{{Era|AC3|Forsaken|Featured}}
{{Quote|Who is she? Why the Aquila, boy! The Ghost of the North Seas! ... She's a ship, boy, and make no mistake about it!|Robert Faulkner to Connor regarding the ''Aquila''.|Assassin's Creed III}}
[[File:AC3 Aquila Homestead Bay.png|250px|thumb|The ''Aquila'' in the bay of Davenport Homestead]]
The '''''Aquila''''' was a [[French Navy|French]] [[Ships|naval warship]] commissioned and constructed during the 18th century. She soon became the flagship of the burgeoning [[Assassins|Assassin]] fleet.

During the [[American Revolution]], the vessel was captained by the [[Colonial Assassins|Colonial Assassin]] [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]], with [[Robert Faulkner]] as his first mate. Under their command, the ''Aquila'' helped to capture [[Continental Army]] captain and [[Templars|Templar]] [[Nicholas Biddle]], who had been raiding locations along the coast. The pair also patrolled several trade routes along the Eastern Seaboard and the [[Caribbean Sea]], engaging in multiple privateer contracts.<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref>

==History==
{{Quote|She's still the fastest in the Atlantic – sure she needs some attention... minor things mostly but with a little affection she'll fly again.|Robert Faulkner discussing the repairs needed on the ''Aquila''.|Assassin's Creed III}}
The ''Aquila'' was a [[brig]] constructed in Brest, [[France]], in the year 1749.

While small in design, the ''Aquila'' was a fast ship for its size, capable of twelve knots in good wind, according to Faulkner, making her one of the fastest in her region of service. Armed with heavy [[cannons]] and accurate swivel guns, the ''Aquila'' had a versatile and powerful arsenal that made her a force to be reckoned with.

[[File:ACIII-TrainingBegins 3.png|thumb|250px|The destroyed ''Aquila'' in the Davenport Homestead's harbor]]
In 1754, by which point she had become the flagship of the Assassin fleet, the Assassins spread the word that the ''Aquila'' had been destroyed after suffering heavy damage pursuing the ''[[Providence]]'', which was transporting the [[Templars|Templar]] [[Grand Master]] [[Haytham Kenway]], through a storm. In reality, she had only sustained minor damage and was soon refitted for combat.

Over the next decade, the ''Aquila'' plagued the Templar fleets, earning herself the moniker of "''Ghost of the North Seas''", an illusion spread both by the ship avoiding major harbors and by the exceptional sailing ability of her acting captain, Robert Faulkner.

Eventually, the Templars uncovered the fact that the ''Aquila'' had not been destroyed and, in 1768, three [[Royal Navy|British frigates]] ambushed the ship, nearly destroying it. Both the ''Aquila'' and Faulkner survived and managed to escape to the [[Davenport Homestead]], where they would remain until the arrival of the Assassin Connor, who elected to defray the cost of the vessel's repairs. Coincidentally, he had invited lumberjacks [[Terry]] and [[Godfrey]] to live on the Homestead, so the ''Aquila'' had the resources necessary for repairs.

After six months, Connor and Faulkner found a crew for the ''Aquila'' and sailed to [[Martha's Vineyard]] in search of cannons and officers. Faulkner recruited some of his old shipmates, [[David Clutterbuck|David]] and [[Richard Clutterbuck]], as gunnery officers, and tutored Connor in sailing the ''Aquila'' as captain. After practicing to fire the cannons at an old shipwreck, the ''Aquila'' saw her first fight in years against a patrol of British gunboats and a frigate.

[[File:ACIII-Frenchinvolvement 9.png|thumb|left|250px|Connor and Faulkner on deck]]
Following this battle, Connor used the ''Aquila'' to defend trade routes along the Colonial seaboard and the Caribbean. The ''Aquila'' was called upon to defend a number of trading vessels, such as the ''[[Henderson]]'' and ''[[Independence]]'', securing trade routes for the colonists and reducing the risk of merchants.

Privateers and English frigates were terrorizing the coast, and the ''Aquila'''s patrols put her in a premier position to eliminate the threats. Gunboats and frigates were among the privateers' favored ships, though they occasionally had a few larger ships to rival the ''Aquila'', such as the ''Dartmoor'', ''[[Saint James]]'', and ''[[Prospector]]''.

While these battles were relatively brief, their effects were far-reaching. Civilian traders were affected by the patrols of the ''Aquila'' and her crew, as they were less likely to lose goods to the raiders. This meant that prices to trade goods were lowered across the colonies, making the ''Aquila'' not only a military force but an indirect economic one as well.

[[File:ACIII-Bitterend 7.png|thumb|250px|Connor and Haytham hunting the ''Welcome'']]
The ship also served as transport for her captain when Connor sought out the [[Shards of Eden|hidden treasure]] of Captain [[William Kidd]] and traveled in pursuit of Templars. Often, this meant the ''Aquila'' waited offshore while Connor and Faulkner went ashore in a rowboat to explore the maps [[Peg Leg]] had given Connor in exchange for trinkets.

These locales varied greatly, from a jungle beach to the frigid north. However, on some occasions, the ''Aquila'' was directly used in hunting a Templar. [[Haytham Kenway]] and Connor, during their brief armistice, used the ''Aquila'' in the hunt for [[Benjamin Church]] and the ''Welcome'' in the [[Caribbean Sea]], eventually boarding the ship, retrieving her stolen cargo for the Patriots at [[Valley Forge]], and killing her passenger. In the process, the ''Aquila'' had decimated the ''Welcome'' and her crew, proving to be a resounding victory for her captain.

[[File:ACIII-Biddlehideout 3.png|left|250px|thumb|The ''Aquila'' firing at a Man-of-War under Biddle's command]]
The ''Welcome'' was not her only prey – Nicholas Biddle had been raiding [[Martha's Vineyard]] in the [[USS Randolph|USS ''Randolph'']]. Issues first arose when privateer frigates threatened merchant vessels near the Vineyard, and the ''Aquila'' successfully found and defeated their fort headquarters.

When another merchant vessel was threatened, the ''Randolph'' was spotted leading the privateers, though she escaped in the cover of a storm. For several years thereafter between 1776 and 1778, Connor and the ''Aquila'' hunted Biddle and the ''Randolph'', thought to be the party responsible for inciting the privateers to raid the Vineyard and the ships visiting it.

The ship's hunt was delayed by needing to help ''[[Belladonna|La Belladonna]]'', a vessel vital to the war effort, and other constraints on her captain's time. Eventually, however, in 1778, Connor and the ''Aquila'' managed to corner the ''Randolph''.

The ''Aquila'' proved the hardier ship compared to the larger ''Randolph''; Connor's superior seamanship and the ''Aquila'''s firepower allowed her to disable the ''Randolph'', kill her captain, and scuttle her, securing the Vineyard and stopping the Templars from encouraging further attacks. With Biddle out of the way, the seaboard was safe once more for neutral traders to conduct business with the colonies.

[[File:ACIII-BattleofChesapeake 16.png|250px|thumb|The ''Aquila'' sailing in the battle at the Chesapeake]]
When the [[Battle of the Chesapeake|Battle of Chesapeake Bay]] began, General [[Marquis de Lafayette]] requested the ''Aquila'' give support in the battle. The French [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|Admiral de Grasse]] believed that he would receive a large fleet and experienced captains, but instead he received only the ''Aquila'' and her captain Connor.

While irritated at the concept, de Grasse gave Connor two frigates for assistance, the ''Marsellois'' and the ''Saint Espirit'', and asked them to engage the encroaching fleet. During the battle, the trio of ships sank several gunboats and at least four English frigates, before the ''Marsellois'' was destroyed by an English vessel midway through the battle.

Once all the English frigates had been destroyed, a Man-of-War sailed into the battle and sank the ''Saint Espirit'', before she managed to disable the ''Aquila'''s guns. Due to lacking any other means of attack, Connor decided to destroy the Man-of-War by ramming her, getting on board in hand-to-hand combat, and killing her captain. Ultimately proving successful, the battle ended with the French as the victors.

Connor also loaned the ''Aquila'' to his [[apprentices]] for various [[contracts (Assassin's Creed III)|contracted missions]]. The ship was present at the {{Wiki|Battle of Gloucester (1775)|Battle of Gloucester}} in 1775 and the {{Wiki|Frederica naval action}} of 1778, and she also aided [[Caesar Rodney]] in holding control of the {{Wiki|Delaware River}}.

==Alternate timeline==
[[File:Escape to New York 10.png|thumb|left|250px|The ''Aquila'' approaching New York]]
In an alternate timeline created by an [[Apple of Eden 3|Apple of Eden]], the ''Aquila'' and Faulkner were located in [[Boston]]. When [[George Washington]] crowned himself the King of the [[United States]], [[Benjamin Franklin]] had the ship confiscated.

However, Franklin was eventually freed from Washington's influence by [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]], and suggested acquiring the ''Aquila'' to reach Washington's [[New York Pyramid|palace]] in [[New York]]. Franklin and the Assassin struck a bargain with Faulkner, having him gather a crew while Ratonhnhaké:ton untied the ship's moorings and assassinated the snipers guarding her. Faulkner's crew stormed the docks and swam to the ''Aquila'', which had gone adrift. Ratonhnhaké:ton held off the soldiers firing on the sailors, and eventually climbed on board with [[Kanen'tó:kon]] to sail for New York.<ref name="Betrayal">''[[The Tyranny of King Washington: The Betrayal]]''</ref>

[[File:Dark Waters 8.png|thumb|250px|The ''Aquila'' ramming an American Man O' War]]
During the approach, the ''Aquila'' was attacked by Washington's fleet. Ratonhnhaké:ton took the wheel and destroyed the attackers before taking their flags to sail into the lower bay unimpeded. The ''Aquila'' then navigated through the [[naval mines]] and launched a surprise attack on the remaining ships.

However, the ship's ammunition was depleted shortly after, with more of the King's ship on their way. Ratonhnhaké:ton ordered everyone to jump overboard as he rammed the Man-of-War in the lower bay, providing distraction for the others, but also destroying the ''Aquila'' in the process.<ref name="Redemption">''[[The Tyranny of King Washington: The Redemption]]''</ref>

==Armaments==
{{Quote|We've fitted her with a modest amount of guns to start but rest assured there's ample room to add more should you feel the need.|Robert Faulkner on the ''Aquila'''s first fitting under Connor.|Assassin's Creed III}}
[[File:ACIII-Chase 6.png|thumb|250px|left|The ''Aquila'' firing heated shot upon a fort]]
Although relatively well built, even when initially repaired by Connor, the ''Aquila'' underwent several major improvements during his captaincy.

In addition to the warship's standard {{Wiki|round shot}} and {{Wiki|swivel gun}}s, the ''Aquila'' was eventually upgraded to include several more projectile types: {{Wiki|chain-shot}} to destroy a ship's sails, disabling them; {{Wiki|grapeshot}} to target the crew; and {{Wiki|heated shot}} to start fires among the hull.

The ''Aquila'' also received improvements in her hull strength via reinforcements, an improved rudder for sharper turns, and the addition of a naval ram. Fully upgraded, the ''Aquila'' was armed with 60 main cannons, 30 on each side.

This would have made her equivalent in firepower to a third-rate ship of the line, which meant that she would have been a smaller ship of the line but larger than a frigate. Most contemporary 60-gun ships carried those guns on only two decks; however, the ''Aquila'' carried them on two dedicated gun decks with a few cannons and the swivel guns also present on the weather deck.

==Trivia==
*Aquila is Latin for "eagle", and it was a reference to the eagle motif of the Assassins.
**Continuing the eagle theme, the ''Aquila'' had an eagle-shaped figurehead.
**"Aquila" is also the name of a {{Wiki|Aquila (constellation)|constellation}}, with its brightest star known as "{{Wiki|Altair}}," namesake of [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]].
*In an interview, Mission Director [[Philippe Bergeron]] stated that Connor could freeroam the seas with the ship between missions. However, this was not possible in the final version of ''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''.
*The ''Aquila'' had lifts attached to her central mast, with the pulley handles shaped like [[Assassin insignia]]s.
*Faulkner stated the ''Aquila'''s top speed was 12 knots, but her actual in-game speed is roughly 27 knots at half sail and 31 knots at full sail.
*By the number of guns and masts, the ''Aquila'' would be considered a {{Wiki|third-rate}} ship-of-the-line. While not as massive as a first-rate or second-rate, the third-rate ships were considered to be the ideal balance in sailing warships in terms of speed and firepower. This would also mean that she had a crew complement between three and five hundred men.
*The ''Aquila'' typically flies the British flag, even during the [[Battle of the Chesapeake]] when she fights alongside French ships.

==Gallery==
<tabber>
Development=
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
AC3 naval ships.jpg|Naval battle concept art
Naval Battle concept illustration by Max Qin.jpg|Naval battle concept art
Aquila Cannons.jpg|Concept art of ''Aquila'''s cannons firing
AC3 CA SP 29 Naval Mines.jpg|Concept art of the ''Aquila'' navigating through [[naval mines]]
AC3 CA SP 30 Naval TropicalStorm.jpg|Concept art of the ''Aquila'' navigating a tropical storm
AC3 CA SP 28 Naval HidingInTheMidstOfEnemyShips(Night).jpg|Concept art of the ''Aquila'' hiding from enemy ships in the mist
Aquila Caribbeann concept.jpg|''Aquila'' Caribbean concept
AC3 CA SP 31 RescueBoat.jpg|Concept art of a rescue boat leaving the ''Aquila''
North America Stormy Day by max qin.jpg|''North America Stormy Day'' by Max Qin
Tropical Storm by max qin.jpg|''Tropical Storm'' by Max Qin
Naval Battle by max qin.jpg|''Naval Battle'' by Max Qin
The Perfect Storm by max qin.jpg|''The Perfect Storm'' by Max Qin
AC3 CA SP 27 Naval NorthAmericanLandscape.jpg|The ''Aquila'' docked off the North American coastline
Aquila passage concept.jpg|The ''Aquila'' entering a narrow passage
Aquila lower decks concept art.jpg|Concept art of the ''Aquila'''s lower decks
AC3 Render SP 22 Aquila Crew.jpg|The crew of the ''Aquila'' and a British Marine
Aquila concept model.jpg|Concept model of the ''Aquila''
Aquila Edge Artwork.png|Connor and his crew aboard the ''Aquila''
</gallery>
|-|Screenshots=
<gallery captionalign="center" position="center" spacing="small" widths="180">
ACIII-Pavingtheway 1.png|The ''Aquila'' at sea
A Call for Help 1.png|Connor at the helm of the ''Aquila''
Henderson in Distress 2.png|Connor calling an attack on enemy vessels
AC3 Faulkner boarding sequence.png|Faulkner commanding the crew
AC3 Richard Clutterbuck boarding sequence.png|The crew preparing for battle
AC3 David Clutterbuck boarding sequence.png|The crew boarding an enemy vessel
ACIII-Bitterend 6.png|The ''Aquila'' firing several chain-shots
ACIII-BattleofChesapeake 5.png|The ''Aquila'' during the Battle of Chesapeake Bay
ACIII-Wolcott 10.png|The ''Aquila'' firing on a British fort
</gallery>
</tabber>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC3}}
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Assassin ships]]
[[Category:French Navy warships]]