The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Shii-Cho-class transport

Shii-Cho-class transport

Description
Long and boxy, the Shii-Cho-class transport was one of the first starship designs produced by Kraechar Arms, with the first vessel launched in 8 BBY. Significantly larger than any other Kraen vessel at the time, the Shii-Cho was nevertheless a lightly-armed freighter, albeit a versatile one. It was particularly vulnerable to flank attacks, as its double laser cannon turrets could not cover the length of the ship well and the two turbolaser turrets had slow rates of fire. However, the class was able to get past Imperial weaponry limitations and so became a fairly common sight in certain Outer Rim systems, as more of these vessels were produced than other sizable vessel operated by the Yanibar Guard. The vessels, while hard to maneuver, were relatively fast and, as with most Kraechar Arms products, more heavily armored than typical for a vessel of its class thanks to the expert metallurgy of the Xi Charrians who helped convert half-completed Trade Federation missile frigate hulls into freighters. As such, they were able to take a significant beating before destruction, which gave them time to flee into hyperspace. Docked at the stern of the ship, behind a concealed hatch, was a single Javelin-class shuttle. With the modular construction of its midsection, the vessel could be used as a troop transport, or a cargo hauler, or as a support vessel for larger ships. The six side cargo loading doors of the Shii-Cho made unloading cargo from the cargo decks a relatively easy task. Other uses for the Shii-Cho included as a medical ship, for carrying a molecular furnace for constructing new parts and equipment, mining gear, and even as a salvage/repair ship.

A typical configuration for later fleets was to have three Shii-Chos, with one serving each primary role&mdash;transport, supply ship, and a support ship with repair and medical facilities. As a troop transport, the vessel carried a single regiment. The Shii-Cho ships used as transports typically made landfall with their ground troops and were used as command centers, repair depots, and mobile bases for the Yanibar Guard. A cargo-hauling Shii-Cho was capable of supplying those troops in full combat for a month with the stores and power it carried onboard, or twice that many for two weeks. Acting in tandem, these ships made up the backbone of the Yanibar Guard transport capability and were typically covered under heavy escort so as not to lose valuable cargo or personnel. These transports could also be configured to act as mobile mining stations, deploying construction droids to construct temporary facilities, though only a handful of ships were ever used this way.

History
Ships of this class were in use from the early years of the Yanibar Guard until years later. They were employed as cargo freighters, troop transports, medical ships, mining facilities, and landing craft, though most were used as freighters, particularly in the early days of the Yanibar Guard. However, their modular configuration allowed them to switch roles in as little as three days in the shipyard if the components to do so were on hand. The first Shii-Cho was launched in 8 BBY.

Shared Components
The double laser cannon turrets and single turbolaser emplacement could also be found on the Ataru-class gunship, which was built around the same time.