Ships

Imperial Escort Carrier

The Imperial escort carrier used by the Galactic Empire's storm commandos and was different from the standard escort carrier of the Imperial Navy. It was a nimble, narrow-hulled ship, with a flared arrowhead bow, and three sublight thrusters mounted in a vertical row on the stern. Its most prominent weapons were two single-barreled cannons mounted in superfiring turrets on the dorsal centerline, with a wide field of fire ahead, above, and to either flank. There were also two double-barreled weapon mountings on the ventral centerline, fore and aft of the hangar bay, while two small turreted cannons were mounted on the very tip of the bow.

Like normal carriers, it was capable of deploying TIE starfighters into battle, including the advanced TIE Hunter, and it had a large hangar opening on each side of the hull, but it was also capable of engaging in combat on its own account. Ships of this type were used to attack medium-sized craft and transports of the Rebel Alliance, boarding and seizing the Rebel starships and their crew.

As the storm commandos were regarded as elite infantry and these ships were capable of deploying troops for planetary assault. The warship carried a complement of three escape pods in case of an emergency.

The Imperial escort carriers are 150 meters, or about the size and armament of a Rebel Blockade Runner, such as the Tantive IV. Imperial escort carriers were known to have guarded the Fondor construction yards, and fought during the Battle of Fondor. 

Storm commando officer Captain Sarkli flew a modified escort carrier with an improved hyperdrive, in which he abducted scientists during the First Battle of Bakura. He later fled to Geonosis, where Wedge Antilles shot his craft down, starting the Second Battle of Geonosis of the Galactic Civil War.

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