Virago

Virago was a prototype StarViper-class attack platform and the personal starship of Prince Xizor.
==Characteristics==
Virago had four adjustable wings and thrust nacelles that moved constantly during flight, which created the illusion that Virago was a strange, living space creature. Each of the vehicle's wings were capped with two microthrusters. 
To achieve high speeds and for atmospheric travels, the craft's wings folded closed behind the cockpit. In combat, the Virago's four wings expanded for better maneuverability. They moved and used the same type of S-foil technology used on the X-wing starfighter. These wings were heavily armored and each contained a power generator along with reserve fuel tanks for long travels.
The ship's armor plating was concentrated to the front, and was strong enough to take fire from another fighter's laser canon.
Virago weapon systems were built around an advanced targeting computer along with an experimental laser sighting system rather than being built around the weapons themselves. With this unorthodox design strategy, the craft would not require excessive or illegal weapons that would attract attention. Once the targeting computer was in place, any weapon installed would perform better than manufacturer specifications. 
Virago was armed with cannons that were mounted on rotating extendable arms that could cover an arc of 180 degrees.
==History==
Although the crimelord had access to numerous starships, his favorite was a heavy assault starfighter called Virago. When Xizor contracted MandalMotors, he demanded a luxurious vehicle that could also serve as an assault ship rivaling the TIE Interceptor in speed and agility.
The company succeeded by producing the StarViper-class attack platform, a vehicle which had more in common with a mobile weapons platform than a starfighter. A pleased Xizor christened the vehicle Virago and purchased all rights to the design to ensure that his transport would remain unique.
Virago was apparently destroyed in a battle over Coruscant, when Darth Vader's flagship Executor destroyed Xizor's skyhook. Soon after Xizor's death, MandalMotors regained the rights to the StarViper design and began producing inferior versions of the original craft.
==Behind the scenes==
Initially, the Virago was envisioned as the personal ship for Xizor, the arch villain of the Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire multimedia project, and much attention was given to its design. Jon Knoles of LucasArts proposed it to be a large ship; others pointed more towards a starfighter to give more mobility to Xizor in his travels out of Coruscant, with Lucy Wilson proposing a design similar to a Stealth bomber. A suggestion was to reflect his reptilian nature and personality, and an early idea was to feature black chrome color to look evil and menacing.
The Virago was designed by Doug Chiang, inspired by Xizor's reptilian personality, as well as by pictures he had taken (while scouting locations for the movie Jumanji) of some cast-iron pulley castings in a Vancouver mill; the castings stroke him as "organic" and "armorlike", and inspired him for the Virago clamshell look of foils that unfold for battle mode.The Secrets of Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire, Part 4: Battle Zones, II. Battleships
The ship makes a cameo appearance in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns; however, this is more than likely non-canon. The unit is placeable in the scenario editor, but any appearances in missions are more than likely Easter eggs.
The StarViper-class attack platform also appears in the game Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption as the main starfighter of the Zann Consortium. The 3D model was actually in the files of regular Star Wars: Empire at War, and it had game code, but it was commented out. It is possible that Petroglyph planned to have Xizor as a hero unit for the Black Sun, as they also included a Xizor model.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns 
*Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption
*Scoundrels 
*Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire novel 
*Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire abridged audiobook
*Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire junior novelization
*Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire video game
*Shadows of the Empire 6
*The Mandalorian Armor 
*Slave Ship 
*Hard Merchandise 
*Shadows of the Empire: Evolution 1 
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:MandalMotors products
Category:Starships of Black Sun