Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To create a specialized stealth capital ship for the Eternal Empire and Confederacy
- Image Source: IgnusDei @Deviantart (Image), Killzone 2 (Some header elements), Myself (Headers)
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Geonosian Corps of Engineers, using blueprints provided by the Eternal Navy
- Affiliation: Eternal Empire, Confederacy of Independent Systems, Closed-Market
- Model: Nocturnal-class Battlecruiser
Production: Semi-Unique
Material: Durasteel Hull, Titanium Frame, Glasteel Viewports, Starship Components, Stygium Field Components
- Classification: Battlecruiser
- Length: 2890.08 Meters
- Width: 1104.93 Meters
- Height: 610.13 Meters
- Armament: High
- 1x Axial Very Heavy Ion Cannon
- 6x Hypervelocity Cannons
- 24x Heavy Turbolasers
- 60x Heavy Ion Cannons
- 30x Turbolasers
- 20x Light Ion Cannons
- 4x Torpedo Launch Tubes
- 20x Point Defense Laser Cannons
- 4x Tractor Beam Projectors - Defenses: Moderate
- Durasteel Armor Plating
- Duralumin Warframe
- 2x Internally-mounted Shield Generators
- Backup Shield Generator
- Point Defense Laser Cannons (see Armament list) - Hangar: Very Low: 4
- Maneuverability Rating: Average
- Speed Rating: High
- Hyperdrive Class: Average: 2 | Very Slow: 13 (Backup)
- Starship Sensor Package
- Starship Ion Engines
- Starship Hyperdrive
- Starship Shield Generators
- Starship Repulsorlift Engine
- Starship Maneuvering Thrusters
- Starship Communications Package
- Starship Life Support System
- Starship Escape Pods
- Starship Inertial Dampeners
- Starship Medical Bay
- Starship Barracks
- Stygium Cloaking Field Generator: The Nocturnal-class Battlecruiser is a highly specialized warship, equipped with a cloaking system. Incorporating a system built around the properties of Stygium crystals located at the heart of the ship, this battlecruiser is capable of concealing its presence from enemy vessels.
- Stygium Cloaking System: The Nocturnal-class is outfitted with a Stygium cloaking system that allows it to hide its presence from enemy ships, making it invisible to any vessels not equipped with sensors that can track stealth vessels, although a brief window exists when the ship is detectable after exiting hyperspace, before the stealth system goes online
- Anti-Shield Armament: The Nocturnal-class features a complement of weapons that is designed with the primary purpose of inflicting damage to the enemy's shields
- Race Horse: A highly specialized warship intended to flank enemy formations and inflict damage to their shields, the Nocturnal is a much faster ship than many counterparts within its size category
- Flying Blind: Equipped with a Stygium Field cloaking system, the Nocturnal-class is incapable of communicating with the outside world or using its sensors while the stealth system is active, effectively blinding it until it decloaks
- Weak Punch: Designed to inflict damage to enemy shields, its armament is ill-suited for directly engaging enemy vessels in a slugging match
- Microjumps: Due to its size and stealth systems, the Nocturnal-class Battlecruiser is incapable of performing tactical FTL jumps, lacking the precision required for such maneuvers
Heavily based on the Wraith-class Star Dreadnought, the Nocturnal-class Battlecruiser is intended to serve a support role within the Confederate Navy. A highly-classified project requested by the highest levels of the Nelvaanian government and with direct funding from the Eternal Throne, the Nocturnal is a class of highly specialized fast attack vessels, intended to perform hit-and-run attacks on enemy formations and inflict damage to their shields, leaving them vulnerable to the other ships in the fleet.
Conceptualized shortly before the Shrouded Republic's morphing into the Eternal Empire, the project was fast-tracked after the former Overlord of Nelvaan proclaimed himself the ruler of the Eternal Throne, as it was seen as a means for the Eternal Empire to discretely deliver supplies and personnel to a number of archaeological sites across the galaxy, which it had set up in order to uncover the secrets of Emperor Valkorion's Zakuulan Empire.
In combat, the Nocturnal is not designed to operate alone and its armament, which consists primarily of ion-based weapons platforms, is ill-suited for direct slugging matches against an opponent. To aid it in performing its intended role, the Nocturnal-class is outfitted with some of the most powerful engines ever to be designed by the Eternal Navy, enabling it to achieve considerably higher speeds than other ships of similar size.
Outfitted with a cloaking system built around the unique properties of Stygium crystals, the Nocturnal-class is capable of projecting a stealth field around itself, which completely cuts it off from the outside galaxy. This enables it to maneuver undetected, although it comes at the cost of blinding its sensors and communications systems. This effectively means that while the cloaking system is active, the warship is completely unaware of any changes occurring on the battlefield and relies on precise coordination in order to function in an efficient manner. Obstacles drifting into the ship's path are one of the biggest hazards, as this can result in dangerous collisions.
A hit-and-run vessel, the Nocturnal-class' hangar bay is small and only capable of carrying four squadrons of starfighters into battle, as well as a number of shuttles for deploying supplies, personnel and equipment to locations on the ground. Like many vessels designed by the Eternal Navy, it features a back-up hyperdrive which is normally kept offline and only activated if the primary drive suffers a malfunction.
