User:07 Contrite Witness/Enlightened Idolatry-class anointed examiner

The Enlightened Idolatry-class anointed examiner, designated by the UNSC as the SRC-class exploration carrier, is a particularly rare form of capital ship exclusively found in service with the Ministry of Fervent Intercession.

Specifications
One of the key design considerations behind the SRC-class carrier is the focus given to reducing strain in all areas, in order to assume that no systems will break down in service. Nowhere is this more important than its borer, of which the ship's survival depends on it functioning at all times. To minimise the chance of breakdowns and wear damage, the carrier has an incredibly long, streamlined shape that has odd-looking winglets and hull extensions. This all works in harmony to dramatically reduce drag and break up currents found when travelling at faster-than-light speeds, leading to extremely smooth transitions, journeys, and very short travel times. The "cushioning" effect of the extremely-advanced Temtain Nu-pattern borer also means that the carrier has a very small slipspace portal for a ship of its size, which coupled with minor stealth systems, makes it a surprisingly difficult ship to detect upon entry and exit into realspace. Its spaceframe is also unusually strong, both because of its effective organisation and also because the ship's size is considered ideal for capital ship construction practices in terms of the "balance" between hull strength, internal volume, and inertia wastage.

Being intended for locations far away from any possible support for years at a time, these carriers are equipped with a multitude of additional systems usually offloaded to attached Procurator-type logistics ships. Repairs for even major systems are handled by a tertiary assembly forge and a very large contingent of Huragoks, and it can refine its own fuel and ammunitions with processors and collectors fit for skimming valuable gases from gas giants. While the crew may lament the use of the disgusting but efficient sustenance fabricators, they are quite well treated, with even Unggoy thralls being permitted accommodation for sleeping. A wide variety of scientific instruments up to and including dedicated laboratories manned by ministry and private experts allows the ship to conduct independent research on a wide variety of interesting subjects. An overstuffed spiritual complement is headquartered in an elaborate church district, with Redeemers, Deacons, and priests present to maintain the morale of the troops and spread the truth of the Great Journey to all willing converts. These may sometimes be disembarked to be replaced with more troops. The final and arguably greatest addition to the ship is the installation of a Forerunner teleportation grid, allowing the ship to transport material and troops to established spires, or rapidly move fighters around a system.

Given the fact that it must dive deep into uncharted space, where a threats of unknowable power and numbers may lurk, the SRC-class carrier has to be remarkably powerful to stand a chance of returning to the Holy Ecumene with its knowledge intact. With a preference for dishing out long-ranged damage, it is armed with dozens of heavy plasma torpedo silos and two superheavy plasma lances, allowing it to punch harder than even a CAS-class assault carrier. While it lacks a Forerunner auspex array, the science teams use their expertise with the ship's extensive hyperscanner suite to create one of the most effective - if manpower-intensive - fire directors the Covenant can offer. Four heavy plasma beams, almost a hundred twin Sonos-pattern plasma cannons, and 380 pulse laser batteries round out its close-in weapons suite. For how potent this all is, the SRC is not the most powerful ship for its size, and in particular its close-in weapons are only sufficient for clearing out massed groups of small attack craft. As a result, it must rely heavily on its powerful shield generators and light countermeasure suite to defeat or escape attackers.

The embarked forces ferried by these ships are usually focused around establishing occupation outposts, and as such it has a very large contingent of ground troops ready to take and hold territory until reinforcements could arrive. Its fighter complement is unusually small, with less than 300 strikecraft total and largely dominated by reconnaissance vehicles. Four sub-vessel docks, each fit for an SDV-class heavy corvette, are present, and are tasked for scouting ahead for their mothership.