Audacious was a vessel in Clan Plagueis’ Ascendant Fleet. It was a Nebulon-C escort frigate assigned to Expeditionary Fleet Aurek.
History
The Audacious was purchased as a means to expand upon its existing fleet elements, and was one of two Nebulon-C warships purchased to reinforce Task Forces Besh and Cresh. It would later be reassigned to Expeditionary Fleet Aurek. It served Clan Plagueis loyally in the Ascendant Fleet for years. However, in 40 ABY, during the Fifteenth Great Jedi War, it was captured by The Children of Mortis. The Children then used it in a false flag attack during a summit of several Brotherhood Clans on Cantonica. During the ensuing battle, the Formidable was destroyed.
Characteristics
A successor to the prior EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate, the Nebulon-C was intended to expand upon that class' role and rectify a number of previous mistakes. Rather than serving as a large weapons platform, the Nebulon-C was instead intended to operate as a light carrier. Capable of housing up to six squadrons at a time, its presence in a battlegroup can dramatically increase the level of starfighter support for surrounding ships. Unlike similar carriers, firepower and defensive capabilities were not sacrificed to make room for fighter capacity. The class retains average armour and shielding for a vessel of its size, while offering the expected maneuverability and speed of a five-hundred-and-forty-nine meter long vessel.
During direct engagements, it can support its squadrons with not only ten heavy turbolaser turrets, but also a pair of torpedo launchers. The class does not even wholly rely upon its fighters for protection against smaller ships, as it has six point-defense laser turrets to counter starfighter attacks. While fewer than the previous Nebulon-B, these are nevertheless capable of striking targets with far higher accuracy. Two tractor beam generators are present on the ship, allowing for it to recover or remove downed allied fighters as required. The Nebulon-C requires one-hundred-and-seventy crewmen to be operated in full effectiveness, and has the capacity to house a further seventy-five passengers. The ship can carry up to six thousand additional tons of cargo in its holds.
Due to its design, the class retains the Nebulon-B's infamous weak central adjoining spar to its twin modules, giving it a distinctive weak point for enemy ordinance to target despite its upgrades. Perhaps as a means of countering casualties as a result of this, the ship's escape pod compliment has been expanded, allowing for the entire command module to be ejected during emergencies.
Role
Due to its role as both carrier, anti-starfighter ship, and warship, the Formidable was utilised primarily as a force multiplier in relation to Expeditionary Fleet Aurek. As it can easily be utilised in any number of roles required, it exists largely to help expand upon potential shortcomings of enemy flotillas and to blunt potential dangers that they might encounter.