This Old Repulic ‘Monster’ Will Pull you out of Hyperspace and Devour You – We Breakdown KOTOR’s ‘Leviathan’
The Leviathan was a monstrously powerful Interdictor-class Cruiser that was the terror of the Sith Empire fleet in the days of the Old Republic.
During the latter days of the Jedi Civil war, the newly nascent Sith Empire led by Darths Revan and Malak, commanded a terrible fleet of devastating power. And yet, it was all thanks to one starship. The flagship of Saul Karath, a notorious admiral, once a hero of the Republic who defected to join the Sith, and in so doing, gave the Sith the backbone of their entire fleet.
The Star Forge may have given the Sith numbers. But it was Saul Karath’s ship, The Leviathan that made those numbers matter. The Leviathan lurked in space like a monstrous predator, ready to pull ships out of hyperspace with its interdiction fields. Its gravity wells and tractor beams spelled the end of Mandalorian and Republic cruiser alike.
But where did it come from? And why was the Leviathan so successful where other Interdictor-class cruisers were barely spaceworthy? The answer lies in the shipyards of Corellia.
The Birth of the Leviathan
The Interdictor-class vessels were a prototype design developed by Republic Sienar Systems in the days of the Old Republic. Not long after the Great Sith War, right around the start of the Mandalorian Wars, Republic Sienar Systems wanted a vessel that could lockdown hyperspace, ensuring that enemy vessels could be captured.
To answer that need, they developed the Interdictor-class Cruiser. At 600 meters long, powered by an array of three main thrusters and four auxiliary thrusters, its design would evoke another triangular ship, the Imperial Star Destroyer, which would be developed thousands of years later. The original Interdictors relied on gravity well projectors to pull ships out of hyperspace, and tractor beam emitters to capture ships once escape had been prevented.
But early prototypes had problems with their spaceworthiness. Only one Interdictor-class vessel left the Corellian Shipyards fit for duty. While the other vessels in its class required extensive repairs and retrofits, the Leviathan was ready to go.
And indeed. It went to war. The Leviathan distinguished itself under the command of Saul Karath during the Mandalorian wars.
The Leviathan – A Monstrous Vessel
Part of what made the Leviathan so deadly was its armament. Beyond the gravity well projectors, the vessel was heavily armed. More than a normal Interdictor, the Leviathan carried twenty quad laser cannons as well as its battery of four turbolaser turrets and two massive ion cannons. These weapons made the capital ship a little more versatile in space combat.
As did its two-hulled design. A dorsal and ventral hull gave the Leviathan its predatory silhouette. A complement of 48 Sith Fighters and two heavily armed shuttles made sure that it was well supported in any battle.
Hunting the Jedi
Saul Karath was tasked by Darth Revan and Darth Malak with hunting down one of the few threats to their nascent Sith Empire, a Jedi known as Bastila Shan. Bastila Shan possessed a rare gift among Jedi, the art of Battle Meditation. Through her attunement to the Force, whole fleets could be directed in combat, acting as one.
This allowed the Republic fleets to deal critical blows to the Sith fleet, despite its rapid numbers. So it was that the Leviathan chased down the cruiser known as the Endar Spire, where a newly awakened Darth Revan was coming to, after having had his memories erased by the Jedi Council.
In an effort to kill Shan, the Leviathan led a planetary bombardment campaign that reduced Taris to rubble, levelling cities and leaving only the Rakghoul infested underside inhabitable. If you could call it that.
After Taris, the Leviathan pursued the Ebon Hawk, and eventually left for the Star Forge. There, in the skies above Rakata Prime, the Sith and Republic fleets clashed. And while the Star Forge was destroyed, the Leviathan‘s fate was left to mystery. Though it was likely destroyed, one never knows with legendary ships like that…
And with the ruins of Rakata Prime rendered inaccessible, we may never know.
