Arquitens-class light cruiser

The Arquitens-class were built on a broad, kite-shaped hull, in line with the Kuat Drive Yards triangular design motif that was also reflected in its contemporaries, the Venator and Acclamator-classes. It was set apart, however, by its three powerful engines (reminiscent of the smaller Consular-class space cruiser), as well as its two forward spars cleaved into the ship's triangular bow.

The bridge was a small T-shaped command tower positioned atop the hull, flanked by two turret-mounted quad light turbolasers; these were matched by identical emplacements, located on the ventral side. The cruiser's anti-fighter and anti-ship capabilities were bolstered by the quad laser batteries mounted port and starboard. All of the batteries could be retracted into the hull in the case of atmospheric operations. Additionally, the ship also had two pairs of forward ordinance launchers. Its ordinance launchers were typically equipped with concussion missiles, but any standard Republic Navy ordinance could be used.

Arquitens-class light cruisers were relatively small vessels; like the retrofitted Consular-class, they were regarded as "escort-class" vessels by the Confederacy navy in contrast with the Venators, identified as "cruiser-class." However, their versatility allowed them to serve in various roles, such as escorting convoys, performing reconnaissance pickets, and supporting larger capital ships. They earned the respect of both their crews and their enemy counterparts.

Arquitens-class light cruisers were rushed into service with the Republic Navy upon the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY. One of these ships, named the Surrogator, was part of Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi's flotilla during the Battle of Saleucami; it was used as bait for General Grievous, distracting him from the Jedi boarding party on his own flagship that was attempting to rescue the captured Eeth Koth. In the course of the battle, the ship was targeted at point-blank range by Grievous' flagship and was destroyed.

Several Arquitens-class light cruisers formed part of the fleet that protected Kamino when it was attacked by Grievous and Asajj Ventress. Arquitens-class ships were also part of the fleet that later engaged Ventress's fleet in the Sullust system.

Following a distress call from the Togruta colonists of the planet Kiros, Jedi Master Yoda deployed a group containing Arquitens-class light cruisers and a Venator-class Star Destroyer to investigate. After the slaves were transferred to a slave processing facility on Kadavo, an Arquitens-class cruiser known as the Hand of Justice helmed by Admiral Barton Coburn maneuvered underneath the facility to deploy the Wolfpack to aid in the rescue. The troops brought the freed slaves onboard, and Coburn's ship left as Plo Koon and his squadron destroyed the facility.

An Arquitens-class fought in the Battle of Ringo Vinda late in the war.

Republic light cruisers continued to serve in the Imperial Navy after the Republic's transition into the Galactic Empire. One Imperial light cruiser, the Thunder Wasp (under the command of Commander Alfren Cheno), served as part of the task force of Admiral Carlou Gendling during the pacification of Umbara. The Chiss Captain Thrawn and Ensign Eli Vanto served aboard the Thunder Wasp, helping to knock out a vulture droid transmission station and effectively winning the day for the Empire.

During the Batonn sector insurgency, Admiral Thrawn commanded three Imperial light cruisers Shyrack, Flensor, and Tumnor during the assault on Nightswan's forces on Scrim Island. These light cruisers were disabled by a hidden ion cannon emplacement but Thrawn ordered his fleet to bombard the waters around the ion cannons, creating a tsunami that flooded the base and knocked out its defenses. Later, Thrawn used the cruisers as bait to entice Nightswan's ships to attack his command ship Chimaera. Nightswan's ships bypassed the cruisers, which deployed repair barges containing TIE fighters that neutralized Nightswan's fleet.

Several years prior to 4 BBY, the Imperial Navy recalled those former Republic light cruisers still in service. At the Kuat Drive Yards, they would undergo a mass refit as part of a service life extension program. The interior was effectively gutted and replaced with radically improved systems to maximize speed, agility, combat ability and power output. This generation of refits would be the first of the Arquitens-class command cruisers. Those command cruisers could see further modifications under the Class 546 program, turning them into Class 546 Cruisers.

Nevertheless, some unmodified light cruisers continued in the service of the Empire well into the Galactic Civil War. Serving as a transport, one Arquitens-class carrying credits confiscated from the Son-tuul Pride crime syndicate was hijacked in the Anthan system in 0 ABY; for their investigation of the heist, Darth Vader and Inspector Thanoth also utilized a light cruiser. Three of these ships also intercepted Princess Leia Organa's convoy after the Battle of Hoth.

The Arquitens-class light cruiser first appeared in the The Clone Wars episode "Grievous Intrigue."

The Arquitens-class light cruisers in Darth Vader (2015) 12 are incorrectly depicted as having bridges similar to those of Imperial-class Star Destroyers. "The Anti-Hero's Journey" in Star Wars Insider 217 erroneously calls Gideon's light cruiser an Arquitens-class light cruiser, but it is actually a Class 546-modified Arquitens-class command cruiser.