The bow of the cruiser
Derived from Mon Calamari design, the class of Star Cruiser was a used by the Mon Calamari of the planet Mon Cala. Among its equipment was a hyperdrive and three engines in a triangular formation at the stern. These ships also had two wings, one on the starboard side and another on the port side, which connected two large capsules to the main hull of the vessels. As all other Mon Calamari vessels, the ships of this class had bulbous hulls, and it had a round and pointed bow.
At least one cruiser of this class was above Mon Cala during the mutiny
This Mon Calamari cruiser was active during the reign of the Galactic Empire, and served in the Mon Calamari monarchy's Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet, which was commandeered by Imperial forces and renamed the Mon Cala Imperial Trade Fleet as they occupied Mon Cala. By the time of the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, these cruisers served in the trade fleet.
After a rebel team led by Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance attempted to persuade Grand Admiral Dors Urtya of the trade fleet to mutiny against the Empire failed, the team managed to record Mon Cala King Lee-Char's final words in prison before he was killed by Imperial stormtroopers. Although Urtya seized the recording, he eventually decided to send the recording to all Fleet Captains of the trading fleet, causing their Mon Calamari crews to mutiny. Several ships were above Mon Cala, including one of this class of Mon Calamari cruiser when they revolted.
The trade fleet was soon met with an Imperial blockade commanded by Admiral Tyrus Meori, although Rebel Alliance forces led by Admiral Gial Ackbar arrived to reinforce the Mon Calamari starships. After the Aurora Flare managed to break the blockade by sacrificing itself and destroying the Imperial flagship, the Mon Cala and Rebel Alliance starships jumped to hyperspace and retreated. Months later, several of these Mon Calamari cruisers were at the Rebel Alliance Mako-Ta Space Docks, where they and many other Mon Calamari starships had been refitted with Shu-Torun systems and had integrated with the Rebel Alliance Navy.
A cruiser damaged during the attack on Mako-Ta Space Docks
The Shu-Torun systems were sabotaged however, as they were provided by Shu-Torun Queen Trios an agent of the Sith Lord Darth Vader. When Vader's Imperial Death Squadron arrived and attacked Mako-Ta Space Docks, the Alliance Fleet was caught defenseless and unprepared. The Imperial fleet attacked various Mon Calamari vessels, including these Mon Calamari cruisers. On board the MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser Republic, Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles looked on from the hangar to see one ship of this class being destroyed.
Eventually, rebel forces realized that the hangar doors on their vessels would open if it detected a rebel transponder. After Luke Skywalker and the newly created Rogue Squadron managed to launch from the Republic, they were able to demonstrate to the rest of the fleet that they could launch starfighters. During the battle, Leia Organa led a team to board the Executor and obtain the codes to bypass the Shu-Torun systems. Eventually, the Republic, managed to break through the sabotage and escape the battle. The Republic regrouped and returned to the battle and managed to transfer the codes to all other surviving rebel starships, allowing the survivors to escape, including several ships of this class.
This Mon Calamari cruiser first appeared, albeit unnamed, in the 2018 canon comic Star Wars (2015) 49, authored by Kieron Gillen and illustrated by Salvador Larroca.
- Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy