The Courageous, a tactical command vessel of the Inexpugnable-class, saw service with the Republic Navy during the Mandalorian Wars. Constructed by Rendili Hyperworks, the Courageous was equipped with the signature "wishing-well" bridge of the Inexpugnable-class and a substantial Vanjervalis Systems computer integrated into its structure; this ship was engineered to simultaneously manage the operations of numerous starships. Serving as the flagship of Admiral Saul Karath, the Courageous participated in various campaigns throughout the Outer Rim. In 3964 BBY, the Courageous was involved in the Republic's unsuccessful defense of the planet Vanquo. The following year, Karath organized a battle group with the Courageous at its head, tasked with defending the planet Serroco from a Mandalorian invasion. The subsequent Battle of Serroco led to the planet's devastation and the collapse of the Republic's defenses. Mandalorian forces pursued the Courageous and its flotilla through the vastness of space, eventually managing to board and destroy the vessel; Karath narrowly escaped with his life. A portion of the ship was later repurposed into a battle-axe used by the Mandalorian chief, Mandalore the Ultimate.
The Courageous was a tactical command vessel of the Inexpugnable-class, brought into existence by Rendili Hyperworks. As per its intended function, the Courageous served as a central hub from which the activities and movements of an entire fleet could be orchestrated. A defining characteristic of the ship was its "wishing-well" bridge configuration, which combined visual and electronic information by projecting holographic images above a transparent deck. This display could cause disorientation among the crew, with vertigo being a frequent complaint. The bridge, which was circular in form, featured an open center surrounded by numerous computer stations. The Courageous was equipped with a massive Vanjervalis Systems computer integrated into its structure, capable of instantly transmitting commands to as many as sixty-four Hammerhead cruisers through the application of Republic Hammerhead-class cruiser native software codes. Consequently, the Courageous moved at a slower pace, relying on the cruisers under its command for protection. The ship also possessed its own comm center, along with a sensor system capable of swiftly identifying the quantity and type of enemy vessels in its vicinity, as well as the radioactive signatures of launched missiles. With a width of 3,100 meters, the Courageous featured a substantial cargo hold linked to the ship's brig via ventilation tunnels.
The Courageous itself was heavily armed, boasting five double turbolaser batteries and five light turbolaser batteries, in addition to a pair of point-defense light laser cannon batteries and a pair of tractor beam batteries, collectively requiring sixty-six gunners for operation. The Courageous's fighter decks also housed a considerable contingent of 144 Aurek-class tactical strikefighters, twenty-four S-250 Chela-class starfighters, twenty-four Conductor-class short-haul landing craft, six Ministry-class orbital shuttles, and various other support craft. The Courageous had the capacity to carry up to 50,000 tons of cargo and two years' worth of consumables. The ship was equipped with a Class 2 hyperdrive and a Class 10 unit as a backup, along with a navicomputer, escape pods, and engines. Although not available for purchase, the estimated value of the Courageous was 70 million credits.
The Courageous was constructed at the Rendili/Vanjervalis Drive Yards situated on the planet Corellia, standing as one of only six Inexpugnable-class prototypes that were completed by the time the Mandalorian Wars erupted between the Galactic Republic and the Mandalorian warrior clans. Conceptualized to boost sales of Hammerhead cruisers, the Courageous was furnished with a Vanjervalis computer system that enabled it to oversee as many as sixty-four of these vessels concurrently. With the Mandalorian invasion of the Republic, the Courageous was quickly put into action, and command was assigned to Republic Navy Captain Saul Karath, who had established his reputation by pursuing pirates in the Outer Rim.
In 3964 BBY, the Mandalorians began to threaten crucial resource-rich worlds near the planet Taris, eventually advancing on Vanquo, a planet located on the Republic's Jebble-Vanquo-Tarnith line. Karath and the Courageous participated in the Battle of Vanquo, with the ship directing the surrounding fleet from the heart of the Republic's defensive line. During the intense space battle, Karath and Lieutenant Dallan Morvis observed a vessel departing Vanquo's atmosphere. This ship was identified as The Last Resort, known to be carrying "Jedi killer" and wanted Republic fugitive Zayne Carrick, and it promptly jumped into hyperspace towards Mandalorian territory. Karath interpreted this as evidence that Carrick was a Mandalorian spy, and he vowed to bring Carrick to justice. The Courageous maintained its position above Vanquo for as long as possible, but Karath was eventually compelled to withdraw and retreat.
Karath's defense of Vanquo resulted in his promotion to rear admiral, and he soon shifted his focus to the next battleground of the war. In 3963 BBY, the Mandalorians turned their attention to the planet Serroco in the Expansion Region, a fully integrated member of the Republic, and Admiral Karath, as he was now known, assembled what he termed "Battle Group Serroco" with the aim of safeguarding the world. At the core of Karath's battle group was the Courageous, reinforced by numerous Hammerhead cruisers and other Republic vessels, along with a contingent of fringer tradespeople offering goods and services to the Republic soldiers. The Courageous and its group departed from their staging area on Ralltiir ahead of the Mandalorians, with Karath believing that the Republic Navy was finally prepared to confront its adversaries. The Courageous took the lead above Serroco, surrounded by Hammerhead cruisers, while the remainder of the battle group established camps among the planet's Stereb cities.
Unbeknownst to Karath, Zayne Carrick was present on the planet below, working aboard a fringer mess ship known as the Little Bivoli. After experiencing a Force vision in which the Mandalorians destroyed Serroco, the former Jedi Padawan Carrick decided that he needed to inform Karath of what he had seen. He managed to persuade Lieutenant Carth Onasi, one of Karath's protégés, to provide him with transport to the Courageous. However, upon Carrick's arrival on the Courageous's bridge, Karath, who already suspected him of being a Mandalorian spy, immediately recognized Carrick and ordered his arrest. Karath disregarded Carrick's warnings, and the Mandalorians soon arrived in-system, launching an initial barrage of nuclear missiles towards the Republic fleet. Much to Karath's surprise, the bombs circumvented the ships, instead targeting the planetside camps. Twenty-seven populated areas were struck by the Mandalorian attack, and while Onasi saved numerous lives by utilizing the Courageous's comm system to direct the native Stereb to seek refuge in underground catacombs, the Stereb cities were obliterated.
With the majority of his Battle Group Serroco destroyed, Karath was left with no alternative but to retreat and seek a defensible location. The Courageous was forced to flee, with Karath hoping to reach the planet Myrkr or the Ryyk Nebula, where the Courageous and its remaining forces could join up with the Tremendous group. The Mandalorians relentlessly pursued the Courageous. True to his pledge to protect the vessels in his flotilla from Mandalorian attacks, the Courageous was involved in numerous engagements during its journey through the hyperlanes.
The Mandalorians eventually overtook the Courageous in the depths of space, boarding the battleship with their shock troopers, marking the elite unit's first appearance in the war. With his flagship damaged and listing, Karath determined that scuttling the Courageous was the only viable option. Karath ordered all nonessential personnel to evacuate in escape pods and prepared to resist the boarders alongside his second-in-command, Commander Dallan Morvis. During the ensuing battle, Karath narrowly avoided death at the hands of a shock trooper thanks to the timely intervention of Lieutenant Onasi. Trapped, Karath, Morvis, and Onasi retreated to the brig, sealing the door behind them, and consulted with Zayne Carrick, who had been meditating in his prison cell. Carrick revealed that he had been using the Force to slowly unfastening the bolts in the walls behind him, creating a passage from his cell to the cargo bay where Onasi's cargo hauler, the Deadweight, remained undetected by the Mandalorians.
With Onasi piloting the Deadweight, the small group of survivors managed to evade Mandalorian pursuit and narrowly escaped the Courageous's destruction. Although news of the Courageous's demise spread and caused panic on some Republic worlds, such as Telerath, Karath successfully returned to the Republic capital of Coruscant, where he immediately tendered his resignation to the Republic Navy's Admiral of the Fleet for the loss of the Courageous. Instead, Karath was placed in command of the battleship Swiftsure, which had been newly refitted based on knowledge Karath had acquired while serving on the Courageous. The Mandalorians eventually melted down the Courageous for scrap, repurposing a portion of it into a battle-axe wielded by their chief, Mandalore the Ultimate.
The Courageous was under the command of Saul Karath, who was awaiting the Merit Board's decision on his promotion to rear admiral when he was granted control of the ship. The son of a laborer hailing from Corellia, Karath first made a name for himself aboard the ship Reciprocity, his initial command, where he gained recognition for his efforts in hunting pirates. Admiral Karath became celebrated for his accomplishments during the Mandalorian Wars, distinguishing himself through his tenacious defense of the planet Suurja, and later aboard the Courageous during the Vanquo and Serroco campaigns. Karath was initially presumed dead following the Courageous's destruction, and his subsequent safe return to Coruscant sparked joyous celebrations.
Commander Dallan Morvis, one of Karath's former subordinates from the Reciprocity, also served on the ship as Karath's trusted second. Morvis originated from an affluent background, with his father serving as the director of the Coruscant Financial Exchange and his mother holding the position of senator representing Chandrila. He found a rival for the admiral's favor in Lieutenant Carth Onasi, a skilled pilot from Telos IV who shared Karath's humble beginnings. Both men experienced advancements in their careers following the Courageous's destruction, with Morvis assuming command of his own Hammerhead-class cruiser and Onasi furthering his career in the Republic Navy under Karath's leadership. The ship's security chief was an individual known as Viddarie, and the Courageous also accommodated up to 4,300 skilled crew members and 2,000 soldiers.
The Courageous made its debut appearance in the eighth issue of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comic-book series. The issue was authored by John Jackson Miller, illustrated by Dustin Weaver, and published by Dark Horse Comics on September 20, 2006. During the ship's design process, Weaver fulfilled Miller's request for a "typical warship bridge with holographic battle displays" by creating the ship's distinctive "wishing-well" design. Miller chose the name of the ship after the Courageux, a French warship that was captured by the British in 1761.