User blog:Sclera1/Jedi Starfighters

The Delta-7 Aethersprite Jedi starfighter is a fictional starfighter from the Star Wars saga. It first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and returned in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, along with a new fighter in the same line, the Eta-2 Actis Jedi interceptor. It can also hold an astromech droid. R4-P17 was a droid that flew in a starfighter.

Depiction
The Delta-7 was a small, sleek starfighter used by the Jedi Knights for reconnaissance missions. However, it was fitted with two twin-barrel laser cannons allowing the pilot to fight when necessary. As part of the Republic Judicial Department, the starfighters owned by the Jedi Order were colored in the maroon-and-white hues that represented diplomatic immunity in the Galactic Republic.

The Aethersprite was too small for a hyperdrive (although the prototype, piloted by Adi Gallia, did have one), instead relying on other spacecraft or an external hyperdrive ring for faster-than-light travel (usually the Syluire-31 hyperspace docking ring). The size of the craft also would not allow for a factory model astromech droid navigator, as future starfighters such as the X-wing used. Instead, astromech droids were integrated directly into the starfighter, with only the droid's truncated heads visible. Anakin Skywalker first thought of this after coming across the remains of the R4-series astromech droid, R4-P17. He rebuilt and integrated the crushed astromech with an R2-series dome into Obi-Wan's Jedi starfighter. This modification soon became standard for the Aethersprite. The Aethersprite had very powerful sublight engines, driving it to a maximum acceleration of 5,000g.

The Delta-series pre-dated the Jedi's use of the Delta-7, which came into service shortly before the Clone Wars. The Delta-6 starfighter was used previously by the Jedi, and the Delta-12 Skysprite was in operation during the launch of the Outbound Flight Project. Jedi Master Adi Gallia flight-tested a Delta-7 prototype when faced with Captain Cavik Toth and his Trihexalon fleet. Thanks to this trial, Saesee Tiin made several modifications to the starfighters for increased performance.

Stationed in the hangar bays of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and other facilities, Aethersprites were assigned to all field Jedi. General-use starfighters were coloured in turquoise, while other hues emerged due to individual customization during the Clone Wars. Before the Clone Wars, and in the beginning, red starfighters were for use by certain Jedi only. Anakin Skywalker extensively modified his Delta-7, adding large turbine/hyperdrive engines, a dorsal proton torpedo launcher, and a paint scheme reminiscent of that used on his Podracer on Tatooine.

Towards the end of the Clone Wars, manufacturer Kuat Drive Yards developed a more refined starfighter&mdash;the Eta-2 Actis Jedi interceptor&mdash;based on experience gained from the Delta-7 Aethersprite. These fighters were used in large numbers during the Clone Wars, including the Battle of Coruscant. However, some Jedi continued to pilot their Delta-7s up until the execution of Order 66. It is unknown if any survivors still possessed their distinctive wedge-shaped fighter craft afterward. Several years after the Clone Wars ended, Kuat sold the entire Delta line to Sienar Fleet Systems.

The vehicle is unlockable in Factor 5's Star Wars Rogue Squadron III: Rebel Strike. Its secondary weapon is the seismic mine, akin to the one Jango Fett uses in his dogfight with Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Six of these are available at a time and can be recharged.

Around 19 years later, the newest of the line of ships were used exclusively by the Empire, and were known as TIE fighters.

Jedi interceptor
The Eta-2 Actis Jedi interceptor, is a fictional starfighter from the Star Wars saga. It was created for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, based on the Delta-7 Aethersprite Jedi starfighter, from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and, in part, the experimental TIE fighter from the classic trilogy.

Following on from the success of the Delta-7 Aethersprite Jedi starfighter, Kuat Drive Yards subsidiary Kuat Systems Engineering designed the Eta-2 Actis Jedi interceptor. Like its predecessor, the Jedi interceptor was forced to either dock with a larger ship or use the external Syluire-45 hyperspace transport ring for faster-than-light travel; however, it had room for a full astromech droid instead of a truncated unit as was fitted into the Delta-7 Aethersprite starfighters. The standard fighter complement of a Venator-class Star Destroyer included 192 Delta-7 or Eta-2 interceptors.

Thanks to its status as a war-time starfighter, the Eta-2 had more firepower at its disposal than the Delta-7&mdash;2 twin long-barreled laser cannons and 2 smaller blaster-cannons recessed in the inner-edge of the outer-wing of the starfighter&mdash;though the fighter's limited power systems restricted the ability to fire continuously. Raith Sienar's twin ion engine design allowed the Eta-2 to achieve a maximum acceleration of 5,200'g. Unlike the Delta-7, the Eta-2 did not have shields.

Some of these interceptors were customized by their pilots. While Obi-Wan Kenobi's red-hued fighter was more in line with the factory standard, Anakin Skywalker's craft was modified by the young Jedi Knight. Both fighters were flown into action during the Battle of Coruscant, though during the conflict, Obi-Wan's astromech&mdash;R4-P17&mdash;was destroyed by a flight of deadly buzz droids. R4-G9 replaced R4-P17 on Obi-Wan's mission to Utapau. The Eta-2 was also flown into action by Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin during the diversionary surface and aerial battle on Coruscant.

Following the Clone Wars, elements of the Eta-2 Actis design were used in the creation of Sienar Fleet Systems's TIE fighter - most notably the spherical cockpit, vertical radiator panels and twin ion engines (although, the lack of shields, and the only-laser-cannons-as-weapons can also account as part of the features passed on to the TIE Fighters). The Delta line was sold to Sienar some years after the Galactic Republic became the Galactic Empire. During this time, the newly-christened Darth Vader continued to use an all-black Eta-2 while awaiting completion of his custom fighter from Sienar (see TIE Advanced).

The Eta-2 Actis is also a quest reward ship in the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies, "Jump to Lightspeed" expansion pack, and is rewarded for completing an Imperial-aligned quest.