Twi'lek Dancer




The starship known as the Twi'lek Dancer was originally a Barloz-class freighter manufactured by CEC, and throughout its operational life, it passed through many hands.

Initially, this vessel, then named the Harvest, was the property of an agricultural combine. Later, it was acquired by the Tiss'shar bounty hunter Xufal D'uat, who renamed it the Venom Sting and extensively modified it before his demise. After D'uat's death, a mining station salvaged the ship and subsequently sold it to a Thalassian slavers cell. These slavers renamed it the Twi'lek Dancer, further customized it, and employed it in their raids. Subsequently, pirates seized the ship and sold it to a legitimate dealer specializing in used vessels.

History

A Barloz-class freighter like the Twi'lek Dancer (not pictured).

This particular Barloz-class freighter, constructed by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, was first purchased by an agricultural combine operating within the Tion Hegemony. These original owners christened the vessel Harvest and utilized it for a period, until they accumulated sufficient capital to invest in an YT-1300 light freighter. At that juncture, they opted to sell the Harvest.

Subsequently, the Harvest was acquired by Xufal D'uat, a bounty hunter belonging to the Tiss'shar species. D'uat rechristened the ship Venom Sting and undertook a series of modifications, initially limited in scope but later encompassing the entirety of the vessel, enabling him to effectively counter any intrusion into his headquarters.

For a duration of three years, D'uat operated the Venom Sting in proximity to the planet Elrood. During this period, he encountered an Imperial officer named Hamaz, who also engaged in gunrunning activities for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. D'uat holorecorded a confession from Hamaz and then released him, which allowed the Tiss'shar to blackmail Hamaz. However, this action also created an enemy for D'uat: Hamaz orchestrated D'uat's successful assassination.

Following D'uat's demise, the Venom Sting drifted in space, with the holorecording securely concealed behind the autochef power system within an access panel in the galley. Eventually, a mining station affiliated with Tagge Company recovered the ship.

The Venom Sting was subsequently auctioned off and purchased by a cell of Thalassian slavers, who renamed the ship Twi'lek Dancer. Upon discovering D'uat's modifications, the slavers repurposed the Dancer as a picket defense ship and assault gunboat in their raids. They further enhanced its sublight engines and shielding systems, and they installed three proton torpedo launchers and one tractor beam.

Ultimately, the slavers were ambushed by a group of pirates, who seized the Dancer and, employing a fraudulent enterprise, sold it to a dealer specializing in used ships.

A holojournalist and former slave, mistakenly believing that the Dancer was still associated with the Thalassians, was attempting to track the ship in order to expose the wickedness of its owners.

Modifications

D'uat implemented numerous modifications to the ship, often commencing with only a specific section. For instance, he transformed one of the cabins into a magna-sealed cell equipped with shock-filaments in the floor to administer stun charges to his prisoners. The cell's life support system was also supplemented with null gas canisters to incapacitate the prisoners. These initial customizations were subsequently extended to encompass the entire ship.

D'uat also incorporated specialized technology to detect any intruder on his ship, an interior defense system, an onboard fire-fighting matrix, and a long-range communication array enabling him to monitor movement and thermal readings throughout the vessel. He also maintained a hidden compartment behind a small access panel, located behind the autochef power system in the galley; D'uat utilized this compartment to conceal a holorecording that enabled him to blackmail Hamaz. It is unknown whether any subsequent owner of the ship discovered this compartment, at least until the legitimate dealer with whom the pirates transacted.

The Thalassian slavers upgraded the sublight speed and the shields, in addition to adding three torpedo launchers and one tractor beam.

Sources

  • Stock Ships
  • The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

Appearances