Arquitens-class command cruiser

Kuat Drive Yards manufactured the Arquitens-class command cruiser for the Imperial Navy. It initially entered service as a revised version of the Arquitens-class light cruiser, which previously served with the Republic Navy. This adaptable light cruiser design took on numerous responsibilities, including safeguarding remote Imperial assets, conducting independent patrol missions within the Outer Rim Territories, offering assistance to larger battle groups of capital ships, functioning as an armed transport, and operating as a communications hub.

With a length of 230 meters, this command cruiser incorporated several subtle design improvements, even though it might appear as a simple reskin of its predecessor. In actuality, beyond the basic hull shape—kite-shaped with two forward spars—and the class designation, the two shared little in common. These structural modifications encompassed an enclosed horizontal structure housing the three potent main engines, alongside alterations to the shape of its bridge tower. The turbolaser batteries, which had been mounted on the sides of the Republic variant, were replaced by eight escape pods. Furthermore, lateral entry points near the bow facilitated the deployment of Imperial Jumptroopers. Detention facilities were also present on these vessels.

The Arquitens-class was equipped with four turbolaser batteries, eight quad laser batteries arranged on four turrets–two on the dorsal side and two on the ventral side, four concussion missile launchers positioned forward on both the port and starboard sides, and a tractor beam projector. However, some Arquitens-class vessels could also be outfitted with three dorsal quad laser battery turrets, two ventral turrets, six twin laser cannon turrets– with two positioned near the engines on both the dorsal and ventral hull, and the remaining four situated above the port and starboard docking tubes on the dorsal and ventral sides. It also possessed a dorsal missile launcher, along with its four concussion missile launchers.

Under the Class 546 program, an Arquitens could be modified to achieve greater speed, becoming a Class 546 Cruiser. Deflector shields protected the Arquitens-class, and it was fitted with a class 2 hyperdrive complemented by a class 12 backup. The cruiser's systems for launching and recovering small craft, located between the two spars, could accommodate either a Sentinel-class landing craft, two TIE/ln space superiority starfighters, TIE/sa bombers, TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighters, or three TIE/IN interceptors.

In the years leading up to 4 BBY, the Imperial Navy summoned all Arquitens-class light cruisers still in active duty back to Kuat Drive Yards for a service life extension program involving refitting. The resulting Arquitens-class command cruiser exhibited significantly enhanced speed, maneuverability, combat effectiveness, power output, and other systems, aligning with the navy's strategic requirements. Although this first generation of refitted vessels would eventually be retired due to obsolescence, they were succeeded by command cruiser variants built directly on the production line, which served effectively throughout the Imperial Era.

Approximately four years prior to the Battle of Yavin, after Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin authorized the destruction of the Imperial Communications Center on the planet Lothal, local Imperial forces deployed an Arquitens-class command cruiser known as the Tellstar to intercept and transmit data from surface courier droids brought aboard. A team of Lothal-based rebels, known as the Spectres, successfully infiltrated the Tellstar to determine the whereabouts of Kanan Jarrus, a Jedi who had survived the destruction of the Jedi Order at the conclusion of the Clone Wars.

Several command cruisers also responded to an attack by Phoenix Cell targeting an Imperial convoy. Later, during the blockade of Ibaar, at least three of these cruisers collaborated with a pair of Gozanti-class cruisers under the direction of Imperial Security Bureau Agent Alexsandr Kallus to prevent Phoenix Squadron from delivering essential supplies to the starving Ibaarans. The Imperial blockade initially succeeded in repelling Phoenix Squadron's first attempt, but it was overcome during the second attempt when the rebel fleet was reinforced by the prototype B-wing fighter, which possessed a beam cannon powerful enough to penetrate the shields and armor of one of the three Arquitens-class vessels in the blockade. The destruction of this command cruiser enabled the rebel cell to complete their supply run before jumping into hyperspace.

Above the planet Garel, a command cruiser was patrolling the system when it received information about a theft of a shuttle from Garel City Spaceport and was dispatched to investigate. Upon arriving in orbit over Garel, the Imperials discovered the stolen transport docked with the Shadow Caster. They opened a communication channel, demanding the ships surrender and prepare for boarding. Unbeknownst to the Imperials, the shuttle had been commandeered by Sabine Wren, a Lothal rebel operative specializing in explosives, who was working alongside her former associate, the bounty hunter Ketsu Onyo. Wren devised a plan to escape by overloading the shuttle's hyperdrive while escaping aboard the Shadow Caster. Wren informed the Arquitens-class that their ships were damaged and the hyperdrive was at risk of self-destruction, which bought the rebels time to plan their escape. Wren then planted explosive charges on the shuttle's control panel and reactivated the shuttle's droid pilot, warning it that the ship was about to be attacked by the command cruiser and advising it to initiate emergency protocols to avoid destruction. Wren evacuated aboard the Shadow Caster with Onyo, Chopper, and EG-86, while the GX1 shuttle was caught in a tractor beam and pulled toward the command cruiser before exploding. The resulting explosion damaged the command cruiser's tractor beam projector, enabling the Shadow Caster to break free and escape into hyperspace.

Two Arquitens-class command cruisers were assigned as escorts for the prototype Imperial Interdictor under the command of Admiral Brom Titus during its trial runs in the Del Zennis system. During these trials, the Interdictor successfully captured the flagship of the Phoenix rebel cell, the Liberator, along with Ezra Bridger and the cell's commanding officer, Jun Sato. However, this victory was short-lived, as the rebels managed to escape and sabotage the Interdictor's gravity well generators before returning to the Liberator. In a desperate attempt, Admiral Titus activated the ship's gravity well to pull the rebel flagship back; however, due to Chopper's sabotage, the command cruisers were also pulled toward the Interdictor, colliding with the ship and allowing the Liberator to jump to hyperspace before the Interdictor imploded. Agent Kallus arrived shortly afterward to find Titus in an escape pod, reprimanding the admiral for ignoring his earlier advice regarding Ezra.

Following the discovery of the rebel forces' base on Garel, the entire Imperial fleet stationed over Lothal departed, leaving behind a minimal garrison, including at least one command cruiser under the command of Lieutenant Yogar Lyste, to oversee the planet in case of another insurgency. Lyste's Imperial cruiser later encountered Princess Leia Organa as she arrived with relief supplies for Lothal aboard her Sphyrna-class Hammerhead corvettes, which she intended to deliver to Phoenix Squadron. After verifying her codes, the Princess was permitted to land on Lothal.

Later, Agent Kallus received information about the Spectres' activities on the planet Nixus and departed with Admiral Kassius Konstantine aboard Kallus' personal command cruiser to intercept the rebels, arriving in the system just moments before the Ghost jumped into hyperspace. Utilizing a hidden tracker embedded in Hondo Ohnaka's communicator, which he had given to Ezra, Agent Kallus pursued the Ghost through hyperspace until reaching Wild Space, where he re-encountered the Ghost heading toward an imploded star cluster. Kallus hailed the Ghost, offering the rebels a chance to surrender or be pulled into the star cluster. The Ghost continued toward the cluster, prompting Kallus to launch a pair of TIE fighters to slow the freighter down long enough to bring it within range of a tractor beam. However, due to the Ghost being shielded by Garazeb Orrelios's bo-rifle, the ship remained intact while the TIE fighters were destroyed. Witnessing the freighter's success in navigating the cluster, Kallus initiated a bombardment using the command cruiser's quad laser turrets, but the blasts were pulled into the gravity wells of the stars ahead. Kallus then ordered the command cruiser to retreat as sections of the hull began to tear off and get pulled into the stars.

In 2 BBY, an Arquitens-class command cruiser intercepted a rebel convoy near Teralov, launching three TIE Interceptors that eliminated the convoy. Later, Grand Admiral Thrawn observed Cham Syndulla and the Spectres escape from a trap set by Captain Slavin from the bridge of a command cruiser, allowing the Ghost to escape because he believed the rebels deserved their victory. Later, Admiral Konstatine commanded a single command cruiser, two Gozanti-class cruisers, and numerous TIE fighters and bombers during a skirmish over Mykapo. The command cruiser sustained heavy damage when the Spectres and Iron Squadron dropped a magno-mine onto the cruiser's forward compartment.

Captain Brunson later commanded a command cruiser that attempted to hunt down and destroy the Ghost on Geonosis, deploying many jumptroopers to attack. However, the Spectres defeated the jumptroopers and used proton torpedoes to damage the ship, allowing them to flee into hyperspace. Lieutenant Yogar Lyste later commanded an Arquitens-class command cruiser stationed above Lothal, which captured the rebel operative Ezra Bridger. However, Ezra's capture was a ruse to rescue the rogue ISB Agent Kallus, who had become a rebel agent known as Fulcrum. One command cruiser attempted to capture the rogue senator and rebel leader Mon Mothma but was badly damaged by Gold Squadron. Several command cruisers participated in Thrawn's assault on the planet Atollon, attempting to cut off the rebels.

Shortly after the rebel defeat on Atollon, the Rebel Alliance launched a mission to Jalindi with the goal of hijacking the outpost there in order to spy on Imperial fleet movements in 1 BBY. This attempt was foiled by the Arquitens-class cruiser Marauder, commanded by Titus. Following a skirmish, the Partisans arrived and destroyed the outpost, triggering a massive explosion that also destroyed the Marauder.

A prison-tug, a modified variant of the Arquitens-class command cruiser, pulled Accresker Jail, a wreckage-prison, into battle so that it could deploy its convict army. After the discovery of deadly spores within the prison, the decision was made to launch it toward a rebel planet, and the cruiser was sent hurtling into the wreckage. Following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Arquitens-class cruisers were already becoming scarce, largely due to an assault on the Fondor Shipyards in the same year, which led to a shortage of available cruisers. One cruiser was present on the Imperial world Vardos during a skirmish shortly after the Imperial defeat on Endor, and another participated in and was destroyed during a skirmish on Takodana in 5 ABY. A Class 546 model of this cruiser was under the command of Moff Gideon and his forces sometime after the Battle of Endor.

The Arquitens-class command cruiser was originally conceived for the animated series Star Wars Rebels. Its initial appearance was in "Rebel Resolve," the fourteenth episode of the show's first season, which was originally broadcast on February 23, 2015. The command cruiser was a revised version of the Arquitens-class light cruiser from the earlier Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series, featuring subtle design updates and drawing inspiration from the transformation of Venator-class Star Destroyers into Imperial vessels as depicted at the end of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Elements of the Arquitens-class asset were repurposed in the creation of the Quasar Fire-class cruiser-carrier and class four container transport.

While initially described as identical to the Arquitens-class light cruiser, it was later identified as the Arquitens-class command cruiser by the Imperial Light Cruiser Expansion Pack for Star Wars: Armada, clarifying their distinction as separate models.