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The Star Jewel was the personal space yacht of Jabba Desilijic Tiure.
Characteristics
Star Jewel schematics.
The space cruiser's interior was dominated by Jabba's throne room which featured a giant single piece transparisteel observation dome. It was where Jabba and his entourage resided when onboard. His personal quarters were located at the aft of the throne room and featured two smaller observation domes. The starship also featured a kitchen, an armory, and several guest quarters equipped with hidden spying devices for the Hutt to keep an eye on his guests.
The space cruiser was staffed by a crew of droids and also featured a small landing bay that held two small landing shuttles and also stationed the Star Jewel Guard, a complement of six Z-95 Headhunter fighters that served as escort to the Star Jewel. Jabba the Hutt also kept several Kell dragons onboard his starship and would feed prisoners to them for entertainment. Kyle Katarn was one of the only victims to survive a battle with a Kell dragon, and upon retrieving his weapons and escaping the dragon den he proceeded to exterminate Jabba's entire complement of the beasts.
Jabba's space cruiser featured 2 rear vanes which served as ailerons for atmospheric flight and 3 retractable rods on each side of the ship which provided a place for the maneuvering jets, allowing the cruiser to reach atmospheric speeds of up to 800 kph. The space cruiser's armament included six illegal hidden CEC turbolasers mounted beneath the superstructure's ridge which were powered by the vessel's reactor core.
It also had a powerful tractor beams that could capture even a HWK-290 light freighter.[1]
History
Jabba's space cruiser was a custom Ubrikkian Minstrel-class space yacht which the Hutt used to transport himself offworld. His ship was known for its gaudy appearance and for the shady business dealings that took place within it.
The prison barge Purge was attacked and boarded by Jabba's yacht in 33 BBY during a routine delivery of prisoners and supplies to the Cog Hive Seven prison.[2]
Darth Plagueis, escaping from an attack on his fortress on Sojourn by a coalition of forces allied with King Ars Veruna of Naboo, was picked up by Jabba and the Star Jewel in 33 BBY.[3]
Han Solo, as he was beginning his career as a pilot, once flew the Star Jewel. He once had to fend off a pirate attack on the vessel using his expert piloting skills.[4]
Star Jewel in 5 BBY
In 5 BBY, Jabba took the Star Jewel on a business trip that filled his cargo bays with goods. It also brought him into conflict with Gaar Suppoon,[5] Princess Nampi,[6] and Cabrool Nuum. After his encounter with Nampi, he took Nampi's guards prisoner on the ship before deciding to eject them into space. After the long trip, Jabba was happy to set the Star Jewel down on Tatooine once again.[7]
It was onboard the Star Jewel that Jabba first encountered Kowakian monkey-lizard, Salacious Crumb. Around 2 BBY, the mischievous Crumb stowed away on the ship while it was at Kwenn Space Station, and Jabba nearly had him killed when the creature ruined his meal shortly after the ship took off. But once Crumb humiliated Jabba's henchmen Bidlo Kwerve and Bib Fortuna in a way that amused the Hutt, he decided to keep Crumb around.[8]
Jabba speaks to Kyle Katarn via hologram on board the Star Jewel
Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, the Galactic Empire developed the Dark Trooper Project and Jabba and his smugglers were helping to deliver the materials that the needed across the galaxy and supplying the Imperial Arc Hammer. Two Rebel agents, Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors went to Nar Shaddaa to steal a nava card the smugglers were using. The Jewel was waiting for them above the moon and as they were leaving on their ship, the Moldy Crow, it was caught by the tractor beams of the Jewel. Ors was imprisoned in the ship's brig, the nava card was confiscated, and Katarn was stripped of his gear and brought to the lair of Jabba's favorite kell dragon, to which Katarn was to be fed too. After being escorted to the pit by two Gamorrean guards, Jabba contacted his prisoner via a hologram, as Jabba was not actually present on his ship.[1]
Despite having no weapons, Katarn killed that and other Kell dragons with his bare hands. Katarn fought guards as he entered deeper into the ship and retrieved his confiscated gear, killing the Gamorreans guarding it. A waste pit was inhabited by dianogas, where Katarn found a yellow keycard, thanks to which he reclaimed the nava card. Finally, Katarn located the brig and killed the guards, freeing Ors from her cell, and together escaped the Jewel aboard the Moldy Crow.[1]
Appearances
- Darth Plagueis (and audiobook)
- Maul: Lockdown (and audiobook)
- Jabba the Hutt: The Gaar Suppoon Hit
- Jabba the Hutt: The Hunger of Princess Nampi
- Jabba the Hutt: The Dynasty Trap
- Jabba the Hutt: Betrayal
- The Hutt Gambit
- "This Crumb for Hire" — A Decade of Dark Horse 2
- Star Wars: Dark Forces (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
Sources
"Game Room: Revving Up the 'Jedi Engine'" — Star Wars Galaxy Magazine 1 (Indirect mention only)- Dark Forces Official Player's Guide
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels
- Instant Adventures
Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Jabba's Palace Limited Card: Wooof (backup link) (Indirect mention only)
Star Wars Customizable Card Game — Special Edition Limited Card: Jabba's Space Cruiser (backup link)- The Official Star Wars Fact File 121 JAB 3-4: Jabba the Hutt's Space Cruiser
- Star Wars PocketModel TCG — Scum & Villainy Card: Star Jewel Guard Z-95 Headhunter (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 6
Star Wars™: Dark Forces Remaster - Reveal Trailer on the official Nightdive Studios YouTube channel (backup link)
"Launchpad" — Star Wars Insider 222 (Picture only)Star Wars™: Dark Forces Remaster - Available Now! on the official Nightdive Studios YouTube channel (backup link)
Dark Forces Remaster Comes to Consoles and PC on StarWars.com (backup link) (Picture only)