Nautilus-class Star Cruiser

Nautilus-class Star Cruiser

"It looks like a giant tube with engines stuck on the side."

- Cade Skywalker describes the Nautilus

The  was first proposed by engineers at the new shipyards at Dac, not long after the conclusion of the Sith-Imperial War. Designed to be the ultimate in versatility for large navies, this class introduced a number of improvements over previous vessels whose purpose was to carry starfighters into battle. Though its primary armament was based on the fighters it launched, the ships were designed to compete with most vessels of the Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer line in a straight-up fight. With seventy-five quad laser batteries and cluster munitions, the Nautilus-class could stand up to the most vigorous of starfighter assaults.

Details
The Nautilus-class was a severe departure from traditional Mon Calamari designs. The vessel was largely tube-shaped, resembling a very fat sausage, with a central bridge area built up around the upper middle hull. Similar, though smaller bulges lined the beam; these held most of the vessel's heavy weapons. Two large engine pods flanked the stern of the vessel; each of these contained one engine and the hypermatter core which powered it and, in tandem, the rest of the ship.

The most remarkable feature of the Nautilus-class was its immense starfighter bays. Capable of carrying nearly eight entire wings of fighters, the class could carry enough mobile firepower to annihilate a small fleet of conventional ships. The sheer number of small craft it carried necessitated an innovative quick-launch, quick-recovery system that divided the huge bays into any number of smaller hangars. So large was the bay itself, that if all equipment were removed, it was capable of encasing a single Imperial-class Star Destroyer whole. This bay could also be retrofitted to serve other roles, such as cargo freighter and refugee ship for emergency evacuations. Though this required a shipyard facility, such conversions could typically be done in only a couple of standard days.

History
The first vessel in the Nautilus class, fittingly carrying that name, was delivered to the Alliance fleet under Gar Stazi in 157 ABY, approximately one year after the successful liberation of Dac from Darth Krayt's Sith Empire. Stazi immediately planted his flag on this ship, intending to also use it as Rogue Squadron's base of operations. The class got its baptism of fire during a skirmish over Haruun Kal, when the Nautilus was ambushed by a fleet of warships under the command of Darth Stryfe, who had survived the end of the Sith-Imperial War. Intending to take out the head of the Alliance in one stroke, demonstrating that the Sith were still a force to be reckoned with, Stryfe attacked the flagship with everything at his command.

The fight was long and bloody, with the Nautilus taking damage, and the starfighter force assigned to it suffering heavy casualties. However, the Sith came off decidedly worse; fully seventy per cent of Stryfe's fighting force was either destroyed or severely damaged. Stryfe himself was badly wounded when his flagship was raked by a nova flare from several of the Nautilus' bomber squadrons. With their forces torn assunder, the Sith were forced to retreat.

Behind the scenes
This vessel and its description are based on a Photoshopping that was created by the author, which can be seen in the article's infobox. The artwork was based loosely on a Akula-class attack submarine, and though a number of X-wings are pictured in the image, imagine them as Crossfire starfighters instead.