Starbreaker 12

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The Starbreaker 12 was a starship owned by the Daragon family in the years leading up to the Great Hyperspace War. Originally owned by husband-and-wife starship operators Hok and Timar Daragon and used as a backup to their main craft, the Shadow Runner, the ship was bequeathed to their children Gav and Jori Daragon after their deaths. Gav and Jori subsequently became hyperspace explorers, although they were not very successful; after one run the Starbreaker 12 was taken by local repair dock owner Aarrba as collateral for repairs that the Daragons could not pay for. After narrowly escaping assassins sent to kill them after one of local merchant lord Ssk Kahorr's ships, the Zeta Five, was destroyed on one of the Daragons' routes, Gav and Jori Daragon were forced to steal the Starbreaker 12 from Aarrba's Repair Dock, and took a hyperspace jump into unknown territory to flee pursuers.

The hyperspace jump eventually brought the Starbreaker 12 and her crew to the long-lost Sith Empire. Touching down on the planet Korriban in the middle of the funeral of Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos in the Valley of the Dark Lords, Gav and Jori Daragon were arrested and the Starbreaker 12 impounded in the Sith Citadel on the world of Ziost. It was not long however until the scheming Sith Lord Naga Sadow launched an attack and freed Gav and Jori Daragon, and brought them to his fortress on Khar Delba; the Starbreaker 12 was stolen and taken to Khar Delba by Sadow's Massassi agents soon afterward. Sadow's rival Ludo Kressh quickly attacked Khar Delba after discovering Sadow's treachery, and Sadow allowed Jori to slip away in the Starbreaker 12 during the battle; though not before planting a tracking device on the ship, which would lead him back to the Galactic Republic to launch an attack. When Jori returned to her home of Koros Major, the Starbreaker 12 was taken by Ssk Kahorr as payment for the destruction of the Zeta Five. Kahorr decided to take the ship on a joyride to test its functions, but the ship was destroyed by Sadow's large Sith fleet which had followed the tracking device to the Republic.

Contents 1 Description 2 History 2.1 Into the unknown 2.2 The Sith Empire 2.3 Return to the Republic 3 Commanders and crew 4 Behind the scenes 5 Appearances 6 Sources 7 Notes and references 8 External links

[edit] Description

The Starbreaker 12 utilized a pair of solar sails located the exterior of the craft, and featured a hyperdrive. The cockpit had seats for the pilot and copilot, with the main controls laid out in front of them on a dashboard. The dashboard included the controls for the hyperdrive, which used a dial system for coordinate input.^[1] The ship also contained a dormitory area, which featured bunk beds. Below the beds was a footlocker containing blasters and other weaponry.^[5]

[edit] History

[edit] Into the unknown

The Starbreaker 12 was originally owned by starship operators Hok and Timar Daragon, and used as a backup ship for their main ship, the Shadow Runner. The Daragons had two children, Gav Daragon and Jori Daragon, who were also aspiring starship operators. In 5,000 BBY, the Unification Wars were raging in the Daragons' home, the Koros system, where the political leader Empress Teta launched a crusade to unify the seven worlds of the Koros system. Teta's forces were able to unite six of the seven worlds, but their campaign stalled at the final world, Kirrek, where rebel forces encircled and besieged the Tetan army in their citadel. With supplies low, many starship operators began running supplies to the Tetan forces, including the Daragons in the Shadow Runner. Although Gav and Jori wished to follow them in the Starbreaker 12, the ship was kept as collateral by Aarrba, who ran Aarrba's Repair Dock, as collateral for repairs to the Shadow Runner. However, Hok and Timar Daragon did not return from this mission, as they were killed by rebel gun turrets. Upon learning of the news, Aarrba gave Gav and Jori the Starbreaker 12. With heavy hearts, Gav and Jori vowed to explore the galaxy in the Starbreaker 12.^[3]

Now in possession of the Starbreaker 12, Gav and Jori Daragon did indeed become hyperspace trailblazers, although were not particularly successful. In their endeavors, the Starbreaker 12 was usually damaged, and would have to be repaired often by Aarrba. On one of their more successful runs in the Starbreaker 12, the Daragons were able to map a shortcut to the Goluud system; the route, called the Goluud Corridor, was approved by bureaucrat Shodon Ko of the Navigators' Guild. However, the assigned risk factor was high, as it crossed dangerously close to the system's unstable red dwarf star, Primus Goluud, reducing the possibility that someone would take the route. They quickly accumulated debt and gathered creditors, and at one point were forced to sell their dwelling in Cinnagar to pay for repairs to the Starbreaker 12. On one run, the Daragons attempted to navigate the treacherous Starswarm Cluster. Although they succeeded in passing through the cluster, the Starbreaker 12 was badly damaged and the route they mapped was worthless. The two were left to limp home in their damaged ship, and flew the Starbreaker 12 to Aarrba's Repair Dock. Since the Daragons did not have enough money to pay for repairs, Aarrba kept the Starbreaker 12 with him at his dock until the Daragons were able to pay.^[1]

The Starbreaker 12 was kept in Aarrba's hangar while the Daragons searched for the means to pay for its repairs. Meanwhile, the Daragons got themselves in a great deal of trouble; ruthless Cha'a merchant lord Ssk Kahorr, furious over the loss of his ship Zeta Five on the Goluud Corridor, sent bounty hunters after the Daragons. The bounty hunters were able to corner the Daragons in a dead-end alley, but the Daragons were rescued by passing Jedi Knights Memit Nadill and Odan-Urr. The Knights advised them to leave Cinnagar as soon as possible, and the Daragons hatched a daring plan; they would steal the Starbreaker 12 from Aarrba's Repair Dock and flee to parts unknown. Although the Daragons were able to easily take the Starbreaker 12 from its hangar, once in orbit they were pursued by Cinnagar security forces. The Starbreaker 12 was able to elude the security ships, and jumped into the unknown.^[1]

[edit] The Sith Empire

The Starbreaker 12's flight plan took her farther than any recorded vessel coming from the Galactic Republic had ever gone. After a long journey, Gav and Jori Daragon took the Starbreaker 12 out of hyperspace, finding themselves over a mysterious world. The Starbreaker 12 was deep into a section of the galaxy that was not well-mapped, although the return course was locked into the navicomputer in case they had to return home. However, the Daragons were not sure if the planet before them was inhabited, so they decided to land and explore. Bringing the Starbreaker 12 below the planet's atmosphere, the Daragons observed a great spectacle of monuments, gold, and jewels. The two flew Starbreaker 12 above a large canyon, and saw ships and people; the Daragons decided to land the Starbreaker 12 in this canyon. Upon landing, however, the Daragons were promptly arrested by the natives. Little did they know, they had stumbled upon the fabled Sith Empire, which had been lost for centuries. The Starbreaker 12 had landed in the tomb-filled Valley of the Dark Lords; at the moment, it was hosting the funeral of deceased Dark Lord of the Sith Marka Ragnos, which had degenerated into a duel between rival Sith Lords Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh.^[6]

The Starbreaker 12 was impounded in the hangar of the Sith Citadel on the world of Ziost, while Gav and Jori Daragon were imprisoned in a small cell on the prisoner level. Meanwhile, a great debate raged regarding the fate of the Daragons and of the ship; Ludo Kressh wanted the Daragons executed, while Naga Sadow believed that the Daragons possessed important information and should be left alive. Eventually the decision was made to execute the Daragons, although the fate of the Starbreaker 12 still hung in the balance. The Starbreaker 12 was guarded by a Sith slave, although the slave had little ability to stop intruders. On one occasion, Naga Sadow ordered two of his Massassi warriors to take weapons from the ship; the warriors easily overpowered the guard and entered the ship, taking two blasters from a footlocker in the dormitory area. These two blasters were used in an attack led by Sadow on the Sith Citadel's prisoner level, covertly freeing the Daragons from their cell, and hiding them in his citadel on Khar Delba. Sadow planted the blasters at the scene to make it look like a Republic attack, sending the Sith Empire into a frenzy. Sadow took this opportunity to declare himself the new Dark Lord of the Sith.^[5]

After this incident, the Starbreaker 12 was protected by Ludo Kressh and his personal guards in its Ziost holding bay. Soon, however, the guards came under attack by forces affiliated with the cunning Dark Lord Naga Sadow. Kressh's guards were routed, and the Starbreaker 12 stolen and brought to Khar Delba. Kressh arrived at the scene after the Starbreaker 12 had been stolen, and initially thought that it was a Republic attack. However, he discovered Sadow's emblem at the hangar, revealing to him that Sadow was behind the attack. On Khar Delba, Sadow brought the Starbreaker 12 to Jori Daragon, who he had kept at the citadel. Daragon, elated, wanted to take the ship and return to the Republic; however, Sadow warned that she must be cautious. Suddenly, the citadel came under attack by Ludo Kressh and his fleet.^[7] With Kressh and his allies bombarding the world from orbit, Sadow told Jori Daragon that she had to leave, without her brother. Daragon took off in the Starbreaker 12, only to find her in the midst of the space battle. Kressh sighted the ship, and ordered his starfighter pilots to destroy it; however, the Starbreaker 12 was able to evade them and jump into hyperspace, destined for the Koros system. However, Daragon did not know that Sadow had placed a tracking device on the Starbreaker 12's hull, so Sadow could eventually launch an attack on the Republic itself.^[8]

[edit] Return to the Republic

When Jori Daragon brought the Starbreaker 12 out of hyperspace over Koros Major, the ship nearly collided with a Cinnagar Control command ship. Narrowly avoiding a catastrophic impact, Jori Daragon attempted to inform them of the Sith. However, the Starbreaker 12 had been put on a wanted list after the ship's initial escape from the Koros system, and Cinnagar Control sent starfighters to capture the ship. Jori Daragon maneuvered the Starbreaker 12 towards the planet's surface, causing the starfighters to fire a warning shot at the ship. Daragon continued to speed the ship towards the planet, landing it in a busy Cinnagar square. When Daragon left the ship, she was arrested by Cinnagar Control. Her tales of the Sith fell on deaf ears, and a rather large crowd gathered around the ship, including Aarrba. Also in the crowd was Ssk Kahorr, who claimed the ship was legally his; due to a Merchants' Guild decision, the ship had been granted to Kahorr as payment for the destruction of Zeta Five. Jori Daragon was detained by the Cinnagar authorities as Kahorr took possession of the ship, and was sentenced to labor on the colony world of Ronika, a predicament from which she escaped.^[2]

Now in possession of the Starbreaker 12, Ssk Kahorr and his personal assistant Gorrm decided to take the ship on a joyride to test the ship's functions. Suddenly, however, a proximity alert sounded, and Gorrm found many ships dropping out of hyperspace. A large battle fleet appeared before them, frightening Kahorr and Gorrm. The battle fleet was commanded by Naga Sadow, who had followed the Starbreaker 12's back to the Republic. Although the Starbreaker 12 tried to flee, Sadow's fleet destroyed the ship.^[4]

[edit] Commanders and crew

The Starbreaker 12 was originally owned by Hok and Timar Daragon, although it was used as a backup to their primary ship, the Shadow Runner. After their deaths, however, the ship fell into the possession of their children, Gav and Jori Daragon.^[3] However, in the Sith Empire the ship was briefly commandeered by a group of Massassi warriors before turning possession of the ship back over to Jori Daragon.^[7] After the return of Jori Daragon and the Starbreaker 12 to Republic space, the ship was taken by Ssk Kahorr, who legally acquired it after the destruction of Zeta Five.^[8] Ssk Kahorr, along with his personal assistant Gorrm, only got the opportunity to fly this ship once before it was destroyed.^[4]

[edit] Behind the scenes

The Starbreaker 12 first appeared in Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith, a story arc of the Tales of the Jedi comic series written by Kevin J. Anderson and released in 1996. It would later appear in The Golden Age of the Sith's follow-up arc, Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the ship was destroyed. In these appearances the Starbreaker 12 was illustrated by Dario Carrasco, Jr., and black-and-white preliminary sketches of the ship are included in the back of the first issue of Golden Age of the Sith. The Daragon Trail, the route taken by the Starbreaker 12 from Koros Major to the Sith Empire, was placed and drawn in the 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas. In addition, the ship appears in the background of an illustration of Gav and Jori Daragon, with the sketch drawn by Chris Trevas.^[9]

[edit] Appearances

• Tales of the Jedi: The Golden Age of the Sith
• Tales of the Jedi: The Fall of the Sith Empire

[edit] Sources

• The Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Guide to Characters
• The New Essential Chronology
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Essential Atlas
•  Aarrba the Hutt in the Databank

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] External links

 Starbreaker 12 in the Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia