The Nemesis-class gunship represented a novel military spacecraft manufactured by the Galactic Empire in the early years of the Galactic Civil War. This gunship was armed with a variety of potent weaponry, notably missile launchers and a heavy repeating cannon. However, the sophistication and destructive capability integrated into its design resulted in a substantial cost, restricting its acquisition to only the wealthiest regional governors within the Empire.
A mere year following the commencement of the Galactic Civil War, a rebellious clone originating from Darth Vader's deceased secret apprentice, Galen Marek, journeyed to Cato Neimoidia with the intention of liberating the Jedi General Rahm Kota of the Rebel Alliance. As the renegade clone unleashed a wave of destruction across Tarko-se and its Imperial garrison, he soon learned that the city's defense, under the command of planetary administrator Baron Merillion Tarko, included two Nemesis-class gunships. Despite their impressive and lethal arsenal, both gunships were ultimately outmatched by the clone's immensely strong mastery of the Force. Soon after obliterating the gunships, the clone successfully freed Kota from captivity, leading to Tarko's demise and the complete annihilation of his city.
The Nemesis-class gunship was conceptualized to deliver close-range aerial support for Imperial forces and to quell uprisings among the populace. As a result, the Nemesis gunships were constructed as formidable heavy-weapons platforms. Their armaments featured an assortment of highly advanced weapons, boasting superior firepower and a greater ammunition capacity compared to preceding gunships. The Nemesis' primary offensive capabilities consisted of the anti-personnel Hellcaster cannon and the anti-armor concussion missile launchers.
A distinctive characteristic of the Nemesis-class was its unique engine configuration. Departing from conventional gunships that employed standard repulsorlift engines, the Nemesis utilized a jet-drive system. This system generated a turbulent, superheated air backwash that produced an exceptionally high-pitched sound. The vessel's angled jet-drives necessitated the skills of specifically trained pilots to effectively operate the Nemesis-class gunships.
The Galactic Empire maintained control through instilling fear in its citizens, specifically fear of the Empire's relentless military strength and unmatched technology. Consequently, Imperial starships and vehicles were designed to evoke terror in the Empire's adversaries, both through their imposing appearance and overwhelming firepower. The Nemesis-class gunship was a direct embodiment of the Empire's unwavering commitment to galactic dominance and total war. Like many other vessels within the Empire's seemingly endless arsenal, the Nemesis was created to undermine the enemy's resolve, whether through the threat of force or the actual application of it.
The Nemesis-class gunship was well-suited for both military campaigns against rebellious factions and planetary occupations aimed at suppressing civilian unrest. Regardless of its specific role, the Nemesis was intended to symbolize the magnitude of Imperial power and the futility of resistance. The Nemesis' performance on Polomie and its involvement on Cato Neimoidia serve as clear examples of its primary function as an instrument of fear, as well as its effectiveness against enemy combatants and vehicles.
In general, the Nemesis' key strengths were its highly destructive—and extremely costly—weapons and firepower. The Hellcaster cannon and concussion missile launchers, coupled with a substantial ammunition supply, made the gunship one of the most deadly vessels in the Imperial Navy by 1 BBY. While the hull's metal provided significant protection against conventional weapons and attacks, the gunship was unusually susceptible to its own weaponry. During the destruction of Tarko-se on Cato Neimoidia, a rebellious clone of Galen Marek neutralized two Nemesis-class gunships by reversing concussion missiles back to their point of origin.
Around the time the Galactic Civil War erupted between the ruling Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance, Cygnus Spaceworks had just finished a new gunship for the Imperial Navy. The Nemesis-class gunship was considered the most uniquely designed military craft of its era. The Nemesis underwent its initial operational evaluation on Polomie, where Imperial armed forces were deployed to eradicate a Rebel stronghold. The Nemesis' performance was practically flawless. In addition to surpassing all expectations of its hopeful designers and users, the Nemesis sustained only minimal damage during its first combat engagement.
An unanticipated, yet appreciated, consequence of the Nemesis' jet-drive system was also discovered during the conflict. The gunship's jets emitted an extremely loud, piercing sound that significantly lowered Rebel morale, to the point where numerous Rebel troops discarded their weapons and fled in complete panic. Inspector-General Moff Rebu commended the Nemesis, particularly the characteristics and effects of its exceptionally well-designed weapons system, in his report to the Imperial Department of Military Research.
However, despite Moff Rebu's strong endorsement of the Nemesis-class gunship, he was disappointed to realize that the distinctive vessel would likely never enter mass production due to its "one of a kind" nature. Ironically, the Nemesis was overly complex for its own good. Its use of angled jet drives, instead of repulsors, demanded specially trained pilots, creating an excessive demand on personnel. The vessel's weaponry also presented a challenge; the Hellcaster cannon required heavy elements that made ammunition too expensive and difficult to manufacture. Consequently, only the Empire's wealthiest Moffs and governors could afford the Nemesis' exorbitant price.
Moff Rebu's prediction regarding the limited deployment of Nemesis-class gunships proved accurate. Due to their scarce numbers, the highly experimental gunships were relegated to Imperial-occupied planets where the native populations required occasional suppression—a fitting role for the Nemesis. One of the Moffs who could afford the gunship's costs was Baron Merillion Tarko, the Imperial governor of Cato Neimoidia. As a former Separatist world that had betrayed the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars, the Empire naturally stationed a substantial military garrison to occupy the planet and ensure its loyalty to Emperor Palpatine. Although the Neimoidians were inherently cowardly without the protection of their battle droid army, Tarko nevertheless supplemented his private force of stormtroopers, scout troopers, jumptroopers, carbonite war droids and Imperial Sith Acolytes with two Nemesis-class gunships.
By 1 BBY, a rebellious clone of the deceased Galen Marek, former apprentice to the Sith Lord Darth Vader, escaped from Kamino. Created as part of a series of genetically-flawed duplicates secretly commissioned by Vader, the renegade clone's imprinted memories caused him to share certain traits with his genetic source, especially Marek's feelings for Imperial-turned-Rebel Captain Juno Eclipse. Due to these imperfections, the clone deserted his creator and hijacked an advanced TIE fighter to flee into the galaxy.
Seeking Captain Eclipse, the clone decided to travel to Cato Neimoidia and liberate his progenitor's Jedi mentor, General Rahm Kota, who had been captured and forced to compete in the Tarko-se arena after failing to assassinate Baron Tarko. Upon the clone's arrival in Tarko's city, Imperial forces attempted to eliminate him upon realizing he was an intruder. The clone proceeded to devastate much of the Imperial garrison, easily overwhelming waves of stormtroopers and auxiliary units throughout Tarko-se. In desperation, Tarko deployed his personal Nemesis-class gunship against the clone. The vessel's Hellcaster cannon forced the clone into a Force-enhanced sprint across a bridge until he escaped into the city's casino complex.
When the clone commandeered a hover train to reach the city's western arch, the gunship resumed its assault, firing repeated shots and concussion missiles at the clone and the train. Despite the Nemesis' exceptional armaments, its weapons proved completely ineffective against the raw power of the clone and his remarkable connection to the Force. The clone managed to turn the gunship's own weapons against it, deflecting its missiles with his lightsabers and telekinetic abilities. The gunship suffered immense damage from its own missiles, resulting in its explosion as the clone reached his destination; however, the hover train he was on was also too badly damaged and began to plummet from the sky just as he arrived.
As the clone fought his way to the arena's entrance, the second Nemesis-class gunship was deployed in a final attempt to halt his progress. After slaughtering the remaining Imperials in his path, the gunship attempted to suppress the clone with its missiles and Hellcaster cannon. The clone used the missiles to destroy the cannon and inflict severe damage to the gunship. Through the Force, he seized the Nemesis and crashed it into the arena bridge's support structure, ultimately destroying the gunship completely. Shortly thereafter, the clone achieved his objective of rescuing General Kota, though his actions also resulted in the total destruction of the arena and the death of Baron Tarko.
The design of the Nemesis-class Gunship was created because the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II's design team, "needed a bigger, more powerful version of the Imperial troop transport—one with a lot more guns, missiles, and engines." Concept artist Chun Gee created the final render and design, as well a cross-section of the craft. The design team considered the additional detail from the cross-section an, "invaluable piece of reference for artists who were implementing damage effects because Starkiller absolutely punishes the gunship during gameplay."