X - 83 TwinTail starfighter The X - 83 TwinTail starfighter was a model of X - wing series starfighter used in the time of Darth Krayt ' s rise to power in 130 ABY . Manufactured by Incom Corporation , the X - 83 was a cutting - edge vessel and the primary starfighter of the New Jedi Order until that organization ' s destruction following the Sith - Imperial War . Krayt ' s Empire banned the manufacture of the X - 83 , claiming it was too powerful for civilian use , but Incom continued producing the fighters in secret , selling them to opponents of the Empire . Drawing from the strengths of its lineage , the X - 83 was balanced in durability and firepower , with top of the line weapons systems and strong deflector shields and hull . It was a particularly maneuverable fighter as well , in atmosphere or vacuum . The X - 83 incorporated its astromech droid , an Incom standard feature , into its frame , giving the ship its own " personality " if not given routine memory wipes . The fighter was primarily used in front - line combat , where it was a match for most fighters , including the " Predator " - class fighter , on a one - to - one basis . Characteristics . The X - 83 was the successor to Incom ' s X - wing line of starfighters , and as of 137 ABY , the latest model of that series . It was built with many of the original X - wing ' s design principles in mind , including that model ' s versatility of role and its armament of four laser cannons , one at the tip of each wing , as well as the former models ' iconic split - wing architecture that formed the craft ' s distinctive X - shaped profile . Following up on the previous iteration of the X - wing , the R - 28 starfighter , the X - 83 shared many of the parts used in its more commonplace predecessor . The X - 83 was one of the most cutting - edge starfighters of its time , made with superior components . It was a balanced fighter , capable of assuming a number of roles due to its combination of firepower and durability . The fighter ' s shields were comparable to those of a transport or light frigate , and were able to absorb a good deal of fire before they failed . Its hull , too , was stronger than those of most shuttles . It was vulnerable to intense weather , however , such as the electrical storms of Kiffex . The fighter ' s strengths also lay in its weaponry , which were at the top of their field . With four laser cannons whose fire could be linked or fired in sequence , the X - 83 could produce a high - energy blast that would destroy any target . The fighter was also equipped with proton torpedoes . In one - on - one combat , the X - 83 was easily superior to most contemporary fighters , and even when outnumbered was capable of inflicting heavy damage on the enemy . In deep space or atmosphere , the X - 83 was also unmatched in maneuverability , due in part to a set of maneuvering vanes installed on each exhaust nacelle . It was this aspect that made it the favored fighter of the New Jedi Order . The astromech droid of the X - 83 , a hallmark of Incom designs , was hardwired into the ship , turning it into more of an extension of the fighter ' s main computer . Without frequent memory wipes the craft could develop a personality of its own , with the droid exerting its own control over the ship ' s electronic systems . Incom recommended wiping its memory for this reason , as some of the personality flaws the droid could pick up — for example , an obstinate streak — could prove hazardous to the pilot if the droid refused to obey his or her commands . This gained the ship a reputation for quirkiness . Some X - 83 pilots , however , intentionally allowed the droids to develop personalities , believing that the performance and response of their ship improved when the astromech could anticipate their actions . X - 83 pilots wore a flight suit that could be sealed against vacuum , and in an emergency they could jettison themselves from the cockpit . The X - 83 ' s cockpit , which had windows that extended to the sides and somewhat behind the pilot , was mounted further forward than the original T - 65 starfighter . The cockpit was similarly lined with panels on all sides , and the pilot used two control yokes to operate the fighter . Unlike the typical four - engine configuration of its predecessors , the X - 83 boasted two long engines trailing further behind the fighter . Role . The X - 83 earned a reputation for durability , and it was well suited to front - line service . X - 83 squadrons were often used to take the initial brunt of an attack , absorbing damage from enemy forces so the weaker fighters they were supporting could pass through unharmed . J - 1 shuttle s also carried a single X - 83 in their holds , which could be used as an escort . The X - 83 could also be carried in medium - sized transports like the " Helot " - class . Before the fall of the Jedi Order , the X - 83 was used by that organization . With the rise of Darth Krayt ' s Galactic Empire , TwinTails found their way into the arsenals of those groups and individuals who opposed him . Jedi TwinTail squads , like Squad Three - Zero - One , continued to fly in missions against the Empire . History . The X - 83 was developed by Incom as one of the long line of X - wing models , succeeding the R - 28 starfighter . It attained common usage among the Jedi , but when Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Krayt seized control of the Galactic Empire in 130 ABY and exterminated the Jedi , the Empire deemed the X - 83 too powerful for civilian use ; in an effort to limit the firepower available to individual citizens and non - Imperial organizations , the Empire ordered that Incom halt production of it . Incom , however , resisted in secret . A number of the X - 83 ' s manufacturing plants were only closed in appearance , and after being reopened clandestinely they continued producing the starfighters . Other factories kept open to produce the commonly used R - 28 took advantage of the fact that the two fighters shared many of the same parts , turning out the occasional X - 83 when Imperial inspectors were looking elsewhere . The Empire was unable to find any evidence of this secret manufacturing , though rumors about it circulated , and many of the X - 83s produced after the rise of Krayt were sold through the black market and ended up in the hands of those who opposed the Empire . Even during and after Krayt ' s takeover , the Jedi retained usage of a number of X - 83s . When a J - 1 shuttle carrying a number of Padawans escaped the massacre at Ossus on the day of Krayt ' s coup , one of its passengers , Cade Skywalker , took the shuttle ' s X - 83 to fight off pursuing Imperial " Predator " - class starfighters . Skywalker was able to hold off the enemy craft as the shuttle prepared to leap to hyperspace , and in the end sacrificed his X - 83 , jettisoning himself from the fighter at the last moment . Years later , Skywalker participated in an attack on an Imperial base on Had Abbadon , in which fellow Jedi Shado Vao piloted an X - 83 of his own alongside the " Predators " of his Imperial Knight allies . Shortly after the Had Abaddon mission , a task force of Jedi in X - 83s — Squad Three - Zero - One — rendezvoused with the fleet of rogue Galactic Alliance admiral Gar Stazi to discuss an alliance . When the fleet ' s location was betrayed to the Empire by one of Stazi ' s crew , the X - 83s joined the battle against incoming Imperial forces until the rest of the fleet could make its escape . Behind the scenes . The X - 83 was designed by Jan Duursema for the " " comic series .