UNSC In Amber Clad

In Amber Clad
Ship history
Name:	In Amber Clad
Class:	Stalwart-class light frigate
Identification:	FFG-142
Operator:	UNSC Navy
Manufacturer:	SinoViet Heavy Machinery
Naval architect:	Distinguished Naval Engineer David Pulver; Dr Eugene Taylor;
Launched:	February 9, 2547
Fate:	Destroyed November 3, 2552
Captain(s):	Commander Miranda Keyes (April 7, 2550 - November 3, 2552)
Ship badge:
General characteristics
Type:	Light frigate
Length:	478 meters (1,570 ft)
Width:	152 meters (499 ft)
Height:	112 meters (367 ft)
Mass:	0.93 million metric tons
Maneuver drive:	2 OKB Karman 56K fusion drives
Slipspace drive:	Starwerx FTL-290C (CODEN Series IV)
Crew:	250 sailors
Complement:	12 M12 Warthogs; 6 M808 Scorpions;
Troops:	200 Marines; 64 Orbital Drop Shock Troopers;
Hull:	Titanium-A armor
Sensors:	Dorsally-mounted Active Phased Array Radar panels
Armaments:	1 56A2D4 Mark II light MAC; 16 M58 Archer missile pods; 76 M340A4 Streak missile pods; 6 M870 Rampart point defense guns; 52 M710 Bulwark point defense guns;
Air wing:	6 D77-TC Pelicans; D96-TCE Albatrosses; 24 M8823 HEV drop pods;
Air facilities:	2 hangar bays (1 port, 1 starboard); 1 ventral coilgun-accelerated drop pod launch system;

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This article is about the UNSC frigate. For the soundtrack, see In Amber Clad (music).

The UNSC In Amber Clad (FFG-142) was a Stalwart-class light frigate in service with the UNSC Navy during the Human-Covenant War.^[8]^[9]

Service history[edit]

Early History[edit]

The In Amber Clad was launched from Naval Yard AS-9 over Reach on February 9, 2547, alongside fifteen other frigates. By 2549, the Clad was the sole survivor of its group, its sister ships having perished in the battles of Paris IV, Iota and Arcadia.^[1]

Following her victory at the Battle of Gamma Pavonis VII in 2550 and the Clad's partial repairs and replenishment at Tribute, Lieutenant Commander Miranda Keyes was given command of the In Amber Clad on April 7, 2550^[1] after her ship, the UNSC Hilbert, was destroyed in the engagement.^[10]

Battle for Earth[edit]

Main article: Battle for Earth

As of October 2552, the In Amber Clad was still commanded by now-Commander Miranda Keyes. At this time, the vessel served as part of the UNSC Home Fleet's Medii Battle Group.^[11] It was docked with the orbital defense platform Cairo Station of Earth during an award ceremony. In the middle of the ceremony, however, the Fleet of Sacred Consecration appeared in the system and engaged Earth's defenses, igniting the Battle for Earth. UNSC Home Fleet ships then began to open fire on the Covenant ships. After the Home Fleet managed to take down the shields of the Syfon-pattern assault carrier Day of Jubilation, Keyes requested permission to engage, but Lord Hood refused as the frigate would be outgunned by the assault carrier. Instead, the Master Chief, after deactivating the Covenant bomb on Cairo Station, launched an attack using the bomb. The Master Chief used the bomb to destroy Day of Jubilation from the inside and then made a jump to the In Amber Clad which headed to the planet's surface to help in the defense against the ground forces of the Solemn Penance.^[8]

Battle of Mombasa[edit]

Main article: Battle of Mombasa

Afterward, the vessel descended to Mombasa, Kenya, where it dispatched numerous Marine units to reinforce the Marines from E2-BAG/1/7, A Company, and several other units on the ground. During the battle, the In Amber Clad served as a headquarters for the UNSC forces in the area, reinforcing and resupplying the Marines with armor, ground support, and troop reinforcements. The In Amber Clad also began to evacuate and treat injured and wounded Marines.^[12]

The In Amber Clad embarking to Mombasa.

As the Solemn Penance suddenly initiated a slipspace jump inside the city when the Prophet of Regret tried to flee the system, the In Amber Clad was one of the only vessels close enough to follow it. Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood, although hesitant, allowed Keyes to follow the Solemn Penance through the slipspace rupture, even though she did not know where it was headed.^[13] The UNSC Coral Sea, UNSC Dusk, UNSC Paris, and the UNSC Redoubtable were sent to follow and assist the In Amber Clad with the heavy assault carrier, as they were the closest, fastest UNSC ships to the carrier with charged slipspace capacitors. The ships intended to find out where the assault carrier was heading, or destroy the ship entirely to kill Regret.^[14] Although the In Amber Clad, as well as the Dusk, was separated and lost contact with all following ships after entering slipspace.^[15]

Battle of Installation 05[edit]

The In Amber Clad approaches Installation 05.

Main article: Battle of Installation 05

Piggybacking in the slipspace field of the Solemn Penance, the In Amber Clad ended up at Installation 05 in the Coelest system. With depleted engine cores and the frigate's weapons currently unavailable, Keyes demanded all information on the installation from Cortana. Then, Keyes immediately sent John-117 with the ship's contingent of Marine Orbital Drop Shock Troopers to the surface in M8823 drop pods, along with two D77-TC Pelicans, to track down the Prophet of Regret at the Temple.^[16] After discovering Regret required the installation's Activation Index to fire the Halo, she took herself, Johnson and his Marines to the Library in order to retrieve the Index and prevent the Covenant from activating Halo and ordered John-117 to assassinate the Prophet of Regret. In Amber Clad remained parked at low-altitude over the Library grounds, remaining on station for the return of its captain.^[17]

As Keyes entered the Library, they were immediately attacked by the Flood and most of her Marines were infected, with only a few eventually making it to the Index. Keyes, Johnson, and what was left of the Marines were ambushed, however, by the Arbiter only a few seconds after retrieving the index.^[17]

Some time later, the In Amber Clad was commandeered by the Flood and was used as a means by the Gravemind to gain access to High Charity.^[9]

Fall of High Charity[edit]

Main article: Fall of High Charity

In Amber Clad crashed into one of High Charity's towers.

Performing a slipspace jump inside the central dome of the Covenant's holy city, the Flood-controlled In Amber Clad soon crashed into one of the towers lining the city's edge and immediately released the Flood into the city. The Flood made use of the ship's remaining Pelicans to spread out over High Charity, often crashing the ships to inflict maximum damage on the city. The majority of the population was quickly assimilated. At this point, the ship was irreparably damaged and considered destroyed.^[9]

Cortana intended to use the In Amber Clad's engines to destroy High Charity and Installation 05 in the event the Covenant succeeded in activating the ring. Soon after the ring's activation sequence was halted, the Flood overwhelmed High Charity and Cortana fell under the clutches of the Gravemind, depriving her of the opportunity to destroy the engines even if she wanted to.^[18]

The remnants of the In Amber Clad were likely destroyed when the Flood-infested High Charity was destroyed by John-117 on the surface of Installation 00 on December 11, 2552. When John-117, the Arbiter, and Cortana escaped from High Charity after destroying its fusion reactors, they used a damaged but still operational Pelican left in the city.^[19]

Fate of the crew[edit]

The In Amber Clad, stationed next to Installation 05's Library.

Shortly after the In Amber Clad's arrival at Delta Halo, the surveillance team RECON 127 was deployed to investigate a large structure located on an island, but were killed in action by a Covenant detachment shortly after their Albatross crash-landed.^[7]

While the majority of the In Amber Clad's UNSC Marine forces were deployed to secure the Delta Halo Activation Index, Flood forces managed to infect the under-strength ship. The remaining crew were infected, and converted into combat forms for use in the invasion of High Charity. A small number, however, managed to outlive their ship, at least for a short while.

Commander Keyes herself survived the trials of the Sentinel Wall and the Quarantine Zone, as did Sergeant Major Johnson and a small number of Marines. While only Johnson and Keyes managed to reach the Index, the other Marines were either killed by the Flood upon arrival at the Index chamber, or captured by the Covenant. Both Keyes and Johnson were captured by the Covenant, only to escape much later thanks to the intervention of a Sangheili-led assault on their captors' base. They would later go on to play pivotal roles in the later stages of the Battle for Earth. The other captive Marines joined the Master Chief during his rampage through High Charity, but were killed either by the Covenant or by the Flood.

Although several Marine bodies can be found on High Charity well after the planetoid had been totally infested, it remains unknown whether these were survivors of the In Amber Clad or if they had been killed after trying to follow the Master Chief into the infected city, though it was stated by Cortana that there were no human life signs detected on that ship when In Amber Clad arrives on High Charity.

Crew[edit]

Command crew[edit]

Infantry complement[edit]

Marines

ODSTs

Trivia[edit]

In the level Cairo Station, there is a way of walking at the top of the ship. When you come to the first outside part, you head to the diagonal beam in front of the airlock. After jumping to the top by using it as a step, walk to very end of the path. After the last airlock, move to your right and jump. You will land on the ship and be free to walk all around and get back safely.
In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the In Amber Clad was erroneously referred to as a destroyer.^[20]
In Amber Clad's hull numbered designation is 142. 1+4+2 =7; alternately, 14/2=7.
In Halo 2, in the cutscenes when you see the interior of the ship, (Delta Halo, Cairo Station) you can see that the monitors show the three MAC orbital cannons, Cairo, Malta and Athens even though they are not present in the level Delta Halo, and the Malta and the Athens were destroyed by the Covenant.
The name In Amber Clad could refer to the ancient Greek (among other cultures) reverence for amber in jewelry and adornment; thus, In Amber Clad would give the vessel a sense of royalty. in the same vein, this could also be a reference to the Norse goddess Freyja - whose name means "Lady" - who wore (or was clad in) the magical amber necklace Brisingamen.
The In Amber Clad has the same number in its hull classification as the Cairo Station, its number is FFG-142 while the Cairo Station is OWP-142. Both the numbers on the In Amber Clad and Cairo Station add up to 7.

Gallery[edit]

Concept art and illustrations[edit]

Halo 2 concept art by Eddie Smith, who developed many pieces for Bungie.^[21]
Concept art of the bridge for Halo 2.
Concept art of the tactical station for Halo 2.
The original bridge geometry of the ship's bridge used for Halo 2.
Paintover of the original geometry created for Halo 2: Anniversary.
Halo 2: Anniversary concept art of the ship's SOIEV launch bay.
Halo 2: Anniversary concept art of a console on the ship's bridge.
Halo 2: Anniversary concept art for the In Amber Clad and the Solemn Penance.
A cross-sectioned view of the In Amber Clad for Halo: Warfleet.

Renders[edit]

An angled view of the UNSC In Amber Clad in Halo 2.
A render of the ship's bridge for Halo 2: Anniversary.
Another render of the bridge for Halo 2: Anniversary.
Render of In Amber Clad for Halo 2: Anniversary.
A render of In Amber Clad in space for Halo 2: Anniversary.
A render of In Amber Clad's fusion drive for Halo 2: Anniversary.
A quarter view render of In Amber Clad for Halo 2: Anniversary.

Screenshots[edit]

An ODST stands in one of the In Amber Clad's two HEV bays.
Commander Keyes and her navigator stationed in the In Amber Clad's bridge.
The UNSC In Amber Clad docked to Cairo Station immediately prior to the Covenant arrival.
The UNSC In Amber Clad while in flight in Halo 2.
UNSC In Amber Clad over Installation 05 in Halo 2.
UNSC In Amber Clad inside High Charity in Halo 2.
The In Amber Clad's wreckage in High Charityin Halo 2.
In Amber Clad in Halo 3: ODST, represented by the Charon-class model, as it is meant to be seen from far away.
The In Amber Clad follows Regret's carrier into slipspace in Halo 3: ODST.
In Amber Clad docked to Cairo Station in Halo 2 Anniversary.
UNSC In Amber Clad over Earth in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The underside of the vessel in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad while chasing the Solemn Penance in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad approaching the Solemn Penance in Halo 2 Anniversary.
In Amber Clad pursues the Solemn Penance into slipspace in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The bridge of the In Amber Clad, with Commander Keyes at the helm in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The forward consoles of the In Amber Clad's bridge in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad's HEV bays as seen in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad closes in on the newly-discovered Installation 05 in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad deploying her full platoon of HEVs onto Installation 05 in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The Flood-commandeered In Amber Clad glides over High Charity after exiting slipspace in Halo 2 Anniversary.
The In Amber Clad crashed into a tower, as seen in Halo 2: Anniversary in-game.