Aquila

This article is about the ship Aquila. For other uses, see Aquila (disambiguation).

"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, 1770.^[src]^-[m]

The Aquila was an Assassin brig that served as the flagship for the Colonial Brotherhood's burgeoning fleet throughout the latter half of the 18th century.

Constructed by the Parisian Brotherhood in 1749, it was a highly exceptional brig for its time, boasting more firepower than its size would suggest, yet being swifter than any schooner. With the Assassin sailor Robert Faulkner at the helm, it came to be feared as the Ghost of the North Seas for its uncanny ability to strike from the cover of fog before disappearing.

During the American Revolutionary War, the vessel was captained by the Colonial Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, with Robert Faulkner as his first mate. Under their command, the Aquila helped to eliminate Continental Army naval 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. Crucially, the Aquila participated in the Battle of the Chesapeake where it was instrumental in the French victory.

History[edit | edit source]

Construction and early history[edit | edit source]

"The Assassin Council is pleased to inform you that the construction of your ship is complete. She was made by the finest shipbuilders in Brest. We have named her the Aquila, a constellation whose brightest star is named Altaïr. She awaits you and your crew."

―Nicolas de Saint-Prix in a letter to Achilles Davenport, 1749.^[src]^-[m]

In 1748, the Colonial Assassins' Mentor Achilles Davenport asked the Swedish Brotherhood to build a brig to fight the Templars across the Atlantic Ocean. At that time however, King Frederik I of Sweden was building his navy in Stockholm's dockyard with the funding of King George II of England. Thus, the Swedish Assassins could not accept, since the dockyard was full of Templar agents, and instead recommended that the French Assassins construct the ship.^[1]

Later that year, Achilles asked Gaspar Velasquez, a Spanish shipbuilder and ally to the Assassin Order, to construct the ship. Although Gaspar soon began working on the blueprints for the brig, the threat of the British Templars meant that he was unable to fully finish the project. The plans were then sent directly to the French Assassin Council.^[2] In 1749, the ship was completed in Brest and subsequently sent to the Colonies to serve the Colonial Brotherhood.^[3]^[4]

Around 1750, Achilles served as captain of the Aquila, where in the same year he rescued the veteran sailor Robert Faulkner. Faulkner was grateful for his aid and, with the help of Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Vérendrye, offered his services in creating a shipping route designed to connect the Colonial Brotherhood with the European branches of the Order.^[5] By 1753, Faulkner had been recruited into the Order and appointed first mate of the Aquila.^[6]

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.^[7]

Near-destruction[edit | edit source]

"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, 1770.^[src]^-[m]

In 1754, by which point she had become the Assassin fleet's flagship, the Aquila pursued the Providence, which transported the Templar Haytham Kenway from London to the Thirteen Colonies. The Aquila was able to track the Providence thanks to a trail of cargo dumped into the ocean by Louis Mills, an Assassin who worked as a sailor aboard the merchant ship. However, after engaging the Providence, its quarry escaped by sailing into a storm while the Aquila appeared to sink.^[8]

In reality, the Aquila escaped the storm with only minor damages and the Assassins spread rumors of her destruction to deceive the Templars. After being repaired and refitted for combat, she plagued Templar fleets for the next decade, 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.^[9]

Eventually, the Templars uncovered the fact that the Aquila had not been destroyed and, in 1768, three British frigates ambushed the ship, nearly destroying it. Both the Aquila and Faulkner survived and managed to escape to the Davenport Homestead,^[9] where they would remain until the arrival of the Assassin-in-training Connor, who elected to defray the cost of the vessel's repairs.^[10] Coincidentally, Connor had invited lumberjacks Terry and Godfrey to live on the Homestead, so the Aquila had the resources necessary for repairs.^[11]

Rebuilding and flagship of the Colonial Brotherhood[edit | edit source]

"Ha ha! The Aquila flies again. D'ya feel it, lad?!"

―Robert Faulkner to Connor, during the Aquila's first voyage after its rebuilding, 1773.^[src]^-[m]

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 two of his old shipmates, 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.^[7]

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 for merchants.^[12]

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.^[13]^[14]^[15]

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.^[12]

The ship also served as transport for her captain when Connor sought out Captain William Kidd's hidden treasure and traveled in pursuit of Templars. Often, this meant the Aquila waited offshore while Connor went ashore in a rowboat to explore the maps Peg Leg had given him in exchange for trinkets.^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]

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. In 1778, Connor and his father Haytham Kenway, during their brief armistice, used the Aquila in their pursuit of 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 passengers. In the process, the Aquila decimated the Welcome and her crew, proving to be a resounding victory for her captain.^[20]

The Welcome was not her only prey—Nicholas Biddle had been raiding Martha's Vineyard in the USS Randolph. Issues first arose when privateer frigates threatened merchant vessels near the Vineyard, and the Aquila successfully found and defeated their fort headquarters.^[21] When another merchant vessel was threatened, the Randolph was spotted leading the privateers, though she escaped under the cover of a storm.^[22]

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 La Belladonna, a vessel vital to the war effort, and other constraints on her captain's time.^[23]

Eventually, in March 1778, Connor and the Aquila managed to corner the Randolph near the Bahamas. The Aquila proved the hardier ship compared to the larger Randolph; Connor's superior seamanship and the Aquila's firepower allowed her and her captain 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.^[24]

Prior to the Battle of Chesapeake Bay in September 1781, General Marquis de Lafayette requested that the Aquila give support in the battle. The French Admiral de Grasse believed that he would receive a large fleet and experienced captains as reinforcements, but was instead met only by the Aquila and her captain. 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.^[25]

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 of the English frigates had been destroyed, a Man O' War sailed into the battle and sank the Saint Espirit, before disabling the Aquila's guns. Due to lacking any other means of attack, Connor decided to destroy the Man O' War by ramming it, getting on board, and killing its captain. Ultimately proving successful, the battle ended with the French as the victors.^[25]

Connor also loaned the Aquila to his apprentices for various contracted missions. The ship was present at the Battle of Gloucester in 1775, the Frederica naval action of 1778, and also aided Caesar Rodney in holding control of the Delaware River.^[12]

Alternate timeline[edit | edit source]

Ratonhnhaké:ton: "You'll get your ship back."

Faulkner: "Ah! ... The goddamn wharf's too heavily guarded."

Ratonhnhaké:ton: "I can change that, if you'll tell me what needs to be done."

—Ratonhnhaké:ton offering to help Faulkner reclaim the Aquila.^[src]^-[m]

In an alternate timeline created by an 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, Ratonhnhaké:ton eventually freed Franklin from Washington's influence and suggested acquiring the Aquila to reach Washington's palace in New York.^[26]

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.^[26] 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.^[27]

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.^[28]

However, the ship's ammunition was depleted shortly after, with more of the King's ships on their way. Ratonhnhaké:ton ordered everyone to jump overboard as he rammed the Man O' War in the lower bay, providing distraction for the others to reach the shore safely, but also destroying the Aquila in the process.^[28]

Armaments[edit | edit source]

"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, 1773.^[src]

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 round shot and swivel guns, the 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.^[12]

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, thirty 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 sixty-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.^[12]

Notable conflicts[edit | edit source]

During the American Revolution, the Aquila sunk and destroyed several ships under the command of the Templars, privateers, and the Royal Navy.

Dartmoor – Sunk during a skirmish along with her fleet.
Greyhound – Sunk during a skirmish along with her fleet.
Leviathan – Sunk while in pursuit of a Templar emissary.
Orpheus – Sunk during a skirmish along with her fleet.
Prospector – Sunk during a skirmish.
Welcome – Captured while in pursuit of Benjamin Church.
Randolph – Destroyed while in pursuit of Nicholas Biddle.
Saint James – Sunk during a skirmish.
Somerset – Sunk during a skirmish.
Windermere – Sunk during a skirmish.

Crew[edit | edit source]

Achilles Davenport – Captain (c. 1750)
Robert Faulkner – First mate (1753 – 1754; 1770 – ?); Acting captain (1754 – 1768)
Ratonhnhaké:ton – Captain (1770 – ?)
David Clutterbuck – Gunnery officer (1773 – ?)
Richard Clutterbuck – Gunnery officer (1773 – ?)

Trivia[edit | edit source]

"Aquila" is Latin and Italian 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 constellation, with its brightest star known as "Altair", the namesake of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
Prior to Assassin's Creed III's release, Mission Director Philippe Bergeron stated in interview that Connor would be able to freeroam the seas aboard the Aquila between missions.^{[citation needed]} However, this was not possible in the final version of the game. Such a feat would later be possible in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Rogue.
The Aquila had lifts attached to her central mast, with the pulley handles shaped like Assassin insignias.
By the number of guns the Aquila would be considered a fourth-rate ship-of-the-line. While not as massive as a first- or second-rate ships, third-rate and fourth-rate ships were considered to possess the ideal balance of speed and firepower for a warship.
In order to show how advanced the upgrades are, the Aquila adds cannons on the top deck, something usually never done on ships because it can be a problem while maneuvering the sails. The Jackdaw and the Morrigan do the same.
The Aquila typically flew the British flag, even during the Battle of the Chesapeake when she fought alongside French ships.
Unlike the Jackdaw in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and the Morrigan in Assassin's Creed: Rogue, the Aquila's appearance is not customizable. However, in both of the aforementioned games, her sails, wheel, and figurehead are available as cosmetic items for the player's ship through Animus mods.