MandalMotors StarViper Assault Fighter

StarViper-class Attack Platform The StarViper-class attack platform was a heavy starfighter that was based on Prince Xizor's Virago, and was used extensively in the criminal underworld during the era of the Galactic Empire.

Characteristics

 * "Please repeat the communication, over."
 * ―A Zann Consortium StarViper pilot

The StarViper was equipped with dual laser cannons of medium destructive power, and unlike other starfighters, it was a short but tall fighter, lacking a fuselage. It had decent armor and was fairly quick, but was expensive, which meant that it was not deployed in large squadrons.

The StarViper was also able to release buzz droids that would harm nearby craft, although this ability was only seen used by Zann Consortium ships.

History
The Virago was commissioned by Xizor as his personal starship. He collaborated directly with MandalMotors on its design, and he purchased all production rights upon completion to ensure the ship would remain unique. Unknown to Xizor at the time, however, was the fact that Mandalorian allies within MandalMotors secretly produced a number of fighters based on his design that were sold to Tyber Zann and the Zann Consortium. The Consortium would independently produce a number of these fighters for use in their organization.

Xizor's personal version of the ship featured a super-advanced targeting computer that greatly increased the performance of whatever weapons the ship happened to be using. Following Xizor's death, MandalMotors reacquired the production rights and released a StarViper variant less powerful than Virago to the open market. In addition, Mandal Hypernautics began producing the fighter.

StarVipers formed the main starfighter force of the Zann Consortium, and they were modified to carry and deploy swarms of old Pistoeka sabotage droids that the Consortium obtained via the black market, proving superior to interceptors such as the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor and TIE/IN interceptor. Additionally, these fighters were also employed in small numbers by the Mandalorian forces present on Mandalore during the Galactic Civil War.

RPG D6 Stats
Craft: MandalMotors StarViper Assault Fighter

Affiliation: Black Sun/Zann Consortium/Various

Type: Assault Starfighter

Scale: Starfighter

Length: 21 meters

Skill: Starfighter Piloting: StarViper

Crew: 1

Passengers: 1

Cargo Capacity: 1 metric ton

Consumables: 2 weeks

Cost: 350,000 credits

Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1

Hyperdrive Backup: x10

Nav Computer: Yes

Maneuverability: 3D+2 (1D in atmosphere with wings extended)

Space: 11

Atmosphere: 435; 1,200 kmh

Hull: 6D (front), 3D (back)

Shields: 1D (front), 4D (back)

Sensors:

Weapons:
 * Passive: 30/0D
 * Scan: 50/1D
 * Search: 75/2D
 * Focus: 4/4D+1

2 Double Heavy Laser Cannons

Fire Arc: Front (wings retracted); wings extended: 1 front/left/back, 1 front/right/back

Skill: Starship gunnery

Fire Control: 2D

Space Range: 1-3/12/25

Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km

Damage: 5D (6D if fire-linked)

2 Proton Torpedo Launchers

Fire Arc: Front

Skill: Starship gunnery

Fire Control: 1D

Space Range: 1/3/7

Atmosphere Range: 50-100/300/700

Ammo: 3 each

Damage: 9D

Behind the Scenes
The Forces of Corruption campaign from Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption depicts the Zann Consortium deploying squadrons of StarVipers as early as 1 BBY during the Mission to Mandalore. The game version of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire depicts the Outrider fighting off dozens of these fighters. Both of these instances are contradicted by the fact that the StarViper was limited to a single ship, the Virago, at the time. Only after the death of Prince Xizor in 3.5 ABY did MandalMotors/Hypernautics start producing StarVipers in numbers.

Canderous Ordo's Basilisk war droid, as seen in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, is strikingly similar in appearance to the StarViper. It was retconned that the ship was based on one of the Mandalorian Basilisk war droid models, which, according to Chris Avellone, was done deliberately to improve on the designs done for the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi series by Dark Horse Comics:
 * "The Basilisk war droid version presented in K2 was an intentional departure from the ones presented in Tales of the Jedi, and we are happy, because frankly, those look really stupid […] So yes, the Basilisk droid version was an intentional departure from the older models, and we take full responsibility. It is noteworthy that LucasArts and Lucasfilm agreed with our decision on the first pass…"
 * ―Chris Avellone.