Shadows of the Empire Swoop Vehicle with Swoop Trooper 1996. Fires proton torpedo. Pilot Height: 1.8 Meters AverageClassification: HumanAffiliation: Galactic EmpireStatus: Imperial Bounty HunterWeapon of Choice: VariousVehicle Length: 3 MetersSpeed: 60+ km per hour The Empire's broad reach has included thousands of planets in the galaxy. With such a vast territory to police, the Empire often pays bounty hunters huge sums for the capture or elimination of certain "wanted" individuals. The mercenaries favored by the Empire are expert trackers and assassins, dangerous individuals who are highly intelligent and extremely skilled in both weapons use and air combat. A preferred vehicle of many of these elite bounty hunters is the swoop, a brawny speeder craft most often associated with gangs and outlaws such as the Nova Demons and the Dark Star Hellions; its toughness and incredible speed make it a perfect mount for bounty hunters. These "swoop riders" are well-equipped for their profession. Their weaponry ranges in variety from heavy blasters and concussion grenades to battle axes and daggers. Lightweight armor offers limited protection while headgear supplies protection, full sensor array, macrobinocular viewing and a minicomputer for language translation and navigational assistance. The swoops are long, raked repulsor craft with a plow-like scoop on the front. Basically two large engines with a seat and controls, swoops are fast, tough and hard to control. Big repulsors and hot turbo thrusters contribute to make a mean, noisy flier capable of executing incredible maneuvers at over 600 km per hour under the control of a skilled pilot. Movable handlebars function as directional controls, while acceleration is manipulated by rocker-pivoted footpads. Because of their outrageous acceleration and kick, there are few that will fly these speeders anywhere other than in wide open areas such as the deserts of Tatooine. Crime Underlord Xizor hired several of these bounty hunters to eliminate Luke Skywalker in an attempt to frame Darth Vader and undermine his position with the Emperor. With Vader out of the way, Xizor could then take his place at the Emperor's side. During the ensuing battle, Skywalker was able to capture a swoop and eliminate many of the swoop troopers. However, the bounty hunters' numbers proved too much for the young Jedi. It was only due to the last-second arrival of Dash Rendar that Luke was able to escape and continue his fight for the Rebel Alliance.
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