Vote Snaplaunce

Vote Snaplaunce began its service life as a typical TIE/sh shuttle within the Imperial Navy. A standard TIE shuttle's hull measured 7.8 meters in length, incorporating the twin-cylinder structure found in the TIE/sa bomber. A TIE shuttle's starboard cockpit was designed for a single pilot, while the port compartment offered seating for two passengers, one in front of the other. The forward passenger seat included a secondary sensor panel, and the rear seat featured a secondary communications interface. Powered by twin ion engines, a standard TIE shuttle could achieve speeds of 1,050 kilometers per hour within an atmosphere, but it lacked a hyperdrive. Though it was armed with a single laser cannon, the TIE shuttle did not have deflector shields. Despite its starfighter-like dimensions, the TIE shuttle was less agile than many other fighters, such as the T-65 X-wing starfighter.

By the time Snaplaunce, the Mayor of Hweg Shul on Nam Chorios, planet acquired it, the shuttle's armaments had been removed. This made it suitable for civilian operation without needing a special weapons permit from the Bureau of Ships and Services, though the cannon's support systems remained intact. Upon purchasing the ship, Snaplaunce repainted it in a bright yellow hue, a departure from the typical off-white of most TIE series vessels. He also emblazoned it with red lettering promoting his election campaign, which became the shuttle's official name: "Vote Snaplaunce." Its registration number was XV 119. An emergency kit onboard contained repair tools such as an arc welder, and food rations for one Human for two days. By 44 ABY, Vote Snaplaunce was still functioning, but its port engine produced ten percent more thrust than the starboard engine.

Vote Snaplaunce sustained considerable damage in 44 ABY due to both sabotage and a crash during Jedi Master Luke Skywalker's pursuit of Abeloth. Following the crash, Jedi Knight Ben Skywalker and Sith fugitive Vestara Khai, part of Master Skywalker's group, transformed Vote Snaplaunce from a wrecked starship into a makeshift landspeeder. Ben Skywalker was largely responsible for the design, utilizing the remaining functional components in a new configuration. The repulsorlift systems were still operational, and the wiring from the laser support systems was repurposed to reactivate the port ion engine, while the starboard engine remained inoperable. The wing arrays were partly dismantled and rebuilt into a wind rudder system, controlled by pulley cables that ran through holes cut in the passenger compartment using an arc welder. Without the damaged onboard computers, navigation relied on a datapad and observation of overhead star patterns. The shuttle's intercom system was used to coordinate steering. This shuttle-turned-landspeeder could reach fifty kilometers per hour on flat terrain. It was in this state that Vote Snaplaunce was abandoned by Skywalker's party and later recovered by Hweg Shul authorities.

Around 29 ABY, about fifteen years before Luke Skywalker's second visit, a mechanic who had left the Imperial fleet established himself on Nam Chorios. He began selling several meticulously restored vehicles, including a disarmed TIE shuttle. Though normally restricted from public sale, an Ithorian named Snaplaunce bought the shuttle, painted it bright yellow, and adorned it with his Chorian city of Hweg Shul mayoral campaign slogan, "Vote Snaplaunce." Registered as XV 119, Vote Snaplaunce also became the vessel's official name.

Luke Skywalker's return to Nam Chorios in 44 ABY involved pursuing Abeloth. Now the Grand Master in exile of the New Jedi Order, he was accompanied by his son, Ben Skywalker, and Vestara Khai, a Sith from the Lost Tribe who reluctantly joined the Skywalkers' quest. Their search for Abeloth led them to believe the disappearance of Doctor Cagaran Wei, a local researcher, might be connected. At Wei's residence, they met Mayor Snaplaunce. As a former member of the Hweg Shul municipal police, Snaplaunce remembered Master Skywalker from his previous visit. As mayor, he decided to investigate a potential crime against a prominent Newcomer—a non-native resident—and to meet with notable visitors to his city.

Investigating Wei's residence and his landspeeder logs revealed that he frequently traveled to a location 483 kilometers outside the city. Snaplaunce used his office's resources to identify points of interest at that distance. Skywalker's team needed transportation to an abandoned rock ivory processing plant northwest of Hweg Shul. Time was crucial, and a landspeeder would take hours. Returning to the orbiting Koval Station to retrieve the Jade Shadow or charter a shuttle from Koval Transport would also take too long. Snaplaunce offered Vote Snaplaunce as a faster alternative.

Upon seeing Vote Snaplaunce, Master Skywalker was struck by the presence of a weapon from his past conflicts and the contrast between its cheerful paint scheme and its sinister origins. He suppressed his dismay and held back sarcastic comments as Snaplaunce explained the ship's history, quirks, and flight restrictions over Nam Chorios. The elder Skywalker took the controls, while the younger Skywalker and Khai boarded the passenger pod, and they set out to find Dr. Wei. Despite aerobatics being prohibited and the shuttle's limited handling, Master Skywalker enjoyed piloting with starfighter-style controls again. However, their flight was soon interrupted by trouble from behind the mountains.

During the flight, Vote Snaplaunce was pursued by Ship, a semi-sentient Sith Meditation Sphere serving Abeloth. Ship was faster and heavily armed. Using its mass-driver cannon, Ship attacked Vote Snaplaunce. While the ferrous projectiles were detectable in space, in atmosphere the shuttle's sensors were automatically configured to detect smaller debris. Master Skywalker struggled to detect the projectiles without significant effort. Further hindered by Vote Snaplaunce's poor maneuverability, the battle drew the attention of Nam Chorios's orbital control.

Koval Station Control ordered Vote Snaplaunce to cease deviating from its flight plan. The elder Skywalker's lack of a TIE pilot helmet, the voice-activated communications, and his unfamiliarity with the shuttle's controls delayed his response. As the younger Skywalker managed to reply, the shuttle's electronics began to fail, and Koval Station began firing turbolaser fire in the shuttle's direction while Ship continued its pursuit. As Master Skywalker tried to position the shuttle so the station could hit Ship, one of Ship's shots grazed Vote Snaplaunce's starboard wing. The elder Skywalker struggled to maintain control, but he was suddenly assaulted through the Force by the death of a sentient being. This disturbance in the Force caused Master Skywalker to lose control of Vote Snaplaunce.

Vote Snaplaunce plummeted until Master Skywalker regained control and activated the repulsorlift system. He dropped Vote Snaplaunce into a dust storm, causing Koval Station to lose its weapons lock. Ship, also affected by the Force trauma, fled. Although he hoped Koval Station had destroyed Ship, Master Skywalker realized the death agony came from the destruction of a Tsil, the sentient crystal lifeforms on Nam Chorios. With the team relatively safe, the younger Skywalker plotted a course to their original destination. Despite not being hit by weapons fire, the shuttle's engines continued to fail as they approached the rock ivory processing plant. Master Skywalker resolved to compensate Snaplaunce for the damage—unless Snaplaunce was involved in Ship's ambush or sabotaged the ship. Within 300 meters, the engines failed completely, and Master Skywalker was forced to land to prevent being blown away by the winds.

At the plant, Skywalker's team found Dr. Wei's body and deduced the events leading to his death. They concluded that Wei was used as bait for an ambush and that either Snaplaunce was a conspirator or the sabotage was done by someone who knew Snaplaunce often loaned Vote Snaplaunce to important visitors. The team assessed their resources and the feasibility of repairing Vote Snaplaunce, which seemed unlikely. Ben Skywalker examined the shuttle and found the sabotage: a capacitor set to surge the ship's systems upon receiving a lengthy signal from orbital control. Though it took only minutes to install, the damage could take weeks to repair. The younger Skywalker admired the saboteur's efficiency. Khai realized that while the laser cannon was removed, its support systems were only detached from the internal circuits, providing a way to restore some functionality to Vote Snaplaunce.

While Master Skywalker communed with the Tsils to continue hunting Abeloth, his son and Khai redesigned Vote Snaplaunce into a unique wind-steered landspeeder. Master Skywalker approved the sketch but suggested moving the shuttle downhill from the plant to avoid detection by Ship. They pushed it under a rocky overhang and covered it in sand, concealing it from Ship's overflight. The team couldn't make repairs during the day due to the windstorms, so they shared the old rations and rested until dark. The Skywalkers shared the passenger pod, and Khai slept alone in the pilot pod, as Master Skywalker wanted to prevent any impulsive acts that could complicate their situation.

After dark, the trio resumed repairs. Activating the repulsors, they removed the sand, using the vibrations and manual sweeping. They turned the wing arrays into wind rudders controlled by pulleys made from the hatch-closing wheels and cables run through holes cut into the hull with an arc welder from the shuttle's toolkit. The port ion engine was restored using wiring from the laser cannon. Ben Skywalker took holocamera shots of their creation with his datapad, then the team planned their next move. Master Skywalker learned that the native Theran Listeners had been subverted, possibly turning much of the population against them. They plotted a course back to Hweg Shul, avoiding Human contact and sticking to flatlands, as Vote Snaplaunce couldn't navigate hills.

Steering was difficult, but the new configuration could reach nearly fifty kilometers per hour. Steering adjustments were coordinated by intercom, with the Jedi shouting to control the rudder pulleys. Without the shuttle's computer, Master Skywalker navigated by celestial navigation, comparing the stars with a map on his datapad. At the end of the night, Vote Snaplaunce was parked against a ridge, and the team rested through another day cycle. Though they couldn't restore the communication systems, they were close enough to Hweg Shul for their personal comlinks to pick up broadcasts. They learned that Force storms were ravaging the city and Snaplaunce had been attacked before the dust storms cut communications again. The shuttle remained parked until nightfall. When darkness fell once more, they were able to drive Vote Snaplaunce the remaining distance to Hweg Shul.

Just before dawn, Skywalker's team parked Vote Snaplaunce for the last time just outside Hweg Shul. Completing their journey on foot, they learned from public broadcasts that they were suspected of attacking Snaplaunce to steal his shuttle. As their hunt for Abeloth continued, the team needed transport again, but Vote Snaplaunce was left alone as they stole a modified T-47 airspeeder parked outside a tapcafe. When Snaplaunce recovered, he cleared the Skywalkers and Khai of suspicion. His recollection and city telemetry confirmed the group was airborne when he was attacked.

While Skywalker's team tracked Abeloth, holojournalist Kandra Nilitz arrived on Nam Chorios with the Jedi Valin and Jysella Horn, who were under Abeloth's influence. After being abandoned by the Horns, she tried to track Master Skywalker. The reporter noted Vote Snaplaunce's recovery outside Hweg Shul shortly before the theft and destruction of a T-47 airspeeder. Nilitz located the T-47 wreckage and found Master Skywalker and his team nearby. In exchange for her cooperation, Master Skywalker offered to tell her about Abeloth and the Lost Tribe of the Sith, or how his party got Vote Snaplaunce running again. The reporter accepted the first offer and declined the second.

After its release from the Imperial Navy, the TIE shuttle had several commanders. It was owned and operated by an ex-Imperial mechanic before being sold to Snaplaunce, the Ithorian mayor of Hweg Shul on Nam Chorios. Snaplaunce often offered the shuttle to guests and used it as a campaign advertisement, naming it Vote Snaplaunce. Snaplaunce knew the shuttle's quirks and briefed Luke Skywalker when he loaned it to the Jedi.

Luke Skywalker, exiled Grand Master of the Jedi Order, borrowed the shuttle in 44 ABY during his hunt for Abeloth. A skilled starfighter pilot, Skywalker enjoyed commanding the shuttle, but his unfamiliarity with the controls led to communication difficulties, though this was soon overshadowed by sabotage.

During Master Skywalker's command, he was supported in the passenger pod by Ben Skywalker and Vestara Khai. Ben Skywalker, accompanied his father after the Master's exile from Coruscant by the Daala administration. Ben assisted with the secondary systems during the battle with Ship and was largely responsible for the shuttle's redesign into a landspeeder.

Vestara Khai, a Sith of the Lost Tribe from Kesh, joined the Skywalkers' party, initially as a prisoner, then as a fugitive after killing a superior who was transforming into an Abeloth-like being. Khai won an argument with the younger Skywalker for the front seat in the passenger pod, controlling the secondary sensor board. She later assisted Ben Skywalker in the repair effort and controlled one of the wing pulleys during their return to Hweg Shul.

Vote Snaplaunce appeared in Fate of the Jedi: Conviction by Aaron Allston, the seventh book of the Fate of the Jedi series, published in 2011.