The Best Ship to Spark Fear on the Jedi – We Breakdown Darth Maul’s Scimitar
One vessel managed to strike fear in the hearts of the Jedi order without even firing a single blaster bolt, but where did Darth Maul get it?
Of all the ships that have served the Sith through the long history of their secret and not-so-secret wars with the Jedi, none have been quite so effective at reaching their heart of power on the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as Darth Maul’s Scimitar, which sowed the seeds of terror and uncertainty on Tattooine. Seeds that would eventually blossom into the Clone Wars and Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power.
But where did this ship come from? How did the mysterious Sith warrior come by it? And how did it come to play such a pivotal role in galactic history?
The answer lies in the secret histories of the Sith.
The Scimitar – Origins Shrouded in Shadow
The Scimitar began life as a much different ship. Republic Sienar Systems manufactured a vessel known as the Star Courier.
Originally intended for wealthy diplomats and business executives, the Star Courier was a vessel designed for luxury travel in dangerous areas. It was powered by ion engines and armed with laser cannons and exotic sensor systems.
But the original model was only the beginning. The sleek design inspired a Sith Lord known as Darth Tenebrous, the master of Darth Plagueis the Wise, who wielded power some would consider unnatural. Darth Tenebrous developed in secret a modified version of the Star Courier known as a Sith Interceptor. And the best of these was the Scimitar.
The Scimitar – Design and Capability
The Scimitar was personally overseen by Darth Tenebrous, though public credit went to Raith Sienar. Many believe only the Sith Lord could have overseen the installation of its signature system, a cloaking device powered by stygium crystals from Aeten II.
Of course, the Scimitar, also called six laser cannons, a proton torpedo launcher, and a minelayer. But what made it even more deadly was its sensor suite, which allowed the ship to track other vessels through hyperspace. And when its targets were found, the ship’s pilot could call upon its complement of three DRK-1 Dark Eye probe droids as well as a customized Sith speeder known as the Bloodfin.
All of these tools helped the Scimitar strike fear into the Jedi on the day of the Boonta Eve Classic on Tattooine.
The Sith, Revealed in the Flash of a Scimitar
It was not long after the Boonta Eve Classic on Tattooine. In the wake of the Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo, the time had come for the Sith to reveal themselves to the Jedi once again. Long had they been hidden. Operating in secret, using the Rule of Two to hide their true strength and cloud themselves from the Force.
But shortly before the Clone Wars, Darth Maul revealed himself in an attack on Padmé Amidala’s vessel as it was preparing to leave the desert world.
Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, fought off Maul and escaped. But their report back to the Jedi council brought much uncertainty. A clouded future that would see the End of the Republic, brought about by one fateful warning:
Always two there are. A Master and an Apprentice.
