The Penumbra is a Raider II-class corvette in service with Clan Taldryan.
Following years of service in the Imperial Navy working within the Logistics Division as an escort vessel, the Penumbra was captured by the New Republic on Akiva where some of the Imperial Navy forces had evacuated to following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. Repurposed as a cargo hauler, the Penumbra spent most of its pre-Brotherhood life in the Outer Rim working for the New Republic on mining worlds. Following the dissolution of the New Republic, Arx Fleet Systems acquired the converted corvette and refitted it back to its original state, albeit more modernised. Taldryan bought and commissioned the vessel to the Taldryan Navy in 35 ABY to be part of the Summit Guard.
Since 36 ABY, it has served as the base of operations for the Lorekeeper of Taldryan.
History
Construction
The Penumbra was built on the Imperial fortress-world of Jaemus in 2 ABY to be used by the Imperial Navy. The cost to build is unknown.
Imperial Navy
Within the Imperial Navy, the Penumbra worked heavily within the Logistics Division where it would escort Imperial bulk freighters carrying high-value contents from one star systems to another. The Penumbra had frequently visited the unfinished second Death Star, likely helping to transport prefabricated parts for its construction. The vessel witnessed the beginning of the Battle of Endor, however had jumped into hyperspace with several freighter-class starships before it could take any damage.
Following the destruction of the second Death Star, the Penumbra regrouped with other Imperial Navy forces in the orbit of the planet of Akiva. From here it was later abandoned by the Imperial forces on land when Akiva became the first Outer Rim planet to join the New Republic.
New Republic
The abandoned vessel was quickly ‘captured’’ and repurposed by the New Republic. Stripping out and scrapping the TIE starfighter complement, the Penumbra was turned into an heavily armed cargo hauler for inter-system transports between Raydonia, Mustafar, Geonosis, Tatooine, and Dermos. Following 34 ABY and the dissolution of the New Republic, the starship was sold off by an unknown vendor to Arx Fleet Systems.
Taldryan
The acquisition of the Penumbra by Taldryan began with a custom order for a starship to rival the Retribution, a Corellian gunship that is part of the Summit Guard. Arx Fleet Systems put forward a plan to convert the cargo hauler version of the Penumbra back to its original status of an anti-starfighter support ship. The plan was accepted by then Consul Rhylance who commissioned the vessel in 35 ABY.
The Penumbra soon found an important purpose, by 36 ABY, it started to be used as the base of operations for the Lorekeeper of Taldryan. Due to being stationed on Chyron, the corvette has not seen battle whilst flying under the Taldryan Navy.
Complement
Crew
Captain Vidar Dallo is the current commanding officer of the Penumbra. Loyal to the Taldryan Navy since adulthood, he once served aboard the Dark Prophet II as a junior commissioned officer of the Navy. The majority of his junior officers have been known to Vidar since naval academy times and were handpicked due to his trust in them and the importance of the nature of the ship’s operations. Junior engineers and gunners of the vessel were trained, prepared and supplied by Arx Fleet Systems and ensure a smooth running of the starship, however due to the state of peace in Chyron, most of the crew live off the vessel and only work part-time.
The Lorekeeper of Taldryan handpicks a security team to safeguard the Penumbra at all times, however they are not counted as crew members
Armaments and Hangar Bay
The Penumbra makes use of its dagger-like shape and great manoeuvrability alongside twelve turbolaser turrets, six quad laser turrets and four missile launchers to successfully be able to defend against and attack enemy starfighter squadrons and can easily hold its own in battle against other equally sized starships.
Whilst originally boasting a hangar bay that held a complement of eight TIE/ln space superiority fighters, since the scrapping of the original starfighters has never had one in since. The hangar bay space is still available, but is mainly used for visiting shuttles and extra cargo space.