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This week, I was feeling in a bit of an Old Republic mood. Not necessarily The Old Republic and not necessarily Knights of the Old Republic. I pondered which direction to go in and decided, naw, I won’t decide! Lucky for me, the Aurek-class fighter has had a ludicrously long service life stretching across multiple sub-eras.
Looking for something to pit these against? Check out my previous coverage of Old Republic era strikecraft from the baddies side in my post on Sith Strikecraft.
Aurek-class Tactical Strikefighter
A truly venerable craft, the Aurek-class Tactical
Strikefighter served the Republic in one form or another for over a millennia. Designed to fulfill the Generation Tomorrow Starfighter Program, the Aurek-class retained the heavy blasters of its predecessor, the lumbering XC-01 Star Saber, while drastically improving handling and speed. These craft were adopted as the Republic Navy’s primary starfighter just before the outbreak of the Mandalorian Wars. Peace minded senators opposed this acquisition, suggesting it to be an unnecessary expense in a time of heavy reconstruction after the Great Sith War, were outmaneuvered by Senate hawks and lobbyists. The purchase proved retroactively correct, however, as the Aurek form-factor remained the primary Republic strikecraft for thousands of years.
Exceptionally streamlined, the Aurek-class boasted variable geometry wings and folding outrigger cannons. This design allowed for incredible speed and responsive handling. Such attributes served Republic pilots well in countless dogfights against nimble Sith interceptors. The inclusion of proton torpedoes made the Aurek a multirole fighter, capable of tactical strikes on capital ships or in close support of ground forces. The limited number of warheads carried meant true bombing missions were best left to the Warcarrier heavy bomber or Rampart tactical bomber.
The scale of production for the Aurek was truly galactic in proportions. Countless Aureks were produced over the millennia and put to use not only by the Republic Navy, but by planetary defense forces and private armed groups. The Republic would often sell damaged strikefighters en masse and buy new rather than expend time and effort in repairs. Similarly, rather than retrofit existing craft to upgraded specifications, new spaceframes were commissioned over the years, with older craft being liquidated to the highest bidder. It is through these policies that Aureks could be seen in the hands of groups as diverse as the Jedi Order, the Onderon defense fleet, and countless mercenary outfits. While eventually phased out of service, the Aurek-class was instrumental in developing starfighter doctrine still in use by the A-Wings and X-Wings of the Rebel Alliance.
Sil 3; Speed 6; Handling +2; Def 1/-/-/1 Armor 2
Hull Trauma 8; System Strain 8
Hull Type/Class: Tactical Strikefighter/Aurek-class.
Manufacturer: Republic Fleet Systems.
Hyperdrive: Primary: Class 2, Backup: None.
Navicomputer: Yes.
Sensor Range: Short.
Crew: One pilot.
Encumbrance Capacity: 4.
Passenger Capacity: 0.
Consumables: One week.
Price/Rarity: 145,000 credits / 6
Customization Hard Points: 1.
Weapons: Wing-mounted heavy laser cannons (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range [Short]; Linked 1), forward-mounted proton torpedo launchers (Fire Arc Forward; Damage 8; Critical 2; Range [Short]; Blast 6, Breach 6, Guided 2, Limited Ammo 6; Linked 1).
Christopher Hunt
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I know the wookieepedia page say heavy laser cannon’s, but seems a bit much for this bird. Maybe say heavy for their time, but more like mediums in ABY terms. Heavy lasers seem better suited for sil 4+ vehicles, or a single weapon the a sil 3 ship would be built around (like the A-10 and it’s cannon.)
Also, this seems like a ship that would be flown by a Merc group led by an Amaran. Probably well known for their barrel rolls. 😛
Yeah, heavy laser cannons are pretty crazy. Sometimes I opt to tweak down or up, other times I stick closer to the lore. It absolutely would not be hard to swap the heavies for mediums and maybe adjust the price.
You raise an interesting point on “heavy for their time, but more like mediums in ABY terms”. When I look at TOR kit, I tend to think of it as balanced versus its contemporaries (so this vs various Sith interceptors) rather than in absolute terms. Back in Saga, you had a template you could apply for antiquated ships. That might be an interesting thing for me to whip up a fan sidebar for.
Thanks for your feedback!