Bloodsport

One of the few ships not captured by House Plagueis during the boarding of the new Ascendant Fleet, the Bloodsport is the main vessel of the Trandoshan slaver guild Saraask'ar. The reptiles that choose to dwell aboard the ship typically stay there unless engaging in black market deals on distant worlds or capturing slaves. While originally built for only ninety passengers, the ship has plenty of cargo room - those reptiles not sleeping in the passenger area or onboard other ships are typically found there, training amongst each other or keeping captured slaves in line.

History

The Bloodsport began as an unnamed transport of the Rebel Alliance. While transporting goods acquired during a raid on Imperial supply depots, the ship was ambushed by Imperial corvettes and was disabled. Her crew was captured, while the ship itself was left to float in the vacuum, cheaper for the Empire to replace than for them to repair. It was there that Hssk'osh, leader of Saraask'ar, found the vessel floating.

In need of a new home, Saraask'ar's reptiles repaired and retrofitted the vessel, using a variety of stolen ships to ferry cargo to and from it before completing the task. The interior, normally a plain affair in the passenger area and an open cargo area, was transformed. Trandoshan glyphs, artwork, and even the armor, weapons, and corpses came to decorate the walls and floors of the place. The passenger area was gutted to make room for sleeping hammocks, while those not sleeping built crude training and eating areas within the spacious cargo hold. Acquiring a squadron of durable, versatile Z-95 headhunters, the lizards kept their new home safe while training within to become perfect slavers.

Following the destruction of Jusadih, Saraask'ar's new leader, Tress'kar, followed the guidance of the crippled former Jedi Ghaarm to locate the remnants of Plagueis aboard the NSD Ascendancy. From there, the ship became the hub of Saraask'ar's slaving operations, gathering new minions for Plagueis and selling plunder for the Ascendant House's - and their own - gain.

Thus is it used to this day.

Characteristics

Designed to be used by shipping firms and freight drivers transporting cargo, the GR-75 is a sister design to the GR-45 transport used by civilians. Its original design is that of an ovoid, thick hull with an open undercarriage used to transport crates and boxes of cargo. When these are in place, a magnetic shield protects the cargo and keeps the vacuum of space out. Its speed capabilities were not amazing, given that its focus was on cargo usage, and so it saw only basic shielding, a class 4 hyperdrive, light armament in the form of four turreted laser cannons, and sublight engines capable of achieving 650 km/h.

Several portions of the ship's undercarriage have seen the welding of multiple cargo containers to the ship, fused together to make walking areas and crawlspaces. Within these, Trandoshans communicate, transport goods and slaves, or train, while the passenger area is slung with hammocks and used for a rotating sleep shift. The vessel seldom ever carries the entirety of the guild - this is on purpose. At no time except when expressly needed is any more than one third of the guild ever at risk.

The exterior of the ship is typically painted raggedly in desert or earth tones, as befits the situation; the pain is intentionally scarred and smeared to look rough, both adding to camouflage potential and for style. The innards of the ship, at least where they are walkable, are typically decorated with glyphs, paint, trophies, or even skulls and bones. Training and supply areas are present onboard as well, as is a small crate for the much-crippled Ghaarm.

Role

The Bloodsport is Saraask'ar's home among the stars. Among the Ascendant Fleet, however, this ship largely serves as a transport for plundered cargo and slaves. The former is gathered up, inventoried, and sold through black market channels for currency that Plagueis uses to buy weaponry, armor, and needed goods through similar channels. The latter either goes directly to Plagueian uses or is sold on the slave market, to the benefit of Saraask'ar. Plagueis only claims a small tariff on these sales, and is content to allow the reptiles their due.

Rarely ever is the Bloodsport used in battle. When it is, it will typically aid or assist raiding efforts by the Trandoshans and their Plagueian allies, acting more as a support platform than a battle cruiser. In short, it is the packhorse of the Ascendant Fleet, but nonetheless an essential part of the Plagueian engine.

Trivia

• Gallofree transports were featured in Empire during the evacuation of the planet Hoth.
• These ships would be used in the Legacy Era as well, primarily during the Evacuation of Dac.
• If transporting ground forces through space in the video game Empire at War, GR-75 transports ferry them around and are vulnerable to attack by enemy space cruisers.