The StarViper-class attack platform represented a model of heavy attack starfighter that was produced by Mandal Hypernautics, a division within MandalMotors. While its armor was relatively light, this starfighter made up for it by possessing significant firepower and impressive speed. Due to its substantial cost, its use was generally confined to major criminal organizations such as Black Sun and the Zann Consortium.
Mandal Hypernautics was responsible for the design of the StarViper-class attack platform. This fighter featured an unusual configuration, characterized by four wings extending from a central cockpit that could be either extended or retracted depending on the tactical situation. When in maneuvering configuration, the wings retracted horizontally, enhancing both speed and agility for dogfighting. This configuration locked the dual swiveling heavy laser cannons into a forward-facing position. When close-quarters combat was not required, the wings could be extended, allowing the laser cannons to rotate in both forward and rearward directions. The StarViper's hull was reasonably robust, but its armor was comparatively weak for a heavy starfighter. It compensated for this with speed, agility, and a pair of forward-mounted proton torpedo launchers, enabling it to engage enemy vessels before they could effectively return fire.
Despite being designed by a Mandalorian corporation, the StarViper was not commonly deployed by Mandalorian fighting forces. The fighter's hefty price tag of 160,000 credits restricted its affordability to only the most affluent underworld groups, including Black Sun and the Zann Consortium. The latter, as a criminal enterprise, incorporated them into their arsenal, and at one point dispatched a squadron of StarViper-class attack platforms to raid a privately owned space station whose owners had accrued significant debt to the organization.
During the Galactic Civil War, a prominent crime lord sponsored an all-out, no-holds-barred race across the raw, untamed terrain of a proto-planet. Contestants had to navigate through active volcanoes, treacherous canyons, and severe storms, all in pursuit of a jewel-laden crown rumored to contain rare and precious kyber crystals. The frontrunner in this race was piloting a StarViper attack platform and possessed uncanny reflexes, along with an almost unsettling ability to anticipate and circumvent any obstacle. This individual's abilities attracted the attention of the Galactic Empire.
The _StarViper_class attack platform was initially identified within the current Star Wars canon in the 2020 roleplaying game sourcebook titled Starships and Speeders. The ship originated within the Star Wars Legends continuity, making its debut in the 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire novel authored by Steve Perry.
- Star Wars: Destiny — Convergence (Card: StarViper) (backup link) (First mentioned)
- Starships and Speeders (First identified as StarViper-class attack platform)
- Star Wars: Unlimited — Spark of Rebellion (Card: Consortium StarViper) (SWUDB backup link)