HB1 Hawk-Bat

[Star Wars Legacies]

HB1 HAWK-BAT

AFFILIATION
Jedi Order/Rebels.

MANUFACTURER
Rebel factories.

CLASS
Starfighter.

ROLE
Interceptor.

COMPOSITION
Durasteel and transparisteel.

DIMENSIONS
Length - 10 meters.

CREW
1 pilot.

PASSENGER CAPACITY
N/A.

CARGO CAPACITY
20 kilograms.

HANGAR CAPACITY
N/A.

CONSUMABLES
5 standard days.

SPEED/MANEUVERABILITY
An HB1 Hawk-Bat with stock specifications can reach 110 MGLT maximum acceleration, and has decent maneuvering characteristics.

ARMAMENT

• 2x medium laser cannon.
• 1x concussion missile launcher, 3x missile in magazine.

EQUIPMENT

• Ejector seat with integrated survival capsule.

DESCRIPTION​

The HB1 Hawk-Bat is an interesting machine, mainly in terms of its origins. In the present day it is one of the principle interceptors operated by the Jedi Order and various Rebel cells, but such was not always the case, and the history of the Hawk-Bat indeed stretches back over 500 years.

Originating in during the Hundred-Year Darkness, the first Hawk-Bats were produced by Rendili StarDrive, the result of an unsuccessful bid to supply the Rendili planetary defense force with a modern interceptor. Though rejected in favor of another design, Rendili StarDrive did not give up on the Hawk-Bat, offering the type for export and civilian sales. It received a measure of success in these markets, proving popular with smaller militaries and thrill-seeking private owners, who appreciated the Hawk-Bat's small size - further enhanced by its for the time unique folding-wing design - and nimble handling.

After the rise of the Sith, Rendili StarDrive continued to manufacture and sell the original Hawk-Bat on a limited basis, but like all such machines it eventually succumbed to obsolescence and production was halted due to declining sales. Centuries passed, and the Hawk-Bat languished in Rendili's archives, mostly forgotten.

This all changed when Imperial pilots began to report encounters with a "new" type of interceptor in service with scattered Rebel cells.

After decommissioning its Hawk-Bat production lines, Rendili had mostly sold off the old tooling to scrap dealers. As it turned out, after being hauled away, the exact fate of this machinery was not always clear... indeed, investigations turned up blanks for the ultimate disposition of several complete sets of Hawk-Bat jigs and tools, all of which had been bought as scrap by the J-I Metal Reclamation company, a mysterious entity which barely seemed to exist outside a handful business charters, and which seemed to have vanished into smoke shortly after the removal of the lines was completed.

The lines had of course wound up in the hands of agents of the Jedi Order in hiding, who set up factories in remote regions of the Outer Rim to build ships for the various Rebel cells the Order had helped to cultivate within the Sith Empire. The Hawk-Bat's systems were updated, and it was distributed to cells across the Galaxy.

The current HB1 Hawk-Bat is similar to its predecessor in many ways, although it has been updated in some. It possesses an armament consisting of 2 medium laser cannons, plus a single 3-shot concussion missile launcher. Consumable have been updated to 5 days worth, and top speed is about 110 MGLT. The type is fast, nimble and easy to store in bases and aboard ships due to its small size, and is well liked both by pilots and ground crews for these reasons. Though not equipped with a hyperdrive, they perform extremely well in their intended role as a local interceptor, or as an attack craft when carried aboard a larger vessel which can ferry them through hyperspace.

LEGALITY​

Restricted. In civilized systems, pilots must be properly licensed or be members of recognized armed groups.

INTENT​

To create a standard interceptor for Jedi/Rebel use.

ADVANCED TECH​

No. HB1 Hawk-Bat starfighters are available, although being legally restricted makes them non-trivial for the average individual to own.