Aleph - class starfighter The " Aleph " - class starfighter , originally nicknamed the Pondskipper , but more commonly known as the Aleph or Twee , was a heavy two - seater starfighter designed by Sienar Fleet Systems for use by the Galactic Alliance Navy . Characteristics . As the nickname " Twee " suggested , an Aleph resembled the head of a Twi ' lek with two long , tapering drive units thrust back behind a ball - shaped cockpit pod , similar to that of a TIE / LN starfighter but somewhat larger . To add to the fighter ' s ungainly appearance , the cockpit was flanked by a quad laser turret on either side , likened by some personnel to a pair of earmuffs . These turrets were usually problematic to operate , and would often either fail to immediately respond or jam altogether . The pilot and gunner sat side - by - side in a shared cockpit with two forward - facing circular viewports . The gunner sat on the right and the pilot on the left , with an R - series astromech droid set centrally in a socket behind their respective seats . The Aleph ' s large hull was very tough — an armored chassis housed mighty power generators to feed its strong deflector shields . Its main weapons were the aforementioned quad laser cannons , which boasted very wide fields of fire , plus forward - firing proton torpedo and concussion missile tubes . The fighter also had an impressive top speed , comparable to the Eta - 5 interceptor , and was quick in atmospheres — although its acceleration paled in comparison to that of an X - wing — but its one major deficiency was a serious lack of maneuverability . To compensate for this , rows of thruster ports were placed along the dorsal and ventral surfaces and both sides of the hull , allowing the fighter to make lateral sidesteps or vertical jumps and drops in flight . However , many pilots regarded this system as no substitute for the inherent grace and maneuverability of a smaller snubfighter . " Aleph " - class starfighters also relied on a transport vessel such as a Mon Calamari heavy carrier to ferry them into and out of battle . History . In the last months of the Yuuzhan Vong War in 29 ABY , plans were proposed by Sienar Fleet Systems to create a specialized fightercraft for battling the Yuuzhan Vong Yorik - et , or " coralskipper " , on a one - to - one basis . However , the war ' s end would not allow the design to be seen in action , and it would be more than a decade before the Aleph would be eventually produced in limited numbers , around 40 ABY . As of this time , six Alephs were combined in an experimental squadron and based on " Blue Diver " . Syal Antilles flew as the pilot in an " Aleph " - class starfighter , although she would have preferred to fly in the much faster Kuat Eta - 5 interceptors . Zueb Zan was her gunner , and would complain with regularity about the turrets , which were often balky , and the general maneuverability of the vehicle , complaints which Antilles concurred with . Their vessel participated in the Battle of Tralus that took place in 40 ABY and opened the Second Galactic Civil War ; during the fighting , the craft was damaged and narrowly evaded destruction , and Antilles managed to return to the " Blue Diver " despite the wounds dealt to the fighter . The two also served throughout the war and it was in battle with the " Aleph " - class design that Antilles would be elevated to the rank of captain after she and Zan defended Jacen Solo against Jedi StealthX starfighters piloted by Luke Skywalker and others . Alephs were also used to patrol Coruscant ' s orbit as of 43 ABY ; two of these ships directed the " Millennium Falcon " to the Senate Building . At least one was assigned to the Starfighter Command contingent on Rimsaw Station , orbiting Kuratooine . The starfighter was deployed to the planet to support Colonel Kadana Sorrel in her investigation of General Stavin Thaal . Behind the scenes . The " Aleph " - class starfighter was introduced in " " by Aaron Allston , the first novel in the " Legacy of the Force " series . Since then , the fighter has also made appearances in three more of Allston ' s novels : " " and the " " novel " " , as well as " " . In " The Written Word " Hyperspace article , Hebrew letters are associated with the Sith language . It is stated that the Aleph fighter looks similar to the Myke language letter Aleph . Aleph is also an old Semitic word for . This is a fitting description of the slow - maneuvering , but heavy - hulled , snubfighter . The name " Twee " partially came from Aaron Allston ' s favorite phony " Darth " name for Jacen Solo , " Darth Twee . "