CCS-class battlecruiser

The CCS-class Battlecruiser is a heavy warship used by the Covenant Navy, one of several different designs of capital ships they employ. The primary use of these ships is either to transport ground forces, or to engage enemy ships, since they are quite capable of a battle in space. They are also commonly tasked with glassing operations.

Overview
The CCS classification is the most well known type of Covenant warship, one of the few which the UNSC has been able to gain decent intelligence from, via the Truth and Reconciliation in particular. The battlecruiser is a long, vaguely organic-shaped spacecraft (often referred to having many bulbous sections), capable of launching dozens of fighters and dropships. Typically armed with a vast arsenal of energy weapons, it is smaller than the rarer and more powerful Assault Carriers, but larger than the more common Frigates and Destroyers, equipped with the standard energy shield generators, pulse laser turrets, and plasma torpedo launchers, and used as a main heavy warship by both Covenant Loyalists and Covenant Separatists. It appears to be capable of both space warfare and supporting ground operations, capable of deploying upwards of a thousand troops of various races, as well as support vehicles and aircraft through its gravity lift.

Control Room
The Control Room of a CCS classification, known as the "bridge" in human terminology, is located, as with on all Covenant starships, at the midsection of the Battlecruiser, protected by thick armor in addition to its shields. A raised platform in the center of the spacious room ringed with holographic controls is the Combat Information Center, or CIC, of the Control Room. These controls are most likely for fire control, navigation, sensors, ship diagnostics, internal security monitors, etc. In front of the command center is a large holographic "banner" which is used for navigation purposes. The crew in the control room usually consists of a Sangheili or Jiralhanae Ship Master who stands on the central platform and is in charge of giving orders and commanding his vessel, accompanied by, in most cases, Sangheili Zealots, or high-ranking captain Jiralhanae that patrol the lower level of the control room, who are responsible for maintaining the security of the ship.



Gravity Lift
Like most warships in the Covenant fleet, the CCS-class is also equipped with a single ventrally-mounted gravity lift, enabling the quick and easy transportation of personnel, vehicles, equipment and supplies to a planet's surface. Objects or personnel placed in it are propelled upward or downward rapidly by an anti-gravity field, and are able to gently disembark, despite the high speeds occupants can reach.



Brig
The CCS classification has at least two brigs for holding prisoners, though they may have more since these ships have not been fully explored. Each is a rectangular room with four force field-secured cells on either side, for a total of eight per brig. Each cell can accommodate a large number of prisoners, although normally only one is placed in each cell, probably for security purposes against the possibility of an organized escape attempt. The fields are impenetrable to all hand held weaponry, projectile or energy, but can be lowered by a holographic control panel on a raised platform on the far side of the brig opposite the entrance, the guards post. The cells are arranged at the periphery of a spacious room, with guards patrolling the central section. The guards usually have active camouflage, using their stealth to monitor the prisoners.



Hangar Bays
There are at least four hangar bays aboard the CCS classification - two to starboard and two to port side. They are each three-tiered, with a large amount of space between the floors and ceilings of each level. Each bay contains various vehicles, such as Spirit-class dropships, on the bottom floor, with a pillar-like platform used for dismounting passengers rising up and connecting to the second level. Covenant troops are arrayed upon the second and third floors, with multiple stationary plasma shields and Shade infantry plasma turrets.

A plasma magnetic containment field operates at the mouth of the hangars, retaining atmosphere while in space transit. It denies the movement of all forms of matter attempting to enter or leave the shuttle bays.



Corridors
Most of the ship is comprised of labyrinth network of corridors, with circuitry concealed behind purple metal casings. At junctions, gaps in the ceiling and floor appear to accommodate Huragok maintenance personnel, allowing them to float between levels easily and quickly.

Doors
There are various, virtually indestructible doors upon the CCS classification. Unlocked ones are outlined in white light, while locked ones have crimson light. While locked doors can be forcibly opened by electromagnetic pulse detonations (which supposedly shut down their locking mechanisms), such as nearby Plasma Grenade explosions, they are protected from electronic intrusion by a 128,000-bit modulating encryption key , but this key can be penetrated by a UNSC AI, such as Cortana, after a couple of minutes.

Engines and Engine Room
While not seen in-game, every ship obviously features and engine room. The engines are, of course, more powerful and faster than human engines. This is likely because the Covenant aids the primary nuclear power source with a plasma power source, allowing power to almost be doubled. The engine room, one could imagine, would be a large chamber with nuclear reactors and possibly plasma energy cores. Also there would be large tubes containing the actual engines. There would also be a manual terminal where repairs and orders from the engines can manually be made, should the Control Room's control over the engines ever stop working.

Appearances
Several CCS-class Battlecruisers have been seen throughout the Combat Evolved campaign, most notably the Truth and Reconciliation, Purity of Spirit and possibly the Sacred Promise. They have also been seen in Halo 3 glassing Voi, Kenya in search for the portal that leads to the Ark, they are also later seen as Covenant Separatists glass Voi in an attempt to stop a Flood infestation. CCS-class vessels can also be seen in Halo 3: ODST. More are seen in the Halo: Reach Video Games Awards Trailer and in the sky on the map Boneyard. Many are seen in various shorts from Halo Legends.

Halo: Combat Evolved
CCS-class Battlecruisers seem to be a deeper shade of purple, and do not have as many pointed fins on the nose of the ship. The gravity lifts are a deeper shade of blueish purple, and the shuttle bays seem to take up a greater portion of the ship, though this would be probably to accommodate the large portion of cutscenes that transition from the interior to the exterior through this area. Also, the ships need flat areas to dispatch troops. Although it is possible to use the gravity lift on rocks, a flat metal section is preferred.

Halo 2
The ships have a longer, shinier, purple appearance. They seem to have more partings in the purple plates, although this may be due only to the updated graphics. The shuttle bays are narrower and less long, also, the human shuttle bays on the Cairo seem to be based off the bays of the Truth and Reconciliation, although this may only be a similarity on Bungie's part.

Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST
Not much different from Halo 2, however, they now have an extra plate on the midsection in between the belly and the right wing. However, we never see the gravity lift up close so it is impossible to tell what changes have been made. Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST are the only games where the CCS-class Battlecruisers are seen digging and glassing with energy projectors.

Trivia

 * The Calabash or Rotten Egg Nebula is similar in shape to a CCS-Class Battlecruiser, prompting speculation that Bungie based the ships design on the Nebula or that is is pure coincidence.
 * A "CCS-class Battlegroup" generally consists of at least three CCS-class ships.
 * All "CCS-class Battlecruisers" have the Marathon (Video Game Series) logo on their launch bays
 * The Cruisers featured in Halo 3 have four fins instead of two, like those of the Truth and Reconciliation in Halo: CE. This could be because of the Great Schism and the rivalry between the Brutes and the Elites or simply better graphics than the previous games.
 * The only CCS-Class Battlecruiser to be controlled (however briefly) by humans was the Truth and Reconciliation.
 * During the development of Halo 2, Regret's Carrier was originally going to be a CCS-class Battlecruiser, as seen in the E3 2003 Trailer.
 * According to an ONI report, CCS-class Battlecruisers were first encountered by humans when Admiral Cole's fleet arrived in the Psi Serpentis system in 2543. However, this contradicts both Halo Wars: Genesis, which clearly depicts Cole's fleet engaging CCS-class Battlecruisers as early as 2526, and Halo Wars, in which two such vessels - which have been identified by the UNSC - are engaged in orbit over Arcadia.
 * In Halo 3, it is possible, through modding, to control a CCS Battlecruiser. This video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9irY-ibQmY8, displays the Battlecruiser being piloted on the level The Covenant, with a functional Glassing Canon.