XJ-6 airspeeder/Legends

"That speeder is one of my most prized possessions."

- Simon Greyshade

The XJ-6 airspeeder was a custom-built airspeeder fashioned to Senator Simon Greyshade's elitist and performance-driven tastes. Using a prefabricated kit produced by Narglatch AirTech, the senator's personal mechanics designed and built the custom airspeeder. The XJ-6 airspeeder was constructed with exotic materials and incorporated advanced systems into the design, including an inertial compensator. The two prominent, oversized turbofan engines, positioned at the fore of the craft, provided immense power to the XJ-6, making it a very capable airspeeder. The speeder also sported a custom yellow paint job. Greyshade used the speeder both as a luxury transport as well as a racing vehicle in Coruscant's airspeeder races.

The airspeeder gained attention in 22 BBY after its apparent theft outside of Senate Apartment Complex by Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker. Skywalker used the speeder to rescue Master Obi-Wan Kenobi as the latter plummeted through the Coruscanti skylanes. Once Kenobi was rescued, the two Jedi took turns piloting the XJ-6 airspeeder as they pursued fugitive Zam Wesell through the cityscape following her failed assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala. The XJ-6 was tracked down by Coruscant authorities after the chase had ended over 100 kilometers from its original spot in the Senate District. Reymet Autem, son of a Senate Guard who worked with Greyshade, was initially charged with the theft; however, before charges could be filed, the airspeeder was clandestinely returned to its spot in the lot of 500 Republica. The true thief of the speeder was never discovered by authorities, much to Senator Greyshade disdain, and he vowed to find the party responsible.

Characteristics
"It took my mechanics years to perfect it. It's a gonzo color."

- Simon Greyshade, referring to the yellow paint scheme

The XJ-6 airspeeder held space for only two seats. This catered to owner Senator Simon Greyshade's desire for privacy while escorting others, from fellow Senators to influential politicians to his latest female companion. The low profile of the windscreen forced passengers to sit low, and a powerful sound system occupied a space on the dashboard for the Senator's enjoyment.

Exotic metal alloys, condensed-matter composite, and a number of other metals made up the main body of the craft. The front bumper was specifically designed to distribute forces evenly across the craft to prevent any harmful structure vibrations. The low mass of the speeder, due to this structural composition, allowed it to move quickly and reliably maintain the momentum created by the massive engines.

A set of piloting controls sat above the port seat; it contained two joysticks to control direction as well as an eight-speed combination thrust control and gear selector. Electrogravitic gyro flywheels located toward the rear of the XJ-6 airspeeder allowed the craft impressive feats of maneuvering at sharp angles uncommon to air vehicles of its class. These flywheels also allowed the XJ-6 airspeeder to turn without traction or aerodynamic influence. An inertial compensator, generally only found in space-bound craft, was utilized to keep pilot and passenger safe from the effects of these harsh maneuvers. In addition to the inertial compensator, riders were held in the craft's seats by a pair of miniature tractor units. Dual low-beam lights lit the speeder's path, and a combination longer-range widebeam light and collision scanner kept the pilot aware of oncoming objects. An electric field system ensured that oncoming objects, such as flying insects and debris, were repulsed from striking the craft. It was possible, however, for objects to pass through this field; items that breached the field posed a risk to the exposed turbofan engines. In addition, the construction of the XJ-6 airspeeder allowed it to pass through the discharge of two power coupling prongs unscathed&mdash;onboard riders were not as well protected. To ensure the vehicle's protection from theft, movement sensors were installed; if tripped, an alarm would go off, notifying Greyshade and any bystanders of the illegal action. However, this security system was vulnerable to a technologically adept thief. Communications gear sat behind the driver and passenger; the high-power antennas allowed Greyshade to communicate with fellow lawmakers and other contacts while in the airspeeder.

The ship was painted yellow, which both its owner and Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker described as gonzo. This yellow scheme was customary to all of the Senator's craft and, according to Greyshade, took years to design. Dull green and orange accented the yellow and were scattered throughout the craft's paint scheme. Both rear fins of the craft sported racing stickers; these revealed racing venues Greyshade had visited during his after-hour activities.

Engines
In addition to its distinct paint scheme, the yellow hot-rod airspeeder was also recognizable due to the dual turbofan engines fitted in the front of the craft. These two engines, running on Deuterium fuel, were originally built to be used in groups of 50 for the colossal seventh-stage bank-courier repulsor-trucks of Aargau. Eventually they would be acquired by Greyshade, who had his mechanics install them into the XJ-6 airspeeder and modify the already-powerful engines to further utilize their potential. The immense weight of the engines required a dedicated repulsor. The original cowlings were removed to allow easy modifications, repair, and tweaking. A cold-start generator allowed the XJ-6 to start up almost immediately without the warm-up period standard in vehicles of its class. The oversized engines could reach speeds up to 720 kilometers per hour; they operated much like two podracer engines in function and ability due to their stance on the craft. This stance also minimized the craft's width, allowing for good clearance. The pair was expensive, gaudy, and displayed Greyshade's tastes in expensive and overpowered devices. In appearance, the engines were common to another speeder owned by the senator.

The twin engines functioned by drawing air into the forward turbines, which fed into the compression chambers. This air was over-pressurized due to the exposed turbofans, and was then forced through ignitions and narrow ducts situated in the sidewalls and undercarriage of the craft. The air continued to travel to the rear thrusters after passing through another set of afterburner centrifuges. An internal shutter system acted as a braking mechanism, to stop, slow, and precisely maneuver the craft, working in conjunction with the flywheels in the aft of the aircraft. Debris, such as a flag, proved a possible hazard to the engines, as the turbofan assembly was highly exposed.

Creating a hotrod
The XJ-6 airspeeder was created at Senator Simon Greyshade's request by Narglatch AirTech and Greyshade's personal mechanics. The hotrod airspeeder was intended to function as a luxury personal transport for the Senator while on business on Coruscant. It took months for his hired men to perfect it to meet his standards; after construction, the speeeder was painted Greyshade's customary yellow&mdash;common to all of his vehicles. He would use his custom XJ-6 in after-hour races through the streets of Coruscant with his legislature colleagues; he showed off his prowess with the racing stickers plastered on the rear fins of the craft. Senator Greyshade often parked the vehicle in a speeder dock of the Senate Apartment Complex.

Chase through Coruscant
"Oh you know Master, I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked, with the open cockpit and the right speed capabilities&hellip; and then you know I had to get a really gonzo color&hellip;"

- Anakin Skywalker

Shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, Simon Greyshade's airspeeder became an instrumental part in the pursuit of fugitive assassin Zam Wesell whose failed attempt on the life of Senator Padmé Amidala prompted investigation. After the discovery of the presence of an ASN-121 assassin droid outside the window of Amidala's apartment in the Senate Apartment Complex, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi attempted to pursue the then-unidentified attacker by grabbing hold of the droid as it exited the premises. Rather than follow his master out the window into the Coruscant skylanes, Padawan Anakin Skywalker opted to retrieve an airspeeder from a speeder dock located mid-level outside the building. Assessing the available options, Skywalker chose Greyshade's XJ-6 airspeeder, as the Jedi had previously flown one of the senator's personal vehicles two years prior and was the only convertible speeder on the lot. Using a combination of technical knowledge and the Force, Skywalker disabled the security countermeasures installed by Greyshade's mechanics and took off in pursuit of Kenobi, still hanging from the escaping assassin droid.

Breaking Jedi policies on airship piloting, Skywalker pushed the craft's engines to catch up to his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who was now plummeting through the skylanes of Galactic City, as Wesell had shot the ASN-121 droid in an attempt to lose the Jedi investigator. Skywalker relied on the XJ-6 airspeeder's impressive speed and maneuverability as he placed the craft into a near-vertical dive in order to approach the free-falling Kenobi. Once Kenobi was safely aboard the speeder in the passenger seat, Skywalker piloted the craft to follow Zam Wesell's own airspeeder.

The chase grew more intense as the two speeding craft made their respective ways through traffic and the maze of buildings. At some point during the pursuit, Skywalker hit a flag, which caught in one of the engines. Kenobi removed the flag so that the XJ-6's engines would not be adversely affected; this action caused Kenobi a deal of displeasure. Both Skywalker's piloting skills and the vessel's integrity were tested as the speeder made its way into The Works. The XJ-6 airspeeder was able to pass through the discharge of two power coupling prongs, attesting to its craftsmanship and ability. Once out of The Works, Skywalker left the safer confines of the speeder to confront the assassin by free-falling through the skylanes to land directly on Wesell's airspeeder.

With Skywalker and Wesell wrestling for control of Wesell's craft, Kenobi took over piloting of the XJ-6 airspeeder, trailing the Koro-2 airspeeder closely enough to catch Skywalker's lost lightsaber. Eventually, Kenobi parked the speeder near the Outlander Club on Vos Gesal Street and disembarked, as the skirmish between his Padawan and the assassin resulted in a crash landing nearby. The pair would later disable and apprehend their quarry. However, before the assassin Wesell could be brought back and questioned, Zam's employer Jango Fett, killed her.

Aftermath
"I never fully trusted that kid. He was always protective and envious of my speeder."

- Senator Simon Greyshade on Reymet Autem after the latter's arrest.



Coruscanti officials found the vehicle shortly thereafter. It was over 100 kilometers from its original position in the Senate District. Reymet Autem, son of a senate security guard employed by Greyshade, was initially charged with the theft of the speeder. However, before any charges could be filed against the 20-year-old, the XJ-6 left the crime scene. It reappeared in the senatorial speeder barn at 500 Republica, where Greyshade held residence. While passed off as a "rookie error" by Coruscant Security Force officer Wets Tranoj, it was actually Skywalker and Kenobi that returned the speeder. Simon Greyshade never discovered who had stolen his airspeeder, a fact which left the senator fuming. Some time later, he relayed the events to Anakin Skywalker at a state dinner, vowing that he would find the thief. Skywalker only managed to comment that the thief was skilled to have evaded detection.

The XJ-6 airspeeder was later made available to spacers during the Galactic Civil War, though it is unknown if the speeder available then was Simon Greyshade's speeder or simply a model based off of the original XJ-6 airspeeder.

Behind the scenes
The XJ-6 airspeeder parallels the form and function of Anakin's podracer from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This speeder and, ultimately, the chase through Coruscant is based on George Lucas's love of classic vehicles. By Lucas's own admission, it also bears a strong resemblance to the character John Milner's car in Lucas's 1973 film American Graffiti. A full-scale model of the XJ-6 was made for the part, which was then attached to different rigging to recreate the banks and pitch of the craft in flight.

The cover of Star Wars: Republic 47: Honor and Duty, Part 2 (collected in Star Wars Republic: Honor and Duty) shows a speeder that looks similar to the XJ-6 airspeeder. This alternate craft features 5 seats rather than the 2 seats of the XJ-6 and a paint scheme uncharacteristic to Senator Greyshade's standard. This craft changes appearances in the actual comic; however, in a retelling featured in the Star Wars.com article Viva Space Vegas! The History of the Marvelous Wheel, the speeder shown is the similar-looking model featured on the cover of Republic 47.

There is some conflict surrounding the accusation of Reymet Autem in the theft of the speeder, due to the Autem family's departure from Coruscant 1 year prior to the HoloNet article.

In Star Wars Galaxies, an XJ-6 Airspeeder is available through the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game.

In Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, the XJ-6 airspeeder is provided with laser cannons.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Obi-Wan
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones junior novel