Cantwell-class Arrestor Cruiser

The ***Cantwell*-class Arrestor Cruiser**, also designated as the ***Cantwell*-class 410 cruiser**, was a type of cruiser used by the Galactic Empire. Manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards at the request of the Department of Imperial Justice and the Imperial Navy, it featured three powerful tractor beam projectors which it used to ensnare suspect vessels and steer traffic away from construction zones. One Arrestor was notably featured in an Imperial recruitment film played on Corellia.

## Characteristics

Like some other warships used by the Galactic Empire, the *Cantwell*-class Arrestor Cruiser was shaped like a narrow arrowhead. However, the tip of the arrow was located at the stern of the ship, unlike the *Imperial*-class Star Destroyers for example. The inverted triangle-frame ended midway along the hull, leaving the front half of the ship long and narrow. Arrestor cruisers were uniformly painted a light shade of gray, in keeping with the Empire's preference for muted colors.

Vessels of the *Cantwell*-class were equipped with three turret-mounted twin heavy ion cannons (one port, one starboard, and one ventral), and twelve light laser cannons (three forward-, three port-, three starboard-, and three aft-mounted). They were also equipped with three powerful, dish-shaped RT-17 repulsor-tractor beam emitters: one at the bow, one at starboard, and one at port. They not only enabled the Arrestor to capture and draw in other starships, but also to push them away to an ideal distance for the Arrestor's ion cannons to disable the suspect ship's systems.

The warship had two large docking bays situated amidships, each housing a squadron of starfighters (24 fighters in total) as well as shuttles and TIE Boarding Craft, which allowed the ship's complement of stormtroopers to board a captured craft.

## History

In the early years of the Galactic Empire's rule, the Department of Imperial Justice and the Imperial Navy campaigned for the creation of a warship designed to capture pirates, smugglers and other dissidents so they could be tried publicly. The program was approved, and the contract was awarded to Kuat Drive Yards. After three years of development and testing, the first *Cantwell*-class Arrestor Cruiser was commissioned into service.

In 13 BBY, the Arrestor Cruiser was in use in the Imperial Navy. At this time, the White Worms members Han Solo and Qi'ra attempted to escape the Core Worlds planet of Corellia by boarding a ship at the Coronet City spaceport. Whilst being pursued by stormtroopers, Solo saw an Imperial recruitment film that notably featured an Arrestor Cruiser flanked by a pair of *Imperial I*-class Star Destroyers.

Three years later, Solo was training at the Carida Academy as a pilot. He was part of Onyx Squadron of TIE brutes which was assigned to an Arrestor Cruiser. At one point, they engaged with pirate Z-95s, with Solo's starfighter becoming damaged. He guided it into the hangar, but knocked out two more starfighters. In the aftermath, he was sentenced at a tribunal and reassigned as an Imperial Army trooper in the Mimban Campaign.

In 5 BBY, Luthen Rael was briefly stopped by Captain Elk's Arrestor cruiser while entering the orbit of Segra Milo aboard his Fondor Haulcraft. Although he gave the Imperials a convincing—if fake—transponder signal, Rael soon found his ship trapped into the Arrestor's tractor beam. However, Rael broke away, and his haulcraft's powerful countermeasures allowed him to damage the Arrestor's main beam emitter. An irate Captain Elk then launched an air wing from the cruiser's docking bays, but Rael managed to defeat the enemy starfighters and jump to hyperspace.

In 5 ABY, Captain Barse Neomen's Arrestor cruiser stopped Boba Fett as he entered the orbit of Churruma in the Velcar sector aboard his *Slave I*. Although he gave the Imperials a convincing—if fake—transponder signal, even claiming that he was on a mission for Darth Vader, Fett soon found his ship trapped into the Arrestor's tractor beam. However, Fett managed to make use of *Slave I*'s powerful countermeasures, allowing him to release a seismic charge, which exploded upon contact with the Arrestor's main beam emitter, destroying it as well as causing extensive damage to the cruiser's systems. An irate Captain Neomen then launched an air wing from the crippled Arrestor's docking bays, but Fett managed to defeat the enemy starfighters and jump to hyperspace.

## Appearances

* Dark Force Rising (First appearance)
* Twin Engines of Destruction (Appears on a poster)