ARMOURY

Armourer's Specials

Owner: Owen "Granite" Stone

Designation: Multi-role combat craft.

Manufacturer: Original blastboat by Sienar Fleet Systems, heavily modified by owner.

Physical Description: 25ft long, swiveling S-foils mounted around the central engine. Three medium ion cannons on forward wings and under nose. Twin laser turret mounted on top of the main control cabin. Ship seats four, though more can be accommodated in the cargo bay if necessary.Also armed with concussion missiles and proton torpedoes.

History: The Skipray Blastboat was designed as a compromise between a small capital ship and a starfighter for the use of the Empire. The Blastboat manages to retain the best features of both ship types. It has a the speed of a Y-Wing, with the shielding and firepower of a much larger ship. The Empire did not, however, buy this ship in large quantities, referring to rely on its usual approach of speed and manouverability in its fighters rather than staying power. While Star Destroyers often carry a couple of these ships, vast amounts of them have been dumped on the open market, which means these are a common sight among smuggler and mercenary fleets. Bannockburn was acquired by Granite during a battle with the Triumvirate fleet in Red Squadron. Granite's A-wing had been destroyed earlier in the battle. Granite, unwilling to be left out of the battle, found the captured blastboat in the Regis shuttle bay, and promptly stole the heavy fighter and used it to great success. After the battle Granite bought the large craft and has been customising it ever since. Bannockburn has played an often crucial part in operations for Wolfshead Squadron, as its appearance (that of a ship common everywhere in the galaxy) allows it to get in and out of places where Wolfsheads distinctly Rebel ships cannot go.

Use: The Skipray Blastboat was originally designed as a patrol, point defence and fire support vessel for larger ships, roles in which it served very well. With Granite's constant modifications, however, Bannockburn has been made in to a craft flexible enough to undertake any mission with a reasonable chance of success. Its speciality, however, is defence penetration. With its dual SLAM boosters, its blistering firepower and strong shielding make it perfect for blasting through a fighter screen to strike at a primary target, such as a planetary base or capital ship. Indeed, Bannockburn excels at atmospheric assault, where its powerful engine and streamlined shape allow it to outperform most Imperial fighters. Its other uses are in covert insertions, as it has the space to carry a squad of troops, and while it appears to be a standard blastboat, it has capabilities that can be very useful in an emergency. It has also been used for Combat Search and Rescue, where its speed and defences make it far safer than the average shuttle. Indeed, Bannockburn's great success in these many roles and the fact that Granite has used the ship several times in many different places has led to rumours that the Empire believes that Bannockburn is the prototype of the next generation of Rebel starfighter. Some rumours even claim that the Empire is even working on a copy of it, though given the bizarre variety of components Granite has used in its development and the even more bizarre way in which he had assembled them, means it is unlikely that the Empire will be able to build a reasonable copy.