OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a well-rounded, long-endurance, highly versatile Imperial starfighter.
- Image Source: Crusader TIE by AdamKop
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source:
- Crusader TIE by AdamKop
- Inspired By: TIE/HU Hunter
- Manufacturer: The Empire
- Affiliation: The Empire
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: TIE/PR "Predator" Multirole Starfighter
- Production: Limited
- Material:
- Frame: Titanium
- Hull & Engines: Durasteel, wiring components
- Armor Plating: Plasteel
- Viewport: Transparisteel
- Classification: Starfighter
- Length: 10.9 meters
- Width: 13.2 meters
- Height:
- W-Foils Retracted: 5.1 meters
- W-Foils Extended: 8.3 meters
- Armament: High
- 4x heavy laser cannons
- 2x modular missile launchers (10 missile capacity per launcher)
- Defenses: Average
- Starfighter-rated basic deflector shielding
- Electronic Countermeasures Suite
- Plasteel armor plating
- Squadron Count: Average (12)
- Maneuverability Rating:
- W-Foils Retracted: Average
- W-Foils Raised: High
- Speed Rating:
- W-Foils Retracted: High
- W-Foils Raised: Average
- Hyperdrive: Class 1.0
- C-3A Mercury Class Communications Suite
- LS-132 Terra Life Support Systems
- STS-84 Artemis Class Targeting & Sensor System
- 25 days of standard rations
- 2x internal power cells near the base of each wing
- W-Foils: The TIE/PR has a pair of W-foils on each of its wings, inspired in part by the S-foils of the X-Wing but playing an entirely different role for the TIE. When the W-foils are raised, they expose a quartet of tiny engines on the underside of the top foils and the top of the bottom foils of each wing that can be activated at will by the pilot using the TIE/PR's internal console. Each quartet of engines can be engaged separately and provides a considerable boost to the TIE's maneuverability by allowing it to make tighter turns. On the other hand, retracting the W-foils into the wing automatically deactivates the small maneuvering engines and diverts the power sent to them to the TIE/PR's main engines at its rear, reducing its maneuverability but increasing its speed.
- Jack Of All Trades: The TIE/PR is an excellent generalist fighter capable of engaging other generalists as well as interceptors and bombers with reasonable odds. Working together, a squad of Predators can even take down space stations and small capital ships.
- Best of Both Worlds: Thanks to its innovative W-foils, the TIE/PR can switch between adopting the characteristics of an agile dogfighter and fast-moving interceptor with only a short delay between each switch.
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The TIE/PR has storage capacity for almost a month of standard operations and its unusually large power cells allow it to traverse large areas of space before needing to refuel, granting it significant endurance compared to most other vessels of its size.
- Master of None: While the TIE/PR's W-foils give it limited flexibility, the TIE still struggles to outmaneuver smaller and lighter dogfighters at close range and is outstripped in speed by many common interceptor models.
- Worst of Both Worlds: If the W-foils are heavily damaged or destroyed, the TIE/PR loses both its speed AND maneuverability boosts.
As part of the major doctrinal shift that took place following the near-total collapse of the Empire, a new class of starfighters was devised.
It was decided among the naval circles at Borosk that future Imperial starfighters would prioritize quality over quantity once and for all, recognizing that they could no longer afford to produce or lose huge amounts of TIEs. By 886 ABY, shortly after the completion of Borosk Imperial Shipyard, a group of veteran officers and pilots had come together in a commission to seriously plan the next generation of TIEs that the Empire, reformed into the Imperial Military Protectorate, so desperately needed.
Early on into discussions, the veteran pilots in the commission raised the concern that Borosk and the IMP as a whole lacked high-endurance starfighters. Even the most advanced Imperial starfighters could go not even a week without needing to refuel and resupply at a dedicated carrier, greatly limiting the autonomy of pilots who wanted to pursue longer, more complex missions. Acting on these concerns, the commission decided to focus their efforts on making a flexible fighter with a high power and storage capacity.
Secondarily, the construction of a flexible, multirole starfighter was intended to be utilized by commandos and skilled TIE pilots to go toe-to-toe with the Galactic Alliance's newest models of X-wings, with the T-65XN and T-95h models seen viewed as its most common adversaries.
The commission's brainchild, taking homage from the ancient TIE Hunter, was named the TIE Predator, and the first prototypes were rapidly put into production. Experimenting at first with S-foils, the commission soon found them to be redundant as the Predator's main armament was determined to be more accurate if placed closer to the viewport rather than on the wingtips. The most crucial breakthrough came with the development of the W-foils, an innovative reimagining of the S-foils that employed small, precisely controlled thrusters within the wings to temporarily augment maneuverability at the cost of speed.
The Predator's baptism in fire came in 891 ABY when the first prototype with W-foils was to be test flown by traveling from Borosk all the way down the Braxant Run to Ordo and back. Two weeks later, the Predator and its pilot returned in perfect condition, with over a week of supplies and a month of fuel remaining.
Almost immediately afterwards, the TIE/PR entered serial production.
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