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- "You have to understand the Mon Calamari ethos. They were never a warlike species at all until the Empire started enslaving them and ravaging their world. Those wonderful Star Cruisers of theirs were originally passenger liners, you know, that we helped them convert into warships."
- ―Leia Organa Solo
Mon Calamari Shipyards was a shipwright company that manufactured numerous models of space transports and warships. The company operated the eponymous, thousand-years old Mon Calamari Shipyards orbiting the planet Dac as well as other smaller shipyards in the Calamari sector. Mon Calamari Shipyards was renowned for its elegant, streamlined ship designs, characterized by bespoke production, unique engineering, and a sculpted, organic hullform. Though originally focused on exploration vessels and luxury liners, Mon Calamari designs emphasized powerful defenses.
When Dac joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the Galactic Civil War, Mon Calamari Shipyards became the only shipwright to openly support the Rebellion and became its main source of new warships. The company and its shipyards got known for their advanced and powerful capital warships, in particular their Star Cruiser. Mon Calamari Shipyards became one of the largest starship manufacturer of the galaxy during the era of the New Republic and the Galactic Alliance. However, the success of the shipwright eventually caused its downfall. The company and its shipyards were seized by the new Galactic Empire after the Sith–Imperial War. During the Second Imperial Civil War, the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards were closed by the Empire ant its owners were exterminated along with the entire population of Dac.
Description[]
- "As you may know, each Mon Calamari ship is a unique work of art."
- ―Fiz Cor'gril
Mon Calamari Shipyards was a starship-manufacturing company based on Dac and present throughout the Calamari sector. The company operated the massive Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards as well as smaller shipyards, such as the Krinemonen III shipyards. Among those shipyards, only the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards were capable to produce the largest models of Mon Calamari Star Cruiser. Smaller shipyards were usually affected to the construction of smaller starships.[1]
A Mon Calamari with plans for a cruiser
Construction of the Mon Calamari Shipyards starships resulted from the collaboration of Mon Calamari engineers and shipwrights with Quarren shipbuilders and miners. The Mon Calamari vessels were widely reputed for their high quality and for their elegance. As the Mon Calamari considered shipbuilding to be an art form, they never construed identical starships, even those from series dedicated to mass-production.[1]
Mon Calamari Shipyards products encompassed civilian and military vessels. Civilian transports included light freighters (such as the Simiyiar-class light freighter,[5] the MC-18 light freighter[3] or the DeepWater-class light freighter[9]) and passenger liners (like the famous MC80 luxury spaceliner[10]). Mon Calamari military starships ranged from small transports to massive battleships.[2] The most iconic Mon Calamari warships were indeed the Mon Calamari Star Cruisers (such as the MC80 series and later the MC90 Star Cruiser) that could be considered as Star Destroyers according to the Anaxes War College System.[4] Smaller military ships included shuttles (such as the MC-24a light shuttle and the Crix-class assault shuttle[2]), frigates (such as the MC30c frigate,[1] the ShaShore-class frigate and the Tri-Scythe-class frigate[2]) and standard cruisers (such as the MC40a light cruiser[1]). Larger warships included battlecruisers (such as the Mediator-class battle cruiser[4] and the MC140 Scythe-class main battle cruiser[2]) and one gigantic model of Star Dreadnought: the Viscount-class Star Defender.[4]
History[]
Early history[]
Starship construction in the Calamari system appeared over four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin,[4] when the Mon Calamari people of Dac began to dream about what lay beyond their own world. The two sentient species of the oceanic world, the Mon Calamari and the Quarren, together constructed several orbital facilities, which in time would because Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards. Thus began the first construction of starliners which explored and colonized the worlds of the Calamari sector.[11] These starliners were originally built as exploration vessels for deep voyages into Mon Calamari Space, but carried military-grade deflector shields and starfighter wings. Mon Calamari cruisers became the main defense force for a colonial empire spanning several hundred systems in the Outer Rim.[4] Although Dac and its shipyards were discovered by the Galactic Republic in 4166 BBY,[12] Mon Calamari vessels remained rare outside Calamari Space before the Clone Wars.[11]
Near the end of the Galactic Republic, Mon Calamari Shipyards was contracted by Rendili StarDrive[1] to produce Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers.[4]
Imperial Era[]
- "Make no mistake, the Mon Calamari saved the galaxy. Their cruisers protected our fleet at the Battle of Endor, allowing the starfighters to penetrate the second Death Star's core. Without Admiral Ackbar and his people, we would all be the Emperor's slaves."
- ―Mon Mothma
The liner Kuari Princess served as prototype for Galactic Civil War-era models of Mon Calamari Star Cruisers
After the Declaration of a New Order, Dac was subjugated by the Galactic Empire and its population was enslaved. The Empire attempted to upgrade the Mon Calamari shipyards for Imperial use but Imperial engineers did not succeed in adapting the Mon Calamari technology to Imperial standards and the project was abandoned.[11] Finally, Mon Calamari Shipyards' starship-building facilities were taken over by Loronar Corporation to produce Strike-class cruisers for the Imperial Navy.[1] Nevertheless, since the Moff Wilhuff Tarkin admired the elegant winged hullforms of the Mon Calamari vessels, Mon Calamari Shipyards was allowed to continue to use its shipyards to build luxury starliners for Galaxy Tours and Kaliida & Rimward. The Mon Cal shipwrights later repaid him by developing every component of these new liners as a prototype for future warships. The Mon Cal shipwrights developed every component of these new liners as a prototype for future warships: the sport lasers on the Recreation Deck of the Kuari Princess were equipped with pinpoint targeting computers, while the RNS Queen Amidala IV boasted an innovative Class One hyperdrive. These were only small parts of a broader, secret plan for re-armament and liberation of Dac.[4]
Once the Mon Calamari and Quarren managed to overthrow their Imperial oppressors in 1 BBY,[4] during the Galactic Civil War, Dac and Mon Calamari Shipyards openly joined the Rebel Alliance.[1] The company upgraded its starliners into combat-capable starships and began to produce new warships for the Rebellion.[4] The Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards were used to build the large MC80 Star Cruisers while smaller vessels, such as MC30c frigates and MC40a light cruisers, were manufactured in smaller yards like the Krinemonen III shipyards.[1] By the time of the Battle of Endor, Mon Calamari Shipyards had produced eight new heavy cruisers based on the Kuari Princess design, and nearly 50 escorts.[4] The MC80 Home One type and MC80 Liberty type Star Cruisers,[14] as well as the more combat focused MC80a Star Cruiser,[4] went on to become the mainstays of the Alliance navy, with ships serving with distinction in numerous battles, including the climactic Battle of Endor.[14]
Mainstay of the New Republic and Galactic Alliance[]
As the Rebel Alliance transitioned into the New Republic, the Mon Calamari Shipyards remained a major builder of warships. Thanks to the massive New Republic funding, the Mon Calamari shipyards doubled their production every year, eventually reaching five percent of the entire New Republic budget. In response, the Mon Calamari shipwrights designed increasingly powerful battleships for the New Republic Defense Fleet, like the MC80B Star Cruiser and later the MC90 Star Cruiser.[4]
Mon Calamari Star Cruiser in center of a New Republic fleet during the Yuuzhan Vong War.
After the end of the Galactic Civil War, the Mon Calamari continued to produce state of the art capital warships for the New Republic, including the powerful Mediator-class battle cruiser and Viscount-class Star Defender at the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War.[4]
By the time of the Second Galactic Civil War, the Mon Calamari shipyards had produced the new Mon Calamari heavy carrier for the Galactic Alliance. One of this class, the Blue Diver, was assigned to the Second Fleet during the Blockade of Corellia.[15]
In the last years of the Galactic Alliance, the shipyards produced various warship classes for the Alliance military, including the MC140 Scythe-class main battle cruiser, the Tri-Scythe-class frigate, the ShaShore-class frigate and the Crix-class assault shuttle.[2]
Second Imperial Civil War and beyond[]
- "Reports estimate that at least ten percent of the Mon Calamari population on Dac has been killed. The rest of the Mon Calamari have been ordered into Imperial work camps. The famed Mon Calamari Shipyards, damaged in the attack, will be closed -- with their owners among those marked for termination."
- ―A news report
After the fall of the Galactic Alliance during the Sith–Imperial War, the Mon Calamari system and its shipyards were subjugated by Darth Krayt's new Galactic Empire. The Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards were entirely converted to produce Imperial military vessels, becoming one the primary sources of Imperial Star Destroyers. Moreover, Mon Calamari Shipyards engineers were forced to improve Imperial warship designs. One of their largest achievements was the construction of the Imperious-class Star Destroyer Imperious.[2]
A Galactic Alliance Remnant fleet of Mon Calamari starships battling Imperial forces near the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards
In 137 ABY, during the Second Imperial Civil War, a fleet of the Galactic Alliance Remnant led by Admiral Gar Stazi attacked the Mon Calamari Orbital Shipyards and stole the Imperious while it was nearing completion in dry dock. The shipyards, meanwhile, were devastated during the battle, when Captain Jaius Yorub rammed the damaged Indomitable into them, destroying a third of the yards and damaging another quarter.[16] In retaliation, Darth Krayt later ordered the massacre of the entire population of Dac. Furthermore, the damaged Dac shipyards were closed as Mon Calamari shipwrights were among the victims of the genocide.[6]
Appearances[]
- Legacy (2006) 24 (Indirect mention only)
Sources[]
- The Essential Chronology
"The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Priapulin" — Star Wars Gamer 8- The New Essential Chronology
- Legacy Era Campaign Guide
- The Essential Guide to Warfare
- Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Beta
- Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
- Desperate Allies
- Star Wars: Force and Destiny Core Rulebook
- Strongholds of Resistance
- Lead by Example
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Strongholds of Resistance
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Legacy Era Campaign Guide
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Desperate Allies
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 The Essential Guide to Warfare
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars: Force and Destiny Core Rulebook
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Legacy (2006) 24
- ↑ The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
- ↑ Dark Force Rising
- ↑ 9.0 9.1
"Fizzi's Slightly Used Starships" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 9
- ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 234 ("Kuari Princess")
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
- ↑ The Essential Atlas
- ↑ The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Starships of the Galaxy, Saga Edition
- ↑ Legacy of the Force: Betrayal
- ↑ Legacy (2006) 21