Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: designer, navy, type and unrecognized parameters: modules, class, era, taskforce
- "Your role in saving the Red Claw from destruction will probably save you from the wrath of Lord Vader. The captain of the Red Claw will not be so lucky."
- ―an Imperial briefing officer to Maarek Stele
The Red Claw was an Interdictor cruiser in the Imperial Navy.
History
Sometime between the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor, the Red Claw was used to snare a group of Rneeki pirates who were attempting to ransom a scientist from the TIE Defender project at a rendezvous near Kiilimaar. Once the Empire had retrieved their scientist by an agreed exchange, the Red Claw arrived to trap the pirates.
During the battle that followed, the Red Claw deployed six TIE Bombers and six TIE Interceptors from her hangar bay to cover the two assault transports tasked with retrieving the scientist and capturing the pirates.
A rival pirate faction, the Nami led by Ali Tarrak, arrived after the battle had begun. The Nami's Y-wing starfighters managed to damage the Red Claw's hyperdrive unit with heavy rockets, even though the Interdictor's shields still held. Though the battle was a victory for the Empire and resulted in the destruction or capture of the majority of the Rneeki as well as some Nami, the Red Claw was stranded until a new unit could be delivered and installed.
Red Claw immediately issued a call for assistance. Admiral Thrawn sent the Assassin-class corvette group Chemeti consisting of two ships; the first one would pick up the pirates and the scientist and take them to an Imperial base for questioning, while the second would deliver a new hyperdrive. The only defenses at that point were Red Claw's remaining TIEs and Maarek Stele in his Assault Gunboat, joined later by a few more Gunboats. The rendezvous came under assault by rogue Grand Admiral Zaarin who was seeking to recover the scientist, sending TIE Defenders and TIE Avengers and the Strike Cruiser Kopsh. While both corvettes were suppose to arrive at once, the first corvette exited hyperspace first claiming that its companion had been delayed. Red Claw's captain was either careless or part of the ruse, in agreeing to immediately transfer the personnel to the corvette without question. Both vessels came under attack which was later discovered to be a diversion intended to draw attention away, as the corvette was actually manned by Zaarin's forces. Only when that corvette had already entered hyperspace and the real pair from Chementi arrived shortly afterward, the loyalists realized that the earlier corvette had been an imposter. Nonetheless, thanks to the efforts of Maarek Stele, the hyperdrive parts were successfully delivered and installed so the Red Claw could return to her Imperial base, while two Strike Cruisers arrived to finish off Kopsh.
It was assumed the Red Claw's captain would be executed by Darth Vader, either for his carelessness and poor judgment in immediately carrying out the transfer, or if he was a traitor actually in the employ of Zaarin.
Appearances
- Star Wars: Empire at War
- Star Wars: TIE Fighter (First appearance)