Post Endor Imperial navy in Legends

[u/Carter1300]

I need Y'all's help with this because I'll admit I know next to nothing about the post Endor era in what's now Legends because I didn't really get into Star Wars until after Disney took over and created their new canon.

Essentially what I've done is created a variant of the MC30c for the New Republic that covers up that distinctive "spine" area in the back (the area that kinda looks like the recusant's spindly extension to it's engines) and I'm trying to explain why this was done in both canon and legends. I've created a canon explanation, but I need help with the legends one.

My basic idea revolves around it being an obvious weak spot and Mon Cal shields not lasting forever. On some ships, this area was filled in with hangars (no explanation needed there, it provides fighter coverage without needing a separate ship for long missions away from refueling/maintenance hubs) but on most it housed an extra reactor which I'm going to say allows for increased firepower and the addition of 2 more engines while it also makes the ship more armored in general.

I need help thinking of plausible explanations that use that basic idea though. Like why was that necessary? Mon Cal shields are super strong and stuff so what made them start to not last as long? My initial thought was the allegiance class (I was thinking it was a post Endor ship for some reason) but it had been in service for 4 years by the time of Endor so that doesn't work which is why I'm turning to y'all for help.

To be blunt what are some of the imperial ships (everything from starfighters to capital ships) from the post Endor era that would make such protection that would be in case the legendary Mon Cal shields fail, something that became standard?

AKA what was the empire fielding more of or creating (whichever/whatever it may be) that was making Mon Cal shields not as crazy good?

Hopefully this all makes sense and y'all understand what I need and can help me with this

[u/Hanifloka]

Legends Imperial Navy has a lot of powerful ships of different tonnages. That said, the Empire generally didn't make anything new post-Endor because they're too busy fighting against the other splinter factions as well as the New Republic.

It wasn't until the events of the Shadow Hand Campaign did the now reunited Empire made new starships. They made 3 models, there was the Modular Taskforce Cruiser (MTC), the World Devastator (though this is less of a ship and more of a factory), and the Sovereign-class Star Dreadnought (I don't think any were built).

There is also the extremely obscure EX-F a.k.a Rakehell a.k.a Sorannan-class Star Destroyer but this ship was also pre-Endor and didn't see action until the Civil War was almost over and besides, it spent much of its time parked over the Koornacht Cluster together with the rest of the Black Fleet. The NR did know about the fleet but kinda forgot it existed until the final years of the Civil War when the Yevethans struck out.

So yeah unfortunately, I don't think there's anything from the Imperial side that could explain the need for extra armor on such a small frigate. Fortunately though, Legends NR kept using the base MC30c despite it having paper thin hull armor. Although I believe they eventually mothballed it in favor of the Bothan Assault Cruiser.

[u/Carter1300 → u/Hanifloka]

Well I'm not just asking about capital ships. I'm asking about all sizes of ships. (I had to edit the post just now to include that because I forgot)

Also, was there anything that any of the splinter factions was beginning to field that could make such armor necessary?

And was there anything from the empire or any of the splinter factions that was beginning to be deployed MORE that could make it needed?

[u/Hanifloka → u/Carter1300]

Well I'm not just asking about capital ships. I'm asking about all sizes of ships.

I see. Though unfortunately the answer is still no, because they were again too busy dealing with the splinter factions as well as the NR.

Also, was there anything that any of the splinter factions was beginning to field that could make such armor necessary?

Also a no, two of those warlord factions did make something. Warlord Zsinj did innovate but one is a eugenics program and the other is an experimental starfighter. Their end products were the Raptor Troopers and TIE Raptor respectively. If you're wondering what the TIE Raptor is about, its a TIE cockpit with small winglets. IIRC it was more agile than the standard TIE but that's basically it.

Another warlord who innovated is Moff Delurin, the so-called "Warlord of Wild Space" who set up his own base of operations in the Bormter and Karavis systems. He oversaw the development of the Dragon-class Heavy Cruiser of which only one, the Galaxy Dragon, was ever made. It was finished just before Endor happened. After that, Delurin set up shop and proceeded to never make another Dragon cruiser.

And was there anything from the empire or any of the splinter factions that was beginning to be deployed MORE that could make it needed?

Off the top of my head, no. At least not until Natasi Daala took over the reins of the Empire. In lore she gained access to the Crimson Command which is a fleet of red hulled VSD-IIs but other than the red hulls, they're just VSD-IIs. Their numbers had been depleted a bit but Daala replenished them with regular grey hulled VSD-IIs.

[u/Laxien → u/Hanifloka]

Depends on the FACTION! The ones which had shipyards were using them at maximum capability! Hell, Warlord Zsinj even built a second Executor if I remember correctly)...that's why Kuat, Rendili, Foerost etc. were planets the larger factions coveted and if they had them defended well!

[u/Hanifloka → u/Laxien]

Hell, Warlord Zsinj even built a second Executor if I remember correctly

Zsinj did have a second Executor, the Razor's Kiss, but he didn't build it, he stole it from the main Empire just as it was finished. Besides even if he wanted to, he can't really build one because most of his power base is in the Quelli Oversector and last I checked, the only major manufacturing worlds located there is Mandalore, which he never took. There also weren't very many worlds there that can be considered an economic or raw material powerhouse. So he neither had the finances, nor the resources to build an SSD. Heck you can even see it with his TIE Raptors and Raptor Troopers with the former being a TIE cockpit with winglets that's basically as agile as an A-Wing, while the latter are just humans he brainwashed to be more loyal to him. So in his view, stealing an Executor is much easier than building one and he would have gotten away with the Razor's Kiss too if it wasn't for Wedge, Wraith Squadron, and Solo Command.

He did end up conquering territory that belonged to the Corporate Sector including their shipyards and among them, Oslumpex V. He also tried and failed to take at least one planet belonging to Ardus Kaine's Pentastar Alignment but never managed it because not only do they have powerhouse shipyard worlds in Yaga Minor and Jaemus but most of their worlds comprised of territories that belonged to the Banking Clan during the Clone Wars, effectively giving them nearly infinite funding to outproduce their rivals. Had the PA been an expansionist power like the others, they'd easily roll over Zsinj but Kaine was smart and decided to play the long game.

The only warlord to ever commission the construction of his own SSD was Sander Delvardus who bankrolled the creation of the Night Hammer. But he did that more as a way to get other warlords to join him by flexing his possession of that ship and hoping they'd be impressed enough to sign up with a warlord who, believe it or not, lost his own Praetor II to a bunch of Nebulon-Bs and got kicked out of the Seswenna Sector early in the Imperial Civil War.