Once known as the Dawn of Tranquility, the Raddus was an MC85 Star Cruiser that became the flagship for General Leia Organa. The Resistance utilized it throughout their war against the First Order. It stood as one of the last ships constructed prior to the Military Disarmament Act's signing by both the Galactic Empire and the New Republic. Upon entering service with the Resistance, the ship was renamed Raddus after Admiral Gial Ackbar requested the change to honor the celebrated Admiral Raddus. Raddus perished serving the Alliance during the Battle of Scarif, having chosen to fight against overwhelming odds in defiance of the Rebel Alliance's political leadership.
For propulsion, the Raddus was equipped with eleven sublight ion engine modules, incorporating an ion injection manifold and turbo injectors. The thrust allocation matrix enhanced the engines' overall effectiveness. These engines delivered sufficient power to outpace a squadron of Resurgent-class Star Destroyers for a duration of several hours.
The ship operated with a minimal crew of 1,139 individuals, but it could be fully automated through augmentation. Due to the reduced crew size, many of the Raddus's auxiliary decks were abandoned and sealed off. As a Mon Calamari-built MC85 Star Cruiser, the ship featured several waterways designed for aquatic species. Leia's living quarters were situated at the ship's apex, directly above the primary command bridge. Furthermore, the vessel included crew accommodation levels positioned near the shield operations center. The ship also housed two main hangar bays, along with maintenance and repair facilities for vehicles. It transported a variety of RZ-2 A-wings, T-70 X-wings, and U-55 loadlifters. The Raddus possessed a dedicated hangar capable of accommodating four complete bomber squadrons.
Positioned at the ship's front, the primary command bridge featured a sizable holotable displaying the vessel's status. In the event of critical damage to the main bridge, an emergency bridge was located in the ventral section. The emergency bridge's command chair included control systems enabling the occupant to pilot the entire ship independently if required.
The Raddus was armed with 18 heavy turbolasers, 18 heavy ion cannons, 12 point-defense laser cannons, and 6 proton torpedo launchers. It also featured experimental deflector shields designed to withstand significant damage when properly angled against incoming fire. Furthermore, its advanced deflector shield envelope could extend well beyond the ship's hull. These shields proved robust enough to endure the First Order's assault on the escaping Resistance fleet for a considerably longer duration than those of other vessels.
Under the name Dawn of Tranquility, the Raddus served within the New Republic's Home Fleet before its decommissioning, partly due to treaties restricting heavy warships and partly due to insufficient naval personnel. Following its acquisition by the Resistance, it underwent modifications to reduce crew requirements by removing unnecessary systems and computerization. Largely due to these alterations, it was regarded as a valuable asset to the Resistance and was renamed Raddus in honor of the deceased Rebel Alliance hero, Admiral Raddus, upon Admiral Ackbar's request. It was also built at various shipyards, with multiple species contributing to its construction.
After Black Squadron's unsuccessful mission to recover the explorer Lor San Tekka from Cato Neimoidia, they met aboard the Raddus. Commander Dameron and BB-8 worked to repair Black One. General Organa then instructed them to prepare for immediate launch once they located San Tekka exiting hyperspace. When Pava discovered the tracker was disabled, they returned to inform Organa.
In the immediate aftermath of Starkiller Base's destruction, the Raddus participated in the evacuation of D'Qar. While Poe Dameron and a bomber team engaged the retaliatory First Order forces, the remaining Resistance members were successfully moved to the orbiting ship. The Raddus entered lightspeed, but Snoke's flagship, the Supremacy, tracked it through hyperspace and then attacked.
Kylo Ren, aboard his TIE Silencer, launched TIE fighters and attacked the cruiser, destroying its main hangar before targeting the bridge. Sensing his mother's presence on board through the Force, Kylo hesitated and ultimately chose not to fire. However, his two wingmen, including Lieutenant Poldin LeHuse, continued the attack. The bridge was breached and exposed to the vacuum of space, resulting in the deaths of most of the Resistance High Command, including Admiral Gial Ackbar, as well as others, such as Commander Sesfan of the Engineering Corps and Lieutenant Guila Angira. General Organa survived by using the Force to return to safety.
Upon reaching Crait, the ship was evacuated via thirty lifeboats, with Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo remaining behind to command the ship from its backup command bridge, with the intention of drawing the First Order away from the fleeing vessels. When the Supremacy began targeting the lifeboats, Holdo turned the Raddus around and rammed the Mega-class Star Dreadnought at lightspeed. This act destroyed the Raddus and caused substantial damage to the Supremacy, as well as destroying a number of the accompanying First Order Resurgent-class Star Destroyers.