Mon Calamari Cruisers Course Notes
The Mon Calamari hail from the watery world of the same name, which they share with the squid-headed species called the Quarren. The Mon Calamari people are humanoid, about 1.7 meters tall. They have salmon-colored skin, high-domed heads, webbed hands and large, goggle-like eyes. Quarren, or "Squid Heads" as they are sometimes rudely called, are an alien species characterized by the four tentacles that protrude from their jaws. They have deep turquoise eyes, and each hand is capped with finned or suction-cup tipped fingers.

While both species speak the same native tongue, the Mon Calamari have adopted Basic as their language. Mon Calamari and Quarren are very different in their outlook on life, as the Mon Calamari tend to be idealists and dreamers while the Quarren are pragmatic and realists. During the waning days of the Republic, Quarren politicians represented the various communities of the water world in the Galactic Senate.

The Mon Calamari are shore-dwellers, land beings with an affinity for water. The Mon Calamari developed slowly, building an advanced technology around them. They contacted the Quarren, and after some confusion, developed a symbiotic relationship. The Quarren would provide the raw materials and metals while the Mon Calamari refined them into useful items of technology. Foremost among these items was the Mon Calamari's formidable fleet of exploration vessels. The Mon Cals (as the Quarren call them) began leaving their world to explore the islands in the stars.

When the Empire came to power, it began seizing property on the Mon Calamari homeworld, and the peaceful aquatic species countered with passive resistance. The Empire would stand no defiance, and used massive Star Destroyer weapons to destroy three floating Mon Calamari cities. The response was unexpected. The Mon Calamari took up tools as armaments, and what little weapons they had, and fought back. The Empire fled Mon Calamari, and after their short victory, the Mon Cals joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic. The Mon Calamari converted their beautiful exploration ships and space liners with weapon mounts and armor plating, turning them into the Mon Calamari star cruisers.

The Mon Calamari had been fighting the Empire for years before they joined the Alliance. They were instrumental in creating a diversion while the core Rebel group abandoned their base on the fourth moon of Yavin. When they joined, not only did they bring their star cruisers, but the leadership of one of their finest council members, Ackbar.

The Mon Calamari are able to descend to depths of up to 30 meters below sea level without requiring breathing or pressure apparatus. Though they can breathe water, they find it somewhat uncomfortable, and use organic gills whenever possible. A panicked Mon Cal, particularly a young one, could still potentially drown underwater. They do not need to decompress when resurfacing. The Mon Cals can stay underwater for an indefinite length of time, although they cannot sleep underwater due to various physiological and psychological reasons.

Calamari Cruiser MC-40 Technical Specification:
Manufacturer: Mon Calamari Shipyards
Model: MC-40a
Type: Light Cruiser
Length: 500 m
Cargo Capacity: Unknown
Propulsion: Unknown
Hyperdrive: x1
Top Atmospheric Speed: None
Top Sublight Speed: 12 MGLT
Armament: 10 Turbolaser Batteries, 6 Ion Cannon Turrets, 2 General Purpose Warhead Launchers (Standard Combat Warhead Load: 50 Torpedoes), 1 Tractor Beam Projector
Shield Rating: 2,560 SBD
Hull Rating: 1,216 RU
Crew: 3,723, 35 Gunners
Troops: 650
Starfighter Capacity: 1 Squadron, X-Wing or Y-Wing Fighters
Other Craft: Several types of shuttles or transports.

History of the MC-40a
The Mon Calamari Light Cruiser, or MC-40a as it is more commonly known, has a unique history in that it originally wasn’t intended by the Mon Calamari to be a military vessel at all. Built by the Mon Calamari at the Mon Calamari Shipyards, it was originally intended to see service in such roles as luxury liners or exploration vessels. However, early on the Rebel Alliance realized that it could not sustain itself in space combat against the might of the Imperial Navy without something larger than Corellian Corvettes and the other lighter vessels they currently had in their possession. So the Alliance turned to the Mon Calamari to assist them with their problem. The Calamari was already primary supporters of the Rebel Alliance, so it took very little persuasion for them to begin retrofitting the MC-40a for combat use. As a result the now more infamous versions of the MC-40a are well remembered for multiple tasks such as; convoy escorts, starfighter bases, and support ships. Overtime these vessels have also found themselves slipping into the hands of neutral powers, pirates and even traders. Since this was the largest vessel many of these groups could get their hands on, they were quickly placed in positions of importance within their fleets.

Capabilities and boasts of the MC-40a
The MC-40a is considered by most to the fastest medium-sized ship in the galaxy. Boasting a top speed of 12 MGLT, and taking advantage of its graceful and sleek design, the MC-40a can easily outflank much larger ships. Its firepower is comparable to that of a Nebulon-B Escort Frigate, and because of its design, can easily tackle many vessels that attempt to fly past its dorsal or ventral lines. Sporting twin warhead launchers that carry a standard load of 50 Torpedoes, and combined with a Tractor Beam Projector, the MC-40a is a deadly craft to most light convoy escort vessels. In many respects the MC-40a is very similar to the MC-80a, except that it is nearly half the size of its larger sister, and is far more maneuverable. Because of its speed and maneuverability, the MC-40a has the ability to easily outmaneuver many Imperial cruisers, including the Victory and Imperial Star Destroyers. It is reported that the MC-40’s performance is very similar to the Loronar Strike Cruiser, but is slightly larger, equipped with better shielding, and can carry more starfighters. A MC-40a can carry one full squadron of fighters into combat, typically X-Wings or Y-Wings depending on its mission requirements. In addition it also carries several types of shuttle and transport craft within its very large hangar bay.

Shortcomings of the MC-40a
Probably the MC-40’s biggest shortcoming is the fact that it is outgunned when dealing with ships of larger size and heavier weaponry. Because of its lighter weapons, the MC-40a has never faired well against a Victory-class Star Destroyer, to say nothing of the fact that it is certain to face complete annihilation against an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. In a direct firefight, the MC-40a will always be the loser against the Empire’s Star Destroyers. For officers given command of this specific class of Mon Calamari Cruiser, there is one major piece of advice that is often given to them when they assume command; “Watch out for Imperial Capital Ships, and for TIE Bombers.” Yet that did not prevent many brave, yet misguided, Rebel captains from attempting to take on the Empire’s Star Destroyers over and over again before the Battle of Hoth. By the time the Battle of Hoth had evolved the MC-40a was seen far less in direct combat and had been relegated to being a simple escort vessel, or direct convoy attack craft. In most cases the MC-40 was typically seen escorting larger cruisers like the MC-80’s where it faired much better under the fire support and coverage of its bigger sibling.

By the Battle of Endor however, the Imperial Navy began to realize that the MC-40a was becoming increasingly diminished on the battlefields, and soon began to suspect that due to the errors of past captains, the MC-40a had been nearly wiped out of the Rebel Alliances Starfleet. This assumption was nearly correct in that the Mon Calamari were spending more time building the bigger cruisers that are more commonplace now, and were less inclined to build the smaller MC-40a since other vessels had begun to arrive on the scene to replace its role and mission requirements. Even today there are very few MC-40’s still found in the galaxy, lending credibility to the fact that the past VSD and ISD ship captains and their crews had actually stricken a critical blow to the Rebel Alliance by destroying as many of these cruisers as they could when they encountered them. As such it is no small wonder that the Rebel Alliance believed that the Battle of Endor was to be their biggest battle, since it had to be dawning on their High Command that taking on the Imperial Fleet in ship-to-ship engagements was proving to turn the tide against them.

Calamari Cruiser MC-80 Technical Specification:
Manufacturer: Mon Calamari Shipyards
Model: MC-80/MC-80a/b
Type: Cruiser
Length: 1200 m
Cargo Capacity: 20,000 metric tons
Propulsion: Unknown
Hyperdrive: x1
Top Atmospheric Speed: None
Top Sublight Speed: 12 MGLT
Armament: 48 Taim & Bak XV9 Turbolasers, 20 ArMek SW-7 Ion Batteries, 6 Phylon-Q7 Tractor Beam Projectors
Shield Rating: 3,840 SBD
Hull Rating: 1,825 RU
Crew: 5,402 (668 Officers, 4,734 enlisted)
Troops: 4 Regiments, roughly 1,130 troops
Starfighter Capacity: 3 Squadrons (Standard starfighter load: 1 – X-Wing Squadron/1 – Y-Wing Squadron/1 – B-Wing Squadron/1 – A-Wing Squadron)
Other Craft: 25 various transports and shuttles

History of the MC-80
The MC-80 Calamari Cruiser actually comprises a series of several models of the original design. The MC-80 was designed long before the Mon Calamari joined the Rebel Alliance in their struggle against the Empire. The MC-80 was originally designed to serve as a Star Cruiser, much like it’s small sister the MC-40 that was also designed as a luxury liner. Each MC-80 is unique, and no two are designed the same way. When the Mon Calamari joined the Rebel Alliance to fight against the Empire, they immediately set to modifying their existing MC-80’s for combat instead of luxury use. The first MC-80’s that were sent to the Rebels had a few deficiencies, such as large viewing ports that dotted the hulls of the ships. As a result Rebel engineers covered these ports with any type of material that they could find to create a bulkhead. The “modifications” greatly affected the aesthetic design of the ships, something that did not please very many Calamari engineers. However, they realized that during a time of war sacrifices would have to be made, and they adjusted the designs of the future MC-80’s to help fix this problem, allowing the Calamari to continue creating their works of art. Probably the most defining characteristic of the MC-80 are those that support the “wing” design, making it appear as a giant alien bird as it cruises amongst the stars.

Capabilities and boasts of the MC-80
Heralded as the crown of the Rebel Fleet, the MC-80 quickly became the primary centerpiece of the Rebel fleets. With their sleek designs, fast acceleration and maneuverability, and greatly increased firepower, they are more than a match for the Empire’s Victory Star Destroyers, and nearly equal in combat capabilities of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Each MC-80 is unique in its design, the result of the Calamari ship building philosophy that treats the creation of the cruisers as works of art, rather than mere machines. It should be noted that the MC-80 is merely the designator for this type of ship, it is the “–a” and “–b” add-ons that classify what class of ship it is within the ship type. Sporting heavy weaponry, a triple redundant shield system, and supporting sheer mass by virtue of its design, the MC-80 is one tough nut to crack. The only things that pose a significant threat to these floating mammoths are starships of equal or greater design, and extended Torpedo and Heavy Rocket attacks.

The MC-80a came into creation during the Rebel Alliances conflict against the Empire, and as such incorporated several different modifications to the original MC-80. These modifications included minor changes to both the structural and hull design. Overall the specifications remained the same, but the MC-80a was the first of the MC-80 series to be created exclusively as a combat vessel. The MC-80b came into creation several months after the Rebel Alliances victory at the Battle of Endor. They realized that in order to ensure the security of the Republic, and also to counter the remaining forces of the Imperial Navy, that continued production and modifications to the MC-80 design would be necessary. The MC-80b resembles the other classes of MC-80, but is far more suited to the role of the classic warship, with an enhanced hull structure, better maneuverability and slightly faster speed than the previous models. The MC-80b continues to be the predominant cruiser of the New Republic, and has served well as the intermediate cruiser between the MC-40 and the MC-90 designs.

Shortcomings of the MC-80
For a ship hastily converted from civilian pleasure use to naval combat, the MC-80 series actually has few faults in its overall design. As the MC-80a and b models were released these shortcomings became even less apparent in the ship design. However, each model of the MC-80 still had its share of shortfalls. As we already covered, the original MC-80’s were slightly exposed with the viewing ports that were installed into the luxury liner design. As such it was quickly apparent after the first few engagements with Imperial ships that they posed a significant threat to the stability and survivability of the ship. As such Rebel engineers fashioned new bulkhead plates over the viewports, using whatever type of material they could find that would do the job. The MC-80a and MC-80b do not have the “viewport” problem, as these were removed from their designs. However, even with their heavy durability, any damage sustained to the hull is very difficult to repair because of the overall design of the ship. In addition, even with its triple redundant shield generator system and ability the ability to bypass damaged systems, the cruisers are still vulnerable since this can weaken the overall effect of the shields and ship combat efficiency as damaged systems are bypassed. As such the heavy pounding that would be sustained by an Imperial Star Destroyer, or larger warship, would prove to be quite damaging to an MC-80, even if the ship wasn’t destroyed.

Calamari Cruiser MC-90 Technical Specification:
Manufacturer: Mon Calamari Shipyards
Model: MC-90
Type: Star Cruiser
Length: 1255 m
Cargo Capacity: 30,000 metric tons
Propulsion: Unknown
Hyperdrive: x1
Top Atmospheric Speed: None
Top Sublight Speed: 16 MGLT
Armament: 75 Taim & Bak XV9 Turbolasers, 30 ArMek SW-7 Ion Batteries, 8 Phylon-Q7 Tractor Beam Projectors, 6 Concussion Missile Launchers
Shield Rating: 8,000 SBD
Hull Rating: 2,272 RU
Crew: 5,860; 605 gunners; 1,350 skeleton
Troops: 6 Regiments, 1700 troops
Starfighter Capacity: 1 Wing (Mixed assortment of A-Wing/B-Wing/X-Wing/Y-Wing fighters, based on mission requirements.)
Other Craft: 5 Lambda-class Imperial Shuttles, 2 Modified YT-1300 Light Freighters, V-Wings

History of the MC-90
Roughly a year after the Battle of Endor, remnants of the former Imperial Navy continued to attack key New Republic targets, and there weren’t enough MC-80 cruisers to go around to counter the increased activity. The New Republic now found itself faced with a role reversal, being the reigning government and having to deal with a “rebel” faction bent on removing them from power. In this case it was the Imperials that wanted the galaxy back, and they were pulling out all the stops to succeed. Even worse was that these “rebels” were far better equipped and trained than the personnel that had served in the Rebel Alliance, and as such posed a much more significant threat. With this realization to the changing times, the New Republic commissioned the Mon Calamari Shipyards once again to create a new line of cruiser to help deal with the increasing number of Imperial attacks. This lead to the birth of the MC-90. The first MC-90 produced was named the “Defiance” and was presented to Admiral Ackbar by the New Republic and Mon Cal as his official Flagship in recognition of his service to the Mon Calamari people and the Rebel cause.

Capabilities and boasts of the MC-90
The MC-90 is the first Calamari Cruiser that was specifically designed for naval combat use; it boasts increased redundant systems, and the first of its kind multi-species use capabilities unlike its predecessors. The MC-90 has greatly increased shield and hull strength, a new concept design that makes it more maneuverable, and more powerful engines that allow the MC-90 to reach speeds faster than any previous Calamari Cruiser. With its greatly enhanced weapon systems, the MC-90 is a real threat to the Imperial Star Destroyer, and is nearly identical in every aspect of mission capabilities to the Imperial Star Destroyer as well. The MC-90 is longer than the Imperial Star Destroyer and also incorporates new weapons currently seen in the New Republic. As such this allows for far easier replacement of damaged weapons since the components are widely available.

In addition to the overall system and hull enhancements, the MC-90 also sports far greater interior cargo space, and along with it a much larger hangar bay. Like the Imperial Star Destroyer, the MC-90 is capable of carrying up to an entire Wing of starfighters, which allows for the ability to transport a wider variety of fighters for multi-mission roles. While each ship is still a work of art by Calamari standards, the MC-90 is the first ship built by the Mon Calamari that uses internal components and systems that allow non-Mon Cal techs to work on the ship. Also, all of the controls and displays on the MC-90 have multiple wavelength settings so that other species aside from the Mon Cal’s can crew and operate the ship efficiently. This is a first since the MC-40 and MC-80 designs incorporated controls and displays set for Mon Cal crews, which prevented Human and other species of crew from reading the most critical and vital information regarding the ship and its systems.

Shortcomings of the MC-90
Overall the MC-90 doesn’t have many faults in its design. Probably its biggest shortcoming is in the total cost and maintenance of these mighty cruisers. As a result only a small number of them have been created, causing the MC-80’s to still be the primary cruiser of the line in the New Republic. Also, the few times any Imperial remnant forces have faced an MC-90, it has been with multiple Star Destroyers, and as such the New Republic has learned that the MC-90, while powerful, cannot be used as the sole warship and main cruiser in their battle fleets. As such MC-90’s are now found with MC-40 and MC-80’s as primary escorts, with additional picket and screening vessels, to create a combined battle fleet.

**Note: This course only touched on the MC-40, MC-80 and MC-90 Calamari Cruisers because the MC-100, MC-120 and other variants out there are neither widely accepted nor viewed by the Imperial Directorate as realistic craft within the Star Wars Universe. If you wish to learn more about these other Calamari Cruisers then please feel free to avail yourselves of the resources on the Internet.