Tector - class Star Destroyer / Legends The " Tector " - class Star Destroyer was a Star Destroyer class in service with the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire . Characteristics . It was a 1 . 6 - kilometer - long dagger - shaped vessel , essentially a version of the contemporary " Imperial " - class , with ventral hangars absent . Instead of ventral hangar bays , the design opted for an increase in armor that covered the areas normally used as main hangar openings , as well as the reactor core . This made the design more efficient in ship - to - ship combat , as it had less access to internal weak - spots . However , it limited its usefulness in other roles . Being without hangars , it required dedicated carriers to provide any starfighter support . History . The " Tector " - class was first produced by Kuat Drive Yards during the Clone Wars . It , along with the " Imperator " - class , was one of the largest Republic warship classes fielded during the conflict . In the first months of the war , the " Tector " - class was produced in small numbers to test their capabilities before a full - scale production could begin . One such vessel , the " Gibbon " , was sabotaged with a computer virus by Separatist agents while at Handooine and subsequently participated in the Battle of Salvara . The virus spread around the task force , leading the ships to lower their shields at a certain range of the enemy , turning the battle into a rout for the Republic . This and other incidents led to a delay in the production of the " Tector " - class and the ships served only in a few task forces during the conflict . Another " Tector " - class Star Destroyer active during the Clone Wars was the " Archer " , which saw action at Venestria and Ord Trasi . In the years following the rise of the Galactic Empire , the " Tector " - class and its sister - design supplanted the less robust " Venator " - class , leading to it being phased out of frontline duty . The class served the Empire for decades . Three of these vessels participated in the climactic Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , with one being lost to Rebel fire . Behind the scenes . The first official reference to the " Tector " - class Star Destroyer occurred in " " . The inspiration for the " Tector " - class was a ship that was briefly spotted in " " . During the Battle of Endor , the " Millennium Falcon " flew beneath a warship which did not have the two ventral hangars standard on " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers . Additionally , the reactor bulb was covered up by armored plating and was not visible . Other sources , such as the " Return of the Jedi " novelization , supported the idea that " Millennium Falcon " did in fact fly over the underside of a ship with no ventral hangars . The concept art featured in this book corresponds with the scene in the film itself , with the text showing both matching dialogue and action between the film and novelization . On February 6 th , 2007 , Leland Chee confirmed on the Official Message Board that the hangarless ship seen briefly in " Return of the Jedi " is a " Tector " - class Star Destroyer . According to the University of Notre Dame ' s online " Latin Dictionary and Grammar Aid " , the word " Tector " means " a plasterer " ; however , the ending - tor can be added to the stems of masculine verbs to produce nouns . The Latin verb " tectus " carries the meaning " decked , " " covered , " " defended , " " guarded , " etc . ; thus " tector " in Latin may also mean " one who is guarded , " " one who is defended , " " one who is decked / armored , " etc . , and does not necessarily refer exclusively to a plasterer or stucco - worker .