Pillar of Creation (Ship)

The Pillar of Creation is the flagship of the Scain Empire and the largest ship in the fleets. A Supercarrier-class warship, the Pillar of Creation is 4,500 miles (7,242 kilometers) in length and 3,200 (5,149 kilometers) in width.

Constructed during the reign of Mindbank Escundal, the Pillar of Creation was an unprecedented feat of construction, involving a custom-built space dock in orbit around Teraneus. It was also the first ship of its magnitude ever completed, and one of only four to ever be made. Construction of the ship took 550 years, and over ninety mining worlds were stripped dry for resources in building the massive ship. The Pillar of Creation was designed due to Escundal's insane drive to expand the Scain Empire. He believed the fastest and most efficent way to do so was warfare, and the PIllar of Creation was constructed for that purpose alone.

The minimum crew requirement on most Supercarrier-class ships is 500,000. The PIllar of Creation, however, is designed for maximum efficiency and minimum crew, meaning it's requirements are a mere 220,000. In addition, the PIllar of Creation is designed to be able to house these crew members for long periods of time (up to 600 years if necessary). Therefore, the interior is easily as opulent as the Amara District, and includes several habitat bays, arboretums, parks and individual housing developments. Along the top of the ship, a massive clear dome encompasses the Mindbank's throne, which is a room easily 2,000 feet in diameter.

The Pillar of Creation was first mentioned by Sovakadris in Twice-Shadowed Saint Part I: The Soldier, but not seen until part two. Sovakadris had been planning on using it to destroy Earth when Demnechi's fleet failed. After obliterating Aninay's ship, the Healing Hand, it returned to refuel at the Kethesios Refueling Station. Klaara tracked it down with the Gamble and attempted to assault it using tactical nuclear devices and her deployment pods. This failed, but before the ship could escape she was knocked into it by Bordra's ship, the Contagion. This pinned her against the comm relay when Sovakadris initated the jump, meaning they were carried along with it. Her ship acted as a beacon which drew the remainder of their ships - the Contagion, Pinnacle and the Illuminance - to the Pillar of Creation for the final assault in the Mordakrelai System.

Ultimately, due to Turukaishal's rebirth and battle with Sovakadris, the Pillar of Creation was destroyed in orbit around the planet Hyuumidal, which prevented it from reaching Chindrus for reinforcements. Of the 220,000 crew members, only those who obeyed Sovakadris' evacuation order survived - approximately 100,000.

When Turukaishal ascended to the Mindbank's throne, he ordered all Supercarrier-class ships to be scrapped, lest another one be used to attack an innocent world. He mentions two others - the Divine Ascension and the Incandescent Fury - which are in space dock awaiting retrofitting, and also states that he is forming a unit to track down a ship lost under the rule of Mindbank Tyrundul, the Judgment's Reach.