Imperator-class battleship

The Imperator-class battleship (registry prefix: VX) is a heavy capital warship that saw service with both the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire. An iconic warship class designed by Lira Wessex and built by Kuat Drive Yards, the Imperator-class, along with the Stormtrooper Corps, was one of the most visible symbols of the Imperial Military throughout the galaxy during the reign of the Galactic Empire.
The Imperator-class was originally used by the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars, and served alongside the Venator-class cruiser in a few task forces during the conflict. It was at the time one of the largest warship classes in the Republic Navy. It later became a mainstay of the Imperial Navy, and was also fielded to a lesser degree by the Empire's successor-states. Those unfamiliar with Imperial warships often mistook the Imperator for the smaller Provocator-class heavy cruiser, and vice versa, due to the strong resemblance between the two, referring to both vessels as "Imperial cruisers". 
==Design==
The Imperator-class has a total length of 1,600 meters (5,249.3 ft) and a height of 480 meters (1,574.8 ft), with a beam of 900 meters (2,952.76 ft) and a dry mass of approximately 40,000,000 metric tons. The distinctive wedge-shape of the vessel's spaceframe is derived from the ancient Harrower-class dreadnoughts of the Sith Empire. One of the Imperator's most visually distinctive features was a large elevated bridge tower which followed a design similar to that of many other KDY warship classes. The two globes atop the bridge tower served dual purposes: aiding both in hyperspace communication and deflector shield generation. The proximity of the deflector shield generators made the bridge tower one of the most protected parts of the ship despite its seemingly vulnerable position.
===Propulsion===
For sublight propulsion, the Imperator relies on an array of three primary KDY HC-776 ion engines. Secondary propulsion systems include four Cygnus Spaceworks Gemon-4 ion engines, along with maneuvering drives, emergency thrusters and retrorockets. The primary ion engines are capable of accelerating the ship with a force of 2,300 g for brief periods of time.
The Imperator is powered by a massive I-a2b solar ionization reactor which is positioned directly below the command tower on the ventral spine. The reactor module features catastrophic release braces, allowing the crew to eject the module should it become necessary. Auxiliary reactors are located to the port and starboard sides of the main reactor and the three reactors are connected to the main engines. In addition, the backup engines were connected to additional reactors as well.
As designed, the Imperator-class equips a Class 2 hyperdrive with a Class 5 emergency backup. However, KDY's practice of subcontracting out the design to meet Imperial demands lead to occasional design quirks: ships built by the Corellian Engineering Corporation were considerably faster, both in realspace and hyperspace.
===Armament and defenses ===
The Imperator-class battleship possesses a primary armament of 64 heavy turbolaser cannons, distributed evenly across eight octuple barbettes which are in turn arranged into two rows of four emplacements flanking the dorsal superstructure. Secondary weapon systems include medium and light turbolasers, laser cannons, ion cannons, and proton torpedo launchers. The class is also equipped with tractor beam projectors.
=== Sensor systems ===
The Imperator's primary sensor array comprises two KDY HC-72 Ladomes placed on the dorsal side of the bridge module flanking the tractor beam targeting array. Additional navigation and ranging sensors are also fitted to various points on the ship's primary hull.
=== Complement ===
Imperator-class battleships typically carried a half-wing of of thirty-six TIE series fighters - two squadrons of TIE/LN space superiority fighters and one squadrom of TIE/SA bombers - along with several landing craft and a number of light vehicles utilized by the ship's Stormtrooper detachment. 
==History==
===Republic origin===
The Imperator-class was designed as a powerful mid-sized warship, and appeared in limited numbers during the Clone Wars, where it served in several Republic task forces. The lead vessel of the class, launched in 978 ARR, was named the Imperator, while the second was the Exactor, which later served as the first personal flagship of the Imperial enforcer Darth Vader. The third vessel was the Executrix.
===Imperial service===
Imperator-class battleships had a distinguished career in the Imperial Navy, where they eventually became infamous as the prime enforcer of Imperial rule. According to official records, over 25,000 were eventually produced. The Navy's immense demand for capital ships led Kuat Drive Yards to subcontract the design out to various other shipwrights, which occasionally led to a number of design quirks: vessels of the class built by the Corellian Engineering Corporation were considered the fastest ships in the Imperial Navy, both at sublight and hyperspace speeds. Many battleships were destroyed in the fratricidal warfare that consumed the Empire after the death of Emperor Palpatine at Endor in 1004 ARR, while others were captured by, or defected to, the New Republic over the years.
Category:Daisy-023
Category:Spacecraft
Category:Parallels
Category:Imperial Entanglements