Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser

The Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser, also known as the Imperial Support Vessel, the Dreadnought Support Vessel, or the Rendili Dreadnought—alternatively spelled as the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser or the Rendili Dreadnaught—was a powerful, midsize capital ship manufactured by Rendili StarDrive. The warship was designed for heavy space combat and planetary occupation and was armed with a considerable number of turbolasers and heavy laser cannons. Featuring a thoroughly armored hull with minimal shielding, the heavy cruiser could carry an entire starfighter squadron in a dedicated hangar.

Once utilized by the Utapaun Security Forces as anti-pirate vessels, as well as the Republic Navy to fight the Separatists during the Clone Wars, the Dreadnought was still considered one of the more capable ships of its class and size in use by the time of the Galactic Empire. In the year 2 BBY, a group of insurgents from the planet Batonn employed a contingent of Dreadnought-class vessels during a failed revolt, while many heavy cruisers later served as part of Grand Admiral Thrawn's Imperial blockade over the planet Lothal in 1 BBY. The blockade lasted until Lothal's liberation from the Empire, when all Imperial ships present were destroyed by a pod of the space-faring purrgil creatures.

The Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser was also used by the Rebel Alliance in the faction's struggle against the Empire. Many former Imperial Support Vessels, which the Empire did not see worth the price of repair and simply left to deteriorate, were salvaged and outfitted to serve in the Alliance Fleet. In 4 ABY, the rebels used a stolen Imperial Support Vessel, 49AX3, to transport their soldiers for a raid at an Imperial refinery in the Outer Rim, securing the installation's fuel supplies for the rebel fleet.

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