Apollo Light Cruiser

Named for the Greco-Roman god, the Apollo class of light cruisers was the first new warship class to be deployed by the Terran Navy in the interstellar era. The Apollo was conceived as a short-range defense vessel that could be deployed to protect the Commonwealth’s fledgling colonies. One of these cruisers is larger than a destroyer, and commensurately better-armed. This makes them a more formidable opponent for lowly raider threats, this class’ intended adversary.
 

Because of its primarily anti-piracy fleet role, the Apollo class is not as large or as durable as an Atlatl or other heavier cruiser class. However, the class is far more economical to build and maintain than other cruisers. In some circles the Apollos are referred to not as cruisers but as heavy destroyers; while their official designation is as a light cruiser, heavy destroyer is actually a more apt name for the warship given its capabilities.

A notable weakness of this class is its lack of a FTL Drive. This necessitates the class to rely on civilian jump stations to move between systems, or else the assistance of FTL-capable Jump Carriers (such as those of the Marathon class).
 

Within the first year after conception, a group of nine Apollo cruisers were launched. These vessels formed the backbone of the Commonwealth’s frontier defense force, supplementing the Afridi and Fletcher destroyers already on patrol in these areas.

Ships of this class are named for places and figures related to the myth of the god Apollo.