StarViper-class attack platform

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" is also able to release buzzdrois that will harm nearby craft.

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. 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.

Behind the scenes
The StarViper's body and cockpit designs bear a resemblance to the StarFury fighter of Babylon 5.

The game version of Shadows of the Empire depicts the Outrider fighting off dozens of these fighters, which is contradicted by the fact that the StarViper was limited to a single ship, the Virago, at that time. Only after the death of Prince Xizor did Mandal 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 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.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
 * Shadows of the Empire novel
 * Shadows of the Empire comic
 * Shadows of the Empire game
 * Star Wars: X-wing Alliance
 * The Mandalorian Armor
 * Slave Ship
 * Hard Merchandise
 * Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
 * Sacrifice

Notes and references
StarViper-Sternjäger