Officially, the Theta‑class is a “personnel transport” rather than a shuttle, a sign of how hard its manufacturer (Cygnus Spaceworks) works to prevent the Theta from being considered ordinary or pedestrian. The Theta‑class was aimed squarely at the rich and important, and it quickly became the shuttle of choice among Old Republic (and later Galactic Empire) Senators. Its combination of speed, comfort, range, and safety made it a perfect choice for those of rank on Coruscant and elsewhere who needed to travel in both safety and style. The design elements that made the Theta such a success were mimicked in many later designs, including the Lambda‑class shuttle.
For those who can afford it, a luxury-upgraded Theta is perfect both for short trips with a dozen or so passengers, and for longer trips with a smaller complement. Some Thetas were converted to at as light freighters, especially after the Galactic Senate was disbanded and the Empire sold many Thetas at auction. Such vessels rarely have the appointments of an original Theta, however, and are too small to carry enough cargo to be economically viable in most cases. some end up being refurbished by collectors of the original, classic design.
Capabilities
Not much larger than a typical snub fighter, a Theta‑class is designed to provide all the comforts of a luxury transport plus the fighting power of a military craft and the safety of a major space liner. A Theta is too small to survive against a capital ship, but it has a respectable chance against a small number of light attack craft or airspeeders. This fact is particularly remarkable when you consider the amount of space it takes to convey 21 people in luxurious comfort for a two-month trip. In fact, the quarters do become claustrophobic during anything longer than a day trip, but the knowledge that even a massive hyperdrive failure would not result in death by starvation was often important to Senators.
A typical Senatorial shuttle includes an extreme luxury upgrade, a HoloNet transceiver, a medical bed, and slave circuitry. Individual Senators and other wealthy owners often added their own modifications, including droid repair teams, sensor jammers, cargo jettison systems, and even smuggler’s compartments.
Theta-class Shuttle (CL 11)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 141.
Colossal space transport
Initiative: +5; Senses: Perception +5
Defenses: Fort 26, Ref 15 (flat-footed 12) ; +12 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 120; DR: 10; SR: 20; Damage Threshold: 76
Speed: fly 12 squares (max. velocity 825 km/h), fly 3 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: quad laser cannon +4 (see below) and
laser cannon +4 (see below)
Fighting Space: 4×4 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover: total
Base Attack: +2; Grapple: 38
Attack Options: autofire (quad laser cannons)
Abilities: Str 42, Dex 16, Con —, Int 14
Skills: Initiative +5, Mechanics +6, Perception +6, Pilot +5, Use Computer +6
Crew: 5 (skilled); Passengers: 16
Cargo: 50 tons; Consumables: 2 months; Carried Craft: none
Hyperdrive: ×1 (backup×15), navicomputer
Availability: Restricted; Cost: 1,000,000 (210,000 without luxury upgrades)
Quad laser cannon (gunner)
Attack: +4 (−1 autofire), Damage: 6d10×2
Laser cannon (gunner)
Attack: +4, Damage: 4d10×2