- "A Kazellis. That's a rare bird—they stopped making those years ago. We have an ID yet?"
"Yes, sir. Code response confirms it's the Salaban's Hope." - ―Captain Calo Drusan and the Chimaera's comm officer
The Salaban's Hope was a Kazellis-class light freighter owned by the Storm-hair warlord Nuso Esva. It shared its name with the Arkanian Salaban, and was produced by the Kazellis Corporation years before 0 ABY. That year, Esva and his pilot, "Sorro," used the light freighter to rendezvous with the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Chimaera. Several starships attacked the Salaban's Hope; however, the Chimaera and the freighter used their combined firepower to destroy all but two of the attackers, which escaped.
The freighter docked with the Imperial Star Destroyer before visiting an unknown world, where Esva met with his commanders, and the Inner Rim planet Wroona. After returning to the Chimaera, Esva had the Star Destroyer travel to the Outer Rim Territories' Poln system, where his Eastern Fleet engaged the Imperial forces present. While the Imperial Death Squadron fleet destroyed his fleet, the warlord fled aboard the Salaban's Hope.
Description[]
- "In the meantime, may I request you shunt all other available power to the tractor beams and pull—"
"Not a good idea, my lord. At this range, a full-power tractor beam could severely damage your hull. And if we breach—" - ―Warlord Nuso Esva and Captain Calo Drusan
A Kazellis-class light freighter, the Salaban's Hope[2] measured at twenty-eight meters[1] and was equipped with sublight drives and a hyperdrive.[2] An Imperial II-class Star Destroyer's[4] full-power[2] Q7 tractor beam[5] could significantly damage the light freighter's hull. The Salaban's Hope was equipped with deflector shields and armed with laser cannons. The freighter possessed a docking hatch.[2]
History[]
Raiders and visits[]
- "Commander Pellaeon's report said that after Nuso Esva came aboard the Chimaera he made a short visit to a planet called Wroona."
"Plus a longer one to a place they still haven't identified. Yes, I read the report."
"The unknown world is of no lasting importance. That would have been the place Nuso Esva chose to meet with his commanders and finalize his plans for the operation." - ―Senior Captain Thrawn and Jorj Car'das
The Salaban's Hope was a Kazellis-class light freighter (pictured) produced by the Kazellis Corporation.
Produced by the Kazellis Corporation[1] years before 0 ABY,[3] the Salaban's Hope was a freighter that shared its name with the Arkanian Salaban.[2] The Storm-hair[6] warlord Nuso Esva, who ruled a realm, owned the freighter.[2] In 0 ABY,[7] the warlord and his Human pilot, "Sorro," used the Salaban's Hope to rendezvous with the Galactic Empire's[2] Imperial II-class Star Destroyer[4] Chimaera. Upon arriving at the warship's location, the light freighter was attacked by six starships of Esva's realm. Assuming the pseudonym of Imperial Court member Lord Odo, the warlord had the Chimaera's captain, Calo Drusan, pull the two endmost attackers toward his Star Destroyer while the Salaban's Hope destroyed them and some of the others.[2]
While most of the raiders were destroyed and two escaped, Sorro landed Esva's light freighter in the Chimaera's hangar. After Esva donned a mask and clothing to conceal his identity and his pilot introduced themselves to Imperial Commander Gilad Pellaeon, they traveled to their quarters near the Salaban's Hope and the hangar. Shortly afterward, Esva brought the Salaban's Hope to an unknown world, where he met with his commanders, and the[2] Inner Rim[8] planet Wroona, where he acquired thermal detonators and equipment that he planned to use to sabotage the Chimaera. After returning to the Star Destroyer, he requested quarters closer to the warship's bridge, as he no longer needed quick access to his Kazellis.[2]
Nuso Esva's escape[]
- "Nuso Esva. Or at least, a freighter that shouldn't be out there. Backtrack says it came from the Chimaera. It has to be him. I may still be able to hit him from here."
- ―Jorj Car'das, to Senior Captain Thrawn
Jorj Car'das (pictured) contemplated the possibility of destroying the Salaban's Hope.
Shortly afterward, the Chimaera traveled to the Outer Rim Territories' Poln system alongside Imperial Senior Captain Thrawn's Task Force Admonitor—which was led by the[2] Imperial II-class Star Destroyer[9] Admonitor—and the senior captain's DeepWater-class light freighter Lost Reef. Esva destroyed the Chimaera's engines with his thermal detonators and set the vessel on a collision course with a nearby Golan I space station, summoning his Eastern Fleet and commanding it to destroy the Admonitor and the Chimaera. Esva left the sabotaged Star Destroyer aboard the Salaban's Hope.[2]
Jorj Car'das, the Lost Reef's pilot, watched as Esva escaped and contemplated the possibility of destroying the warlord's freighter and killing the Storm-hair; however, under Thrawn's directive, Car'das focused on using the Lost Reef's tractor beam to move the Chimaera away from its collision course. After the Deepwater freighter moved the Imperial warship away from its collision course, the Imperial Death Squadron fleet arrived, destroying the Eastern Fleet while Esva fled the battle aboard the Salaban's Hope.[2]
Owners and operators[]
Warlord Nuso Esva, the owner of the Salaban's Hope, tasked a Human known as Sorro with piloting the Kazellis.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
The Salaban's Hope appeared in Timothy Zahn's 2011 novel Choices of One.[2]
Appearances[]
- Choices of One (First appearance)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Choices of One establishes that the Salaban's Hope is a Kazellis-class light freighter, which measures twenty-eight meters in length and was manufactured by Kazellis Corporation according to Stock Ships.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 Choices of One
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Essential Reader's Companion dates the events of Choices of One, which establishes that the Kazellis-class light freighters' production had ceased years prior to the novel's events, to 0 ABY.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Heir to the Empire Sourcebook
- ↑
tractor beam in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ "Crisis of Faith" — Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition
- ↑ The events of Choices of One take place in 0 ABY according to The Essential Reader's Companion.
- ↑
Star Wars: The Essential Atlas Online Companion on StarWars.com (article) (backup link) — Based on corresponding data for Wroona system
- ↑ "Side Trip"