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The Tempest was built for one purpose, and one purpose only. To render every other power in the known galaxy irrelevant.
— Admiral Anton Trejo Persepolis Rising

The Heart of the Tempest was the first Magnetar-class battle cruiser in service with the Laconian Navy. Commanded by High Admiral Anton Trejo, it served as the flagship of the Laconian expeditionary force charged with conquering the Slow zone and the Sol system.

History

Built at the massive ancient shipyards in orbit around Laconia, the Tempest was one of three total Magnetar-class vessels in service. The Tempest utilized numerous technologies acquired from the long-dead protomolecule creators, including a powerful magnetic beam cannon[1] and a self-repairing hull.

Invasion of the Slow Zone

Full article: Third Battle of Medina station

Alongside the destroyer Gathering Storm, the Tempest crossed into the Slow Zone from the Laconian gate with orders to pacify and gain control of Medina Station. The ensuing battle was quick and decisive, as the two Laconian warships used their advanced weaponry to destroy the defensive railguns mounted at the center of the Slow Zone, as well as the lone Transport Union gunship that attempted to attack the Tempest. Shortly thereafter, Laconian Marines boarded the station, capturing Medina and giving control of the Gate Network to the Laconian military.

Invasion of Sol

The discovery that deadly gamma-ray bursts around the gates could be triggered manually from within the Slow Zone gave Laconian forces the ability to destroy any ship that attempted to cross through the gates, thus freeing the Tempest to lead the attack against the Sol system earlier than had been anticipated by Laconian Command. Shortly thereafter, the Tempest transited the Sol gate with orders to conquer the system for Laconia and secure the surrender of the Transport Union and the Earth-Mars Coalition.

Laconian control of Sol

Over the next four years, the Heart of the Tempest remained in orbit over Earth to keep the system powers from acting against the Laconian Empire. The ship had sustained damage to its sensor systems and exhausted its antimatter supply in the preceding battles, but was still more than capable of keeping the Sol powers under control.

However, in response to the seizure of the ship's resupply freighter near Jupiter, the Tempest burned for the Jovian moons to track down the insurgents and recover its spare parts, fuel, and most importantly, antimatter. As it approached Callisto, the captured Laconian destroyer The Gathering Storm blasted off from the moon and engaged the Tempest in long-range combat as a distraction. Thanks to earlier battle damage, the Tempest had a blind spot in its sensor coverage, which the Underground utilized to get a canister of stolen antimatter through the ship's point defense grid. The resulting explosion destroyed the Heart of the Tempest, and could be seen from across the system as a short-lived second sun.

See also


References

  1. The Expanse Novel Persepolis Rising - Chapter 16: Singh - USM Field Projector
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