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The Emperor's Royal Guard TIE/IN starfighter was a specially modified version of the TIE/IN interceptor. These TIE Interceptors were flown only by Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guard.
Details[]
A flight of Royal Guard starfighters opening fire as they exit hyperspace.
These starfighters were commonly used to escort Emperor Palpatine's Lambda-class shuttle and its decoys during his travels. Displaying the distinctive crimson red color of the Royal Guard, these deadly war machines struck fear into any opposing fighters. Royal Guard fighter wings were thought to even rival the skills of elite pilots from the 181st Imperial Fighter Wing and Rogue Squadron. These fighters were said to have been commissioned by Palpatine himself.
Under the supervision of Darth Vader, Imperial workers spent many long hours modifying TIE Interceptor fighters, including installing additional flaps on the curves of the wings. Unlike the original TIE Interceptor, the Royal Guard TIE Interceptor was equipped with a built-in hyperdrive and shield generator, while also having blazing speeds and fantastic maneuverability that exceeded that of its fleet counterpart. On very rare occasions, these fighters found places outside of the Royal Guard, and were thus subject to even further modification, including more devastating weapons, more advanced shielding technologies, and, in rare cases, ordnance launchers. By contrast, regular Interceptors with similar added equipment, such as shield projectors, warhead launchers, and hyperdrives (for instance that of Apwar Trigit) suffered reduced speed and maneuverability.
Behind the scenes[]
A Royal Guard's Interceptor.
The Royal Guard TIE Interceptor was introduced in Rage of the Wookiees, the second expansion of Star Wars Galaxies. It was a quest reward for Imperial pilots for completing a series of quests from the Civilian Protection Guild.
In 2007 Hasbro released a die-cast model of the Royal Guard TIE Interceptor as part of their Titanium Series.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars Galaxies: Rage of the Wookiees (First appearance)
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault
Sources[]
Friday Feature: Rage Of The Wookiees: Ships on the official Star Wars Galaxies website (original site is defunct)- Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Guide: Prima Official Game Guide
- Ships: TIE Fighter (all) on the official Star Wars Galaxies website (original site is defunct)
- Ships: TIE Interceptor (all) on the official Star Wars Galaxies website (original site is defunct)
- Star Wars: Titanium Series (Pack: Royal Guard TIE Interceptor) (backup link)
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 22
- Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
- Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game — The Shadow Syndicate Card: Imperial Guard TIE Interceptor (backup link)
- Star Wars: Imperial Assault — Royal Guard Champion Villain Pack (Card: Infection) (Picture only)
