Editing Stiletto (Individual Broadsword-class DropShip)

{{otheruses|the Clan Ghost Bear and later Draconis Combine DropShip|other uses|Stiletto}}
{{infoBoxIndividualSpacecraft
| image      = 
| vesselname = Stiletto
| prevname   = Ice Dart
| type       = [[DropShip]]
| class      = [[Broadsword]]
| prevclass  = 
| servicesince = 
| serviceuntil = 
}}

==History==
The [[Clan Ghost Bear]]-operated ''[[Broadsword]]''-class [[DropShip]] CGB '''''Ice Dart''''' was one of five DropShips within a convoy of Ghost Bear vessels<ref name="TOTCp19">''Twilight of the Clans'', pp. 18–19: "Defender"</ref> encountered in the [[Deep Periphery]] on 15 December [[3059]] by the [[Second Star League]] force designated as [[Task Force Serpent|Task Force SERPENT]]. The two groups encountered each other in a system some 120 light years beyond the system the [[Explorer Corps (ComStar)|Explorer Corps]] had named [[Meribah]].<ref name="THp191">''The Hunters'', p. 191: "Chapter 22"</ref> 

The Ghost Bear convoy was transporting scores of civilian caste members to the [[Inner Sphere]] from the [[Clan Homeworlds]]<ref name="THp203">''The Hunters'', pp. 203–207: "Chapter 23"</ref> and consisted of three [[WarShip]]s—the ''[[Congress]]''-class frigate [[Shining Claw|CGB ''Shining Claw'']] and two ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class destroyers, the [[Fire Fang|CGB ''Fire Fang'']] and [[Ursus (Whirlwind)|CGB ''Ursus'']]—and the ''[[Invader]]''-class [[JumpShip]] [[Winter Wind|CGB ''Winter Wind'']]. The ''Ice Dart'' was being transported by the ''Winter Wind'' along with two ''[[Union-C]]''-class DropShips, the [[Arctic Frost|CGB ''Arctic Frost'']] and a sister ship, the [[Blue Kodiak|CGB ''Blue Kodiak'']].<ref name="TOTCp19"/>

Despite being outnumbered by the Task Force SERPENT naval flotilla a ''[[batchall]]'' was acknowledged and responded to by [[Star Colonel]] [[Alonso Gilmour]], Captain of the ''Shining Claw'' and the officer in overall command of the convoy, and all Ghost Bear vessels were committed to the battle.<ref name="THp192">''The Hunters'', pp. 191–192: "Chapter 22"</ref> The Captain of the ''Winter Wind'', [[Star Captain]] Hector, was determined to be able to jump out of the system to avoid being captured by hostile ships; as a result, he demanded that the crew of the ''Winter Wind'' begin hot-charging the [[K-F Drive]], rather than risking waiting the remaining five hours required for the drive to charge from the [[jump sail]]. Despite the preparations made by the crew of the ''Winter Wind'', she was disabled early in the battle by the ''[[Lola III]]''-class destroyer [[Ranger (Individual Lola III-class WarShip, ComStar)|ISS ''Ranger'']], which destroyed her field initiator and drive controller with a combination of a [[White Shark]] capital missile strike and heavy naval laser fire.<ref name="THp203"/>

Despite the damage done to the ''Winter Wind'', Hector was insistent that she would not be captured, and ordered his crew to prepare to repel boarders. Meanwhile, the ''[[Whirlwind]]''-class destroyer [[Fire Fang|CGB ''Fire Fang'']] attempted to protect the ''Winter Wind'',<ref name="THp203"/> as the ''[[Kyushu]]''-class frigate [[Haruna|DCS ''Haruna'']] had been tasked with delivering several [[DEST]] boarding parties to capture the JumpShip.<ref name="THp209">''The Hunters'', p. 209: "Chapter 24"</ref> 

The ''Haruna'' ended up taking damage from repeated volleys from the ''Fire Fang''; the ''Fire Fang'' was damaged in turn by the ''Haruna'', the ''[[Fox (WarShip class)|Fox]]''-class corvette [[Antrim|FCS ''Antrim'']] and a pair of ''[[Avenger]]''-class DropShips, the [[Dojo|DCS ''Dojo'']] and [[Hainan|DCS ''Hainan'']].<ref name="THp216">''The Hunters'', pp. 216–218: "Chapter 24"</ref> The ''Winter Wind'' managed to launch the ''Arctic Frost'' and ''Blue Kodiak'',<ref name="TOTCp19"/> but the ''Ice Dart'' was locked to her DropShip collar as result of the damage inflicted by the ''Ranger''.<ref name="THp221"/>

The two ''Union-Cs'' attempted to engage the lighter but more maneuverable ''[[Achilles (DropShip class)|Achilles]]''-class DropShip [[Bisan|DCS ''Bisan'']], launched by the ''Haruna'' and tasked with securing the ''Winter Wind''; while one of the two inflicted some damage on the ''Bisan'', it took heavy damage in turn, but managed to launch two ''[[Turk]]'' [[OmniFighter]]s and destroy an [[Riever#Variants|F-700A ''Riever'']] from the ''Haruna''.<ref name="THp221">''The Hunters'', pp. 221–223: "Chapter 25"</ref> The ''Bisan'' then successfully delivered at least two [[NL-42 "Battle Taxi"|NL-42 combat shuttles]] carrying troops to the ''Winter Wind'', despite the ''Winter Wind'' attempting to engage with her [[PPC]]s.<ref name="THp223">''The Hunters'', pp. 223–224: "Chapter 25"</ref>

The battle was a victory for Task Force SERPENT; while the ''Winter Wind'' was permanently disabled and the ''Ursus'' destroyed, the ''Fire Fang'' surrendered in a repairable state and the ''Shining Claw'' surrendered after taking crippling damage. The Task Force SERPENT report indicated that two damaged ''Union-Cs'' were recovered, but didn't confirm which two of the four those were by name; it is therefore possible that one was the ''Blue Kodiak''. Also captured intact was the ''Ice Dart'' and the embarked Striker Star of [[OmniMech]]s; the ''Ice Dart'' was renamed the DCS '''''Stiletto''''' and joined the DropShips embarked on the ''Haruna'' in place of the ''Hainan'', which was lost during the battle.<ref name="THp240">''The Hunters'', p. 240: "Chapter 27"</ref>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[The Hunters]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Twilight of the Clans]]''

[[Category: Individual DropShips]]
[[Category: Individual Broadsword-class DropShips]]