Sentinel-class landing craft

The Sentinel-class landing craft was a heavy troop carrier operated by the Galactic Empire.
== Characteristics ==
With its folding wing configuration and matching cockpit module, the Sentinel-class landing craft was based on the Lambda-class shuttle, both shuttles having seen design origins in the Theta-class shuttle. However, unlike its predecessor and its counterpart, the landing craft's exterior was encased in armor plating 25% heavier than the armor of a Lambda-class. The landing craft was also equipped with four deflector shield projectors. Despite its large size and heavy weight, the Sentinel-class was fast and agile due to its Cygnus HD7 engine array.
The Sentinel relied on a crew consisting of a pilot and a co-pilot/sensor officer, as well as three gunners, the minimum crew required was just one person. The head gunner handled the eight fire-linked laser cannons, while the remaining gunners manned the ion cannon, the repeating blasters and the fire-linked missile launchers.
The vehicle's sensor suite, which was located in the cockpit, allowed navigation in nearly all conditions and featured infrared imaging, motion detectors, and life-form indicators. The vessel's computer also featured an automatic mapping function and a rudimentary autopilot that could pilot the vessel towards an Imperial garrison, starship, or homing beacon during emergencies, and included powerful communication arrays which enabled contact with all Imperial starships and garrisons within a given system.
The interior of the shuttle could be customized for each mission, removing or adding seating. In its standard configuration, a Sentinel-class could carry 54 stormtroopers (approximately six squads), 12 E-Web heavy repeating blasters, and 6 74-Z speeder bikes. When its seats were removed and it was converted to carrying supplies, it could transport 36 74-Z speeder bikes, or 12 AT-STs. Its total cargo capacity was 180 metric tons.
Sentinels could also carry TIE Maulers and SPMA-Ts into battle. For insertion into a planet, a Sentinel carried a compact Class 1.0 hyperdrive. Sentinels were also used to deploy Marine landing forces onto enemy starships.
The landing craft's weapons load consisted of 8 laser cannons, 2 concussion missile launchers, 1 retractable turret-mounted ion cannon, and 2 rotating repeating blasters (retractable, used when landing). Three gunners were responsible for manning these weapons, which were all linked to the shuttle's precise targeting computers. Since the Sentinel-class was heavily armed, it also served as a combat support vehicle.
Sentinel-class landing craft were deployed from Imperial airbases.
==History==
The Sentinel-class landing craft was used by the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. They were used to deploy stormtroopers to restore order to the Pressy's Tumble refinery complex in the Pressylla system.
Commander Kes Dameron of the Rebel Alliance had access to one, labeled SLC-226, and he used it on the mission to discover Admiral Gial Ackbar's location after the Admiral had been captured by the Empire.
Two of the shuttles were deployed to Kodal Prime during the search for former Jedi Lor San Tekka.
During the occupation of Colossus station in the Castilon system, the Empire used the landing craft to deport residents who had been arrested for defying them. When Z'Vk'Thkrkza, Hype Fazon, Grevel and Nod were to be sent away in a transport, Kazuda Xiono and Torra Doza helped them overpower their stormtrooper escort and steal the ship so they could escape the planet. Aunt Z decided that she and Fazon would go to Takodana, where she had a friend, and Fazon flew the transport offworld.
Shortly after the mission to Pressy's Tumble, four Sentinels and Darth Vader's personal shuttle departed from the Imperator-class battleship Finalizer and arrived at Tuanul, a village on Jakku, to discover information about Jedi Knight Cere Junda. The shuttles deployed multiple squads of stormtroopers, who proceeded to engage in combat with the villagers. They were also used to deploy stormtroopers to Maz Kanata's castle on Takodana in an attempt to secure BB-8, an astromech droid which had been given the information leading to Junda's location.
Category:Daisy-023
Category:Spacecraft
Category:Parallels
Category:Imperial Entanglements