Introduced during the days of the return of Palpatine, the I-7 Howlrunners first saw duty during the Imperial Civil War. They were commanded by some major Imperial factions, and a squadron of the short-range fighters did battle with the Millennium Falcon, which was on a mission to Coruscant to rescue Luke and Lando. The Howlrunners were nicknamed by their pilots, after the wild omnivores from the planet Kamar.
The Howlrunners are not particularly special. The can fly easily in deep space and in atmospheres, but their weapons and speed are not spectacular. Compared to X-Wings and Y-Wings, the Imperial fighters are fast, but are nothing next to the TIE Interceptors and Republic E-Wings. Although the two fixed forward-firing laser cannons are as accurate as that of the Interceptor’s, they are not as powerful.
The main point is their favour is their shield generators. This is almost unique amongst the starfighters of the Empire. The dedicated shield generators allow the Howlrunners to withstand as much damage as an X-Wings, a definite improvement in the Empire’s fight against the New Republic. Manoeuvrability is great thanks to the craft’s low mass, meaning that it could tear apart heavy assault fighters such as the B-Wing. But this does not make up for its lack of firepower and speed, so the Howlrunners have to rely on superiority of numbers to beat the New Republic.
The I-7s are designed by Incom, the company that produced the great Z-95 Headhunter, but whose rogue design team also designed and sold the T-65 X-Wing to the Rebels. This was their first big shot at pleasing the Empire since they were nationalised a decade before the Civil War. The Empire wanted a ship that could replace the TIE series, and rival Kuat Drive Yards’ A-9 Interceptor. Ultimately, Incom disappointed.
There was nothing in the I-7s that made Imperial commanders want to replace their beloved TIEs. But Imperial planetary bases welcomed them with open arms, since they normally got to pick last when it came to new ships. Elsewhere, though, the Howlrunners were disliked and distrusted. The revived Emperor united the Imperial factions, and had the Howlrunners routinely placed on board smaller capital ships; from Dreadnoughts to Victory Star Destroyers. Imperial Destroyers were left with the TIE series fighters, which Naval Command said were superior and more versatile.
Howlrunners are seen sparsely throughout the Imperial Navy, although some of Palpatine’s closest advisors kept some aside for themselves. No-one knows why they did this, but although it may not be for the good of the Empire, it could be good for the New Republic. A coup is sometimes a handy thing.