Escort Carrier

The Escort Carrier is the main Imperial method of transporting Tie Fighters apart from Star Destroyers, and these vessels are mainly assigned to escort duties for convoys, or as part of the support fleet for a capital ship battle group. Too small and lightly armed to enter battle themselves, these ships can however make a good accounting of themselves when forced to, and are well armed in comparison to the freighters they often accompany. The cavernous docking bay at the front of the vessel acts as the starfighter launch bays as well as the main docking area for shuttles and transport ships, and resembles the standard Imperial docking hangars on board Star Destroyers and Battle Stations.
The need for a TIE escort carrier became apparent after the Battle of Ton-Falk. In that battle, two Imperial frigates and a Dreadnaught were lost due to, as Naval Command reported, "inadequate TIE support." So the Navy commissioned Kuat Drive Yards to construct a vessel that would serve the specific function of carrying TIE fighters into battle.
The main duties of escort carriers are to augment the starfighter strength of the fleet they are attached to, and to transport nonhyperspace support shuttles from system to system. Box-like and inelegant in appearance, KDY's escort carrier performs these missions admirably.
Each carrier bases an entire TIE wing in its cavernous bays. Imperial policy mandates that at least one squadron of TIE Interceptors be included in the mix. Additional bays can carry up to six shuttles.
While carriers are equipped with protective weaponry, they are not considered combat vessels. They do not engage enemy targets and try to stay as far from the actual battle as possible. Other missions that carriers regularly perform include augmenting the power of Imperial garrison bases. While the garrison quells planetary problems, the carrier assumes a stationary position in orbit over the planet. From this position, the carrier's TIEs can blanket the world to provide support from above.
Type: Kuat Drive Yards Invader-Class Escort Carrier
Scale: Capital
Length: 150 Meters
Skill: Capital Ship Piloting: Escort Carrier
Crew: 280; Gunners: 8, Skeleton: 70/+10
Crew Skill: Astrogation 4D+1, Capital Ship Piloting 5D+2, Capital Ship Shields 4D+1, Capital Ship Gunnery 5D+2, Sensors 5D
Passengers: 150 (Troops)
Cargo Capacity: 2000 Tons
Consumables: 1 Year
Cost: Not available for sale
Hyperdrive Multiplier: X2
Hyperdrive Backup: X12
Nav Computer: Yes
Maneuverability: 1D
Space: 4
Atmosphere: 280; 800kmh
Hull: 5D
Shields: 3D
Sensors:
Passive: 45/0D
Scan: 70/2D
Search: 150/3D
Focus: 3/4D
Starfighter Complement: 48 TIE/ln space superiority starfighters, 12 TIE/sa bombers, and 12 TIE/in interceptors
Shuttles: 6 Assault Shuttles
Weapons:
12 Laser Batteries
Scale: Starfighter
Fire Arc: Turret
Skill: Starship Gunnery
Fire Control: 1D
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Planetary Range: 2-6/24/50 Km
Damage: 5D
4 TurboLaser Batteries
Scale: Capital
Fire Arc: Turret
Skill: Starship Gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 3-15/35/75
Planetary Range: 6-30/70/150 Km
Damage: 4D
3 Tractor Beam Projectors
Scale: Starfighter
Fire Arc: Front
Skill: Capital Ship Gunnery
Fire Control: 1D
Space Range: 1-3/7/15
Planetary Range: 1-5/15/30 km
Damage: 3D