Star Wars: The Best Ship For Realizing It’s A Trap – We Breakdown ‘Home One’
Few ships in the Rebel Alliance can say they fought a Death Star and lived, but the modified MC80A cruiser known as the Home One can.
The Home One, sometimes known as the Headquarters Frigate, was a modified Mon Calamari cruiser that served as the headquarters of the legendary admiral Gial Ackbar during the Galactic Civil War. It was one of few ships in the Rebel Alliance’s fleets that was worthy of being the Alliance’s mobile headquarters. It also was a stand out ship in its own right, worthy of being the flagship (and envy) of any of the Rebellion’s great heroes. And it all begins in the Shipyards of Mon Calamari.
The MC80A Home One – Design and Capabilities
Part of what made Home One such a noteworthy vessel were the extensive modifications made during construction and a later retrofit. It was originally designed as a deep space exploration vessel. As part of that original design, the MC80A was built larger and sturdier than a typical Mon Calamari Cruiser, coming in at 1300 meters in length. It was also among the more technologically advanced designs to come out of the Mon Calamari Shipyards at the time.
When civil war came to the galaxy, Home One was retrofitted for combat in a big way. The vessel boasted an impressive armament. Starting with an array of 29 Taim & Bak XV9 turbolaser cannon batteries supplemented with 36 ArMek SW-7 ion cannons to help disable shields, support craft, and leave vessels vulnerable for capture. Also aiding in that effort, 6 Phylon Transport tractor beam projectors.
But perhaps most impressive were its deflector shields. Home One was outfitted with triple-strength military grade shields, the strongest in the alliance. They may not have been able to repel firepower of the DS-02’s superlaser’s magnitude, but they could repel a good deal more than most ships. And that was made even sturdier by the heavily armored hull plating, making it a difficult target to crack.
And after its retrofit as a military carrier, the ship boasted 20 hangars for warships and starfighters, and usually carried a complement of X-wing, Y-wing, A-wing, and even B-wing starfighters. The ship could even carry vessels as large as Corellion YT-1300 freighters. All this, plus its holographic amphitheater and advanced communications suite made it perfectly suited to its role in the years following the Battle of Yavin.
Becoming the Rebellion’s Headquarters in the Stars
The first time the vessel comes onto the galactic stage was during the gathering of the Rebel Alliance above Dantooine, two years before the fateful Battle of Yavin. But when it really comes into its starring role is after the Empire discovered and destroyed the Rebellion’s headquarters on Hoth. After a hasty evacuation under Imperial bombardment, Home One became the de facto HQ for the whole Alliance.
As an advanced command ship, it served as communications and coordinations hub as well as attack vessel. And in the run up to the Rebels’ decisive victory at the Battle of Endor, Home One hosted numinaries from throughout the galaxy. Mon Mothma. Crix Madine. And of course, Admiral Ackbar. All were present during the planning stages of the Assault on Endor.
The vessel deployed to Endor via the “Sanctuary Pipeline”—a secret hyperspace route that allowed it to jump in with enough time to prepare for the heavy combat to ensue. In the battle around the second Death Star, Admiral Ackbar’s tactical awareness enabled him to warn the Rebel Fleet of the Death Star’s operational status. And where the fighting was the thickest, there was Home One, fighting desperately in the name of freedom for all. Freedom from the Empire. Freedom from evil.
In the months following the New Republic’s decisive victory, Ackbar’s flagship proved essential in negotiating and accepting the surrender of many Imperial Remnants, and it played a key role in the Battle of Jakku. It would go on to serve in the Resistance, under the Command of Leia Organa. But that is a tale for another time.
May the Force be with you!
