Jade Star-class Armored Monitor

The history of the Jade Star-class stretches back before the Jade Worlds first came into contact with the civilized galaxy. The White Star-class monitor ships were created by the Templars of Halcyon, a religious order appended to the Kingdom of Halcyon, a protectorate of the Sandian Imperial League. Four hundred of the lethal little ships were created, and saw extensive action against the multitudinous threats of the Unknown Regions. As the Jade Worlds came into contact with Halcyon and strengthened ties with it - including the colonization of several worlds - the Templars were tasked to update the design and customize it for the task at hand. The Jade Star-class was the result, jointly manned by Halcyon and Shau'ghunate Guard forces.

After the Jade Worlds were attacked by the Uul'ba-Rai, and subsequently entered the protection of the Black Star Confederacy and then the Kartanin Dominion, the Jade Star fleet remained in the joint colony worlds, constantly updated by the fanatical care of the Halcyon Templars. Jade Stars and White Stars hunted Black Nova and fought against the Bandit Kingdoms, liberating Isen and many other worlds.

When the Jade Worlds declared independence and joined with several other relatively far-flung governments and worlds within the Unknown Regions to create the Jade Empire, the colony worlds and the Kingdom of Halcyon were signatories. The Templars and the Jade Stars came under the direct command of the Empress and Emperor. The Templars refused to integrate into the JEAF, remaining a separate patrol force, but the Jade Stars have also been used by the JEAF.

The Jade Stars continue to be manufactured at the JEAF shipyards near Halcyon, whose current location is a military secret. As the Halcyon sector remains the only major sector of the JE never overrun by enemy forces, its economic and industrial base remains the Empire's strongest per capita, except for Joy. As a result, the Jade Stars - which have been produced for many years - are a frequent sight throughout the Jade Empire and can be stumbled upon in the unlikeliest of Unknown Regions hyperspace dead ends. It shares patrol duties with the more lightly armed, versatile JEAF Shieldwall-class Patrol Cruiser, which is mass-produced to a lower level of excellence in favour of higher numbers. Patrol craft such as these are by far the most common Jade Empire vessels to be found anywhere, and especially in the sometimes convoluted, often poorly marked, very dangerous and highly lucrative Emerald Way.