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Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruiser

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manufactured by Rendili StarDrive prior to the Clone Wars, these Old Republic ships required a huge number of crewmembers (16,000+) to run. They were about 600 meters in length, with a roughly cylindrical shape. The basic idea behind the Dreadnaught was taken from an old Mandalorian design, and was updated to create a ship that could be deployed to maintain a planetary occupation. Six weapons blisters were arranged around its midsection, and it had a clamshell-shaped bow. They were rated to speeds of .4 past lightspeed, with a top speed of 14 MGLT. The basic Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser was armed with 10 turbolaser batteries, 20 quad laser cannons, 10 laser cannons, one warhead launcher, 160 SBD shields, and a 80 RU hull. During the Clone Wars, the majority of Dreadnaughts found in the galaxy were in the service of Rendili's homeworld security fleet, protecting the planet from invasion. When the government of Rendili tried to side with the Separatists, the Old Republic dispatched a group of warships under the command of Jedi Masters Plo Koon and Saesee Tiin. Their mission, which ultimately ended successfully, was to ensure that the Dreadnaughts did not become part of the Separatist fleet. Note that The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels says the Dreadnaught had a slow, Class Two hyperdrive rating and weak shields, facts supported by the West End Games sourcebooks but not by Dark Force Rising.