Luthen Rael’s Spyship Extraordinaire – The Fondor Breakdown
The Fondor Haulcraft might be simple and unimposing, but Luthen Rael’s Fondor, was a spymaster’s dream come true.
The galaxy is full of ships with hidden surprises. From the many modifications of the Millennium Falcon to the secret weapons and tracking systems on Slave-1. Some of these ships are infamous throughout the galaxy. But one managed to hide both its variety and its reputation, making it the perfect craft for a spymaster.
Luthen Rael’s personal Fondor Haulcraft, known affectionately as the Fondor, was the perfect ship for espionage. With onboard droids and hidden systems, the Fondor could catch the Empire off guard exactly when it needs to.
The Fondor – Modified to Your Desires
Like most other Fondor Haulcraft, Luthen Rael’s Fondor started off life as a standard transport. The Haulcraft did exactly what its name suggested. These vessels were known to be slow. Were frequently adopted by pirate cells for raiding purposes. And aside from that was another middling ship in a galaxy full of vessels.
Which made the Fondor a perfect candidate for Rebel spymaster Luthen Rael.
Under Rael’s careful eye, the ship was modified extensively. One of the first modifications made was to the ship’s notoriously slow engine systems. The engine units gave the Fondor a surprisingly high top speed. But perhaps more importantly, the engines were so powerful, only a Tractor beam of at least level 5 intensity could have a chance at immobilizing them.
But Rael also outfitted the ship with a number of weapons systems. An advanced targeting computer was able to lock and engage targets autonomously with a hidden laser cannon turret, deployed from the Haulcraft’s roof. While a rear-mounted projectile launcher could deploy a wide variety of tiny projectiles against an unsuspecting target.
Two side-mounted laser beam projectors, which some, inaccurately, called “ship-to-ship lightsabers” owing to their ability to slice through targets, helped dispatch enemy starfighters.
Mod – A Ship’s Best Friend
But one of the biggest advantages of the Fondor, was its droid co-pilot, Mod. Rael had modified the Fondor’s cockpit to include artificial intelligence to function as co-pilot and navigator. With integrated circuitry, Mod could take full control of the Haulcraft. Which it frequently did at Rael’s discretion.
A secret code, consisting of whistles and other cues, allowed Rael to communicate with the ship without any outside observer being aware.
Mod maintained a considerable degree of oversight within the domain of the Fondor. The droid’s cockpit-mounted photoreceptors and en-suite audio sensors allowed Mod to monitor the behavior of unsupervised passengers and detect unwanted intruders.
With an integrated Vocabulator, Mod could communicate fluently in a number of languages, which it often used to unsettle passengers other than Rael, of whom the droid was especially fond.
The two would go on to play an important role in the run-up to the Galactic Civil War, but that is a story that requires much higher security clearance than we have.
May the Force be with you
