REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER
Type: Corellian CR90 multipurpose corvette
Manufacturer: Corellian Engineering Corporation
Affiliation: Rebel Alliance
Weapons: 6 dual turbolasers
Length: 150 meters
Crew: 46
Debut: A New Hope
Though a Corellian corvette could never match the sheer power of an Imperial Star Destroyer, the blockade runner carrying Princess Leia and the stolen Death Star plans still put up a fight before it - and its passangers - was captured by Darth Vader.
The Corellian corvette isn't just limited to being a counsular vessel; it can also act as a troop transport, cargo ship and of course a blockade runner. Though somewhat antiquated, these corvettes were widely used in the Rebellion, as their versitility was perfect for the thinly-spread Rebels. As a transport, Corellian corvettes can carry a wide variety of cargo, and can be armed according to the value of the contents; the ships feature several hardpoint locations on their hulls to attatch weapons - though the ships are commonly armed with a half-dozen turbolaser emplacements. Shutter-plates can be used to hide shielding equipment and escape pods if the ship is on a diplomatic mission. When utilised as a passenger ship, the corvette can be outfitted with quarters of any comfort level from standard to first-class. Much of the planetary colonisation that took place during the forty years leading up to the Battle of Yavin was made possible in part by the versatility of the corvette, aboard which settlers could transport not only themselves but equipment needed for settling a planet.
Princess Leia's personal starship, the Tantive IV, was a Rebel blockade runner afforded diplomatic immunity while she was an ambassador and representative in the Imperial Senate. She used her ship to run mercy missions as cover to aid Alliance efforts. Leia's starship could circumvent Imperial blockades due to its protected status. Such immunity did not extend to intercepting Alliance transmissions, however; the Star Destroyer Devastator pursued the Tantive IV after the stolen Imperial plans were beamed aboard the ship by Rebel spies. The blockade runner fled, but was crippled high over Tatooine, whereupon stormtroopers blasted their way in, capturing and killing crew. Though Leia was captured and the Tantive IV subsequently destroyed, the stolen data was already on its way towards Tatooine. |
