Subjugator-class heavy cruiser

Subjugator-class heavy cruiser

TheSubjugator-class heavy cruiser was aConfederacy of Independent Systemswarship class that consisted of at least five ships.

Description[]

Dimensions[]

TheConfederate Navy's most powerfulbattleship class, it had some design similarities to both theProvidence-class carrier/destroyer and theRecusant-class light destroyer,^[4] but was almost as large as fiveVenator-class Star Destroyers^[11] and totaled 4,845 meters in length.^[3]The class was based around itsion pulse cannons, a weapons system not used on board any other warship class, due to its unique power-generation needs.^[2]

Despite its status as the Confederacy's most powerful battleship design, eclipsing pre-war models like theLucrehulk-class, the model was classified as a heavy cruiser and was one of the largest designs that came from the Confederate shipyards.^[2]

Offensive and defensive systems[]

The battleship was fitted with the aforementioned giganticion cannons, which were charged withplasma rotors and fired a focused and directed ionic pulse atRepubliccapital ships, completely neutralizing their power systems.^[4] The weapon needed a significant cool-down period after each shot, to let ionized particles be cleaned out of the cannon before the next firing sequence.^[2]

TheSubjugator-class was also armed with considerable amounts of standard secondary weaponry to destroy the ion cannon's victims.^[12][4]Turbolasers were fitted to both its sides and dorsal superstructure, being clustered in large banks to defend against any ship that avoided the main ion cannons. They consisted of at least two different types: light and heavy dual turbolaser cannons.^[13]Proton-torpedo launchers were also part of the vessel's armament.^[3]

The battleship was so massive that it could receive heavy turbolaser bombardment from multiple enemy capital ships without suffering any major damage, even with its shields disabled. Sixteen thrusters were positioned at the vessel's stern.^[8] However, it seems that the section connecting the ion cannon to the ship itself wasn't as durable, and bombardment to this area caused the weapon to overload during its firing sequence.Anakin Skywalker and his squadron attacked theMalevolence in this manner, resulting in the destruction of both ion cannons and considerable damage to the ship, knocking out itshyperdrive as well as a number of other systems, shields included.^[13]

Complement[]

The warship carried severalVulture-class fighter andHyena-class bomber squadrons, which could launch from multiple hangars on the side of the warship, right behind the ion array.^[13] The hangars had their owndedicated firefighting droid teams, which could quickly respond to any emergency in the bays.^[14]

The ship was large enough to have its own dedicated internalrail jet transportation system. The rails transported both passengers and materials on several levels and were connected with the various hangars.^[8] The rail-jet car design was similar to that of theMulti-Troop Transport.^[14]

Bridge[]

A communications array was located towards the stern, similar to the one found on theProvidence-class.^[1] The command center was also located in this tower, which had a multi-storied structure at the top, defended by multiple turbolaser batteries.^[4]

This bridge contained a single raised platform in the center where the commander of the ship resided. Aholographic terminal was present to allow the captain of the vessel to communicate with others. There were at least five circular computer screens with four stations in a semi-circular pattern where crew were stationed and controlled the mighty ship.^[4] Twoturbolifts were at the back of the bridge, giving access to other levels in the ship.^[8]

History[]

TheSubjugator-class heavy cruisers were built in ashipyard orbiting theQuarren world ofPammant. Their construction was kept secret, with the simultaneous construction of theProvidence-class carrier/destroyer being used as a cover.^[2]

TheMalevolence, designed byRuggle Schmong,^[11] served as SeparatistGeneralGrievous'sflagship during the early months of theClone Wars and destroyed dozens of Republic task forces^[4] before being destroyed by a joint effort of fighter strikes^[13] and internal sabotage.^[8].

TheSubjugator was built to carrytrihexalon weaponry, and made it as far as Coruscant in its offensive, but wasdestroyed.^[16]

TheDevastation, the sister ship of theMalevolence, was involved in a conflict that concernedDathomiriNightsisters.^[17]

ArebuiltMalevolence was also built at Pammant under the supervision of Grievous himself. However, it was subsequently alsodestroyed by aJedi Knight, who fought both Dooku and Grievous in the effort to destroy the secondMalevolence.^[18]

Afifth ship was under construction at theEnoth systemshipyards. However, this ship wasdestroyed by Skywalker and Tano's forces before its construction had been completed, striking a major blow to the Separatist cause.^[10]

Behind the scenes[]

TheMalevolence was based on concept art for a Separatistcommunications ship meant to be used inStar Wars: Episode IIIRevenge of the Sith. The finished version was designed byRussell G. Chong and is based upon theGR-75 medium transport. According to DirectorDave Filoni, theMalevolence and its story was based in part on the real-life German battleshipBismarck, which was hunted relentlessly by the BritishRoyal Navy during World War II.^[19]

In theThe Clone Wars episode "Shadow ofMalevolence," Anakin Skywalker commands theY-wing bombers to attack the starboard ion cannon, but the visuals show that it is the port cannon that is destroyed. The explosion takes out both cannons, however, making this statement moot. It is possible, however, that—due to either using the same power generator or really just being one, big, bidirectional cannon that can pick which side to fire from—the destruction of one caused a chain reaction that destroyed both guns, as well as extensively damaging to most of the ship. It could also be argued that Skywalker meant starboard in relation to the fighters during their attack run, which would have beenMalevolence's port-side ion cannon.

The destruction of theMalevolence by crashing into a moon echoes the fate of theExecutor by falling into thesecond Death Star's gravity field. Thein-universe argument over theMalevolence's size also mirrors the real-life arguments that were made about theExecutor's.

Henry Gilroy has suggested that the reason theMalevolence can receive holographic communications while inhyperspace is the size of the ship's internal gravity field.^[20]

InLEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, the character destroys the cannon by firing one torpedo into the cannon, instead of the many it took to destroy it. Also, the character fires it when the shield is down, not necessarily when the cannon is powering up.

Appearances[]

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• Star Wars: The Clone Wars novelization(andaudiobook)(First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels
• The Clone Wars: Prelude(Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Ambush"(In flashback(s))
• The Clone Wars: Shakedown
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "RisingMalevolence"
• The Clone Wars: Procedure(Indirect mention only)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Shadow ofMalevolence"
• HoloNet News — A Galaxy Divided onStarWars.com(backup link) (original site is defunct)(Indirect mention only)
• The Clone Wars: Agenda(Mentioned only)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "DestroyMalevolence"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance
• The Clone Wars: Shipyards of Doom(Indirect mention only)
• The Clone Wars: Departure(Mentioned only)
• Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures
• Kinect Star Wars
• "Hotshot" —Star Wars: The Clone Wars Comic 6.54

Non-canon appearances[]

• LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
• LEGO Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles video game

Sources[]

• "The Art ofRevenge of the Sith" —Star Wars Insider 83–85
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide
• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: RisingMalevolence onStarWars.com(original site is defunct)
• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Shadow ofMalevolence onStarWars.com(original site is defunct)
• "Shadow of Malevolence" Episode Featurette onStarWars.com(backup link)
• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: DestroyMalevolence onStarWars.com(original site is defunct)
• Fun Facts aboutStar Wars The Clone Wars: Jedi Alliance onStarWars.com(original site is defunct)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Clone Wars Campaign Guide(First identified asSubjugator-class heavy cruiser)
• The Clone Wars Decoded Episode: RisingMalevolence onStarWars.com(content obsolete and backup link not available)
• Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 32
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Incredible Vehicles
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• Y-wing starfighter in theEncyclopedia(original site is defunct)
• Strongholds of Resistance

Notes and references[]