Nantex-Class Territorial Defense Starfighter

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Production information
Manufacturer
Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective

Model
Nantex-class territorial defense starfighter

Class
Starfighter

Technical specifications
Length
9.8 meters

Width
1.9 meters

Height/depth
2.2 meters

Maximum acceleration
4,500 G

Maximum speed (atmosphere)
20,000 km/h

Hyperdrive system
None

Hull
Reinforced laminasteel

Armament
Laser cannon turret (1)
Warhead launcher (1, some variants)

Crew
Pilot (1)


The Nantex-class territorial defense starfighter, also known as the beak-wing fighter or simply the Geonosian starfighter, was a model of starfighter that was manufactured by Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective and designed for the exclusive use of the Geonosians when guarding their territories against intruders. During the Clone Wars, these small, speedy craft would see service with the naval and land forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems in a small number of key battles, including the campaigns of Sev'rance Tann and the Battle of Muunilinst, as well as the Battle of Geonosis itself that saw the opening shots of the galactic conflict.

The Nantex-class starfighter was a lean, needle-nosed fighter craft that possessed great speed and a high degree of agility and was specifically designed for use by pilots of the Geonosian species, who were drawn from a specific pilot caste within their society. Designed and built by Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective, the starfighter's frame was, like many other types of Geonosian starship, made from thin strands of pliable laminasteel, a long metallic substance that was also used in constructing Geonosian hives. During the construction process this material was heated, then wrapped around the assembled inner components of the fighter. When the laminasteel hardened, it produced a strong and flexible aerodynamic frame that could hold itself well against large amounts of heavy impacting. Once the frame was complete, engineers would fit the craft with magnetic hardpoints to which were mounted the primary engines and weapon. These mounts were completely modular, which allowed for the addition of various other components that may be required to fulfill special missions; these consisted of advanced sensor suites, booster rockets, or other additions.

he Nantex-class fighter possessed a complex set of multi-axis control yokes that required a Geonosian's considerable manual dexterity in order to properly handle. In addition to this, vital performance feedback and systems information were forwarded to the pilot via a scent-stimulator mask that took advantage of the Geonosians' acute sense of smell; this mask could also be used to fly the craft remotely. These design features made it all but impossible for members of other species to even fly the craft, let alone use it in a combat situation. A single Geonosian pilot sat within a small cockpit, his head protruding up from the main frame into a transparent bubble canopy, which allowed for an unobstructed 360-degree field of vision. The fighter's main weapon was a turret-mounted laser cannon that was cradled between its forward needle-like mandibles and seated within a magnetic bracket. This turret shot amethyst laser bolts, and its emplacement was modular, allowing for other weapons, such as an ion cannon, to be switched in and out as circumstances dictated.

In addition to the modular weapon assembly, the Nantex-class fighter was also lined with one hundred small, independently-aimed tractor beam and repulsorlift generators. These extra systems could be used to give the starfighter increased maneuverability while flying within an atmosphere, limit the mobility of enemy craft, or allow the laser bolts fired from the fighter's main weapon to be guided and fired off-axis. The Nantex-class ship was thought of as a "stealth" vehicle, since its engine and weapons systems emitted very little ambient glow for sensors to pick up. This was used to the Geonosians' advantage when defending their home territory: whenever an intruding force threatened their homeworld, hordes of these craft would swarm out of the Geonosian asteroid field, ambushing any would-be attackers. The pilots of such craft, raised in vast hives within their caste, were trained to hurl themselves at any enemy force with seemingly reckless abandon; from birth each pilot was melded with the systems of a specific beak-wing, ensuring a lasting counterpart-level relationship between the two. This allowed for vastly improved reaction time when in combat.