The Raven's Claw (or just Raven) is a heavily modified HWK-1995 Light Courier once owned and operated by Alliance Intelligence agent codename "Jan Strange" and was the main means of transport for asset codename [REDACTED] after the death of Jyn Erso and the loss of the HWK-290 'Moldy Crow' after the successful but extremely costly 'Rogue One' Op. A skilled ship engineer, Agent Strange had managed to turn a cheap Medium Courier craft inferior in every way to a stock HWK-290 into a formidable stealth fighter and transport, ideal for reconnaissance and asset insertion into , and extraction from, hostile territory. Said modifications to the craft, including a Stygian Crystal cloaking system, is estimated to cost close to six million credits, raising questions as to how Agent Strange secured the funds. The prevailing theory is that she stole much of the Raven's hardware from the Imperial Security Bureau, though her refusal to allow an examination of the cloaking system aroused a great deal of suspicion. After Strange's disappearance, [REDACTED] effectively became its new owner, and would fly the craft during the Thrawn Campaign and his tenure as an instructor to the New Jedi Order. When [REDACTED] disappeared, the Raven changed hand from smuggler to pirate, none of whom had any real idea of how powerful (or expensive) a ship they had acquired. Most recently, it was stolen by Kanjiklub lieutenant and enforcer Razoo Qin-Fee.
The B-52 Heavy Torpedo Bomber, also known as the StarHammer and often simply designated Hammer, was a starfighter/bomber designed to carry and launch capital ship rated ordnance, such as the the MGM-31 Assault Proton Torpedo or the AGM-86 Concussion Cruise Missile. It was developed and manufactured by Rendili Aerospace during the Thrawn campaign, as part of the New Republic Navy's New Class Modernization Program. While the B-52 lost to Koensayr's BTL-S8 K-wing Assault Starfighter as the New Republic Navy's main bomber, the admiralty still saw value in the StarHammer, and ordered 2500 units. This contract saved Rendili Aerospace from bankruptcy. Characteristics: The StarHammer, much like its larger predecessors such as the BT-7 Thunderclap Assault Ship and the Defender-class Light Corvette, had an distinct hammerhead shape. This, combined with heavy armour and a slim forward profile, allowed it to engage much larger capital ships long enough to deliver its payload at optimal range. Thanks to its wide wingspan, the StarHammer carried twelve Krupx Type-93 Launchers, enough ordnance to destroy a Heavy Cruiser by itself. Unfortunately, its impressive resilience and firepower came at a cost. Due its size and the sheer mass of its armour and payload, the StarHammer had infamously poor thrust-to-mass ratio and maneuverability. Because of these two weaknesses, and due to the severe threat it posed to Capital Ships, the Hammer often found itself swarmed by enemy Starfighters. While its impressive defensive armaments could deter small groups of light strike craft from engaging it, the StarHammer was still very dependent on X-wing support to weather attacks by a large number of Multi-Role or Heavy Fighters. In order to remedy the acceleration issue, New Republic Navy mechanics have come up with all kinds of aftermarket modifications to the B-52 to improve fuel efficiency and thruster output. Daredevil pilots, however, have come up with a radical acceleration maneuver involving locking the Type-93 launcher's clamps before launching the payload, adding the back blast to the engine's thrust, effectively making every launcher a booster rocket. This was, of course, considered an insane, suicidal move for two reasons: one, the securing clamps could jam, leaving live warheads inside the ship. Two: said warhead's guidance systems could get confused and attempt to course correct, turning the StarHammer into a wild horse.
Originally a company licensed by Incom to manufacture and sell Z-95 Headhunters in the Pacanth Reach, Peregrine grew into a major aerospace development and manufacturing corporation thanks to the extensive patronage of the Shogunate. Its flagship product, the Type Zero Interceptor, was initially a Z-95 imitation prized for its reliability and low cost, but over the decades after the Clone Wars, Peregrine developed more advanced versions of the 'Zero', the most recent of which, by 1035 Ruusan, was the Ki-43 Hayabusa. Featuring Peregrine's own proprietary tech, the Ki-43 was a fast and maneuverable Aerospace fighter in an out of an atmosphere thanks to its sleek aerodynamic shape and extremely powerful plasma jet drive fitted with a magnetic vector thrust control ring. As per shogunate doctrine, its four 30mm "Shiranui" meson autocannons were placed close to the cockpit, forming a tight firing pattern that rewarded precision and accuracy with critical damage on enemy targets. These advantages were offset by thin armour and shields, forcing Ki-43 pilots to rely on the starfighter's maneuverability to evade enemy gunfire.
I sometimes start with a sketch, but I usually improvise a 3D model with Sketchup, work out an angle, take a snapshot, and draw over that.
Designed by Peregrine to fulfill the Shogunate Navy's need for a Heavy Bomber hunter, the Harrier mk III features a slim forward attack profile, earning it the nickname "Slender Man" by New Republic forces, after the Corellian urban myth. While not quite as agile or as fast as the smaller Hayabusa Aerospace fighter, the Harrier is deadly in a dogfight thanks to its impressive set of guns, capable of unleashing a twenty second long burst thanks to its a high-capacity cooling system with full guns. As per shogunate doctrine, the gun configuration is close to the cockpit, allowing for a narrow stream of fire. With four heavy weapon pod hardpoints to configure for various mission profiles, pilots with less-than-ideal gunnery scores often pick an extra gunpod or two. The Harrier mark III also features the first successful COFFIN, allowing it to minimize crew requirements to just a single pilot. A more advanced version of the COFFIN is under development to enhance the Hayabusa's already impressive performance.
