MC80a Star Cruiser

MC80a Star Cruiser The MC80a Star Cruiser, also known as MC80A Star Cruiser, was a general classification for a group of early MC80 Mon Calamari Star Cruisers converted from luxury starships into warships.

Characteristics


Built initially as massive pleasure craft by Mon Calamari shipyards, the MC80a Star Cruisers received a series of crucial upgrades to allow them to operate against Imperial warships. The addition of the Mon Calamari provided the Rebel Alliance with their first consistent source of large, powerful capital warships.

Rounded and organic in appearance, most MC80a cruisers were oblong cigar-shaped vessels. The surface of the cruisers were dotted in pods and bulges that contained sensor arrays, weapons batteries, and deflector shield generators. Their thrusters were arranged with several on the ventral side close to the bow and several on the dorsal side close to the stern.

The MC80a Star Cruiser's role as the center of most Rebel Alliance fleet formations often pitted it against larger, more powerful Imperial-class Star Destroyers. While unable to match the Star Destroyers in weaponry, the MC80a cruisers were equipped with triple layered shields, redundant back-up shielding, and double redundancy critical systems.

These features, combined with structural improvements, allowed an MC80a to absorb large amounts of damage while other fleet elements either fled or engaged enemy vessels, but required extensive pre- and post-battle maintenance.

Subclasses
While no two MC80 series vessels were exactly the same, most Star Cruisers shared a similar baseline level of protection, weaponry, and features. There were even subclasses among the designs.

Most MC80a cruisers measured approximately 1,200 meters in length and required a crew of roughly 5,400. A TriLuna 400 MGS Stardrive and Hyperdrive Motivator achieved a Class 1 hyperdrive rating, while a Serridge SEAL Shielding System provided up to 240 SBD in shield ratings.

Weaponry was guided by a Plat Dromma targeting computer, and included 20 ArMek SW-7 ion cannon batteries, 6 front-mounted Phylon Q7 tractor beam projectors, and 48 Taim & Bak XV9 turbolaser batteries.

MC80a cruisers also included at least six starfighter bays and one auxiliary bay. These bays housed several shuttlecraft and freighters and six starfighter squadrons, which generally included one squadron of interceptors, two space superiority fighter squadrons, and three bomber squadrons. A light ground assault force was also common, which included a mixture of repulsor tanks, light assault vehicles, and 1,200 troops.



A larger MC80a subclass was distinguished by a sleeker profile. They were 1,300 meters in length. The amount of crew was bigger than on other MC80a models, with 200 additional gunners operating the ship's weaponry. Each vessel carried 1,200 troops and three starfighter squadrons.

Another subclass, exemplified by the Naritus, had no dorsal thrusters, but instead what appeared to be a command pod near its stern.

Yet another subclass shared its design with the MC80 Liberty type Star Cruiser, without the extended wing-sections, thus cutting down on the amount of shield and tractor beam projectors as well as gun batteries. The lightened cruiser countered with an extra thruster at the rear, in place of the ventral main sensor array, that increased its maneuverability. Many of these vessels were used by the Rebel Alliance at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. They made up the bulk of the heavy warships, along with the MC80 Liberty type and the MC80 Home One type.

Known ships

 * Hope
 * Naritus
 * Odysseus

Behind the scenes
The information on MC80a cruisers is contradicting: some sources say it's a design found before the Battle of Yavin, while others say it was a New Republic design and therefore at least post-Battle of Endor. The text above is a combination of the information from both sources: the history is from pre-Yavin sources, the stats from post-Endor sources. A summary on the different MC80a sources:
 * Heir to the Empire Sourcebook (1992)&mdash;post-Endor. The section in the sourcebook about the Mon Calamari cruisers is essentially a repeat of what can be found in earlier sourcebooks, with the word "Rebel" changed to "New Republic". Though this seems to suggest that MC80a's are made after Endor, it does not rule out that the Rebellion also had MC80a's. Also, the term "MC80a" can only be seen in the stats section. Strangely enough the text paragraph still talks about "MC80". Furthermore, the image used in the HTTE SB is the same as the MC80 image in previous sourcebooks.
 * Star Wars: X-wing (1993)&mdash;pre-Yavin. The storyline of this game leads up to the Battle of Yavin, and the game has MC80a cruisers (Independence and Defiance); the models for these ships look suspiciously like Home One. Interesting to note is that it appears that the game makers interpreted the info on MC80a's from the HTTE SB as being rebel cruisers as well (the X-wing game borrowed many other starship designs from the West End Games sourcebooks).
 * The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (1996)&mdash;post-Endor. This guide explains that "a number of more powerful cruisers [more powerful than a MC80], including the MC80a, MC80B, and MC90, are being built." While this is not very strong evidence, the text does seem to suggest that the MC80a is a newer starship design.
 * The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook (1996)&mdash;post-Endor. This book has the same information as the HTTE SB mentioned above.
 * Star Wars: X-wing vs. TIE Fighter (1997)&mdash;pre-Yavin (actually pre-Endor). This game once again features the MC80a, and is set in the period around the original three films.
 * Cracken's Threat Dossier (1997)&mdash;arguably. The sourcebook mentions a cruiser, Naritus, featured in the novel Assault at Selonia, which then appears to be a MC80a in this matching sourcebook. The ship is described as an "aging" cruiser. Depending on what is considered "aging" in the GFFA the ship is at least 14 years old (post-Endor) or at most 18 years old (pre-Yavin).
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance (1999)&mdash;pre-Yavin (actually pre-Endor). Once again Independence and Defiance are featured in this game as MC80a's.
 * The Essential Guide to Warfare states that MC80A was a new "lean, combat-focused variant cruiser" and construction of these ships begun after MC80 liners have been refitted for combat duty (which places it after 1 BBY). The MC80A now corresponds to the "wingless" cruisers seen in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, as per the authors' endnotes.



While working on the film Return of the Jedi, ILM model artists wanted to pad out the Rebel fleet. This was achieved by modifying their original wingless model into the Liberty type by adding wings and replacing one engine with another pod.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: X-wing
 * Star Wars: TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: X-wing vs. TIE Fighter
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
 * Heir to the Empire
 * Dark Force Rising
 * Assault at Selonia
 * Destiny's Way
 * Destiny's Way