Sith InterceptorThe Sith interceptor was a starfighter of ambiguous origin that formed the bulk of Darth Revan and Darth Malak's space forces during the Jedi Civil War.
Characteristics
Little has been gleaned about these fighters specifications. They appeared to carry a prototype twin ion drive system, seen only in this design. Its design appears to be a hybrid of various technologies, matching no specific world. Its specifications gave the fighter maneuverability to the point of instability, meaning much of the central chassis was given to managing the reactor core for optimal performance.[5]
When docked, not in use, or traveling through hyperspace, the Sith interceptor had the ability to fold its wings and power down its weapon systems. In combat, these were unfolded, and the laser cannons brought to bear, a concept later seen in the S-foils. This allowed it a broad attack arc, while its small profile made it difficult to target.
History
An early Republic model of this fighter was used by the Jedi Knight Guun Han Saresh on his mission to Kashyyyk in 3,993 BBY.[3] The same or a similar model of fighter was used during the climactic Battle of Malachor V by the Republic forces fighting under Darth Revan.[4]
The Sith interceptor first appeared as Malak and Revan returned to the Republic as conquerors after the Mandalorian Wars.[1] While many of their capital ships were turncoat Republic vessels, the majority of their forces were made of these curious fighters. Produced by the Star Forge, they could be easily stored in cargo bays, such that even a single mothership could deliver swarms of them into battle. Further, they were quick to scramble, making them a deadly first strike.
Interdictor-Class CruiserThe Interdictor-class cruiser, also known as the hyperspace interdiction cruiser and the Interdictor-class Sith Destroyer,[8] was among the most numerous capital ships seen in action with the Sith Navy during[2] and after the Jedi Civil War.
Characteristics
The Interdictor-class was 600 meters long and featured a hull that split into two structures, one dorsal and one ventral.[5] The ship was propelled by three main thrusters and four auxiliary thrusters, similar to the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Each ship was commanded from a sternward tower.[2]
The class was equipped with 20 quad-laser cannons and two ion cannons, though the Leviathan was equipped with four turbolaser batteries and one tractor beam projector in addition to the standard armament. As befitting its name, the Interdictor-class also featured four massive gravity well projectors, which could trap nearby vessels in realspace.
HistoryThe class name "Interdictor" was first proposed by Admiral Jimas Veltraa. When Veltraa was killed in the Mandalorian Wars, some proposed that the name of the class be changed to honor him, but this was overruled by the Supreme Chancellor. In 3,963 BBY, construction on the Interdictor-class was approved.
The original prototype Interdictors were manufactured by Republic Sienar Systems.[1] Like the Inexpugnable-class command ships, the Interdictor-class cruisers were built at Corellian shipyards,[10] though many more would be constructed by the Star Forge to fuel the growing warfleet of the Sith Lord Darth Revan.[2]
The most notable Interdictor-class Cruiser was the Leviathan, a Galactic Republic warship that was said to be the only vessel in the class that came out of the shipyards in a space-worthy state. It was commanded by Admiral Saul Karath, who defected with the ship to join the Sith Lords Revan and Malak. The ship was duplicated in the Star Forge and produced by the hundreds.[6] The Leviathan itself continued to serve as Karath's flagship up until his death.
Malak, in the Leviathan, brought a fleet of Interdictors to Taris and positioned them around that world in an attempt to stop the Jedi Knight Bastila Shan from escaping. Frustrated that the search for the missing Jedi was taking too long, he ordered his fleet to bombard Taris with their turbolasers, turning the Upper City into slag. Some time later, a number of Interdictors participated in the Battle of Rakata Prime, which bore witness to the destruction of the Star Forge and the mass production of Interdictor-class ships and Sith fighters.[2]
Despite that, many of the remaining Interdictor-class cruisers were later used to form the core of Darth Nihilus's Sith battlefleet and were seen in action at the Battle of Telos IV.[9]
As would be seen millennia later, the overall design principles would survive in the Galactic Republic and the later Galactic Empire in the form of the Star Destroyer line of warships. Sienar, known under the Empire as Sienar Fleet Systems, would go on to make the Immobilizer 418 cruiser, equipped with a superior form of gravity well projector.
Foray-Class Blockade RunnerForay-class blockade runners were capital ships used by the Republic Navy during the Mandalorian Wars (c. 3,964 BBY),[3] the Jedi Civil War,[2] and afterwards.
Characteristics
Like the CEC warships of the Republic's later years, these vessels had long, slender hulls capped at the stern with large thrusters.[2]
The blockade runners were armed with turreted guns positioned on each side of the ship's bow and point-defense guns lining the main superstructure. The command area was located on the ventral side of the ship.
HistoryThe Foray-class's original purpose was to safeguard the Republic Navy's reach by being mass-produced to the point of filling up the trade routes, but the ship gained new mission uses during the Mandalorian Wars. It assisted Republic troops and civilians caught behind enemy lines, and aided besieged Republic worlds by supplying them while under fire. The ships could also be used to secretly land commandos.[1]
The Foray-class was one of the two main capital ship classes upon which the Republic fleet depended—along with the Hammerhead-class cruiser—after most of the larger warships were stolen by Darth Revan and Darth Malak shortly after the Battle of Malachor V.[2]
Many ships of this class were also used to defend Citadel Station, in orbit around Telos IV, against a Sith attack led by Darth Nihilus and the Ravager.
Hammerhead-Class CruiserThe Hammerhead-class cruiser was a type of warship used by the Republic Navy during the Old Sith Wars,[4] the Mandalorian Wars,[6] and the New Sith Wars.
CharacteristicsThis ship was a cruiser and a successor-design to the smaller Praetorian-class frigate.[1] Serving on the line in fleet engagements as a courier and as a command ship of large fleets, it was a workhorse of the Republic and a common sight near Republic-controlled worlds. This ship could also undertake independent operations, unlike the Republic blockade runner, which was never observed outside a supporting fleet. Hammerheads were able to enter atmospheres and land on planetary surfaces.[4]
The spaceframe resembled the later Consular-class space cruiser and the CR90 corvette, though this may have been coincidental. They also bore a large resemblance to the EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate of the Galactic Civil War era, due to the vertically elongated bridge.[4]
Though their exact armament was unknown, by 3,956 BBY they appeared to possess at least seven turbolasers, with three batteries of two and a single turbolaser cannon mounted atop the hammerhead bridge structure all facing forward, as well as an unknown number of quad-lasers pointing aft. As demonstrated by the Endar Spire and the Harbinger some years later, they also appeared to have a number of lighter, point-defense laser cannons for use against small craft mounted at various points along the hull.[4]
They were propelled by four ion engines emitting particles in the orange section of the visible spectrum during the wars around 3,956 BBY, but this changed over time, earlier ships having three engines that emmitted blue particles. This may have indicated a continuous upgrade program was in place for these vessels over the years, or perhaps these two vessels were variant designs.
History
Hammerheads were first seen in service in the Great Sith War, where they participated in the First Battle of Empress Teta.[7] During the restoration period after the war, it was mass-produced at such a scale that Rendili Hyperworks would finish a new cruiser every ten days for several years.[1]
During the Mandalorian Wars thirty years later, they remained in frontline service, sometimes alongside an Inexpugnable-class command ship, itself a class made to sell more Hammerheads.[2] With a third of the Republic's fleet crushed at Malachor V during the Wars,[8] and another third, including bigger Interdictor-class cruiser, taken by Revan to form the basis of his Sith Empire's forces,[4] the ailing Republic government turned to these smaller capital ships to halt the Sith advance.[4]
During the New Sith Wars, they remained in service. During that war, they each held a squadron of Aurek fighters and had undergone radical upgrades and design revisions since their debut thousands of years before.[5] Much like the Invincible-class dreadnaught, the Hammerhead-class cruiser was one of the longest serving classes of ship in any military, with versions of it being maintained in active service for at least 3,000 years.
