Aquila

"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.

Aquila, in the bay of the Davenport Homestead

Aquila was a naval warship commissioned by the Assassin Order during the 18th century, nicknamed "the Ghost of the North Seas."

During the American Revolution, the vessel was captained by the Colonial Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, with Robert Faulkner as his first mate. Under their command, Aquila helped to capture Continental Army captain and 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.

History

"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 Aquila.

Aquila was constructed in Brest, France, in the year 1749, after which she soon became the flagship of the Assassin navy.

While small in design, Aquila was a fast ship for her 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, Aquila had a versatile and powerful arsenal that made her a force to be reckoned with.

The destroyed Aquila in the Davenport Homestead's harbor

In 1754, after suffering heavy damage pursuing the Providence through a storm, the Assassins spread the word that Aquila had been sunk. In reality, she had only sustained minor damage and was soon refitted for combat.

Over the next decade, 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 Aquila had not been destroyed and, in 1768, three British frigates ambushed the ship, nearly destroying her. Both 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 Aquila had the resources necessary for repairs.

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

Connor and Faulkner on deck

Following this battle, Connor used Aquila to defend trade routes along the Colonial seaboard and the Caribbean. Aquila was called upon to defend a number of trading vessels, such as Henderson and Independence, securing trade routes for the colonists and reducing the risk of merchants.

Privateers and English frigates were terrorizing the coast, and 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 Aquila, such as Dartmoor, Saint James, and Prospector.

While these battles were relatively brief, their effects were far-reaching. Civilian traders were affected by the patrols of 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 Aquila not only a military force but an indirect economic one as well.

Connor and Haytham hunting the Welcome

The ship also served as transport for her captain when Connor sought out the hidden treasure of Captain William Kidd and traveled in pursuit of Templars. Often, this meant Aquila waited offshore while Connor and Faulkner went ashore in a rowboat to explore the maps that 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, Aquila was directly used in hunting a Templar. Haytham Kenway and Connor, during their brief armistace, used Aquila in the hunt for Benjamin Church and Welcome on the Caribbean Sea, eventually boarding the ship, retrieving her stolen cargo for the Patriots at Valley Forge, and killing her passenger. In the process, Aquila had decimated Welcome and her crew, proving to be a resounding victory for Connor.

The Aquila firing at a Man-of-War under Biddle's command

Welcome was not her only prey – Nicholas Biddle had been raiding Nantucket while in command of USS Randolph. Issues first arose when privateer frigates threatened merchant vessels near Martha's Vineyard, and Aquila successfully found and defeated their fort headquarters.

When another merchant vessel was threatened, USS 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 Aquila hunted Biddle and USS 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 while assisting La Belladonna, a vessel vital to the war effort, and other constraints on her captain's time. Eventually, however, in 1778, Connor and Aquila managed to corner USS Randolph.

Aquila proved the hardier ship compared to the larger USS Randolph; Connor's superior seamanship and Aquila's firepower allowed her to disable USS 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.

Aquila sailing in the battle at the Chesapeake

When the Battle of Chesapeake Bay began, General Marquis de Lafayette requested Aquila give support in the battle. The French Admiral de Grasse believed that he would receive a large fleet and experienced captains, but instead he received only Aquila and her captain Connor.

While irritated at the concept, de Grasse gave Connor two frigates for assistance, Marsellois and 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 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 Saint Espirit, before she managed to disable 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, and killing her captain in hand-to-hand combat. Ultimately proving successful, the battle ended with the French as the victors.

Connor also lent Aquila to his apprentices for various contracted missions. The ship was present at the Battle of Gloucester in 1775 and the Frederica naval action of 1778, and she also aided Caesar Rodney in holding control of the Delaware River.

Alternate timeline

Aquila approaching New York

In an alternate timeline created by an Apple of Eden, 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 Aquila to reach Washington's palace in New York. Franklin and the Kanien'kehá:ka warrior struck a bargain with Faulkner, having him gather a crew while Ratonhnhaké:ton untied the ship's moorings and assassinated the snipers guarding her. Meanwhile, Faulkner's crew stormed the docks and swam to Aquila, which had gone adrift, while Ratonhnhaké:ton held off the soldiers firing on the sailors, and eventually climbed on board with Kanen'tó:kon to set sail for New York.

Aquila ramming a Man-of-War

During the approach, 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. 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 a Man-of-War in the lower bay, providing a distraction for the others, but also destroying Aquila in the process.

Armaments

"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 Aquila's first fitting under Connor.

Aquila firing heated shot upon a fort

Although relatively well built, even when initially repaired by Connor, Aquila underwent several major improvements during his captaincy.

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

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, 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, Aquila carried them on two dedicated gun decks with a few cannons and the swivel guns also present on the weather deck.

Trivia

• "Aquila," the Latin word for "eagle," was a reference to the eagle motif of the Assassins.
  • Continuing the eagle theme, Aquila had an eagle-shaped figurehead.
  • "Aquila" is also the name of a constellation, with its brightest star known as "Altair," namesake of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
• In an interview, Mission Director Philippe Bergeron stated that Connor could freeroam the seas with Aquila between missions. However, this was not possible in the final version of Assassin's Creed III.
• Aquila had lifts attached to her central mast, with the pulley handles shaped like Assassin insignias.
• Faulkner stated Aquila's top speed was 12 knots, but her actual in-game speed was closer to 60 knots, which was not reached by any real ship until 1911.
• By the number of guns and masts, Aquila would be considered a 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.

Gallery

DevelopmentScreenshots

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  Naval battle concept art
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  Naval battle concept art
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  Concept art of Aquila's cannons firing
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  Concept art of the Aquila navigating through naval mines
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  Concept art of Aquila navigating a tropical storm
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  Concept art of Aquila hiding from enemy ships in the mist
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  Aquila Caribbean concept
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  Concept art of a rescue boat leaving Aquila
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  North America Stormy Day by Max Qin
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  Tropical Storm by Max Qin
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  Naval Battle by Max Qin
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  The Perfect Storm by Max Qin
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  Aquila docked off the North American coastline
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  Aquila entering a narrow passage
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  Concept art of Aquila's lower decks
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  The crew of Aquila and a British Marine
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  Concept model of Aquila
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  Connor and his crew aboard Aquila

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  Aquila at sea
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  Connor at the helm of Aquila
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  Connor calling an attack on enemy vessels
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  Faulkner commanding the crew
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  The crew preparing for battle
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  The crew boarding an enemy vessel
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  Aquila firing several chain-shots
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  Aquila during the Battle of Chesapeake Bay
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  Aquila firing on a British fort