Hellion

"If that ship touches down, this battle is lost!"

- Anonymous New Republic Commander

The Hellion is a heavily modified Imperial Strike-class Cruiser that transports Hellion Company. As the elite troops of Teron Helstone's 11th Battle Group, the Hellions are frequently sent to quell trouble spots within the Empire, so it was decided to give the unit their own means of transport without monopolizing the resources of another capital ship. To best fit the needs of Hellion Company, a Strike Cruiser was used since it was the right size and the design already lent itself well to customization. After a series of modifications, the ship was turned into what is essentially an enormous troop transport.

Typical operating procedure for the Hellion is to land on the surface and deploy the troops inside. It is fully optimized for ground combat, and even sacrifices more traditional space-based weapon systems for those that are more effective on the ground. Several panels on the ship have been modified to act as giant landing ramps, allowing Hellion Company to rapidly deploy their forces when they're on the ground. Additionally, the Strike Cruiser can deploy a secondary deflector shield generator optimized for surface combat to protect itself from incoming fire, turning it into a battlefield command base.

All of these modifications come at a price, however, for while the Hellion is imposing on the ground, it is not much of a threat in space. Without support, it has to depend on its strong shields and armor to survive enemy fire and make it to the surface.