Darth Vader's black Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor

"Is my starfighter prepared?" "It's waiting in launching bay three."

- Darth Vader and Clone trooper commander Appo

Darth Vader's black Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor&mdash;also known as Darth Vader's Sith starfighter&mdash;was one of several black Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptors owned by Darth Vader during the early years of the Galactic Empire.

History


Prior to the issuance of Order 66, most Jedi serving on the High Council and those serving as Generals flew personalized versions of the Eta-2 starfighter, including Anakin Skywalker. Following the relative eradication of the Jedi, most of the vehicles were confiscated and repainted for Imperial use. Darth Vader was known to keep several of these starfighters on reserve, all of which were painted mostly black over the former bright colors used by the Jedi in order to better camouflage it against the backdrop of space. The color also reflected the rage and grief felt by Darth Vader during his youth as a Sith.

Following the Clone Wars, Darth Vader would pilot one of these interceptors during many of his early missions for Emperor Palpatine as the Great Jedi Purge continued&mdash;sometimes flanked by Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighters.

Despite the fact that Vader had previously flown Eta-2 starfighters before his becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith, his opinion of the craft greatly diminished due to the cumbersome nature of his armor, cybernetic implants, and increased robotic height, which made it incredibly difficult for him to comfortably fit into the cramped cockpit.

Vader would utilize one of the fighters during operations in the Atoa system. By then, several fundamental modifications had been made to the Eta-2s in Vader's possession, including a more aerodynamic placement of the thrusters and changes to the wingspan and cockpit tinting. The fighter he used at that time was badly damaged during a battle in the system against Atoan ships, and was later presumably recovered or replaced.

While seeing to operations on Kashyyyk during the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader eventually turned one of his Eta-2 interceptors over to an Imperial agent. He personally assigned the agent to assist in the attack on a Rebel convoy in Kashyyyk space.

Behind the scenes
In 2006, Hasbro released a vehicle scaled for 3-1/4" action figures called Darth Vader's Sith Starfighter of their 30th Anniversary Collection. The toy is based on the appearance of the ship described in the Expanded Universe novel Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader.

Appearances

 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command 2