The hull was also heavily reinforced and several ablative layers of armour covered the outer hull for additional protection. The slightly larger reactor dome was heavily armoured and critical sections of the ship and the main battery were also up-armoured to increase survivability and both the bridge tower as well as deflector domes recived significant improvements in protection. To power the heavier Turbolaser battery as well as the point defence array the Hypermatter reactor was enhanced to provide even more power. Together these guns could produce a huge volume of anti-fighter firepower, as well as being accurate enough to engage incoming ordinance. Additonal anti-fighter protection was provided by several batteries of SB-920 laser cannons again on the ships trench and superstructure. The biggest change though was the addition of scores of AG-2G laser cannon mountings along the ships flanks and superstructure with ten mounted on the forwards section of the Bridge Tower and attendant superstructure alone. These two dorsal turrets commanded huge firing arcs and would be able to engage ships approaching from underneath as well as adding to the broadside and forwards firepower.

The bow also had a pair of triple heavy turbo-lasers mounted just under the ships chin to cover the Star Destroyers вЂbellyвЂ™. Each turret was also slightly higher than the other, allowing all guns to fire forwards at targets coming bow on. The Imperator II (as the design became known) still featured increased anti-ship firepower with the quad heavy turbo-lasers being replaced with massive octuple mounts.

The initial plan for the updated Imperator called for greater firepower at the expense of point defence but with directives coming from the Board, the Admiralty and Imperial Palace, this had to be altered. The common denominator for failings with the Imperial class was its somewhat limited anti-fighter defences and these could be exploited by the Rebels who favoured small snub-fighters over Capital ships. This time also allowed for the remaining Imperator class ships to be completed at Kuat whilst the plans for the successor to the ship was finalized. What followed was eight months of investigations, going over battle reports, discussing actions with Captains, crewmen and even pilots. These teams were headed by Lira Wessex and were ordered to fix problems with the Imperial class. The batch of Imperator Class Star Destroyers under construction would be finished and KDY threw its design teams into overhauling the design for the next, already planned and paid for production run. Following the loss of the ISDs Titan, Overseer and Gauntlet in a single engagement to Rebel starfighters and light craft (a story that was vigerously surpressed in the Imperial media) the grumblings of the Imperial Admiralty reached the Imperial Palace and a decree came down that changed KDYвЂ™s stance from вЂSomething should be doneвЂ™ to вЂSomething will be done.вЂ™

Imperator class star destroyer