A cruiser represented a specific class of starship originating from Mon Calamari, seeing action during the Imperial Era. Initially serving within the Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet, these vessels later became a component of the Alliance to Restore the Republic's naval forces. A defining characteristic included three dorsal prongs, along with seven engines and a hyperdrive.
The Mon Calamari people of the planet Mon Cala utilized a particular type of Star Cruiser of their own design. Integrated systems included a [hyperdrive](/article/hyperdrive] and seven engines. Visually, these vessels featured two wings, positioned on the port and starboard sides, and three distinct prongs on their dorsal surface. In line with the broader Mon Calamari fleet stationed at the Mako-Ta Space Docks, many crucial systems aboard the cruisers underwent refitting with Shu-Torun technologies, notably encompassing the hyperdrive and communication systems. These Shu-Torun blockers bypassed the cruisers' native hardware and were susceptible to acts of sabotage, although certain systems could be circumvented. Importantly, Shu-Torun systems were deliberately excluded from areas affecting the deflector shields.
Even with Shu-Torun blockers in place, cruisers affected by sabotage retained the capacity to transmit specific signals, alongside several operational fail-safes. Proximity sensors could identify nearby transponders, and the Shu-Torun systems incorporated an override code. This code allowed for system reboots upon inserting a chip containing the code into the cruiser's terminal.
During the Galactic Empire's reign, the Mon Calamari cruiser played a role in the Mon Calamari monarchy's Mon Cala Mercantile Fleet. When Imperial forces occupied Mon Cala, the fleet was seized and renamed the Mon Cala Imperial Trade Fleet. By the time of the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, these cruisers were part of the trade fleet.
After a team of rebels led by Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance failed to convince Grand Admiral Dors Urtya of the trade fleet to mutiny against the Empire, the team succeeded in recording the final words of Mon Cala King Lee-Char while he was killed in prison by Imperial stormtroopers. Although Urtya took possession of the recording, he eventually chose to distribute it to all Fleet Captains within the trading fleet. This action spurred the Mon Calamari crews to mutiny. Several ships, including one of the Mon Calamari cruiser class, were positioned above Mon Cala during the revolt.
The trade fleet soon encountered an Imperial blockade under the command of Admiral Tyrus Meori, but Rebel Alliance forces, led by Admiral Gial Ackbar, arrived to bolster the mutineering vessels. The Aurora Flare broke the blockade by sacrificing itself and destroying the Imperial flagship, allowing the Mon Cala and Rebel Alliance starships to jump to [hyperspace](/article/hyperspace] and retreat. Months later, several of these Mon Calamari cruisers were present at the Rebel Alliance Mako-Ta Space Docks, where they and numerous other Mon Calamari starships were being refitted with Shu-Torun systems, integrating them into the Rebel Alliance Navy.
However, the Shu-Torun systems had been sabotaged by Shu-Torun Queen Trios, a secret agent working for the Sith Lord Darth Vader. When Vader's Imperial Death Squadron arrived and attacked, the Alliance Fleet was caught off guard and vulnerable. The Imperial fleet targeted various Mon Calamari vessels, including the Mon Calamari cruisers.
Eventually, rebel forces discovered that their vessels' hangar doors would open upon detecting a rebel transponder. After Luke Skywalker and the newly formed Rogue Squadron successfully launched from the MC80A Home One Type Heavy Star Cruiser Republic, they demonstrated the possibility of launching starfighters to the rest of the fleet. During the battle, Leia Organa led a team to board the Executor and acquire the codes needed to bypass the Shu-Torun systems. Ultimately, the Republic overcame the sabotage and escaped the battle. After regrouping, the Republic returned to the battle and transmitted the codes to the remaining rebel starships, allowing survivors, including several of the cruiser class, to escape.
The Mon Calamari cruiser made its initial appearance, though unidentified at the time, in the 2018 canon comic Star Wars (2015) 44, created by Kieron Gillen with illustrations by Salvador Larroca.