Esstrop and Kortanio's exploratory shuttle

A retrofitted exploratory shuttle belonging to the Kessurian partners Esstrop and Kortanio was used during the High Republic Era. They used the shuttle in their service to the Path of the Open Hand cult to preach its teachings along the Galactic Frontier at some point no later than 382 BBY.The High Republic: Quest for Planet X establishes that the Path of the Open Hand dissolved in the aftermath of the Night of Sorrow, which Star Wars: Timelines dates to 382 BBY. Therefore, Esstrop and Kortanio must have used the shuttle in service to the Path at some point no later than 382 BBY. After the cult fell apart, they were recruited by Marda Ro—the Evereni founder of a group of pirates who would eventually become the Nihil—into herThe High Republic: Temptation of the Force pirate band and used the ship during their attacks. At some point no earlier than 379 BBY,The segment of "A Closed Fist Has No Claws" depicting a Jedi's death onboard the Gaze Electric takes place around 379 BBY per the reasoning here. Marda Ro met the Faers after the Jedi's death; therefore, she must have met them no earlier than 379 BBY. the shuttle was one of the ships sent by Ro to surround the ship of the Evereni twins Vika and Velya Faer while she sent the Faers an invitation to meet with her.
Ro later mentioned the starship in a journal she recorded for her descendants. By 252 BBY,"The Lie" chapter in The High Republic: Eye of the Storm 1, which includes Shalla Ro's death, features Asgar Ro's ascension to Eye of the Nihil, an event dated to 252 BBY by Star Wars: The High Republic Character Encyclopedia. As The High Republic: Temptation of the Force establishes she introduced Marchion Ro to Marda Ro's journal, he must have listened to it by that year. during his youth, Ro's great-great-grandson Marchion Ro had listened to her memoirs, including the entries where the shuttle was mentioned.
==Behind the scenes==
The shuttle was mentioned in the short story "A Closed Fist Has No Claws," written by Tessa Gratton and published in the 2023 young-adult anthology The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life as a part of the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia project.
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Shuttles
Category:Starships of Marda Ro's pirate group
Category:Starships of the Path of the Open Hand