Interdictor Cruiser (Imperial)
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| Star Wars craft | |
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| Interdictor Cruiser | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sienar Fleet Systems |
| Specification | Immobilizer-418-class Interdictor Cruiser |
| Type | Hyperspace Interdictor |
| Length | 600 meters |
| Weapons | 4 Gravity Well Projectors, 20 Quad Laser Batteries (4D) , 2 TIE fighter squadrons (24 fighters), 80 D per salvo |
| Shield | Unknown |
| Hull | Unknown |
| Crew | 2807, plus 24 gunners |
| Top Speed | 8 MGLT |
| Troop Capacity | 1000 stormtroopers |
| Affiliation | Galactic Empire, New Republic |
| Cargo Capacity | Unknown |
| Passengers | Unknown |
- See also: Interdictor Star Destroyer
An Interdictor Cruiser is a starship from the fictional Star Wars Expanded universe capable of interfering with hyperspace travel with gravity wells. They are most common to the Imperial Starfleet, but can be found serving with other forces. Strictly speaking, Interdictor Cruiser refers to the Immobilizer-class but this article also mentions other vessels that share the same unique capability. In the role-playing game they were invented for, they exist to provide an enemy with the familiar shape of a Star Destroyer, while being of a size and presenting a challenge better-scaled for a small group of player characters to defeat.
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[edit] Immobilizer-class Interdictor
The Immobilizer-418 -class Interdictor Cruiser is a starship from the fictional Star Wars universe. Built upon the Vindicator-class Heavy Cruiser, it is a special-purpose vessel, the first warship class of the Imperial Starfleet to incorporate gravity well generators as standard equipment. These generators, when engaged, simulate the presence of a medium-sized planetary body and in particular the effect such a body would have on hyperspace travel. This can be used for two purposes, to prevent vessels entering hyperspace, and to force craft currently in hyperspace to revert to sublight speeds.
Interdictor cruisers were initially developed as a counter to the Rebel Alliance’s hyperdrive-equipped starfighters in particular, and hyperdrive equipped vessels in general. This was primarily to counter Alliance "hit and run" tactics, where a small group of starfighters or light starships would emerge from hyperspace, attack preselected targets, and re-enter hyperspace before sufficient force could be brought to bear on the raiders.
An Interdictor at the site of attack, or able to access the area with a brief hyperspace jump, would be tasked to power up its gravity well generators in an attempt to prevent the escape of the raiding party. Starfighter and capital ship support were then be used to eliminate the attackers, whose only options were to try to run for the edge of the interdiction field, or to attack the Interdictor and hope to inflict enough damage to disable the cruiser’s influence. Either path would result in significant damage to the Alliance forces. Rebel pilots often mistook it for a miniature Star Destroyer when it was accompanied by Star Destroyers. It was only when they tried to escape into hyperspace that they realized it was an Interdictor.
A secondary duty of this class was to patrol trade routes. Freighters pulled out of hyperspace by an Interdictor would be in a position to have their cargo inspected.
The Immobilizer class had several weaknesses. Foremost was that the gravity well generators took several minutes to "warm up" (though the duration was rarely enough for an entire fleet to escape), and were an extremely large drain on the ship’s resources. This flaw was used on several occasions. When enemy ships were able to inflict significant damage to the Interdictor, the captain was forced to choose between entrapment of the enemy and his ship’s own protection. Interdictors were also poorly protected and armed for their size, unable to successfully match up with vessels of equal size. In fleet operations, they were usually found on the periphery of the battle they were affecting, dependent on better equipped capital ships and starfighters to deliver the necessary damage.
During the Galactic Civil War, only a few hundred Interdictors were built, as they were more expensive than a regular Star Destroyer of comparable size, were less effective in battle, and their primary use was strategic.
Following the Battle of Endor, Imperial warlords, such as Grand Admiral Thrawn, realized the importance of the ship and carefully deployed them. Thrawn was especially famous in connection with Interdictors for developing and refining a tactic that would be named after him. The "Thrawn pincer" positioned the Interdictor's gravity wells along certain vectors. Other vessels (typically Star Destroyers) would be contacted, and would blindly execute a micro-hyperspace jump straight into the Interdictor's gravity wells, yanking them out of hyperspace and near an enemy vessel. Much quicker than subspace movements, the Thrawn pincer allowed reinforcements to be swiftly deployed on the battlefield and afforded a considerable element of surprise.
[edit] Dominator-class
Several months after the Battle of Endor, a new interdictor class became prevalent. Known as the Dominator class (after the first ship of its kind to make an appearance), it appeared to be built off the same hull structure as Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Because of these similarities, it was likely produced by Kuat Drive Yards in order to rival Sienar Fleet Systems.
The new class was designed to counteract one of the Immobilizer-class' main weaknesses, the ability to hold its own in combat. Armed with similar weaponry to Imperial-class Star Destroyers, and carrying four squadrons of TIE fighters, a Dominator did not require additional support when performing patrol and customs duties. Some bold commanders even used the ship to pull armed convoys out of hyperspace and destroy them. Nonetheless, like the Immobilizer, the gravity wells remained a major drain on the ship's main reactor. This had the potential to compromise the Dominator's defenses in heavy combat.
[edit] Further Development
The behemoth Eclipse-class Star Destroyer (and the smaller Sovereign-class relative) incorporated gravity wells into its design. Its sheer size and weaponry (which rivaled the Death Star) already made it almost unstoppable by practical means. However, the ability to prevent escape into hyperspace gave the enemy no choice but to either surrender or be pressed into an engagement that the Eclipse was certain to win.
Interdictor cruiser development appears to have stagnated after this point, the next innovation not coming until during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. At least three Defender-class Star Destroyers were modified to house completely internal gravity well generators.
[edit] Known examples of Interdictor Cruisers
[edit] Immobilizer-class
- Galactic Empire
- Aggregator – Owned by High Admiral Teradoc. Loaned to Ysanne Isard during her rule on Thyferra. Driven off by Rogue Squadron.
- Black Asp
- Stellar Web – Assigned to the taskforce hunting Warlord Zsinj.
- Rebel Alliance/New Republic
- Corusca Rainbow (formerly Black Asp) – Defected to the Alliance only a few months prior to the invasion of Coruscant.
- Duskhan League (Yevetha)
- Splendor of Yevetha - Imperial Interdictor commandeered by Yevethan forces, briefly participated at N'zoth (Black Fleet Crisis) before hyperspaced to unknown location
[edit] Star Wars: TIE Fighter
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- Harpax - Part of Darth Vader's taskforce hunting for the remaining forces of the defecting Admiral Harkov in the Parmel System, its fate is unknown.
- Harpago - used by Admiral Zaarin in an attempt to stop Maarek Stele, Lord Vader and the Frigate Osprey from rescuing the Emperor. The Harpago bought Zaarin's forces time to board the Emperor's Star Destroyer and abduct the Emperor himself, but was destroyed before the Emperor could be taken back to Zaarin's Star Destroyer as a hostage. The Emperor was subsequently rescued by Stele and other loyalist forces under Vice Admiral Thrawn.
- Grappler - used by the traitor Admiral Zaarin to trap loyalist Admiral Thrawn after the latter had captured Rebel magnetic pulse (mag pulse warheads) technology in the Omar System. During the battle, the Grappler was temporarily incapacitated by a mag pulse warhead fired by Maarek Stele, enabling Thrawn's flagship VSD Sceltor to escape.
- Red Claw - used by Imperials in the Eva-T System to trap a group of pirates attempting to sell the previously abducted lead TIE Defender research scientist to the highest bidder. Its hyperdrive was knocked out by a surprise attack from another group of pirates affiliated with the charismatic female pirate leader Ali Tarrack, leaving it stranded in hostile space. While awaiting repair, Zaarin's forces were able to slip aboard and re-abduct the scientist; it was later found out that the Red Claw's captain had collaborated with Zaarin in allowing this to occur. The Interdictor was destroyed by another attack by Zaarin's forces shortly afterward.
- Whirlwind - used as part of a planned trap to ensnare Admiral Zaarin. Unfortunately for the Whirlwind and its escort, Zaarin pinned it down with his own Interdictor, the Maelstrom.
- Maelstorm - see above. Destroyed by Maarek Stele in the ensuing battle.
- Bomb - Another of Zaarin's Interdictors, destroyed by Maarek Stele during a raid on one of Zaarin's orbital outposts by the rash Imperial Captain Kuuztin, part of Thrawn's task force with only a single Star Destroyer under his command. Though Zaarin's base and all other surrounding traitor forces were destroyed, the victorious Imperial forces were immediately ambushed by two of Zaarin's Star Destroyers and several squadrons of TIE Defenders sent as reinforcements. Kuuztin's entire command, including his Star Destroyer and Kuuztin himself, was subsequently annihilated. Stele, who took his priceless Imperial missile boat to safety as soon as he saw that the battle was lost, is the only known survivor.
[edit] Dominator-class
- Galactic Empire
- Dominator - Encountered by the Rebel Alliance at Mrlsst. Captained by a space pirate-turned-Imperial officer who murdered Wedge Antilles' parents.
- Binder - Part of Admiral Krennel's force at Ciurtic.
- Constrainer, Sentinel – Part of Grand Admiral Thrawn’s forces. Responsible for trapping the New Republic fleet at Bilbringi.
The listing is controversial since Binder, Constrainer, and Sentinel were called Interdictors (and presumed to be Immobilizer) in the novels, although they were drawn as Dominators in the Dark Horse comic series. Also, Dominator is not the official class name but the community named it such after the first ship of its kind to make its appearance.
[edit] Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyer
[edit] Sovereign-class Super Star Destroyer
[edit] Modified Imperial-class Star Destroyer
- Galactic Alliance
- Mon Mothma, Elegos A'Kla - Developed during the second half of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.
[edit] Modified Victory-class Star Destroyer
- Galactic Alliance
- Olovin
[edit] Modified Defender-class Star Destroyer
| Vehicles of the Galactic Empire | |
|---|---|
| Entries in italics denote vehicles from the Expanded Universe | |
| Ground vehicles | |
| AT-ST | AT-AT | AT-TE | 74-Z Speeder Bike | Juggernaut | AT-PT | TIE crawler | |
| Starfighters | |
| TIE Fighter | TIE Interceptor | TIE Bomber | TIE Advanced x1 | TIE Avenger | TIE Defender | TIE/D fighter
TIE Hunter | TIE Phantom | Assault Gunboat | Missile Boat | Skipray Blastboat | A-9 Vigilance |
|
| Capital ships | |
| Star Destroyer | Super Star Destroyer | Executor | Nebulon-B Frigate | Corellian Corvette
Lancer-Class Frigate | Interdictor Cruiser | Carrack-Class Light Cruiser |
|
| Other | |
| Lambda-class shuttle | Death Star | Walker Dropship | World Devastator | Sun Crusher | |
| See also | |
| Star Wars air vehicles | Star Wars aquatic vehicles | Star Wars ground vehicles | Star Wars starfighters | Star Wars support craft |
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