A freighter was in the possession of the New Republic's intelligence service during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire. The freighter was a low-cost Kuati model designed for in-system hauls, and was rusty and falling apart by the time that the New Republic owned it. It was equipped with heat shielding, a tractor beam, and had a rotating single-cannon turret mounted on its top and two forward guns, though the latter were inactive by the time of its service in the New Republic. The freighter had deflector shields, though they were built to protect against radiation bombardment, making it sub-optimal for combat. It had an escape pod, though it did not possess a door.[1]
The New Republic pilot Yrica Quell borrowed the freighter when she, Nath Tensent, and the droid IT-O attempted to track down the missing New Republic Intelligence agent Caern Adan during the Republic's campaign in the Cerberon system. They flew the freighter to the planet Catadra, where they learned that Adan had been sold to an Imperial unit on Catadra's moon, Narthex. After landing on Narthex and rescuing Adan, the two pilots returned to the New Republic flagship Lodestar. Shortly after their return, Quell's previous participation in the Empire's Operation: Cinder campaign was revealed and the New Republic forces fell under attack by those of the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing.[1]
Grounded aboard the Lodestar, Quell took the freighter, unaware that IT-O and Adan were still inside, intending to utilize it to assist the New Republic. She evaded the ongoing battle above Troithe and headed for the Cerberon debris field, where the Imperial cruiser-carrier Aerie was keeping at a distance from the skirmish to act as the 204th's escape route. Quell utilized the freighter's tractor beam to tow a meteoroid through the magnetic field that protected the Aerie's hangar bays and strafing the interior with the freighter's turret. As a result, the Aerie was left unable to jump to hyperspace.[1]
As Quell escaped in the freighter, which had taken further damage from her maneuever, she was fired upon by the 204th's Colonel Soran Keize, who left the freighter drifting crippled through the asteroid field. Quell managed to navigate the debris field for some time with the damaged freighter, detecting an energy reading from a nearby planetoid. After consulting IT-O, Quell chose to direct the freighter at the planetoid, hoping to find another method of escape at the source of the energy reading. The freighter was destroyed in its crash onto the planetoid, but Quell, Adan, and IT-O survived.[1]
Appearances
- Shadow Fall: An Alphabet Squadron Novel (and audiobook) (First appearance)
- Victory's Price: An Alphabet Squadron Novel (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
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 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Shadow Fall: An Alphabet Squadron Novel
- ↑
In Shadow Fall, the Dark Secrets of Alphabet Squadron Revealed on StarWars.com (backup link) establishes that Shadow Fall takes place approximately half a year after the Battle of Endor, while Before the Awakening states that Kes Dameron and Shara Bey moved to Yavin 4 around six months after the Battle of Endor. Given that Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates their move to 5 ABY, the events of Shadow Fall must also take place around that time.