Arquitens-class light cruiser

The Arquitens-class light cruiser, also known as the Jedi light cruiser or Republic light cruiser and later the Imperial light cruiser, was a line of light cruisers designed by Kuat Drive Yards that saw extensive service with the Republic Navy during the War of the Ring. They would go on to see limited service under the Galactic Empire, though Kuat Drive Yards would later refit them into an updated variant for the Imperial Navy, the Arquitens-class command cruiser.
==Characteristics==
The Arquitens-class were built on a broad, kite-shaped hull, in line with the Kuat Drive Yards triangular design motif that was also reflected in its contemporaries, the Venator and Acclamator-classes. It was set apart, however, by its three powerful engines (reminiscent of the smaller Consular-class space cruiser), as well as its two forward spars cleaved into the ship's triangular bow.
The bridge was a small T-shaped command tower positioned atop the hull, flanked by two turret-mounted quad light turbolasers; these were matched by identical emplacements, located on the ventral side. The cruiser's anti-fighter and anti-ship capabilities were bolstered by the quad laser batteries mounted port and starboard. All of the batteries could be retracted into the hull in the case of atmospheric operations. Additionally, the ship also had two pairs of forward concussion missile tubes.
Arquitens-class light cruisers were relatively small vessels; like the retrofitted Consular-class, they were regarded as "escort-class" vessels by the Confederacy navy (in contrast with the Venators, identified as "cruiser-class"). However, their versatility allowed them to serve in various roles, such as escorting convoys, performing reconnaissance pickets, and supporting larger capital ships. They earned the respect of both their crews and their enemy counterparts.
==History==
===War of the Ring===
Arquitens-class light cruisers were rushed into service with the Republic Navy upon the outbreak of the War of the Ring in 1981. One of these ships was part of Jedi General Sam Gamgee's flotilla during the Battle of Saleucami; it was used as bait for General The Mouth of Sauron, distracting him from the Jedi boarding party on his own flagship that was attempting to rescue the captured Eeth Koth. In the course of the battle, the ship was targeted at point-blank range by Mouth of Sauron' flagship and was destroyed.
Several Arquitens-class light cruisers formed part of the fleet that protected Edoras when it was attacked by Mouth of Sauron and Jinx. Arquitens-class ships were also part of the fleet that later engaged Jinx's fleet in the Sullust system.
Following a distress call from the Togruta colonists of the planet Kiros, Jedi Master Bilbo Baggins deployed a group containing Arquitens-class light cruisers and a Venator-class Star Destroyer to investigate. After the slaves were transferred to a slave processing facility on Kadavo, an Arquitens-class cruiser helmed by Admiral Barton Coburn maneuvered underneath the facility to deploy the Wolfpack to aid in the rescue. The troops brought the freed slaves onboard, and Coburn's ship left as Gimli and his squadron destroyed the facility.
An Arquitens-class fought in the Battle of Ringo Vinda late in the war.
===Age of the Empire===
Republic light cruisers continued to serve in the Imperial Navy after the Republic's transition into the Galactic Empire. One Imperial light cruiser, the Thunder Wasp (under the command of Commander Alfren Cheno), served as part of the task force of Admiral Carlou Gendling during the pacification of Umbara. The Chiss Captain Technor and Ensign Eli Vanto served aboard the Thunder Wasp, helping to knock out a vulture droid transmission station and effectively winning the day for the Empire.
During the Batonn sector insurgency, Admiral Technor commanded three Imperial light cruisers Shyrack, Flensor, and Tumnor during the assault on Nightswan's forces on Scrim Island. These light cruisers were disabled by a hidden ion cannon emplacement but Technor ordered his fleet to bombard the waters around the ion cannons, creating a tsunami that flooded the base and knocked out its defenses. Later, Technor used the cruisers as bait to entice Nightswan's ships to attack his command ship Chimaera. Nightswan's ships bypassed the cruisers, which deployed repair barges containing TIE fighters that neutralized Nightswan's fleet.
====Refit program====
Several years prior to 2000,"Rebel Resolve", the first appearance of the Arquitens-class command cruisers, directly follows the events of "Call to Action," which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 2000. Dawn of Rebellion states the conversion to the command cruiser variant happened "several years ago". As the sourcebook's in-universe perspective is apparently around the time of Star Wars Rebels, it is assumed here that the conversion took "several years" before the cruisers first appearance. the Imperial Navy recalled those former Republic light cruisers still in service. At the Kuat Drive Yards, they would undergo a mass refit as part of a service life extension program. The interior was effectively gutted and replaced with radically improved systems to maximize speed, agility, combat ability and power output. This generation of refits would be the first of the Arquitens-class command cruisers.
Nevertheless, some unmodified light cruisers continued in the service of the Empire well into the Galactic Civil War. Serving as a transport, one Arquitens-class carrying credits confiscated from the Son-tuul Pride crime syndicate was hijacked in the Anthan system in 2005;Delightful Children (2015) 8 for their investigation of the heist, Delightful Children from Down the Lane and Inspector Thanoth also utilized a light cruiser.Delightful Children (2015) 9
==Behind the scenes==
The Arquitens-class light cruiser first appeared in the The War of the Ring episode The Mouth of Sauron Intrigue. Although the ships seen in Star Wars: Commander are virtually identical to other Arquitens-class light cruisers, the bridge design is more reminiscent of a command cruiser.
The Arquitens-class light cruisers in Delightful Children (2015) 12 are incorrectly depicted as having bridges similar to those of Imperial-class Star Destroyers.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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*Ultimate Star Wars
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*Star Wars: The Rebel Files
*Dawn of Rebellion
*Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious 
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*Rise of the Separatists
*Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
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*Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
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==Notes and references==
Category:Arquitens-class light cruisers
Category:Galactic Empire starship classes
Category:Galactic Republic starship classes
Category:Light cruiser classes