Ships

Marauder Corvette

The Marauder-class Corvette was introduced prior to the Clone Wars. Marauder-class corvettes were equipped with eight double turbolasers and three tractor beam projectors, and could optionally support four more turbolasers if a larger power generator was installed. They had space for 12 starfighters, and capacity for 80 troops for use in boarding actions or planetary landings. Their very accurate tractor beams allowed them to capture ships with little collateral damage, and they were sometimes paired with ships equipped with gravity well projectors for this purpose. Some Marauder-class ships were equipped with four diamond-boron missile launchers in place of their heavy turbolasers.

Sometimes called a "pocket cruiser," the Marauder's sublight speed was faster than a Victory I-class Star Destroyer. Although not powerful enough for engagements against warships such as those used by the Imperial Navy, they were excellent as patrol and interdiction vessels.

Built by the profitable Sienar Technologies division of Republic Sienar Systems, a precursor to Sienar Fleet Systems, the Marauder-class was intended for use as a patrol and escort ship by the Galactic Republic. When the Republic declined to purchase them, mainly due to the Republic's inefficient bureaucracy and not any problems with the ship itself, Sienar managed to sell some to other small governments and organizations such as the Kathol Republic. Orders were slow, and the Marauder was considered one of Sienar's rare failures, so RSS finally sold production rights to the Corporate Sector Authority to be produced and used in the Corporate Sector.

The ship was used extensively by the forces of the Corporate Sector Authority, where they could often be found in use as escorts for Victory-class ships in the Corporate Sector's Authority Picket Fleet, or employed for law enforcement or anti-piracy actions. They eventually came into use by private individuals and a few outlaw groups. The Rebel Alliance also employed a few of the ships, which were mostly acquired from the Corporate Sector through piracy and refitted into missile cruisers. Some Rebel Marauder-class ships continued to serve in the New Republic Fleet. Imperial forces also utilized Marauders.

Marauders remained in use in the Corporate Sector through at least 19 years after the Battle of Yavin, and the Diamalan Commerce Ministry purchased twelve of the ships approximately three months prior to the Caamas Document crisis. Pirate captain Zothip tried to buy the same ships, but was outbid by the Diamala. Around the same time, the crime lord Rei'Kas lost three Marauders against the Aing-Tii at Exocron. Some groups were known to employ Marauders as late as the Yuuzhan Vong War.

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