arrays Range: 10/20" Weapon loadouts: Plasma Firing arc: Forward/Port/Starboard Dice: 6 Secondary Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes Range: 12/24" Weapon loadouts: Missiles/Plasma Firing arc: Forward Dice: 8 Covenant Supported DSC Support Ship This element includes a DSC-class support ship and one SDV-class heavy corvette. Cost: 115 points Movement: 7" Damage Track: 7 • 6 • 5 Build rating: 3 Hangers: 4 Boarding Craft: 4 Security detail: 5 System loadouts: Defense array (4) Glide (4") Labyrinthine Point defense (5) Primary Weapon: Plamsa Cannon Arrays Range: 10/20" Weapon loadouts: Plasma Firing arc: Forward/Port/Starboard Dice: 8 Secondary Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes Range: 12/24" Weapon loadouts: Missiles/Plasma Firing arc: Forward Dice: 8 Covenant Reinforced DSC Support Ship This element includes a DSC-class support ship and two SDV-class heavy corvettes. Cost: 135 points Movement: 7" Damage Track: 7 • 6 • 6 Build rating: 4 Hangers: 5 Boarding Craft: 4 Security detail: 5 System loadouts: Defense array (5) Glide (4") Labyrinthine Point defense (6) Primary Weapon: Plamsa Cannon Arrays Range: 10/20" Weapon loadouts: Plasma Firing arc: Forward/Port/Starboard Dice: 9 Secondary Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes Range: 12/24" Weapon loadouts: Missiles/Plasma Firing arc: Forward Dice: 10

Covenant Escorted DSC Support Ship This element includes a DSC-class support ship and one ADP-class escort. Cost: 115 points Movement: 7" Damage Track: 7 • 6 • 5 Build rating: 3 Hangers: 3 Boarding Craft: 4 Security detail: 5 System loadouts: Defense array (4) Glide (4") Labyrinthine Point defense (6) Primary Weapon: Plasma Cannon Arrays Range: 10/20" Weapon loadouts: Plasma Firing arc: Forward/Port/Starboard Dice: 7 Secondary Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes Range: 12/24" Weapon loadouts: Missiles/Plasma Firing arc: Forward Dice: 12 Covenant Defended DSC Support Ship This element includes a DSC-class support ship and two ADP-class escorts. Cost: 135 points Movement: 7" Damage Track: 7 • 6 • 6 Build rating: 3 Hangers: 3 Boarding Craft: 4 Security detail: 5 System loadouts: Cloaking system Defense array (4) Glide (4") Labyrinthine Point defense (6) Primary Weapon: Plamsa Cannon Arrays Range: 10/20" Weapon loadouts: Plasma Firing arc: Forward/Port/Starboard Dice: 7 Secondary Weapon: Plasma Torpedoes Range: 12/24" Weapon loadouts: Missiles/Plasma Firing arc: Forward Dice: 14

Trivia

On the Halo Wars Skirmish map Release, there are several agricultural support ships crashed on the map.

Gallery

• 

  Concept art of Infinite Succor for Halo 2.

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  Infinite Succor during the Battle of Installation 04 in The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor.

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  A crashed DSC-class support ship infected by the Flood on the map Release in Halo Wars.

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  Support ships repairing the damaged Breath of Annihilation in Halo: Escalation.

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  The hunting preserve on a DSC-class support ship, based on the Halo 2 concept art, in Halo: Fleet Battles.

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  DSC model for Halo: Fleet Battles.

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  A fleet of DSC's in Fleet Battles.

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

• Halo Graphic Novel
  • The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor (First appearance)
• Halo Wars
• Halo: Mortal Dictata (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Escalation
• Halo: Fleet Battles
• Halo: Silent Storm