A-9 Vigilance Interceptor

The A-9 Vigilance Interceptor was introduced just after the demise of Grand Admiral Thrawn. The Interceptor was designed by Kuat Drive Yards, who were responsible for the imposing Star Destroyers. Kuat wanted to make a fighter that could rival the standard TIE fighters, as they wanted a part of the lucrative contract that Sienar Fleet Systems had.

As the Empire broke up into small factions, there was a need for more fighters, and some of the factions bought the A-9. But the breaking up meant that the Empire had far less control over the production of its ships, and inevitably the New Republic managed to get their hands on a few of the Interceptors when workers at the Yards overthrew their planetary government. This happened a year after Thrawn's death, when Mon Calamari was coming under heavy attack from the Empire.

The Interceptor is much like the other Imperial fighters. It has no shields or hyperdrive, but has a speed that matches the Rebels' A-Wings. It is not a large ship, but light and quick. This makes it perfect for unexpected attacks against Rebel bases and capital ships.

The A-9 has two forward-firing laser cannons as its weapons. These are more powerful than those of the X-Wing, and normally fire simultaneously, although there is modification kit that allow the weapons to be fired independently. The same kit supplies a servo driver system, which allows the guns to be depressed up to ninety degrees. This gives the A-9 the capability of strafing ground targets.

The Interceptor's hull is nothing great to look at. The cockpit pod is placed in the centre of the craft, and this contains the controls and the Carbanti sensor arrays. The laser cannons are located underneath the pod. The KuatDriveSystems A-9x thrust engines are connected by two wings, and as these are as long as the starframe, they have to have their own power generators. The weapons also need their own generators, but the ship's computer can reroute power from the generators to any other part of the ship. This means that if the power to the engines fails, then the pilot can cut power to the weapons and still fly home.

Although the A-9 Interceptor is extremely fast and highly maneuverable, its hull is very weak. I effect, the Empire had bought a ship that was exactly like the New Republic's A-Wing, but its pilots were not as good as the A-Wing's. Kuat has promised to build an improved Interceptor, with a much stronger hull. Rebel technicians have studied the A-9 in great detail, and view it not so much as a threat, but as a sign of what the Empire is up to in its declining years.