Interdictor-class Star Destroyer
During the Imperial Era, the Interdictor-class Star Destroyer served as a variant of the Star Destroyer line, specifically evolved from the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. The Galactic Empire made use of both the Interdictor-class and other Imperial-class models for the purpose of inspecting vessels encountered on their patrol routes. This particular Interdictor type measured 1,600 meters in length and was equipped with four gravity well projectors. Notably, Admiral Gable Karius, who held the position of commander for the Imperial garrison at Fortress Vader located on Mustafar, employed an Interdictor to successfully capture a smuggler, their First Mate named ZO-E3, along with their starship, the Windfall. In the course of Crimson Dawn's war against the Sith, the Imperial Navy dispatched an Interdictor-class ship in an attempt to bring an end to Lady Qi'ra's leadership of Crimson Dawn; however, Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermillion, deliberately collided with the Interdictor, resulting in the destruction of both vessels.
Characteristics
The Interdictor-class Star Destroyer was a Star Destroyer and Interdictor type ship measuring 1,600 meters in length and was a derivative of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer. Consequently, its design incorporated a dagger-like shape, featuring an elevated command structure that housed the conning tower at its peak. A distinguishing feature from other Imperial-class ships was a break in the command levels, characterized by a substantial substructure separating the hull from the location of the bridge. On top of the command structure, at the port and starboard sides, were two deflector shield generator domes, with a communications tower situated between them. The hull was color gray.
The Interdictor-class was armed with turbolasers positioned aft of the four spheroidal gravity well projectors—two on the starboard side and two on the port side. These gravity well projectors had the power to generate an artificial gravity well, which created an interdiction field. This field was capable of preventing vessels from entering hyperspace, as well as forcing ships out of it. The starship featured a small ventral hangar bay located forward of a larger ventral hangar, with a ventral solar ionization reactor positioned between its projectors. The Interdictor-class also included three Destroyer-I ion engines along with four Gemon-4 ion engines for use in emergencies. Inside the Interdictor-class, there were hallways and compartments, including walls equipped with controls and at least one viewscreen that enabled communication with other starships.
Role
On occasion, Interdictor-class starships were deployed alongside other Imperial-class Star Destroyers belonging to the Galactic Empire. Their mission was to extract vessels from hyperspace at strategic points along their patrol routes, enabling boarding and inspection.
History
Earlier service in the Empire
During the Empire's reign, the Imperial Navy operated a number of Interdictors. One such Interdictor was under the command of Admiral Gable Karius, who also acted as the commander of the garrison based at Fortress Vader on the volcanic planet of Mustafar in 1 BBY. During its service there, the vessel captured the smuggling ship Windfall, pulling it out of hyperspace and positioning it above Mustafar. ZO-E3, who served as the First Mate of the Windfall, expressed confusion regarding their capture in hyperspace and subsequent placement in the Atravis sector of the Outer Rim Territories.
Following an encounter with TIE fighters, and upon the Interdictor-class coming into view from the Windfall's cockpit, ZO-E3 remarked that the Star Destroyer was different from any she had previously seen. Admiral Karius soon contacted ZO-E3 and her captain, a Force-sensitive smuggler, via a two-way viewscreen from the Interdictor. After identifying himself, the admiral ordered the Windfall to relinquish control of their ship to the Star Destroyer. Despite initial resistance, the crew eventually complied, allowing the Empire to assume control and move the vessel from Mustafar's orbit to the hangar of Fortress Vader on the surface, escorted by TIE fighters.
By 0 ABY, the Empire had ceased manufacturing a specific Interdictor cruiser model, the Immobilizer 418 cruiser, because of its vulnerabilities. Instead, the Empire favored installing gravity well projectors on Star Destroyers, which were more difficult to destroy. The Empire also discontinued production of the Interdictor-class heavy cruisers, as they proved to be easy targets for rebels. Their gravity well projectors were then incorporated into standard Star Destroyers. Rebel Alliance lieutenant and Jedi Luke Skywalker recalled the cessation of Immobilizer 418 cruiser production and the subsequent integration of the projectors into Star Destroyers after he and his ship, the Desert Jewel, were pulled out of hyperspace by an Immobilizer in the Daalang system and fought against Imperial forces.
Unveiling the hidden empire
Following the outbreak of the Crimson Dawn syndicate's clandestine war against the Sith, which transpired between 3 ABY and 4 ABY, the Empire began a search for Crimson Dawn's forces across the galaxy. Eventually, the Imperial Navy located Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermillion, on the surface of a planet.
An admiral led the Imperial fleet forces, which included an Interdictor-class and an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. From the Imperial-class, the admiral instructed the Interdictor's crew to engage their gravity well projectors to prevent Crimson Dawn forces from escaping. A battle started when the Vermillion attacked the Interdictor-class and nearby TIE fighters, heading directly toward the Interdictor. Unable to halt its movement, the Vermillion collided with the Interdictor-class, resulting in the destruction of both ships in a significant explosion. With the Vermillion destroyed, Emperor Palpatine assumed that Crimson Dawn leader Lady Qi'ra had perished. However, Qi'ra was actually transmitting from the starship Siroto and managed to evade capture by the Empire. After the battle, the wreckage of the Interdictor-class was visible on a screen in the Siroto.
Behind the scenes
The Interdictor-class Star Destroyer was initially mentioned, although not explicitly, in the current Star Wars canon in Heir to the Jedi, a novel written by Kevin Hearne and released on March 3, 2015. The starship was subsequently identified in the twentieth issue of the Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazine by De Agostini, which was released around May 20, 2015.
The Interdictor-class made its first visual appearance on September 26, 2018, simultaneously in a news segment on The Star Wars Show, a YouTube web series, and in a promotional image featured in a news article on StarWars.com. Both announcements promoted the virtual-reality video game Vader Immortal – Episode I, the first episode of Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series produced by ILMxLAB. The game was released in 2019, marking the ship's first appearance. According to a Twitter post by Lucasfilm Story Group executive Pablo Hidalgo, the Interdictor-class was simply referred to as a Star Destroyer in the script for Vader Immortal. The 2024 reference book Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy was the first source to identify the vessel as a "Interdictor-class Star Destroyer."
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the Interdictor-class Star Destroyer made its debut in the fifth issue of the Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron comic book series, published by Dark Horse Comics on February 13, 1996. The issue was written by Darko Macan and Michael A. Stackpole, with illustrations by Edvin Biuković. The vessel was officially named in the twenty-first issue of the magazine The Official Star Wars Fact File, which was published in 2002.