The Vindicator-class heavy cruiser, alternatively referred to as the Vindicator-class cruiser, represented a class of heavy cruiser that served within the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire. Constructed utilizing the same fundamental structural design as the Immobilizer 418 cruiser, the Vindicator showcased a hull akin to the smaller Surveyor-class reconnaissance frigate, a command tower, and a complement consisting of at least one flight of TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. Following the Battle of Yavin during the Galactic Civil War, a Vindicator-class cruiser was tasked with patrolling the planet Ord Cestus and the surrounding system situated within the Outer Rim Territories.
The heavy cruiser of the Vindicator-class was characterized by a hull design echoing that of the Surveyor-class reconnaissance frigate, a smaller vessel known for its slender, dagger-shaped hull. Furthermore, it was built upon the same basic superstructure as the Immobilizer 418 cruiser. In contrast to the frigate, the Vindicator was equipped with a command tower. This cruiser also accommodated a minimum of one flight of TIE/ln space superiority starfighters and required a crew for operation.
The Vindicator's purpose was to ensure the security of star systems and to monitor the traffic moving through those systems.
During the Galactic Civil War, the Imperial Navy of the Galactic Empire deployed the Vindicator-class heavy cruiser in opposition to the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Sometime after the Battle of Yavin in 0 ABY, a lone Vindicator was assigned to maintain order around the planet of Ord Cestus and its encompassing system, which was located in the Outer Rim Territories. The starship's crew kept a close watch on the system's traffic, remaining alert for known smugglers and individuals sympathetic to the rebellion, even though the ship's capabilities were somewhat excessive for the relatively light traffic volume of that system. The crew generally found their duties to be monotonous. They only intervened if an approaching vessel's transponder codes immediately signaled a threat or if the vessel displayed outright hostility.
This particular Vindicator was fully equipped with TIE fighters. Standard operating procedure dictated that a flight of these starfighters would be launched from the cruiser to investigate any incoming vessel deemed suspicious. Furthermore, the Vindicator's TIE fighters represented the most readily available and significant military force for providing support to the Imperial base on the planet's surface, should reinforcements be requested.
Within the current Star Wars canon timeline, the Vindicator-class cruiser made its debut in the Star Wars Roleplaying supplement titled Lead by Example. This sourcebook was released by Fantasy Flight Games on February 4, 2016, for the Star Wars: Age of Rebellion roleplaying game system. Later, in the sourcebook Forged in Battle, also published by Fantasy Flight Games on August 18 of the same year for the same roleplaying game series, the vessel was formally identified as the Vindicator-class heavy cruiser.
Within the Star Wars Legends continuity, the Vindicator-class heavy cruiser was initially mentioned in the sourcebook Starships of the Galaxy. This book was a supplement for the Star Wars Roleplaying Game system created by Wizards of the Coast, authored by Owen K.C. Stephens, and published by Wizards of the Coast in 2001. The Vindicator subsequently appeared in the video game Star Wars Battlefront: Elite Squadron, developed by Rebellion Developments and released in 2009.
- Lead by Example (Initial mention)
- Forged in Battle (Initial identification as Vindicator-class heavy cruiser)
- " Starships of the Empire and the Rebellion " — Star Wars Encyclopedia