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, deflector shield generators, and observation decks. 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 the larger and more powerful Imperial-class Star Destroyer, which, while unable to match the Star Destroyers in weaponry, was able to outlast in terms of defense due to triple layered shields, multiple redundant back-up shield generators, and double redundancy critical systems. These features, combined with a heavily armored hull and structural fortification, allowed an MC80a to absorb large amounts of damage while other fleet elements either fled or engaged enemy vessels.

Despite this incredible defensive ability however, the MC80a required extensive pre and post battle maintenance. This task that was exceedingly difficult for resource strapped Alliance engineers especially due to the Mon Calamari penchant for artistry, aesthetics, and uniqueness of each ship: extensive time had to be given to understand each ships unique systems and operations before it could be repaired. This was eventually rectified in the standardized MC90 Star Cruiser design.

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.

The standard fighter complement included one A-wing, two X-wings, and three Y-wing squadrons.

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.[8]

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.[9] 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.