- "Uh-oh...probe's checkn' out the marauder!
That ain't no ordinary patrol droid...that's an Imperial Hunter-Killer!" - ―Shug Ninx and Salla Zend
The Hunter-Killer probot, also known as the H-K probot, was a bizarre evolution of the more common Viper probe droid. Produced by Arakyd Laboratories, they were commonly used as autonomous patrol vehicles near Imperial worlds.
Characteristics[]
- "S'closin' on us fast, shug. Hit him! Hit him!
H-K droid's got some kind of defectors! The Falcon's missiles are bouncin' off his shields like pebbles!" - ―Salla Zend and Shug Ninx, after engaging Judgement 12-X7
Hunter-Killer schematics.
Shaped roughly like its design predecessor, the Hunter-Killer was a technological monstrosity scaled up to capital ship-size. The interior of each droid was designed to be a detainment platform for captured starships, with tractor beam projectors covering the droid's outer hull, ready to drag wayward ships into one of several internal docking bays.
Following capture, prisoners would be held inside the droid, until the Imperial officer in charge was notified of the capture and had determined the appropriate course of action. They were often used with Imperial Customs Frigates and Guardian-class patrol ships.
However, like capital-ships, it possessed a design flaw: Someone imprisoned could gain access and hijack a Hunter-Killer probot via its control room and thus it created the risk of it turning against the Empire.
History[]
- "Judgement 12-X7 to security command... apprehension and detainment of YT-1300 quarry in progress."
- ―Judgement 12-X7, an HK probot stationed on Byss moving to detain the Millenium Falcon.
A Hunter-Killer probot around the Emperor's Citadel on Byss.
After the Viper probe droids proved successful at locating Rebel bases, Arakyd gambled by producing a massive 150 meter droid. The H-K found great favor in the Empire, used to capture smugglers and Rebel ships.
A number of Hunter-Killers were stationed around Byss after Palpatine's return. A notable flaw in the design was exploited when smugglers Shug Ninx and Salla Zend were captured by the HK probot Judgement 12-X7 while aiding New Republic agents infiltrate Byss. After being detained within Judgement 12-X7 while piloting the Millennium Falcon to avoid Imperial detection, Shug and Salla were able to hot-wire the droid, taking control of the probot's circutry and using it to rescue Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia Organa Solo from an Imperial prison. However, while attempting to flee, the escaping Republic prisoners were spotted by an Imperial patrol and in response Shug turned the probot's attack systems against the patrol, resulting in a firefight with the prison's own security forces. While the Imperials engaged the rogue probot Shug, Salla, Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia all boarded the Millenium Falcon which was still docked within Judgement 12-X7 alongside a Force projection of Luke Skywalker. Taking off from within the reprogrammed probot, the Millenium Falcon and its crew managed to escape Byss just as the prison's turbolasers found their mark and destroyed Judgement 12-X7.[3]
Appearances[]
"Raid on Brentaal" — The Far Orbit Project- Dark Empire 5 (First appearance)
- Dark Empire audio drama
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Dark Empire Sourcebook
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
"Byss and the Deep Core Part 1" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Dark Empire 5