Mon Calamari Shipyards/Legends

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The Mon Calamari Shipyards were a Dac-based manufacturer of numerous space transports and warships. Over four thousand years old by the time of the Galactic Civil War, the shipyards were renowned for their elegant, streamlined ship designs, characterised by bespoke production, unique engineering, and a sculpted, organic hullform. Though originally focused on exploration vessels and luxury liners, Mon Calamari designs emphasised powerful defenses.

When the Mon Calamari joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic, the shipyards became the main source of new warship construction for the Alliance, as well as the New Republic and later the Galactic Alliance. During the Galactic Civil War, the Mon Calamari shipyards became known for their advanced and powerful capital warships, ranging from standard cruisers to massive battleships and Star Defenders.

History

Early years

A Mon Calamari with plans for a cruiser

The shipyards of Mon Calamari came into being over four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin,[15] when the people of Dac began to dream about what lay beyond their own world.[16] The two sentient species of the oceanic world, the Mon Calamari and the Quarren, together constructed several orbital facilities, which were used to study techniques ranging from zero-gravity manufacturing to starship propulsion. Thus began the first construction of starliners which explored first the Calamari system and later surrounding worlds, including Ruisto and Mantan, which were eventually colonized. The Quarren also established asteroid mining colonies to supply Mon Calamari with additional resources.[2]

In time, Dac became encircled with shipyards and construction facilities, as well as some secret facilities hidden underwater on the planet's surface. These would prove useful millennia later when the Galactic Empire invaded the planet.[2]

Republic contact

It was starliners from Mon Calamari that first stumbled across Galactic Republic exploration vessels. 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 north-east Outer Rim.[15]

Despite the level of advanced technology that they discovered, Republic explorers did not fully grasp the ability of the world's shipyards. Mon Calamari designs were seldom seen outside the Calamari sector, though this changed towards the end of the Republic, when they came to the attention of Count Dooku.[2]

Into the Clone Wars

Towards the end of the Republic, Mon Calamari became a key affiliate of Rendili StarDrive, producing variants of the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser alongside their native vessels.[15]

As the Separatist movement grew, CIS leader Count Dooku visited Dac. Upon seeing the vessels that they were able to build, Dooku judged the shipyards as being as advanced and sophisticated as the great yards of Fondor or Gyndine. Yet, when Dooku tried to recruit Dac and its advanced shipyards to join his growing movement, they resisted.[2] Angered, Dooku unleashed the Force Harvester weapon on the world in 22 BBY, which severely damaged its shipyards.[17]

Further damage was sustained during an early battle of the Clone Wars that same year, which pitted loyalist Mon Calamari and Republic clone troopers against the CIS backed Quarren Isolation League.[18] While the Mon Cals and their Republic allies prevailed, shipbuilding was further delayed when CIS agents stole warship plans.[19]

Although the vast majority of Mon Calamarians supported Palpatine, there were several pro-Separatist members who attempted to liberate the shipyards. Exiled shipwrights formed the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps, based on the Mon Calamari colony of Pammant, and revised the Rendili Dreadnaught into the Confederate Navy's Providence-class carrier/destroyer.[15]

Imperial Era

Admiral Ackbar observes the shipyards

The rise of the Galactic Empire brought enslavement and subjugation to Dac, led by Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. The shipyards became a valuable prize for the Empire, which wanted them for maintaining control over the neighboring Tion worlds and the outlying planets of the Perlemian Trade Route.[2] Likewise, Tarkin attempted to retool the shipyards for Imperial use.[15] This dream never fully materialized, as Imperial engineers struggled to adapt Mon Calamari tools and equipment. This was an impossible task, as everything from smelting techniques to arcfusers were designed for Mon Cal and Quarren physiology. After a few failed experiments in using the yards to build warships for the Empire, the project was scrapped when the Imperial High Command deemed it too expensive.[15]

The shipyards sat idle as the Mon Calamari quietly plotted to restore their freedom.[2] Despite this, Tarkin, because of his admiration of the elegant winged hullforms of the new MC80 cruisers, allowed the Mon Calamari to build variants of the vessels as 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 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.[15]

Arsenal of the Rebel Alliance

File:Moncalshipyard.jpg
Mon Calamari shipyard during the Galactic Civil War.

Once the Mon Calamari managed to overthrow their Imperial oppressors, the shipyards began to modify their massive starliners into combat-capable warships. Their victory became a beacon of hope to other planets, and Rebel warships moved into the Calamari Sector to aid in its defense.[2]

With help from their new Rebel allies, the Mon Calamari began to build more powerful cruisers. When the Mon Calamari voted to become open members of the Alliance, Rebel technicians were dispatched to learn from and aid the Mon Cals in constructing warships for the Rebel fleet. While the shipyards specialized in their own Star Cruisers, they were adapted to produce corvettes and frigates as well. It was said that a single yard could produce one frigate or corvette a month, while the larger Star Cruisers could each be turned out in six months.[4] The total ship production in the sector grew at a staggering pace.[2]

The MC80 Home One type Star Cruiser and MC80 Liberty type Star Cruiser went on to become the mainstays of the Alliance navy, with ships serving with distinction in numerous battles, including the climactic Battle of Endor.[20] By the time of the Battle of Endor, the Mon Calamari Shipyards had produced eight new heavy cruisers based on the Kuari Princess design, and nearly 50 escorts — which was even more impressive of an achievement considering a good chunk of the shipyard's resources were used for starfighter construction at the same time.[15]

Mainstay of the New Republic

As the Rebel Alliance transitioned into the New Republic, the Mon Calamari Shipyards remained a major builder of warships. New classes of Star Cruisers, like the MC80B Star Cruiser[8] and later the MC90 Star Cruiser filled the ranks of the New Republic Defense Force.[9] This made the yards a high profile target, which happened on two occasions.

The shipyards suffered damage during the attacks of the Empire's fearsome World Devastators,[21] as well as some minor damage a year later during an attack by Imperial Admiral Daala.[22] Still, these setbacks did not deter the Mon Calamari shipyards. They were repaired and expanded.

As the galaxy began to change following peace with the Empire, 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.[11]

Yuuzhan Vong Invasion

Mon Calamari Star Cruiser in center of a New Republic fleet during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

The shipyards were a key resource for the New Republic during the Yuuzhan Vong War. The yards continued to produce powerful battle cruisers and Star Defenders as the New Republic military beefed up in response to the invasion. Even after being cut off from the rest of the New Republic when the Yuuzhan Vong pierced the Perlemian Trade Route, the shipyards kept up production, sending new units to the front lines via secret hyperspace routes.

Following the Battle of Coruscant, the yards became a even more vital asset as the government relocated to the water world. As the New Republic began to reorganize into the Galactic Alliance, the shipyards worked at a feverish pace to replenish and replace losses sustained earlier in the war.

With most of the major shipbuilding worlds of the galaxy under Yuuzhan Vong control, the Mon Calamari shipyards were the most important manufacturing asset to the New Republic. At the end of the war, the Mon Calamari and their shipyards were hailed as a symbol of idealism and determination in the face of danger.[23]

Under the Galactic Alliance

The Shipyards in 137 ABY were big enough to completely encircle the planet, much like the Kuat Drive Yards Orbital Array.

With so many other major shipyards, like Kuat Drive Yards, the yards of Bilbringi, and Fondor devastated by invasion, the Mon Calamari shipyards undoubtedly benefited from surviving the war intact. 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 Battle of Tralus.[24]

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, Tri-Scythe-class frigate, and ShaShore-class frigate.[10]

Second Imperial Civil War and beyond

By 137 ABY, the Mon Calamari system and its shipyards had fallen to the new Galactic Empire, and they were forced to make Imperial warships. One of their largest constructions was the Imperious-class Star Destroyer Imperious, which was used by the Empire to lure the Galactic Alliance Remnant into a trap.[13]

One third of the Mon Calamari shipyards is destroyed.

But the trap was really set for the Empire. While the Alliance Fleet and the shipyard's guns (which had been hacked by a member of Rogue Squadron) devastated the task force of the Outer Rim Third Fleet, the stormtroopers that had re-seized the Imperious were actually Alliance troops, under the command of the ex-stormtrooper Hondo Karr. The ship was stolen and was successfully delivered to one of the Remnant's bases.[25] There, the Galactic Alliance Remnant began the process of bringing its weapon systems online.[26] The shipyards, meanwhile, were devastated during the battle, when Jaius Yorub rammed the Indomitable into them, destroying a third of the yards and damaging another quarter.[25]

Following the defeat of the One Sith, a large number of Quarren and Mon Calamari were lured back to Dac under the pretext that the planet was being "renewed". Instead, these unfortunate Quarren and Mon Calamari were enslaved by a pirate syndicate led by the rogue Sith Darth Luft, who forced them to build a fleet of ships in the remnants of the Mon Calamari Shipyards.[27]

Remnants of the Mon Calamari Shipyards.

However, the Quarren Tikin and the Mon Calamari Luen encountered the Imperial Knight Jao Assam and the junk dealer Ania Solo, who learnt about their predicament and quickly transmitted word of the pirates and their slaving operation to the Triumvirate authorities in Coruscant.[27] Later, Tikin was murdered by Darth Luft and his death triggered a slave uprising by the Quarren and Mon Calamari, who joined forces to rebel against the pirates.[28] This uprising coincided with an attack by the Galactic Triumvirate led by Admiral Stazi and the Imperial Knight Yalta Val, who liberated the slaves and apprehended the pirates. Darth Luft himself was killed during a duel by Jao Assam. The Quarren and Mon Calamari then settled in the space station, which had been flooded with water by Admiral Stazi, to provide a comfortable atmosphere for the former slaves.[14]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Strongholds of Resistance, p. 33
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
  3. ↑ "The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life: The Priapulin"—Star Wars Gamer 8
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
  5. ↑ Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
  6. ↑ Star Wars: TIE Fighter
  7. ↑ Star Wars: X-Wing
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dark Empire Sourcebook
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Legacy Era Campaign Guide
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime
  12. ↑ Legacy of the Force: Betrayal
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Legacy (2006) 20
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Legacy (2013) 10
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 15.7 The Essential Guide to Warfare
  16. ↑ Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide
  17. ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars video game
  18. ↑ Star Wars: Clone Wars – "Chapter 5"
  19. ↑ "Republic HoloNet News Core Edition 15:01:03" – Star Wars Insider 72
  20. ↑ Starships of the Galaxy (Saga Edition)
  21. ↑ Star Wars: Dark Empire
  22. ↑ Dark Apprentice
  23. ↑ The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force
  24. ↑ Legacy of the Force: Betrayal
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Legacy (2006) 21
  26. ↑ Legacy (2006) 22
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Legacy (2013) 8
  28. ↑ Legacy (2013) 9
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