Creeping Darkness

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Creeping Darkness
Production information
Class:	Immobilizer 418 Cruiser (INT)
Technical specifications
Length:	600 Meters
Hyperdrive rating:	x2(Backup x8)
Armament:	Light Turbo Quadlasers (20) Fire arc: 2 forward, 1 right, 1 left Gravity Well Projectors (4)
Complement:	24 Starfighters
Crew:	1,500
Cargo capacity:	5,500 Metric tons
Usage
Era(s):	Dark Jedi Brotherhood
Affiliation:	Arcona
Destroyed:	36 ABY
[ Source ]

The Interdictor Creeping Darkness was a ship that served under Clan Arcona. It was destroyed in 36 ABY by forces loyal to the former Grand Master Zoraan.

Vessel Info

The Creeping Darkness was part of the Expeditionary force and plays a vital role in providing an interdiction field to a theatre of battle. Her 24 TIE Interceptors acted as a fighter screen and in the event that the Creeping Darkness operated alone, the two squadrons provided close assault to any ships that fell into her net.

Pre-DJB history

The Creeping Darkness was constructed, along with other Interdictors, during the Galactic Civil War. It was given the name ‘Red Claw’, and assigned to work with the then Admiral Thrawn. The Red Claw’s work consisted mostly of patrol duty in its assigned sectors, its gravity wells preventing many enemies of the Empire from escaping on numerous occasions.

Eventually, however, the Red Claw was called upon for an important battle near Kiillimar. The Rneekii pirates had previously kidnapped the lead scientist on the TIE Defender project. The pirates had agreed to ransom the scientist back to the Empire, but the Imperials had other ideas. An ambush was set up, involving Maarek Stele. This ambush, while defeating the pirates, was not a complete success, as the Red Claw was damaged in battle.

The Interdictor’s damage was enough to require a new hyperdrive. This was delivered to the ship, but not before forces loyal to Admiral Zaarin were able to ‘rescue’ the scientist, scuppering the Imperial’s chances at restarting production of the TIE Defender.

Zaarin had used a ship disguised as a loyal Imperial vessel to perform the operation. The failure to spot this nearly cost the Red Claw’s Captain, Skankx Verant, his life. It was only for the fact that Verant had performed well in the previous battle that he survived the wrath of Darth Vader.

Some time later, the Red Claw was involved in a skirmish with a pair of Rebel Frigates. The Interdictor, despite its fairly weak weaponry, came away from the battle, whilst the Rebels didn’t. For another excellent performance, Captain Verant was rewarded for his efforts, as well as gaining a reputation as one of the finest ‘dragship’ captains in the Imperial Navy.

During the disastrous Battle of Endor, the Red Claw was again on picket duty across the galaxy. When news of the defeat came in, Captain Verant ordered the ship to a nearby Imperial shipyard. The Interdictor stayed there for many years, protecting the facility as best it could. Eventually the Rebels, now known as the New Republic, found the ship and the facility, but Verant was ready for them. As the Republic's forces attacked, he evacuated the shipyard, filling the Red Claw with engineers, mechanics and other skilled labour.

Thanks to the extra TIEs and support ships, the Red Claw was not only able to escape, but also successfully scuttled the shipyard.

"You won't be getting THIS ship, Rebels."

―Captain S. Verant, shortly after escaping

More years went by, with the Red Claw managing to survive often only through sheer luck. Eventually the New Republic became the Galactic Alliance. This made things a little easier for the former Imperial ship, as it no longer found itself hounded by the former Rebellion, but Captain Verant did not trust the new government. He was offered a place in the Alliance's navy, but turned this down.

Instead, he happened across coordinates for a strange system, light years away from any other major powers...

Action

House Feud of 28 ABY

The Creeping Darkness first saw action in the inter-House Feud, a set of small issues that escalated into conflict between the two Houses of Clan Arcona. The Creeping Darkness assisted the ISDII Eye of the Abyss II in ending the feud, although it was mainly intimidation by that ISDII and the Consul that brought the conflict to a close.

The Evacuation of Dajorra

The Creeping Darkness was the first ship of the Arcona Expeditionary Force to join the Dajorra Defense Force in battling the Yuuzhan Vong in 29 ABY. It played a large role in the battle early on when it pulled the rest of the AEF out of hyperspace prematurely using its gravity wells in a creative movement called a Thrawn Pincer. The ships emerged from behind the majority of the enemy ships, and began to attack them viciously. It was a bold act, as the vessel was exposed to heavy Vong fire for two minutes. The interceptor then joined most of the AEF in attacking an enemy capital ship codenamed Lucifer.

The Creeping Darkness was one of the ships in the first wave that reached the Maw Rendezvous, decanting with the Eye of the Abyss, Darkest Night, and Last Light. It, alongside the Last Light, were charged with covering the second wave and had the support of one third of the remaining fighters in Arcona's service.

The withdrawal to Selen went smoothly for the ship, and it sustained minimal damage in the ensuing chaos. The majority of the damage to the Creeping Darkness occurred during the Thrawn Pincer, and the interceptor was one of the first ships loaded with refugees. The damage from the engagement was repaired by Clan Tarentum.

Uneasy Alliances Feud of 29 ABY

The next time the Immobilizer saw serious action was in 29 ABY during a feud with Clan Scholae Palatinae and Clan Plagueis, as the ship was sent with the Arcona Expeditionary Force into the Cocytus System to fight the enemy Clans' fleets, as well as the Yuuzhan Vong. The INT sustained some minor damage during the battle, but nothing too serious.

Also, to note, there are a few refugees living on board, although the bulk of them are housed on the Abyss. These refugees were generated after the Dajorra System was lost to the Yuuzhan Vong during the Eighth Great Jedi War, and the Clan has yet to reclaim its home system.

Invasion of New Tython

During the conflict with House Odan-Urr, the Creeping Darkness accompanied the rest of the Arcona Expeditionary Force to New Tython. It was generally kept behind a screen of stronger capital ships, preventing it from sustaining any major damage.

Horizons

"Get everybody off that Interdictor! It won't last long against that firepower!"

―Andrelious J. Inahj

Although the AEF was more suited to missions outside of Dajorra, the entire force was required to join the Dajorra Defence Force in defending Arcona's home system from Zoraan's forces. Due to the sheer size of the enemy fleet, the Creeping Darkness, which as an Interdictor was among the first ships to be targeted, was subjected to heavy fire early on.

Finally the Interdictor's weakness as a combat vessel proved to be its downfall. The Creeping Darkness was severely crippled in the battle, well beyond even the damage it had sustained over three decades previously. Fortunately for the Shadow Clan, the majority of the crew were successfully pulled from the beleaguered ship. The two squadrons attached to the Interdictor were not so lucky; they were wiped out.

Legacy

Surveying the damage to INT Creeping Darkness

Once the dust had cleared from Horizons, and only after Arcona returned from assisting House Plagueis in their own battle against Zoraan, the remaining hulk of the Creeping Darkness was salvaged. It turned out that two of the gravity well generators were still semi-functional. Consul Wuntila therefore ordered these to be placed on the NSD Invicta, along with two brand new generators, giving the AEF flagship a complement of four gravity wells.

Trivia

Attached to the Creeping Darkness were 2 squadrons of fighters:

• Velocity Squadron (TIE Interceptors)
• Flux Squadron (TIE Interceptors)

Officers

The final command crew of the Creeping Darkness is listed below

• Commanding Officer – Emilie Lauraugina