Resurgent-class Star Destroyer

The Resurgent-class Battlecruiser was an iconic model of battlecruiser built by Kuat-Entralla Engineering and used by the First Order Navy during its conquest of the Unknown Regions sometime after the signing of the Galactic Concordance. Based on the Imperial-class Star Destroyers of the Old Empire, it featured advanced weaponry and represented the might of the First Order military throughout the galaxy. It was still considered a new model shortly before the Assault on Starkiller Base.

Despite the size of the Resurgent-class, the Resistance's intelligence branch suspected that the First Order had even larger warships in development.

Dimensions
Almost twice the length of the Old Empire's Imperial-class Star Destroyers, the Resurgent-class was 2,915.81 meters in length, and emulated the dagger-shaped design of the Imperial-class vessels. Designed for advanced ship-to-ship combat capabilities, it also served as a symbol of the First Order's power, inspiring awe in the Order's enemies and pride within its own ranks. Improving on the design of Imperial-era vessels, the ship featured hull structural bracing in its midsection, as well as armored hull plating and a truss to support the bow's upper hull.

Crew Requirements
Resurgent-class Battlecruisers featured a complement of 19,000 officers and 55,000 enlisted personnel. In order to keep such a large ship in operation, starship crews would be forced to work closely together and alternate each standard day into six four-hour-long shifts, divided among three crew sections. This would foster a strong sense of unity and team identity. Access to command systems and other areas of First Order vessels and installations were often denied to enlisted personnel, requiring the proper coded rank cylinders worn by officers. With many young fleet officers having been trained aboard these new battlecruisers for their entire lives, most considered these warships as their homes. Resurgent-class vessels also featured a crew recreation area on the lower part of the midsection, while upper habitation levels near the primary command bridge were reserved for senior command staff. Special Forces personnel stationed on the ship utilized barracks near senior command domiciles, while the ship's sick bay was located above the stormtrooper barracks in the bow section of the ship before the forward heavy turbolaser batteries.

Resurgent-class vessels maintained a complement of over 8,000 stormtroopers (a full legion) who had access to a training complex below their barracks. While stormtroopers followed their own chain of command while aboard fleet vessels, with a captain of the guard serving as the ultimate authority over the troopers, during alerts stormtroopers were instructed to follow the orders of any officer regardless of branch of service. First Order Special Forces personnel were also stationed on the vessel. A TIE pilot training and briefing complex existed adjacent to the lateral port hangar, while engineering personnel habitation areas were located at the bottom of the ship, near the reactor core. The ship also featured a detention center in its upper midsection, slightly closer to the bow of the vessel. Just like its predecessors, the Resurgent-class featured Rebaxan Columni MSE-6 series repair droids to serve as messenger, repair and custodial assistants.

Offensive and defensive systems
Featuring over 1,500 turbolasers and ion cannons, the Resurgent-class vessels were designed for orbital assaults and slugging matches with enemy ships. Powerful turbolaser batteries allowed for overloading enemy shields and punching through thick armor, along with orbital bombardments capable of reducing planetary surfaces to molten slag. Upgraded from Imperial-era turbolasers, the Resurgent-class delivered more firepower and had a faster recharge rate. Stemming from kyber focusing crystals harvested from a secret source deep in the Unknown Regions, other captains clamored for upgrades for their warships, only to be denied as military-grade crystals were in short supply. Only the most prestigious and important vessels were allowed this advanced weaponry, along with the Order's highest ranks.

Smaller point-defense turrets and missile emplacements served as complements to the heavy weapons, being able to track and destroy smaller and more agile ships. Both starboard and port sides of the stern featured standard turbolaser batteries, while heavy turbolaser turrets and an axial defense turret were located at the bow. The ships turret firing control center was located at the aft, and was protected underneath the larger rear portion of the ship. Ion cannon targeting was located on the ship's port side near the front. Multi-spectrum sensor towers were located near the primary command bridge, and aided in target acquisition.

The ship's tractor beam projector was located at the very tip of the bow, while the flight deck deflector shield projector was located a short distance behind. The ships main hull defector shield projectors were located on both the port and starboard stern sections, while a single domed-shaped bridge deflector shield projector encased the command bridge and its occupants, aided by a bridge deflector augmenter further up the ship's keel line. A bridge point-defense turret also helped further defend the bridge from starfighter attack.

Complement
Resurgent-class Battlecruisers typically carried two starfighter wings of both TIE/fo and TIE/sf space superiority fighters.

The ship featured both lateral starboard and port hangar entrances, with hangar flight control bridges overseeing activities in both bays. Unlike former Imperial-class Star Destroyers, TIE fighters were brought in from storage deeper in the vessel from launching racks, from where they would exit into space. The main hangar was positioned on the vessel's underbelly, where a docking claw aided vessels in landing and departing. The logistics hangar reception bay and ground vehicle storage were located near the main hangar. Another lateral flight deck was located in the ship's bow, and was used as a staging area for full-scale invasion operations. Overall, the Resurgent-class could launch its full complement of starfighters and assault ships much quicker than its predecessors in the Imperial Navy.

Propulsion systems
The Resurgent-class was powered by a single, large III-a1a primary hypermatter-annihilation reactor housed within a dome-shaped reactor containment vessel on the ships underbelly. The massive reactor was supported by a reinforced reactor superstructure and hull chassis, while the reactor engineering control deck oversaw reactor-based activities. The large atmospheric processing complex and reactant ducts were located behind the reactor containment vessel.

The ship was propelled by eleven engines, with three large KDY Destroyer Ion Engines and eight smaller Gemon-8 ion engines. These engines required a subsidiary reactor, reactant silos and isotope containment wells at the stern. There, extra power would be derived while the coolant silo and pumps would help lower the temperature of the massive engines. Around the large circular engines were the main engine thrust nozzles, while the smaller engines would utilize secondary thrust nozzles to help bring greater control over the ship. The main engines were attached to magnetic turbines, along with an acceleration compensator. In a straight line and at full speed, the Resurgent-class could be faster than a TIE/fo space superiority fighter, however doing so would negate any maneuverability and require a staggering amount of counter-thrust to execute the slightest maneuver. Thus, only the most reckless commanders traded the ship's maneuverability for its speed. The hyperdrive generator was located at the very end of the ship's aft section.

Bridge tower
Learning lessons from the loss of the Executor during the Battle of Endor, the Resurgent-class featured a better protected command bridge along with increased redundancy in command and control systems. No longer having the exposed conning towers of older Imperial-era vessels, the bridge height was reduced significantly. In addition, an emergency bridge was located in the ship's midsection, and was not exposed but built into the existing structure of the vessel. There, standby personnel would take control of the vessel's activities if the primary bridge were to be taken out of action. Despite this, sunken data pits continued to be used following the designs from Clone Wars-era Jedi cruisers owing to their importance in denoting command hierarchy. Simplified bridge displays with limited colors further aided bridge crews disseminate large amounts of complicated data quicker than before.

History
With the retreat of the Galactic Empire into the Unknown Regions following their defeat at the Battle of Jakku and the signing of the Galactic Concordance, the successor state known as the First Order would rise to power, eventually ordering the construction of the new Resurgent-class Battlecruisers on recently constructed shipyards and secret facilities in the galaxy's vast frontier. It would still be considered a new model shortly before the Assault on Starkiller Base.

Taking inspiration from the Imperial-class Star Destroyers of the Old Empire, but lacking the resources to construct huge numbers of these capital ships, First Order designs would consciously emulate the psychological factor of the previous Imperial-era ships. The ship's bow flight deck, side hangars, and prominent keel would share similarities to the Venator-class Star Destroyers, which reflected renewed appreciation among First Order tacticians for capital ships' role as carriers.

Further improvements in a better protected bridge tower along with quicker fighter&mdash;combat reaction time, the Resurgent-class served as the mainstay of the First Order Navy, replacing the aging Imperial-class Star Destroyers in service. General Armitage Hux and Kylo Ren used the Finalizer, a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer 30 years after the Battle of Endor in the search for Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, and launched the Attack on Tuanul from the command ship.

Behind the scenes
The Resurgent-class Battlecruiser first appeared in the second teaser trailer for the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens on April 16, 2015. The ship's full name, the 'Resurgent-class Star Destroyer, was revealed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Incredible Cross-Sections, released on December 18 along with the film. However, the book's author Jason Fry later announced that the information on the Finalizer from the book had been revised, changing up the complement and reclassifying it as the Resurgent-class Battlecruiser&mdash;changes that would be reflected in future printings of the reference book.

For the next generation of battlecruisers, many design concepts were considered, including one with a negative space in the bow, similar to the USS Vengeance in J.J. Abrams' 2013 film Star Trek into Darkness.

Appearances

 * Before the Awakening
 * Poe and the Missing Ship
 * Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
 * Star Wars: The Force Awakens novel
 * Star Wars: The Force Awakens: A Junior Novel
 * The Force Awakens, Part I
 * The Force Awakens, Part II
 * The Force Awakens, Part III
 * The Force Awakens, Part IV

Non-canon appearances

 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens