CR-85 Cargo Carrier

CR-85 Cargo Carrier

"The CR-85 is by far the favorite of many companies, due to its defenses and armor allowing it throw-off any pirate attack. Maxwell Technologies is no different in that and it is for that reason we are keeping our CR-85s in operation for the foreseeable future..."

- CEO Hason Maxwell at a Maxwell Tech Board of Director meeting

The CR-85 Cargo Carrier, sometimes known as the Fatboy, and Cargo Corvette, is a rare medium freighter and transport developed by Corellian Engineering Corporation for the purpose of carrying heavy cargo. It is used by many different companies and cargo haulers due to its heavy defenses and armor.

History
The CEC developed the CR-85 when many of their customers started to use their popular CR-70 Corvettes as cargo-haulers alongside being a corvette. While the CEC did sport their popular Action-Series of medium transports many customers liked the speed and durability of the CR-70 Corvette. Therefore the company would introduce the CR-85 Cargo Carrier to appease these customers. However due to Corporate Sabotage and the introduction of a few competing designs like the Class Super Freighter Whale Class Super Freighter and Cargo Empress Class Medium Bulk Freighter saw CEC only producing a small amount of these ships before stopping production. While the CEC would continue to offer upgrade kits and parts for the design it would no longer produce these ships. Instead though CEC would introduce the CR-90 Corvette which sported a heavier cargo capacity to the slightly smaller CR-70.

Even with this setback several of these ships can be found in many corporate and private fleets carrying cargo across the galaxy. With Maxwell Technologies of Grayson having the most of these ships in its own fleet which the company would use during Galactic Civil War to secretly support the Rebellion. One of the most often used of these ships would be the Gray Star II which would deliver numerous supplies to the Rebel Base at Yavin IV before the war-turning Battle of Yavin.

Like many CEC Products the CR-85 was easily customized and CEC would offer several upgrade kits for this purpose. One of the most popular customizations would be the Fighter Carrier like the Rebel Carrier Vanguard and the Pirate Carrier Renegade. Other upgrade kits gave the ship heavier shields, faster hyperdrive, or heavier armaments which saw a few of these ships falling into Rebel or Pirate hands which would use them as Blockade Runners getting needed supplies to besieged planets.

Dimensons
The CR-85 Cargo Carrier is 165 meters long and around 95 meters wide which makes a bit larger then its more-military minded cousin the CR90 Corvette. It sports a large cargo-bay in the center of the ship giving a wider appearance to its Corellian Corvette cousins. This large cargo-bay gives the design its heavy cargo capacity, heavier then the later CR90 Corvette.

Offensive and defensive systems
The CR-85 sports similar shield and armor to the earlier CR70 Corvette which gives it very good protection all-around. The ship also sports two Taim & Bak H9 Duel Turbolaser Turrets and six CEC AG-2F Quad Laser Turrets which combined with the shields and armor gives the ship the ability to defend itself against low-end pirates easily.

However like many other CEC products the CR-85 is very modular and its weapon configuration can be changed very easily. For example, the six quad laser can be replaced with four H9 Single Turbolaser Turrets, or an additional two Duel Turbolaser Turrets can be added. Some ships even sport a concussion missile launcher at the cost of one its Duel Turbolasers. The weapons are not the only ones able to be reconfigured for the shield generator can be changed to a more powerful unit which is a CEC Suggested upgrade especially during the early years of the Galactic Civil War.

Complement
The CR-85 sported a small ventral hanger that allowed the ship to carry a few Load Lifters and a couple Zero-Gee Work Pods. However with some careful modifications this hanger can be configured to carry a single average sized snubfighter. Some later modifications would have a part of the cargo bay able to be turned into a small hanger a couple of fighters, but the ship forfeits some of its cargo space to do so therefore for those who need every ton of cargo space.

Cargo Bay
The Cargo Bay of the ship is like any other CEC product easily configured for a variety of different purposes and cargo. However like its CEC contemporary the HT-2200 Medium Freighter the CR-85's Cargo Bay can be configured intro six smaller bays that each have their own independent environmental systems. Also like already mentioned the Cargo Bay can be figured into a hanger bay for fighters.

Design Variants
Like any CEC product the CR-85 sports several different variants and modifications due to its modular nature and CEC after-market upgrade kits. Many of these kits added either a strong hyperdrive, shield generator, or engines however there a few kits that are notable.

Fighter Carrier Variant
The Fighter Carrier Variant basically turned the large cargo bay into a complete fighter hanger for a complete squadron of fighters. However even then there a few minor modifications with a few of the notable ships with this upgrade.

Rebel Carriers Vanguard & Striker
The Rebel Carrier Vanguard and Striker are basically the same ship just with a different names and crews. The two sports the original weapon layout of the basic CR-85 but also sports two squads of Alliance Marines which can be carried around by a shuttle that is housed in the ventral hanger bay. For several reasons the two carriers don't sport all the same fighter at the same time therefore carries a mixed squadron of fighters. This mixed squadron is usually six X-Wings or Z-95 Headhunters, four Y-Wings, and two R-22 Spearheads or later A-Wings. Of course this does changed quite a bit depending on mission.

Pirate Carrier Renegade
The Renegade is quite different from its Rebel-owned cousins and while it does sport the main hanger bay it also carries a small squadron of eight fighters due to the ship carrying a pair of shuttles as well in the main hanger. This is because the ventral hanger has been turned into a cargo bay. The ship also sports a fore-mounted heavy tractor beam turret and a pair of Ion Cannon turrets replacing two of its Quad laser turrets which allows the ship to capture its prey far-easier. Typically the ship carries eight Y-Wings though lately the ship has started to carry a even mix of Y-Wings and Z-95s.

Light Troop Carrier Variant
This variant is quite rare and only a single ship has been ever configured for this due to more dedicated and easier to acquire designs. Basically it turns the entire cargo bay into a dedicated troop bay which allows the ship to carry about two companies worth of infantry along with supporting equipment.

Blockade Cargo Runner
This variant basically sports improved engines, countermeasures, and faster hyperdrive to allow it to be able to run blockades. Besides these modifications it is basically the same ship as the base ship, though there is some different modified ships of this variant that are used by Smugglers mostly those working with the Hutt Cartel.

CR-80 Heavy Cargo Lifter
The CR-80 Cargo Lifter is a slightly smaller variant design of the CR-85 that does away with the large cargo bay leaving room for large docking clamps which can be used for a variety of uses though it is mainly designed for carrying cargo containers. However this design is worse off then the CR-85 mainly due to no interest in the design thanks to the quite superior Virella Systems Type I and Type II Cargo Freighters which can carry far more cargo containers even the massive Class-J Heavy Cargo Container. Even then the Rebel Alliance would end getting three of the five produced CR-80s which they used to carry around components of a mobile headquarters for the Alliance Command Staff. However by by the time of the Battle of Yavin the Alliance started to move towards more long-term bases therefore the mobile headquarters fell out of favor though it picked up again between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor before being all out retired due to the larger Rebel Fleet providing an easier mobile headquarters.

Known Ships

 * Gray Star II 
 * Maxwell One
 * Golden Dawn
 * Vanguard
 * Striker
 * Lovely Fiona
 * Revenge
 * Speedy 
 * Quick
 * Renegade 

Behind the Scenes
The CR-85 Cargo Carrier is an idea I had for a dedicated CR-Series Freighter to compete with the other similar-sized ships. Originally it was to be similar in appearance to the slightly smaller CR70 Corvette, but then I got the idea for the large cargo-bay when I once again saw the image of the FarStar with its large extended hanger bay in the center-body of the ship. Later I got the idea for the CR-80 which is basically a larger version of the Corellian Lifter from the Force Commander game which carried the Rebel buildings to the planet. I then decided to merge the ideas becoming this file. I may come back to make a separate file for the CR-80 but for now it's fine.

Appearances
The CR-85 makes an appearance in a Star Wars fic I have been off-and-on working on, but the Carrier Variants may make an appearance in another of my Star Wars ideas. When any of these fics go up I shall see about putting a link here for those interested.