Slave I
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In the Star Wars universe, Slave I is the primary spacecraft used by Jango Fett and later, Boba Fett. Jango Fett acquired this vessel while on a mission to locate Komari Vosa; this was the mission organized by Darth Tyranus to find the best candidate to be cloned to form a clone army. He used this ship to escape an exploding prison on an asteroid after his own ship was destroyed. Nobody ever searched for this ship as being missing from the prison as it was believed to be destroyed in the explosion of the prison. Slave I appears in the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
In the Star Wars canon, Jango Fett is the first acknowledged owner of Slave I. In Attack of the Clones, Jango flies the ship to Geonosis, where he dies in combat with Mace Windu. In The Empire Strikes Back, we find that Boba Fett has acquired Slave I in the interim.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Boba Fett uses the vessel, which is outfitted to contain prisoners, to deliver Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt after Darth Vader freezes Solo in carbonite.
While docked and during takeoff and landing, Slave I is oriented horizontally; but in flight, its wing pylons rotate 90°, perpendicular to the attitude of the ship, and the ship is propelled while oriented vertically.
Both Jango and Boba Fett modified and rearmed Slave I. Under Jango Fett's ownership, its weaponry included twin blaster cannons, two rapid-firing laser cannons, two projectile launchers (each equipped with a magazine of three proton torpedoes or various other payloads), and a naval mine-layer equipped with three seismic charges.
Slave I in the Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe reveals more of the history of Slave I:
- Kuat Drive Yards specially designed the ship to carry live prisoners. Slave I was one of six prototype Firespray-class patrol and attack ships manufactured for the asteroid prison Oovo IV. While on Oovo IV, Jango Fett stole a Firespray and proceeded to destroy the rest. Kuat revived the line around the Battle of Yavin.
- After Boba Fett assumed control of the vessel, he replaced the laser cannons with an ion cannon and a concussion missile launcher, and also added a tractor beam.
- Boba escapes from the Great Pit of Carkoon and discovers that Slave I has been impounded, forcing him to rely on a Slave II model until he recovers his ship.
References
- The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels (Star Wars), 1st printing, 1996. Bill Smith, ISBN 0-590-02361-6
- The Annotated Screenplays, softcover, 1997. George Lucas, Leigh Brackett, Lawrence Kasdan, Laurent Bouzereau, ISBN 0-345-40981-7