Helmsman (battlecruiser)

The Helmsman was a Praetor Mark II-class battlecruiser commanded by Mils Giel at some point in the year preceding the Battle of Endor.

Propulsion systems
Three massive engines propelled the craft forward, with two secondary engines situated above the main structure, and an additional two auxiliary engines on the command section's superstructure. Several smaller openings dotted the rear of the ship, but it's unknown whether they too served a purpose of propulsion. The ship had no apparent ventral reactor bulb, instead, the main reactor was hidden behind layers of armor as on the Executor-class.

Offensive and defensive systems
The flagship was armed with a large amount of guns of varying sizes, with at least 90 being visible. Its shields and armor were heavy enough to require an extensive retooling of the firing system of the four modified TIE/ln starfighters used by the Flying Bantha Squadron to ensure that the blast would hit the Teezl deep inside.

Complement


The only hangar opening visible on the ship was a triangular indentation located at the front of its ventral side and looked only slightly bigger than the main hangar opening on an Imperial-class Star Destroyer.

Behind the main bridge, at the rear of the vessel, was a giant transport cage used to carry the bizarre Teezl creature. Judging by the setup of its massive ring-shaped exit, this class (as well as that of an accompanying carrier ) followed the Corellian standard for docking rings.

Bridge
The ship's bridge was located at the front end of an elevated superstructure that ran like a spine towards the rear of the vessel and ended in two auxiliary engines. The bridge occupied much more space than the standardized bridge modules on other Star Destroyers and the Admiral could hold big meetings with other officers on it.

History


The flagship was used to transport the Teezl to Coruscant, where it would be installed and used to coordinate the entire Imperial Navy. One of the largest fleets ever assembled by the Empire accompanied the flagship on its long journey, but failed to prevent an attack by the Rebel Alliance, which resulted in the partial destruction of Giel's ship and the death of the Teezl.

After being hit by a super-powered shot from a Rebel TIE/ln starfighter, the bridge-section of the vessel was relatively unscathed, and Giel could still communicate with the vessel's gun crew. They opened fire on the attacker, but it was small and quick enough to avoid being hit. It is unknown what later became of the vessel and if there were more ships of this class, but an accompanying carrier had a similar design.

Behind the scenes


Early concept art for the Executor from The Empire Strikes Back Sketchbook, appears to have been used as inspiration for Giel's ship.

Appearances

 * Star Wars 60: Shira's Story
 * Star Wars 61: Screams in the Void
 * Star Wars 62: Pariah!