Count Dooku's solar sailer

Characteristics

Design

The solar sailer of Dooku was a singular fusion of Geonosian and Gree technology, constructed upon the framework of a Punworcca 116-class sloop from Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective. The sloop's dimensions were 15.2 meters in length, 4.6 meters in width, and 4.8 meters in depth. Mirroring many Geonosian starships, it featured a pair of multifunctional bow prongs, with a spherical cockpit module nestled between them, and a crew compartment situated at the stern.

The solar sailer's exterior hull, dark in color, was fashioned from heavy metals that were exceedingly scarce on Geonosis. The interior was specifically designed to suit Dooku's sophisticated preferences and his position as the leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, boasting an extensive databook collection, strategic display charts, and lavish decorations alongside sleeping quarters.

Armament

The solar sailer, only lightly armed, featured rows of 84 narrow-beam tractor-repulsor emitters on its bow prongs, which could function as offensive grappling tools. Furthermore, the cockpit module could be swapped out for a specialized weapons or sensor orb if required, with the piloting controls redirected to the main hold.

Propulsion

The most distinctive feature of Dooku's solar sailer was its sail, an ancient Gree artifact provided by Dooku himself. Unlike typical solar sails, which expanded to moon-like sizes and were propelled by tachyon streams or ultraviolet lasers, Dooku's unique sail lacked an obvious energy source. This characteristic made the vessel particularly difficult to track through hyperspace, enabling it to travel to and from heavily guarded planets like Coruscant undetected. Dooku's sail was made of an exotic material that reflected otherwise-undetectable supralight emissions, allowing for superior performance across the entire galaxy with a significantly smaller size compared to most sails. The autonomy granted by such a unique ship enhanced Dooku's mystique in the eyes of the Geonosians, and some soldier drones even came to believe that Dooku's ship operated through magic.

The solar sailer also included a standard repulsorlift, and the tractor beam emitters on the bow prongs could be employed as steering aids when there were surrounding objects to interact with. The distribution of ray shield and particle shield energies around the prongs could also be adjusted to provide additional maneuverability in an atmosphere. Dooku typically depended on an FA-4 pilot droid to operate his ship.

History

Poggle the Lesser gifted this sloop to Dooku. Around 32 BBY, soon after joining the Sith Order, Count Dooku acquired a distinctive, ancient "solar" sail from an antiques dealer located in the Gree Enclave to incorporate into his sloop. This sail harnessed an undetectable energy source, facilitating effortless high speeds that conventional sails could not match. Archduke Poggle was pleased that ancient technology enhanced the sloop, given Geonosis had a rich sailing tradition spanning centuries. Fourteen standard days prior to the First Battle of Geonosis in 22 BBY, the Senate Bureau of Intelligence verified eyewitness accounts indicating that Dooku had been observed earlier in the week visiting the Gree Enclave, supposedly in search of valuable antiques.

At the commencement of the Clone Wars on Geonosis, Dooku's solar sailer was docked within his hangar. During a confrontation with Jedi Grand Master Yoda, Dooku's lightsaber lightly grazed the solar sailer when he attempted to attack his former master. After being delayed by Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda, he escaped the Battle of Geonosis aboard it. Subsequently, he met with his master, Darth Sidious, at The Works on Coruscant.

Throughout the Clone Wars, Dooku utilized the solar sailer as his primary mode of transport to important locations and to flee from battles. On one occasion, it sustained damage and crashed on Vanqor following a heated battle while attempting to evade Kenobi and Skywalker as their forces attacked his flagship. The pilot droid, along with all the ship's equipment, was dismantled by a group of Weequay pirates. Hondo Ohnaka, the pirate leader, remarked on the ship's rarity and high value, describing it as beautiful. To avoid unnecessarily provoking the pirates, the Count permitted Ohnaka to "help himself to it," showing no immediate concern for the looting of the vessel. Sometime after escaping imprisonment in their base on Florrum, Dooku arranged for the recovery and repair of his solar sailer.

During the Battle of Coruscant, he convened with General Grievous aboard the Invisible Hand after departing Tythe in the vessel.