The Baudo-class star yacht was a favorite ship of rich youngsters. It also had the ability to be easily modified, so the ship was sometimes used by smugglers.

Contents 1 History 2 Known ships 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 References 6.1 In other languages

HistoryEdit

As a sporting yacht, the ship was mostly used as a pleasure vehicle by affluent beings. Baudos were not beloved by most bulk freighter pilots, who disliked being passed on the spacelanes. The ship itself was described as having a resemblance to some sea creatures. Baudo-class yachts were equipped with a powerful sublight drive for good speed in normal space. The single laser cannon in the standard version of the yacht was not only installed for looks—several precise hits could make pirates change their minds. Mirax Terrik's Pulsar Skate was a highly modified Baudo-class star yacht, and certainly the most famous ship of this type.

The Baudo-class yacht was produced by the shipyards owned by Mendel Baudo, and each ship was custom-built to the specifications of its owner. This meant that each ship was unique in some way from all others, although the underlying drive systems remained common. Because these ships were not exceptionally fast or complicated, the Baudo-class yacht found a following among amateur and experienced pilots. However, purchasing one of these ships required that a customer was referred to Mendel Baudo by another being who had purchased one, since Baudo refused to take orders without a reference. Build time could take as much as a standard year, depending on the amount of customization, because Mendel Baudo personally ensured that each ship was perfect.

Known shipsEdit

• Banshee
• Gilded Lily
• Pulsar Skate

Behind the scenesEdit

Two contrasting versions of the Baudo-class star yacht appear to exist in canon. Probably the better-known version is the design used for the Pulsar Skate in the X-wing: Rogue Squadron comics and Star Wars Customizable Card Game, appearing first in the opening issue of X-wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair in February 1996. However, the earlier illustration in the Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters supplement for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (which was used as a silhouette in Pirates & Privateers) show a flatter and smoother starship: this seems to have served as the basis for some descriptions in narrative prose in the X-wing novels, and recently in Exile. No canonical explanation has been offered to resolve the discrepancy.

The Moldy Crow was originally going to be a Baudo-class star yacht.

AppearancesEdit

•  The Traitor's Gambit on Wizards.com (original article link, backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
•  A Wretched Hive on Wizards.com (original article link, backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
•  The Queen of Air and Darkness on Wizards.com (original article link, backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
•  The Gem of Alderaan on Wizards.com (original article link, backup links 1 2 on Archive.org)
• X-wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair
• X-wing Rogue Squadron: Mandatory Retirement
• X-wing: Rogue Squadron (First appearance)
• X-wing: Wedge's Gamble
• X-wing: The Krytos Trap
• X-wing: The Bacta War
• X-wing: Isard's Revenge
• I, Jedi
• Dark Tide II: Ruin
• Exile

SourcesEdit

• Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters
• Pirates & Privateers
• Starships of the Galaxy, Saga Edition
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

ReferencesEdit