Post by Rose on Apr 24, 2007 1:34:47 GMT -5
Imperial Star Destroyer
Basic Information -
Size: 1,600 meters long
Manufacturer: Kuat Drive Yards
Type: Cruiser
Affiliation: Empire
Associations: Daala, Admiral; Imperial Navy Troopers; Isard, Ysanne; Needa, Captain Lorth; Pellaeon, Gilad; Ren-Cha, Gir Kybo; Screed, Admiral; Thrawn, Grand Admiral
The triangular silhouette of an Imperial cruiser has come a long way since its Republic-inspired design. While vessels of the Jedi order were met with feelings of pride and relief as they came soaring to solve galactic strife, the Imperial Star Destroyer's gargantuan size cleary inspires both awe and terror. The wedge-shaped capital ship is bristling with weapons emplacements. Turbolasers and tractor beam projectors dot its surface. Its ventral bay can launch TIE fighters, boarding craft, land assault units, hyperspace probes, or be used to hold captured craft. Its bustling bridge is staffed by the finest crewers in the Imperial starfleet. The Star Destroyer is recognized as the signature vessel of the Imperial fleet. Its presence in a system marks matters of extreme Imperial import. Though, as is typical of the Empire, not even the Star Destroyer was enough to sate the Imperial hunger for displays of power. Larger vessels, such as the Super Star Destroyer, dwarf even these giants.
Lira Wessex, Imperial engineer, built her work on the shoulders of giants. Her father, Walex Blissex, had developed the venerable Victory-class Star Destroyer for the Republic, as well as numerous other starcraft designs. From these, Wessex proposed the Imperial-class design, a proposal that was debated at great lengths within the Empire's elite ranks. Wessex proved the nay-sayers wrong when the first Imperial-class Star Destroyer lumbered from the sprawling Kuat Drive Yards drydocks. The resulting ship is a marvel of technology, and testament to the Empire's might. There are whole systems whose gross domestic product is less than the cost of a single Star Destroyer. There are entire nations that, throughout their history, do not expend as much energy as a Star Destroyer does during a hyperspace jump.
Powering the 1.6 kilometer-long craft is nothing short of a miniature sun -- a solar ionization reactor bulges from the ventral spine, using its raging fires to fuel the giant warship. The Imperial-class Star Destroyer bristles with 60 turbolaser batteries, 60 ion cannon batteries, and 10 tractor beam projectors. It carries a full stormtrooper division, 20 AT-ATs, 30 AT-STs, eight Lambda-class shuttles, 12 landing barges, and six TIE squadrons. Since its introduction, an improved model of Star Destroyer also saw action. The Imperial-II Star Destroyer is an upgraded model with increased hull shielding, and more weapons, sporting 100 turbolaser emplacements, 20 ion cannons, and 10 tractor beam projectors.