Ship Z-95 Headhunter Starfighter

[Star Wars Legacies]

Z-95 HEADHUNTER STARFIGHTER

AFFILIATION
Open market.

MANUFACTURER
Incom-Subpro.

CLASS
Starfighter.

ROLE
Multi-role starfighter.

COMPOSITION
Titanium and transparisteel.

DIMENSIONS
Length - 16.74 meters.CREW
1 pilot.

PASSENGER CAPACITY
N/A.

CARGO CAPACITY
85 kilograms.

HANGAR CAPACITY
N/A.

CONSUMABLES
1 standard day.

SPEED/MANEUVERABILITY
The Z-95 Headhunter has a top speed of 100 MGLT and has decent maneuvering characteristics.

ARMAMENT

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

EQUIPMENT

• 1x light deflector screen generator.
• 1x ejection seat.

DESCRIPTION​

The Z-95 Headhunter is a multi-role combat spacecraft produced by a partnership between the Incom and Subpro corporations. Widely considered to be one of the finest snubfighters of its era, it is a direct ancestor of Incom's later T-65B X-Wing, inspiring many aspects of the later design.

Entering production during the Clone Wars, the Z-95 was built in large numbers for various factions within the conflict, with the Galactic Republic famously issuing a special variant to its clone pilots. The baseline Z-95 was the most common, however, and incorporated a number of useful features for a ship of its era, including shields, a pair of medium laser cannons, two 3-shot concussion missile launchers with a combined payload of 6 missiles, and a single fuselage-mounted light ion cannon, deadly against the Confederacy of Independent Systems' droids starfighters and still useful for disabling enemy ships. Z-95s were noted for their reliability and durability, able to take a few hits even after the shields went down.

After the Clone Wars, although the Galactic Empire retired most of its own Z-95s, the type remained in widespread service with various independent governments, military and paramilitary organizations, outlaws and even private citizens. During the Imperial era, and even into the present day, many of the Galaxy's budding hot-shot pilots earned their wings in second or third-hand Z-95s. Indeed, a large portion of the Alliance to Restore the Republic's early starfighter forces were comprised of Z-95s acquired from various sources; even after its successor, the X-Wing, became available, the Headhunter would remain on the front lines, with some veteran pilots even preferring it to more modern machines. It was eventually retired when the Rebel Alliance transitioned into the New Republic, however.

Though an excellent machine, the Z-95 Headhunter still does have some shortcomings that give it a handicap against more modern opponents. The type's stock consumable stores are very limited, allowing for only a standard day of operation, only half that of even the Imperial TIE/LN starfighter. The stock Z-95 also lacks a hyperdrive, hampering its range and usefulness in hit-and-run operations. It also lacks space for an on-board astromech droid. These shortcomings can be alleviated with aftermarket upgrades, of course, and many Z-95s have been tinkered with at some point in the past, but these features do not come standard.

Though well over a century old at this point, Headhunters can still be found, and are still reasonably popular with independent spacers, backrocket planetary defense forces, law enforcement agencies and even various criminals. Z-95s were never designed to go up against modern starfighters, however a decent pilot can bring a lot of potential out of this aging warbird.

LEGALITY​

Restricted. Z-95 Headhunters are starfighters, and are subject to extra licensing requirements and increased scrutiny by authorities.

INTENT​

To create a standard, low-end starfighter.