Darth Vader's black Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor

Several black **Eta-2 *Actis*-class light interceptors** served as the personal starfighter of the Sith Lord Darth Vader in the early years of the Galactic Empire's reign.

## Characteristics

Particularly distinctive by its lack of color, Darth Vader's third such interceptor was accompanied by a silver astromech droid. Also, as Vader's personal craft, he was able to prep the starfighter remotely through his armor.

## History

Prior to the issuance of Order 66, most Jedi serving on the High Council and those serving as Generals flew personalized versions of the Eta-2 starfighter, including Anakin Skywalker. Following the relative eradication of the Jedi, most of the vehicles were confiscated and repainted for Imperial use. Darth Vader was known to keep several of these starfighters on reserve, all of which were painted mostly black over the former bright colors used by the Jedi in order to better camouflage it against the backdrop of space. The color also reflected the rage and grief felt by Darth Vader during his youth as a Sith.

Following the Clone Wars, Darth Vader would pilot one of these interceptors during many of his early missions for Emperor Palpatine as the Great Jedi Purge continued—sometimes flanked by Alpha-3 *Nimbus*-class V-wing starfighters.

Despite the fact that Vader had previously flown Eta-2 starfighters before his becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith, his opinion of the craft greatly diminished due to the cumbersome nature of his armor, cybernetic implants, and increased robotic height, which made it incredibly difficult for him to comfortably fit into the cramped cockpit.

Fourteen years before the Battle of Yavin, one interceptor was destroyed when he ejected from its cockpit and let it collide into a hijacked Imperial freighter near Yaga Minor; nearly all of the vehicle was vaporized upon impact.

Shortly after, Vader piloted another interceptor in a mission to Ryloth before returning it to the *Perilous* in an attempt to halt a group of saboteurs. Ultimately unsuccessful, the *Perilous* was destroyed, along with Vader's interceptor.

During Vader and Moff Wilhuff Tarkin's mission to Murkhana, the *Carrion Spike*'s hijacking by insurgents prompted the two to contact Belderone and Coruscant. They requested the *Liberator* to be deployed to Nam Chorios, where they boarded the Star Destroyer and abandoned the temporarily-borrowed *Parsec Predator*. Vader and Tarkin then arranged for the *Goliath* to move from its deepdock at Ord Mantell and bring Vader's current starfighter as well.

As soon as the *Goliath* arrived, Vader left the *Liberator* and went to the support carrier's starfighter bay in which his personal ship rested to set about repairing several faults caused by the hyperspace jump from Ord Mantell, assisted by his astromech. When Tarkin successfully predicted the insurgents' next destination, Vader used his Eta-2 *Actis* to lead a squadron of eleven Alpha-3 *Nimbus*-class V-wing starfighters as "Yellow One" and engaged the *Carrion Spike* in the Phindar system—their priority target being its hyperdrive generator. Despite Vader and Tarkin's efforts, the fugitive corvette managed to evade them by jumping into hyperspace. Returning to the *Goliath*, Vader left his starfighter on the escort carrier and boarded the *Executrix* along with Tarkin.

While seeing to operations on Kashyyyk during the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader eventually turned one of his Eta-2 interceptors over to an Imperial agent. He personally assigned the pilot to assist in the attack on a Rebel invasion force in Kashyyyk space. Eventually, during the New Republic Era, this ship would be recovered by General Veers of the Dark Empire, who used it as his personal starfighter after his TIE Advanced was destroyed on Geonosis.