Ships

MC-80a Star Cruiser

The MC-80A is the most oftenly seen of the Alliance Starcruisers, making it the workhorse of the fleet. With its beautiful "swept-wing" look, and graceful, "organic" lines, its elegance belies its offensive power. Slightly smaller than the MC-85, but equally powerful, the MC-80a serves as the capital starship for the Alliance and as flagship to many task forces. Tragically, it was the MC-80a Liberty that was destroyed first by the Death Star's superlaser.

It was not until the entry of the Mon Calamari into the Rebellion that the Rebel forces gained capital starships with which to combat the Star Destroyers of the Empire. The huge battle cruisers of the Mon Calamari are modified versions of the deep-space exploration vessels their builders have for decades used to increase their understanding of the universe around them.

Admiral Ackbar of the Mon Calamari, seeing the valiant struggle taking place between the Rebels and the evil Empire that had laid claim to the worlds of Old Republic, convinced his people that the best use of their great technologies would be to help in this great fight for freedom. Several of the immense cruisers were immediately slated for modification, and fortification of their shielding and weapons systems began. Each Mon Calamari Cruiser is Unique, with artistically-designed hull contours. Many on Mon Calamari mourned the addition of sensor equipment and weapons emplacements along the normally smooth hulls of the ships they were donating to the noble cause of the Rebellion. Many of these great vessels, once modified, were given to the Rebel Forces to do with as they saw fit.

Rebel crews from across space staff Mon Calamari cruisers, but the actual flight control duties fall exclusively to Mon Calamari crew members. This is primarily because of the fact that the Mon Calamari optic arrangement differs greatly from that of humanoid species, and the holo-navigational, battle graphic displays and optical targeting systems of the cruisers are designed for use by Mon Calamari operators. Also, many of the cruiser's flight control systems are keyed through the highly-specialized, swiveling operators' seats and are controlled by subtle movements of arms, legs and feet, leaving hands free for other tasks. Humanoid operators find these controls motions difficult if not impossible to duplicate. This has proven a blessing for the Rebellion, for the Mon Calamari have a great, innate talent for starship piloting and are able to get amazing speed and maneuverability out of vessels that would normally be considered cumbersome in battle situations.

The shielding system of the Mon Calamari cruiser is approximately equal to that of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. While the Mon Calamari ship has fewer weapons batteries than its Imperial counterpart, the great skill with which the Mon Calamari control their fire nearly brings the fire power of the ships into parity.

Back to Capital Ships