Type: Magistracy Class Cruiser In Service: 2564 Number in Service: 4 Mass: 675,000 Tons KF Integrity: 14 Sail Integrity: 4 Thrust: 4/6 Fuel: 3000 tons SI: 60 Armor: 800 tons ( Fore 60 + 6, FL/FR 55 + 6, AL/AR 50 + 6, AFT 50 + 6) Heatsinks: 3100 Docking Collars: 2 Fighters: 12 Small Craft: 0 Crew: 425 Lifeboats: 25 Escape Pods: 15 Grav Deck: 0 Cargo: 94,574 tons Bays: Bay 1: Fighters(12) 6 Doors Bay 2: Cargo Weapons: Forward: 4 NAC/20 6 Light Naval PPC 6 NL/35 4 PPC Fore Left/Right: 3 NAC/20 2 Light Naval PPC 2 NL/35 4 PPC Aft Left/Right: 3 NL/35 3 PPC Aft: 8 NL/35 2 PPC Ammo: 300 Rounds NAC/20 Ammo Overview: The Magistracy class cruiser was designed to serve as leaders for the Canopian Destroyer squadrons. In the 2530s the Magistracy of Canopus began expanding it's sphere of influence. As the MOC grew in power it attracted the attention of it's neighbors as well as that of pirate bands in the region. In order to protect itself, the MOC began building a small navy. The bulk of the Navy consisted of Amazon Class Corvettes and Canopus Class Destroyers. However, after several years, the navy realized that there was a need for a larger ship capable of leading squadrons of destroyers in combat. The Canopian Navy issued a request for a ship that would be capable of keeping pace with the Canopus Class Destroyer but with heavier armor and armament then the existing Canopian ships. Initially plans called for the construction of 6 ships, however the last 2 ships were completed to a modified design as Centrella Class Command Cruiser. [Ed Note: The Centrella class was designed to serve as the flagships of the 2 Canopian Fleets] The 4 Magistracy class cruiser began entering service in 2564. Capabilities: Compared to many contemporary cruisers (such as the Hegemony's Aegis Class), the Magistracy class had much lighter armor and fewer weapons. The light weapons and armor was compensated for by the high acceleration of the ship. The Magistracy class was able to reach 3G's acceleration, which allowed it to out maneuver many other ships of the era. As a result the ship had a well deserved reputation among the SLDF forces that fought in the Reunification War for being a nimble and agile opponent. The weapons on the Magistracy Class were relatively light for a cruiser. In order to reduce supply and maintenance issues, the ship uses the same weapons that were used on the Canopus class Destroyer and Amazon Class Corvettes. [Ed Note: This may be one of the most under appreciated aspects of Magistracy ship design philosophy. By limiting the number of different weapons used by the Navy, it simplified the supply situation for ammunition and spare parts. Of equal importance was the fact that it allowed the Magistracy Navy's Armorers to work on any class of ship as the weapon systems were common across the different classes of ships. This allowed the Magistracy to make the best use of it's limited number of armorers to keep all the Magistracy's ships operational.] The primary weapons mounted on the ship are 12 Class 20 Naval Autocannons. These are backed up by an array of Light Naval PPCs and Light Naval Lasers. For anti fighter protection the ships carried 20 PPCs. In addition to a weak weapons array, the Magistracy Class also had weak armor protection compared to many contemporary cruisers. As a result ship Captains quickly learned to use their maneuverability to avoid being hit by the enemy. Unlike many other Canopian Navy ships the Magistracy class has 2 docking collars. Typically the ships would carry 2 fighter carriers to provide the Canopian fleet with Aerospace support. In addition the ships could carry 12 fighters in internal bays. Deployment: The 4 Magistracy Class Cruisers were used as leaders for the Canopian Navy's 4 Destroyer Squadrons. In the early part of the Reunification War the ships were used to fight a mobile campaign against Captain-General Marion Marik's forces. In November of 2577, the 1st and 2nd Destroyer Squadrons of the 1st Fleet, along with several squadrons of Corvettes attacked the 14th Special Task Force at Vakarel. While the smaller ships attacked the SLDF Jumpships, the Magistracy class cruisers Magistracy and the Froness engaged and destroyed the DeRutyer, a Congress class Frigate that was escorting the fleet. The two ships used their superior mobility to avoid the attacks from the DeRutyer. Able to out maneuver the DeRutyer, the two ships managed to stay out of the line of fire of the powerful guns mounted on the broadsides and rear of the Congress. Eventually the ships punctured the forward armor of the ship and destroyed it. The SLDF also lost 5 other jumpships and 2 battalions of the 25th Chaussers without even damaging a single Canopian ship. This proved a major boost to Canopian morale and spurred the Canopian Navy to carry out more raids against the SLDF forces. The Magistracy class Durachi and Girin participated in the raid on Meadowbrook. While they were able to defeat the Star League defenders in the system, the raid showed the weak firepower of the class, as they were unable to destroy the recharge station at the jumppoint until after a warning was sent to the planetary defenders. The ships continued to serve as raiders during the rest of the war, attacking numerous SLDF and FWL supply depots. All four of the Magistracy Class were lost at the Battle of Thurrock. In 2583, Captain General Marik set up an ambush for the Canopian Navy in the Thurrock System in an attempt to finally eliminate the threat of the Canopian Navy. The SLDF deployed 6 Kimagure Class Pursuit Cruisers and several Hunter Killer Squadrons lead by FWL's Oriente Class Frigates, to the system. When the Canopian fleet jumped into the system, the SLDF engaged them in a running battle for 2 days. Facing ships that matched their maneuverability, the Magistracy class were facing a hopeless situation. Out gunned by their opponent and unable to disengage the Captains of the Magistracy Cruisers tried to buy time for at least some of the smaller ships to escape the system. The Canopians managed to disable one of the Kimagures and damage several others, however all of the Magistracy Cruisers were destroyed in the battle.