Ships

Ghtroc 720 Freighter

Ghtroc Industries produced the class 720 freighter in an effort to compete with Corellian Engineering’s YT-1300. Despite an ingenious marketing campaign, factory incentives, and positive reviews, the 720 failed to match the popularity of the YT-1300 within the Core Worlds and Inner Rim systems. It did manage to gain a foothold among traders within the Outer Rim colonies, though this modest success wasn’t enough to push Corellian Engineering out of its position as industry leader.

Although Ghtroc Industries eventually fell by the wayside, wallowing in the throes of bankruptcy, tens of thousands of class 720 freighters are still in operation throughout the galaxy. Many veteran traders, smugglers, and pilots consider the 720 to be just as good as, if not better than, the YT-1300. The freighters are affordable, easily configured, and user-friendly, making them popular with both old hands and rookies.

Many of the galaxy’s pilots have flown a 720 at one time or another. When he was investigating Poderis’s possible use as an Imperial transfer point, Luke Skywalker employed a heavily modified Ghtroc 720 to secretly ferry his X-wing fighter. The Ghtroc’s cargo bay was gutted by Alliance techs and retrofitted with a modified hull section that could break away, allowing the X-wing to depart the 720 while in flight.

When compared to the stock YT-1300, the Ghtroc 720 has several compelling standard features. It comes equipped with a small shield generator, which is probably its most attractive benefit. It is also much more maneuverable than the YT-1300, and it includes a cargo area that is more than a third larger than the YT-1300’s. Given the ubiquitous nature of the 720, spare parts are easy to find, even in remote or far-flung settlements.

On the other hand, the Ghtroc is slightly slower than the YT-1300. Although it is armed with a double laser cannon emplacement, the weapon is in a fixed-forward firing position instead of in a turret mount. Starship techs often complain that the Ghtroc’s ion drives and hyperdrive are spread out between the craft’s fore and aft instead of being centrally located. This configuration requires that engineers share time between two locations, which can be inconvenient under combat conditions.

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