Procursator-class Star Destroyer


Description


A Procursator escorting the Allegiance is destroyed by New Republic ships.

A Procursator escorting the Allegiance is destroyed by New Republic ships.

The Procursator-class Star Destroyer was a model of warship that was used by the Galactic Empire. Part of the Star Destroyer design family, it measured 1,200 meters in length, shorter than a standard Imperial-class Star Destroyer. The Procursator-class was characterized by its dagger-like shape, as well as a conning tower where the bridge was located in. The tower was placed in the aft section of a wider command section. The Procursator-class Star Destroyer utilized three aft sublight drives for propulsion, and had a ventral solar ionization reactor midship.It was armed with 3 turrets situated on the mid-axis of the ship, similar to the Imperial and Allegiance-class. Like the Tector and Allegiance-class, the Procursator-class lacked ventral hanger bays.

History


A Procursators bow. Axial turrets visible.

A Procursators bow. Axial turrets visible.

The Procursator-class Star Destroyer was in Imperial service by 3 ABY, when Captain Firmus Piett and Admiral Kendal Ozzel observed three Procursator-class Star Destroyers that were part of a high-mobility fleet. This fleet also included Allegiance-class Heavy Star Destroyers, Bellator-class dreadnoughts, and other vessels. The fleet rendezvoused with Death Squadron at some point prior to the Battle of Hoth. At another point, a ship of this class underwent repairs and refurbishment while six VT-49 Decimators flew nearby.

Years later, during the reign of the New Republic, one of these Star Destroyers was seen in formation with a Bellator-class dreadnought and several Imperial-class Star Destroyers with Republic markings. During the rise of the Dark Empire, two Procursators escorted the Allegiance at the Battle of Calamari in 10 ABY. The three ships were assaulted by a New Republic task force and destroyed. Around the same time, at least one Procursator was seen flying alongside a Bellator-class dreadnought among the Byss Defense Fleet.

Behind the scenes


This design originated as a fanon vessel made by Ansel Hsiao based on "anonymous star destroyer #2", a designation applied to ship designs seen in the third issue of the Star Wars: Dark Empire comic book series and on the cover of the series' trade paperback by Curtis Saxton on his Star Wars Technical Commentaries fansite. The name chosen by the artist for its class is the Latin word for "skirmisher/forward-runner".

Ansel Hsiao's model from Fractalsponge.net.

Ansel Hsiao's model from Fractalsponge.net.

When approached by Lucas Licensing to provide artwork for The Essential Guide to Warfare, Hsiao submitted his own designs in addition to new models, along with their names. The names were recorded in LFL's Holocron continuity database, according to the artist, later confirmed by Warfare author, Jason Fry.

According to Hsiao, the ship appeared not in one of his own pictures for the book, but was used in another artist's painting. He also designed it from spare parts left over from the Bellator-class dreadnought to see how quickly he could design and build a Star Destroyer. He completed the ship over a weekend, citing its design as being similar to a little "War Emergency Programme-esque no-frills ship".

The design can be seen in two paintings, both by Tommy Lee Edwards. The latter of which uses a picture from Hsiao's personal gallery as a background, where the ship appears, albeit blurred, as well as another ship of the same class being obscured slightly by a TIE Advance X1, as well as a third above an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, which itself is above and to the right of the aforementioned X1, although significantly farther away from the others. The Hsiao picture in question was named "Strategic Reserve".

Sources


  • The Essential Guide to Warfare
  • Star Wars: The Card GameBalance of the Force

Appearances

Unknown

Unknown

None

Unknown

Unknown

None