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Characteristics[]

Developed decades before the Clone Wars, the Eta-class shuttle was a combination of utility and performance. Their narrow hull was rectangular and had surprisingly spacious interior hold. In addition to passengers and their belongings, the shuttle could carry a pair of stowable emergency Undicur-class jumpspeeders. The flight deck was small and spherical, and was transparisteel on nearly all sides and allowed the pilot high-visibility. A tall vertical stabilizer was attached to the hull's dorsal side; two variable-pitch S-foils were mounted port and starboard. Its four engines were turned for long-range efficiency.^[4]

History[]

Republic use[]

Before the Clone Wars began, the Eta-class shuttle was used primarily used by the Galactic Senate and the Republic Ambassadorial Corps for transporting VIPs on assignments. Solid and reliable, they were regarded as comfortable if not well-appointed.^[3]

When the war started, the Republic and the Jedi Order made heavy use of these shuttles for both public and clandestine operations.^[3] It was used by a small Republic task force during the Battle of Saleucami. Anakin Skywalker and Adi Gallia used it to board General Grievous's Separatist destroyer flagship, dropping out of hyperspace in the middle of the opposing fleets in order to reach Grievous's ship unnoticed. The vessel survived the battle and was used to transport the rescued Jedi Master Eeth Koth and the team away from the enemy ship.^[4]

Later in the war, it was used by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Quinlan Vos to hunt down Ziro the Hutt on Nal Hutta.^[6] Thereafter, one was again used by Kenobi, alongside Skywalker and his padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to investigate an ancient Jedi distress signal that had been mysteriously activated in the Chrelythiumn system. In so doing, the Jedi stumbled upon a mysterious structure that absorbed the ship, where they awoke on the planet Mortis, their ship still perfectly intact but mysteriously nonfunctional. There, the three would discover the presence of The Ones, who believed Skywalker to be the prophesied Chosen One, and the Jedi became enmeshed in a power struggle between the mystical anchorites, wherein Son wanted to use the shuttle to flee Mortis and thereby pursue his goals of galactic reformation. Ultimately, however, Skywalker and the others were able to prevent Son's attempts at leaving, and, having succeeded in that goal, rematerialized aboard their shuttle in the midst of space.^[5] Another Eta-class shuttle was utilized by Obi-Wan Kenobi again when he ventured to Raydonia to face Darth Maul.^[7] Darth Sidious used an Eta-class shuttle to travel to Mandalore at some point after Kenobi's confrontation with Darth Maul.^[8]

Imperial rule[]

When the Galactic Empire came to power, the Eta-class shuttle was slowly phased out. Shutting down production, Cygnus Spaceworks replaced them with the Lambda-class. Most were lost, retired through attrition after hard use, accidents, and abandonment during Order 66.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

The Eta-class shuttle's design was based on concept art of the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle, created by Joe Johnston for Return of the Jedi.^[2]

Appearances[]

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Grievous Intrigue" (First appearance)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Academy"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Assassin" (In flashback(s))
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Hunt for Ziro"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Overlords"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Altar of Mortis"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Ghosts of Mortis"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Shadow Warrior" ("Newsreel" only)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revenge"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Revival"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Lawless"
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Unknown"
• Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir 1

Sources[]

• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Grievous Intrigue on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Official Episode Guide Series 1 & 2 (First identified as Eta-class shuttle)
• Ultimate Sticker Collection: Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Secrets of the Force
• Endless Vigil

Notes and references[]