Outrunner The Outrunner was a freighter purchased by Dash Rendar with the profits from his career as a freelance pilot , smuggler , and mercenary . The black ship was heavily armed with both laser turrets and proton torpedo launchers , and could be powered up quickly to enable a rapid escape . Rendar used the " Outrunner " to disable the luxury liner " Star of Empire " after the crew abandoned ship when the liner ' s artificial intelligence , SIM , seized control of the vessel . Description . The " Outrunner " was a sleek black starship that functioned as a small freighter . The ship was so streamlined that the Human boy Zak Arranda thought it resembled a missile about to be fired . The " Outrunner " systems could be brought online quickly , allowing for quick getaways . The vessel was armed with multiple laser turrets — at least one of which was a turbolaser , which could be retracted into a hole in the ship ' s hull — and forward - facing proton torpedo launchers . The ship could be operated by a single pilot . History . At some point prior to late 0 ABY , the freelance spacer Dash Rendar purchased the " Outrunner " using the profits from his early career . He went on to use the ship to escape from several difficult situations . Approximately one year after the Battle of Yavin , Rendar , traveling under a false name , took the " Outrunner " aboard the Haj Shipping Lines luxury liner " Star of Empire " with the intention of stealing the vessel and selling it to the Rebel Alliance to be converted into a warship . While Rendar was aboard , the " Star of Empire " artificial intelligence , SIM , seized control of the vessel , causing most of the passengers and crew to abandon ship . Trapped aboard with the children Zak and Tash Arranda and their uncle Mammon Hoole , Rendar attempted to regain control of the ship , only to come under frequent attack from SIM and the ship ' s droid complement . Rendar , Hoole , and the Arrandas eventually made their way to the hangar , where both the " Outrunner " and Hoole ' s ship , the " Shroud " , were docked . Rendar quickly powered up the " Outrunner " and used its turbolaser to blast a hole in the hangar doors , allowing both ships to escape the liner . Rendar used the " Outrunner " weapons to disable the " Star of Empire " engines before contacting the Alliance to arrange the sale of the crippled liner . Owners and operators . The " Outrunner " was owned by the freelance pilot , smuggler , and mercenary Dash Rendar . Born to a wealthy Corellian family , Rendar studied at the Imperial Academy on Carida until his brother crashed a freighter into the Imperial Museum . Expelled and banished by the vengeful Emperor Palpatine , Rendar became a successful smuggler and mercenary . Rendar acquired the " Outrunner " as a second ship , to supplement his primary freighter , the Corellian Engineering Corporation YT - 2400 light freighter " Outrider " . Behind the scenes . The character of Dash Rendar was created for the 1996 multimedia project " " , which established the name of Rendar ' s ship as the " Outrider " . The 1998 young reader novel " " by John Whitman featured both Rendar and his ship , which was erroneously called the " Outrunner " . In Rendar ' s entry in the 2002 reference book " The New Essential Guide to Characters " , Daniel Wallace retroactively established that the " Outrunner " was a second ship that Rendar purchased after acquiring the " Outrider " .