TIE Defender
Sienar Fleet Systems, under the direct supervision of Admiral Demetrius Zaarin, produced the TIE defender in complete secrecy shortly before the Battle of Endor. The defender’s design was cutting-edge, and completely outside the scope of standard Imperial starfighter doctrine. Because of the project’s secrecy, the upper-echelon Naval officers who had panned the TIE advanced project were never made aware of the TIE defender. Had such information been available, it is doubtful that the defender would have seen the light of day.
Because only a handful of defenders were produced, they did not see widespread use during the Galactic Civil War. Ironicallly, the TIE defender’s first use in combat was against rogue naval elements commanded by Admiral Zaarin himself. In the end, the defender was instrumental in engineering Zaarin’s ultimate defeat. At least one element of defenders from Onyx Squadron participated in the Battle of Endor, but they were too few to swing the battle in the Empire’s favor.
Capabilities
The TIE defender deviates from standard Imperial starfighter design philosophy in a number of ways. Not only is it a heavily armed assault fighter, it is equipped with a hyperdrive, heavy deflector shields, and thick armor plating. Because of its durability and firepower, the defender is capable of facing Alliance starfighters, such as the X-wing and Y-wing, on their own terms. In addition to four fire-linked laser cannons, the defender comes equipped with a pair of medium ion cannons and the ability to fire proton torpedoes.
The TIE defender is much faster than any other TIE variant. An array of maneuveering jets on eah of the defender’s three wing assemblies allows it to perform turns, dives, and complex acrobatic maneuvers with ease. It is also more than five times as expensive to produce as a standard TIE fighter. As a result, it is rarely deployed except in the most dire and unusual of circumstances.
Sienar Fleet Systems TIE Defender (CL 11)
Starships of the Galaxy, page 145.
Huge starfighter
Initiative: +15; Senses: Perception +8
Defenses: Fort 24, Ref 21 (flat-footed 12) ; +4 armor, Vehicular Combat
Hit Points: 100; DR: 10; SR: 30; Damage Threshold: 34
Speed: fly 16 squares (max. velocity 1,680 km/h), fly 8 squares (starship scale)
Ranged: laser cannons +10 (see below) or
Ranged: medium ion cannons +10 (see below) or
Ranged: proton torpedoes +10 (see below)
Fighting Space: 3×3 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover: total
Base Attack: +5; Grapple: 29
Attack Options: autofire (laser cannons, ion cannons), fire-link (proton torpedoes)
Abilities: Str 39, Dex 28, Con —, Int 16
Skills: Initiative +15, Mechanics +8, Perception +8, Pilot +15, Use Computer +8
Crew: 1 (expert); Passengers: none
Cargo: 65 kg; Consumables: 2 days; Carried Craft: none
Payload: 8 proton torpedoes
Hyperdrive: ×2, limited navicomputer (10-jump memory)
Availability: Military; Cost: 200,000 (80,000 used)
Laser cannons (pilot)
Attack: +10 (+5 autofire), Damage: 6d10×2
Medium ion cannons (pilot)
Attack: +10 (+5 autofire), Damage: 4d10×2 (ion)
Proton torpedoes (pilot)
Attack: +10, Damage: 9d10×2, 4-square splash