- "Preliminary results indicate that the energy released during the test-fire had the destructive power of the combined batteries of a qaz-class Star Destroyer."
"An encouraging beginning." - ―Orson Krennic and Mas Amedda
The qaz-class Star Destroyer was a type of Star Destroyer used by the Imperial Navy since the formation of the Galactic Empire. One ship of this class was the Malevolence, which served during the Galactic Civil War. Shortly after the rise of the Empire, the test-firing of an Imperial kyber-crystal–powered weapon related to the development of the first Death Star had the destructive power of the combined batteries of a qaz-class Star Destroyer.
Characteristics[]
A model of Star Destroyer in the service of the Imperial Navy, the qaz-class Star Destroyer[2] was equipped with a number of weapons batteries.[1]
History[]
- "Recent transfer, from the new ship Malevolence."
"Oh, yeah? That's a qaz-class ship, right? I'd like to hear what it's like on one of those—" - ―Leia Organa and TK-5648
The qaz-class Star Destroyer was used by the Galactic Empire since its founding[3] in 19 BBY. In 17 BBY,[4] the Imperial organization Project Celestial Power conducted a test-firing of a kyber-crystal–powered weapon[1] that would later evolve into the superlaser of the first Death Star battle station.[5] Upon the orders of Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic, a Star Destroyer fired two beams that disappeared into the black holes known as the Hero Twins. Following the test-firing, Krennic informed Grand Vizier Mas Amedda that preliminary results indicated that the energy released by the weapon had the same destructive capacity as the combined batteries of a qaz-class Star Destroyer, which pleased Amedda.[1]
The Malevolence was a qaz-class Star Destroyer that had recently entered service shortly after the Battle of Yavin, during the Galactic Civil War.[2] At this point, it was one of the few qaz-class Star Destroyers remaining, as the other vessels were no longer in use.[3] Around that time, Princess Leia Organa of the Rebel Alliance undertook a mission to the planet Tibrin with Luke Skywalker.[6] After Skywalker was captured and taken aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Stormbringer, Organa infiltrated the ship to rescue him. As part of her cover, Organa pretended to have previously served on the Malevolence, but stormtrooper TK-5648, who was performing checks on personnel coming aboard, expressed surprise and openly wondered what it was like to serve on a qaz-class ship.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The qaz-class Star Destroyer was first mentioned in James Luceno's 2016 novel Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel.[1] Pronounced "kazz" in the audiobook,[7] the designation is neither capitalized nor italicized in text, unlike many other starship classifications in the book, including the Imperial-class Star Destroyer.[1]
The qaz-class was mentioned again in Landry Q. Walker's "The Trouble at Tibrin, Part II," a story included in the fifth issue of the Star Wars Adventures comic series,[2] published on December 27, 2017.[8] The story's text is in block capitals, meaning it can give no additional information about the capitalization of "qaz," but it also left the word unitalicized.[2]
Appearances[]
- Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel (First mentioned, simultaneous with audiobook)
- Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel audiobook (Mentioned only)
"The Trouble at Tibrin, Part II" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 5 (Mentioned only)- "The Trouble at Tibrin, Part II" — Star Wars Universe 8 (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - The Official Mission Debrief (Indirect mention only)
""Peace" à la Tarkin – The Imperial Fleet on a mission of terror" — Star Wars - The Official Magazine 93
"Starships of the Empire and the Rebellion" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "The Trouble at Tibrin, Part II" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 5
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Starships of the Empire and the Rebellion" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- ↑ "The Trouble at Tibrin" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 4
- ↑ Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel audiobook
- ↑ IDW December 2017 Solicits Put A Love And Rocket Up Your Assassinistas by Rich Johnston on Bleeding Cool (September 19, 2017) (archived from the original)