Mon Calamari Star Cruiser Mon Calamari Star Cruisers were the main cruisers in the Rebel Alliance / New Republic fleet for a significant portion of the Galactic Civil War . History . First used as transports , designed by the Mon Calamari and primarily built in their shipyards , these were the first large capital ships available to the Alliance Fleet , giving it for the first time the ability to rival the larger Star Destroyers of the Imperial Navy . More advanced versions of Mon Calamari warships continued to fill major roles in the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances fleet . Early beginnings . The Mon Calamari cruisers were originally built for civilian purposes , serving in numerous peaceful roles like passenger ships and deep space exploration vessels by the Mon Calamari species . Yet , when the Galactic Empire invaded and conquered their home system and enslaved their people , the Mon Calamari converted their ships to capital warships . Admiral Ackbar convinced his people to join the Rebellion . They in turn donated their fleet of cruisers to the Rebel Alliance , while many Mon Calamari joined to serve in the Rebel Fleet . These cruisers were powerful enough to rival the Empire ' s Star Destroyer . In addition to these original retrofitted civilian ships , the Mon Calamari also designed military variants of the cruisers . The plans for these models , however , were confiscated by the Galactic Empire sometime before the Battle of Yavin . They were held on Carida to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands , until Rebel leader Mon Mothma enlisted the assistance of freelance smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca to steal the schematics for the new Mon Cal cruisers . After encountering much resistance , the duo made their way off - world with the plans in tow . Many different vessels were designed and deployed by the Mon Calamari during the Galactic Civil War . One such vessel was a cruiser attached to the New Republic ' s headquarters in Space City orbiting Nespis VIII . One of the designs was characterized by a raised rear similar to the most common type of MC80 Star Cruiser s , but with a much more streamlined profile . During the destruction of the Nespis VIII spaceport , this vessel survived the battle and escaped into deep space , along with the rest of the fleet . New Republic designs . By the time of the New Republic , the Mon Calamari had begun to produce military - optimized designs that were no longer modified civilian designs . The individualization that marked the Rebellion - era designs all but disappeared in an effort to simplify the New Republic ' s logistics . By the Yuuzhan Vong War , the New Republic Defense Fleet fielded several new and more powerful variants of the Mon Cal cruiser , including the " Mediator " - class battle cruiser and the " Viscount " - class Star Defender . These new warships would play key roles in defending the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances as well , with numerous vessels serving in the various fleets of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force . Later use . One Star Cruiser was used to make up a secret retreat in 137 ABY . Characteristics . The hallmark of the design was typically very strong shielding with a respectable battery of turbolasers and ion cannons . They did not have as much total firepower as an " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer . However , the Mon Calamari cruiser made up with this with a better all - around firing arc , compared to the Star Destroyer which could project firepower effectively to the front and sides but not the rear . They also had highly accurate targeting computers , giving them an advantage in long - range battles . Rebellion - era Mon Calamari ships had extremely powerful deflector shields for ships of their size , in part because their civilian - spec hull structure was somewhat weaker than a true military starship . A distinguishing feature of Mon Calamari cruisers was the redundancy of weaker shield generators contributing to the shielding system . Mon Calamari cruisers carried three times the usual number of generators for ships of their size . Although each generator was weaker than the Imperial standard unit , the quantity of shield generators allowed for faster energy replenishment . Also , this made the generators much harder to destroy , as they could not be seen clearly and were in fact inside the ship . These shields also allowed Mon Calamari Cruisers to survive better against spacial elemental threats . Fighter squadrons were carried onboard in a series of hangar bays . Most cruisers carried the standard complement of four squadrons . Some MC80B cruisers and later designs could be refitted to carry as many as eight . All Mon Calamari cruisers were handcrafted , ensuring that each vessel was different . The ships had a distinct organic look that directly contradicted the stark , harsh factory lines that signified the Imperial starships . Each vessel had a unique , seemingly random assortment of lumps and bumps dotting its surface . These were in fact highly modular capsules that could be retrofitted to house crew ' s quarters , maintenance facilities and , in time of conflict , shield generators , turbolasers , and ion cannons . As the modules were interchangeable , the cruisers were very versatile , able to be fitted for pleasure cruises , scouting missions and frontline capital ships . However , because the ships ' designs were so varied , maintenance and repairing a damaged cruiser was often a long and difficult process . Until the MC90 class , Mon Calamari cruisers were not designed to accommodate different species . Holographic displays and monitors were optimized for Mon Calamari vision , and some controls required movements that were nearly impossible for Humans to perform . Behind the scenes . There is some debate amongst fans to the various sizes and powers of the assorted Mon Cal cruisers . Fans of the West End Games stats compose one camp , while the other is composed of more technical - minded fans . This page does not go into the various arguments of each group , instead serving as a basic coverall for the various Mon Calamari cruisers . For more information on these debates , see the various WEG sourcebooks or the " Incredible Cross - Sections " book series . This type of vessel shared some similarities with a discarded concept art made for the production of " " .