Monarch Class

One of the oldest designs still in service anywhere, few Monarchs survived the battles leading up to the Great Exodus. One of the few that did was the personal command ship of the reigning Monarch-King Alberoth, the HMS Emperor. The surviving Monarchs have been upgraded during the exile, although production of new hulls is slow due to the lack of shipyards of sufficient size.

## Development

The story of the Monarch Class is almost the story of the Hydran Kingdoms itself. The original hulls were conceived not strictly as warships but almost as mobile starbases; moving symbols of power, living quarters and courts for Hydran nobility, particular those major branches of the Monarchy. When they were originally constructed, as far back as the 2140s, they were considered far too large and ungainly to ever serve as frontline warships. Propulsion systems in particular were too primitive at the time to make such a large warship viable, and they served in the role of a mobile command centre.

In the cataclysm that was the Great Exodus, the Monarch Class became a lifeboat for members of the Hydran Monarchy, government and bureaucracy. The reigning Monarch-King himself, Alberoth, escaped capture by the Lyran Star Kingdom onboard his personal command ship the HMS Emperor. However, many were lost, and swathes of the Hydran Monarchy lost forever in the process.

During their exile, Hydran engineers began to upgrade the systems onboard these venerable ships, gradually turning them into formidable Capital Ships. Although their hulls outwardly remained unchanged, internally every system was gradually overhauled and replaced. New, more powerful weaponry fitted, new stronger shields, more powerful engines, better thrusters, more robust life support. Two new Monarchs were even constructed, painstakingly due to the lack of proper shipyard facilities. What were once stately homes of the stars were turned into instruments of retribution, ready for The Return, when the Hydran Royal Navy would reclaim the lost homeworld and restore the Hydran Kingdoms proper. The Monarch as would be recognised by starship Captains now could be said to have come into existence in 2230, but it was in the 2280s, shortly before the planned offensive, the Monarch was refit for the final time, with her two inboard Hellbore Cannons replaced with the more formidable Photon Cannon, and her shuttlebay expanded to a full hangar deck to support six Halberdier Fusion Beam Fighters.

## Operational History

It was in this form that the Monarch saw widespread combat during The Return and the Organian Conflict that followed. Although few in number, she made a strong impression on Klingon and Lyran forces on the southern front in that war, although technological advances by the war's end did she her outpaced.

She was too few in number to make much of an impact on the Hydran involvement in the War of Pacification, although her long-ranged firepower did not go unnoticed on ISC Echelon formations when she was involved in engagements.

She saw no action during the General War of 2292.

## Apocrypha

Despite her truly incredible age, little efforts were made to replace the Monarch in Royal Navy service, and two further new Monarchs, the HMS Valorous and HMS Mahdi were completed by the dawn of the 24th Century. Political tensions changed naval priorities, and the Royal Navy focused on replacing her elderly Baron Class Heavy Cruisers with the newer Duke Class design, plus the continued lack of suitable large shipyard facilities continued to curtail large warship production. The remaining Monarchs continued in service until the end of Hydran independence in 2323, fittingly with First Star Lord Duke Karathar in command of the HMS Emperor leading the fleet at the Battle of the Last Alliance in the Targreth System.

## Specifications

* **Class:** Dreadnought
* **Hull Type Designation:** HDN
* **Length:** 600m
* **Crew:** 1188
* **Warp Nacelles:** 2

* **Maximum Sublight Speed:** 3000 k/s (30 Mk/s)
* **Cruise** **Warp Factor Speed:** wf 7.1
* **Safe** **Maximum Warp Factor Speed:** wf 9.0
* **Hull Rating:** 580 HSF
* **Shield Rating:** 1200 FSP

* **Sensor Rating:** 800 SRU

* **Armament and Equipment:**
	+ Primary
		- 6 × Hydran Type Gatling Phaser Emitter
	+ Secondary
		- 2 × Photon Cannon
	+ Heavy
		- 2 × Hellbore Cannon
	+ Advanced
		- None
	+ Equipment
		- Tractor Beam Emitter
		- Probes
		- 6 × Halberdier Fusion Beam Fighter

## Ships in Service (2292)

HMS Monarch

HMS Bey

HMS Czar

HMS Kaiser

HMS Khan

HMS Mogul

HMS Shah

HMS Emperor

HMS Lord Protector

HMS Royalty

HMS Majesty

HMS Sovereignty

HMS Kingship

HMS Sultan

HMS Caliph