Queen Maria Sophia

May 16, 2025

  • Affiliation: Compact Navy

  • Class: Bonapartan Heavy Cruiser (equivalent to Minerva-class)

  • Builder: Bonaparte Shipyards

  • Commissioned: Prior to 433 IE

  • Namesake: Queen Maria Sophia, first monarch of Bonaparte

  • Sister Ships: Comparable in role and performance to the Marcus Aurelius (Etruscan-built)

Overview
The CNV Queen Maria Sophia is a state-of-the-art heavy cruiser in the Compact Navy and the first major warship constructed by Bonaparte. Named after Queen Maria Sophia, the planet’s first monarch, the ship represents Bonaparte’s rise as a serious naval manufacturing power within the Compact. Its design draws heavily from the successful Minerva-class cruisers—such as the Marcus Aurelius—built by Etrusca, one of the Big Five core worlds.

Design and Capabilities
While technically not a Minerva-class vessel, the Queen Maria Sophia shares much of the same architecture and capabilities, including keel-mounted railguns, advanced energy weapon systems, and discreet projection drive support for long-range operations. The ship also serves as a carrier for Falcons and Crossfield-class fighters, and includes dedicated facilities for Special Forces platoons, reflecting Bonaparte’s emphasis on elite ground operations.

Operational History
The Queen Maria Sophia serves as a flagship for joint Compact and Bonapartan operations, with a mixed command crew and special forces contingent. It plays a central role in the escalating conflict involving an unknown threat boarding Compact vessels with advanced mechs. It is also the ship aboard which King Edward is extracted from active duty after the ceremonial death of King Yanuhito.

Notable Personnel

  • Captain Zack Thalen – Commanding officer

  • Commander Patty Friese – Executive officer

  • Lieutenant JT Austin – Falcon pilot, call sign Little Wing

  • Lady Mitsuko Yamato – Special Forces platoon commander

  • Edward Windsor – Onboard when summoned to assume the throne of Bonaparte

  • Queen Widow Reiko – Passages to and from the ship mark the transition of power

Legacy
The Queen Maria Sophia symbolizes Bonaparte’s shift from a culturally rich but militarily modest core world into a naval powerhouse capable of building its own capital ships. As the first of her kind, she sets the standard for future Bonapartan naval design and demonstrates the constituent world’s growing independence—even within the structure of the Compact Navy. While heavily damaged in the Radical Cubist attack over Mud, the ship was salvaged and sent back to the Zeus Yards in the Helios system to be refit and returned to duty.

Appearances: Checkmate