Tector-class Star Destroyer
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| Tector-class Star Destroyer | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | |
| Product line | |
| Model |
Tector-class Star Destroyer[1] |
| Class |
Star Destroyer[1] |
| Technical specifications | |
| Length |
1,600 meters{{Ref[2]}} |
| Hyperdrive system |
Equipped[1] |
| Armament |
Equipped[1] |
| Complement |
None[1] |
| Other systems |
Hull armor covering reactor core[3] |
| Usage | |
| Role(s) | |
| Year introduced | |
| Era(s) | |
| Affiliation | |
The Tector-class Star Destroyer was a hangarless Star Destroyer class in service with the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire.
Contents |
[edit] Characteristics
It was a 1.6-kilometer-long dagger-shaped vessel, essentially a hangarless version of the contemporary Imperator-class.[2] Instead of a hangar bay, the design opted for an increase in armor that covered the areas normally used as hangar openings,[1] as well as the reactor core.[3]
This made the design more efficient in ship-to-ship combat, as it had less access to internal weak-spots. However, it limited its usefulness in other roles, as it would not be able to perform boarding actions or planetary deployments. Being without hangars, it would require dedicated carriers to provide any starfighter support.[1]
[edit] History
The Tector-class was first produced by KDY during the Clone Wars. It, along with the Imperator-class, was one of the largest Republic warship classes fielded during the conflict.[2] In the first months of the war, the Tector-class was produced in small numbers to test their capabilities before a full-scale production could begin. One such vessel, the Gibbon, was sabotaged with a computer virus by Separatist agents while at Handooine and subsequently participated in the Battle of Salvara. The virus spread around the task force, leading the ships to lower their shields at a certain range of the enemy, turning the battle into a rout for the Republic.[5] This and other incidents led to a delay in the production of the Tector-class[5] and the ships served only in a few task forces during the conflict,[4].
In the years following the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Tector-class and its sister-design supplanted the less robust Venator-class, leading to it being phased out of frontline duty.[1] The class served the Empire for decades, with at least one vessel participating in the climactic Battle of Endor in 4 ABY.[3]
[edit] Behind the scenes
The first official reference to the Tector-class Star Destroyer occurred in Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections. The inspiration for the Tector-class was a ship that was briefly spotted in Return of the Jedi.
During the Battle of Endor, the Millennium Falcon flew over the ventral side of an inverted warship which did not have the two ventral hangars standard on Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Additionally, the reactor bulb was covered up by armored plating and was not visible. Curtis Saxton, the author of the RotS: Incredible Cross-Sections, had cataloged this ship as anonymous star destroyer #5. Other sources, such as the Return of the Jedi novelization, supported the idea that Millennium Falcon did in fact fly over the underside of a hangarless ship. The concept art featured in this book corresponds with the scene in the film itself, with the text showing both matching dialogue and action between the film and novelization.
On May 5th, 2006, Leland Chee confirmed on the Official Message Board that the hangarless ship seen briefly in Return of the Jedi is a Tector-class Star Destroyer.[6]
The word "tector" is Latin for "coverer" or (note the root) "protector". This is fitting for a ship with extra-heavy armor. In the Roman army, a tector was a type of cavalryman carrying an exceptionally large shield. In the most common usage, however, the word referred to the Roman equivalent of a housepainter.
[edit] Appearances
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (First appearance)
[edit] Sources
Star Wars Customizable Card Game – Death Star II Limited (Card: Fighter Cover) (Picture only)
- Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections (First identified as Tector-class Star Destroyer)
- Star Wars: Complete Cross-Sections
- The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Official Episode Guide: Season 1
[edit] Notes and references
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Revenge of the Sith: Incredible Cross-Sections, p. 5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Clone Wars: The Visual Guide
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Official Episode Guide: Season 1
- ↑ Leland Chee confirms the Tector-class as being the hangarless ship from Return of the Jedi
