Hi everyone!

As a part of my writing process, I love to design new ships and planets for my stories. I typically do this by drawing them (on paper or with Google Drawings), building them in LEGO digital designer, or a mix of both. Designing new ships and settings–worldbuilding, essentially–is a lot of fun for me, and I'm hoping to encourage it amongst other fanfic writers, especially those who plan to write original stories when they're ready, like me. So I decided to make an index of all my new ships and planets (images not available, sadly), along with some notes on what inspired me, how I designed them, etc. I will include an in-universe description for each vessel and planet, feel free to read them in the voice of Daniel from Spacedock:

Starships:

Mark V Samsa class Transport/Gunship (Wild Nomad)

Designed by Gallofree-Rendili Shipbuilders two decades after the defeat of Darth Krayt, the Samsa class transport was designed to ferry limited numbers of supplies and personnel across dangerous pockets of space, and standard models of the craft were therefore equipped with a pair of forward-facing ion cannons and a light point-defense battery mounted in a grove that spanned the length of the dorsal hull. At a length of 24.5 (including forward cannons) meters, and a width of 18.5 meters, the Samsa was modeled after the Samsa beetle, and thus sports a heavily armored dorsal hull whilst featuring a more exposed ventral hull. Its interior is built around a central hallway spanning the length of the ship's interior––reinforced with strong support beams––with the cockpit on one end, the engine room on another. The rest of the interior comprises two cargo bays, crew quarters for six, the airlock, and a small galley/mess hall. The midpoint of the ship splits off into a docking ring/airlock on the starboard side, and a berth for a smaller ship on the other. Instead of escape pods, the Samsa carries a small auxiliary vessel––such as the tiny Samsa-AX light shuttle (nicknamed "Turtle Head")––that can act as both an escape vessel and a secondary craft.

Over the years, the ships were seized by a number of crime syndicates and became a relatively common sight in Hutt Space and neutral systems before they, like many criminal assets, were incorporated into the Consortium's supply chains, both as a supply/transport ship and, with some modifications, an armored gunship.

(The Nomad is meant to be an armored gunboat, instead of a speedy freighter. After building some designs with my LEGOs, I realized that it kind of looked like a beetle, with dorsal hull plating that looked like a shell and the ventral side having greeblies and such. So I made it into a Gallofree design.)

Inquisitor class (Destroyer or Carrier)

Based off blueprints drafted under Darth Wyrrlock III's brief reign, the Inquisitor class destroyer's design was finalized by a select branch of KDY under orders by Moff Yarka Itecht, and made into a reality by his son Arkus Itecht. Serving for a brief period under the forces of the Itecht family, the Inquisitors were designed to operate as a smaller and more maneuverable alternative to the Star Destroyer, and became the pride and joy of the Itecht territories. However, under Empress Thalia Fel's reign, the Itecht family was forced to decommission these warships, and the few that are known to still be intact have fallen their way into various criminal and pirate groups, all of whom were among the founding members of Asharr's Consortium.

At a length of 750 meters, the warship is painted entirely jet-black, with few visible running lights (all of which are red because "rule of cool"). The vessel sports a sharp triangular shape, with a flat dorsal hull and a tapered ventral hull, with a knife-thin edge at the bow and a bulky stern. In characteristic Imperial fashion, a tall, thin observation tower that evokes the Providence-class dreadnought's tower is built into the frame near the engines, designed to intimidate and provide a false target for enemies who don't understand the Inquisitor's layout (The bridge is buried within the hull). These warships were built to operate in pairs or trios, with two variants: the destroyer and carrier. The destroyer variant is designed to contend with much larger warships, equipped with a large array of broadside turbolaser batteries and other anti-capital ship weaponry. Meanwhile, the carrier variant features an enlarged hangar bay in the port and starboard area near the engines, as well as increased point-defense lasers and missile and proton torpedo launchers. These ships, while capable of operating alone, usually work best in formations, with one or two ships of the destroyer variant and one carrier variant, the intent being to provide the firepower and intimidation of a Star Destroyer with increased maneuverability and strength in numbers. (I guess this doesn't entirely make sense from an engineering/tactical standpoint, but it looked and sounded cool, so here it is.)

(In the earliest ideas for my story, these were the main villain warships, meant to be used by the Sith in conjunction with "Swordfighters," which evolved into T-Wings.)

Gahan class Carrier/frigate

Inspired by civilian shieldships, the Gahan class carrier/frigate–nicknamed the "Shield cruiser"–was designed to escort fighters and transports into dangerous territory for rapid deployment and surprise attacks against elusive enemies. As such, the vessel has a narrow aft frame with a large, hexagonal wall built into the prow. This part of the ship acts as a natural shield against heavy solar radiation, cover for the fighters stored in hangars behind it, and a mounting point for retractable turbolasers and missile launchers.

(I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense practically, I kind of just drew this one day and decided to keep using it for some reason. The design is pretty stupid, but it's a fun kind of stupid.)

Convergence class heavy cruiser

Inspired by the Nebula, Gladiator, and Venator class Star Destroyers, the Convergence class cruiser, nicknamed the "wedge cruiser" was designed as a mainstay warship for both the Alliance and the Empire, being used more by the former than the latter.

At a length of 775 meters, the ship sports a bulky, trapezoidal shape with a small, boxy bridge, surrounded by point-defense cannons. It features heavy turbolasers and a smaller number of quad laser cannons. This vessel was a descendant of the "Alliance merger program," taking the Star Destroyer and reconfiguring it into a cruiser/light carrier hybrid: inspired by the Venator class, the warship sports a hangar bay with dorsal and ventral doors, allowing for a rapid deployment of its fighter squadrons and troop transports. The vessel's aesthetic, despite its bulk, is sleek and lightly painted, making it less imposing than classical Imperial designs.

(These were meant to be the "hero capital ships" in the earliest draft, kind of like the Venators of this new era. Yeah, this era has a lot of wedge-shaped warships. (In-universe explanation: I imagine that KDY kind of got a monopoly on large capital ships after Dac was devastated in Star Wars Legacy, so yeah, wedge-shaped warships are all the rage in this era.)

TW92 T-Wing Broadsword starfighter

Replacing the CF9 Crossfire and X-83 TwinTail starfighters, the Incom TW92 and TW93 line of "T-wings" were based on the classic X-wing designs, but taken in a new direction. Inspired by the Crossfire's rotating wing module, the vessel replaces the original S-foils of the X-Wing with a pair of wings built into a rotating engine module affixed to the forward hull, behind the cockpit. These wings are sturdy, but aerodynamic, terminating in a pair of repeating laser cannons. The vessel's armament is supplemented by a torpedo launcher mounted on the ventral hull of the fuselage.

The earliest incarnations of the Broadsword faced a number of aerodynamic problems, including an insufficient heat ventilation system and an unbalanced weight-to-mass ratio, limiting the fighter's capabilities, and the TW92a was thus slowly phased out the Alliance starfighter corps. Eventually, the idea of the T-Wing Swordfighter was refined into a fighter built around speed and maneuverability, reinvented as the TW93 Rapier, which became the new primary starfighter of the Jedi Order.

The older models of the TW92a series found their way into planetary defense groups, scrapyards, and eventually the Consortium.

(These ships evolved from the "Sith Swordfighter" which was initially the villain starfighter.)

TIE/xw1 Starfighter (TieX)

An unofficial addition to the design merger program, the TIE/xw line was created with the idea of merging concepts from both the Imperial and Alliance doctrine, and quickly became the mainstay fighter of the Imperial Navy.

An evolution of the problematic TIE Predator, the so-called "TieX" replaces the broad, vertically facing wings of the Predator with a set of sleek, triangular S-foils/solar panels that jut out at a 90º angle from an engine module attached to the rear of the TIE cockpit. This frame presents a much narrower target in dogfighting and affords the craft increased maneuverability (according to Star Wars physics, I think). The original version, the TIE/xw1, is armed with a quartet of retractable laser cannons centered around the cockpit, as well as a single torpedo launcher that can be swapped out for missile launchers, a baradium missile housing, or other equipment, making the fighter modular and customizable for several different types of missions.

Because the fighter utilized patented S-foil designs from Incom, the company sued Sienar Fleet Systems for copyright violations, but agreed to a settlement where Incom and Sienar would collaborate and share the rights to future variants of the highly successful fighter line, which would go on to inspire more warships that mixed Alliance and Imperial concepts. How the Consortium managed to acquire a set of TieXs is a mystery…

(A TIE X-Wing sounded like an awesome idea to me, and I built the final version of the craft using google drawings. I really don't like the TIE Predator design, but I do have to give it credit for forming the basis of this new badass starfighter.)

Ksilworm class shuttle

Designed by Slayn and Korpil, the Ksilworm class shuttle was a common civilian shuttle, found on many outer rim, mid rim, and even some Core worlds. Modeled after the Ksilworm moth, the ship featured a large rotating wing module akin to that of the T-Wing or T-6 shuttle, and was usually painted in light color schemes to emulate its namesake. At a length of 38 meters, the ship could be flown by two, and featured a cylindrical main body, a bridge, an airlock, and a large cargo bay, with the rotating wing module built into the rear of the vessel. The shuttle and was designed to carry cargo, passengers, or whatever need be. Being designed for "civilized space," the shuttle was armed only with a forward light laser cannon placed on the ventral fuselage, beneath the cockpit, but its maneuverability did mean that it was sometimes refitted as a light attack craft. Armed with heavier cannons and better shielding, it could serve as an ad-hoc troop transport, and was sometimes used as such by the Consortium. Like many old civilian designs, the Underworld alliance refitted them as vessels to be feared.

(I drew this design when I was 13, and I decided to bring it back here.)

Sarlacc class bulk freighter (Intrika)

A reliable descendant of the starship lineage dating back to the ancient Praetorian class frigate, the Sarlacc class heavy corvette was among the last warships to be released by Rendili Stardrive prior to its merger with Gallofree Yards. A reliable patrol craft/pirate hunter in its hayday, the Sarlaccs could not stand up to the might of Imperial warships like the Pellaeon class Star Destroyer or Ardent Class Frigate, and demand for the use of these vessels as warships ceased when Darth Krayt situated himself as the new Emperor. Gallofree-Rendili discovered they could still make a profit, however, when surviving Sarlaacs were repurposed as bulk freighters by shipping corporations and smuggling groups, allowing the shipbuilders to simply rebrand the former warship as a bulk freighter, and the craft would be a common sight for decades. Ironically, a few of these vessels were restored to warship status by planetary governments and or/when the Consortium acquired them, rearming them to return to their role as long-range patrol craft, though their age and patchwork restoration means that these converted warships wouldn't be as formidable in their roles as they were in the past.

At a length of 285 meters, the Sarlacc class has a large, rectangular forward prong, a narrow body, and a triad of sublight engines in the rear. The ship's name, the Sarlacc class, comes from the vessel's large, multileveled forward hanger–likened to a maw–which could not only house two squadrons of starfighters in addition to boarding shuttles. The ship also boasted a powerful tractor beam array that could pull pirate vessels into the vessel's hangar before they would be surrounded by police marines. At its peak, the vessel itself was armed with two forward-facing turbolasers, two ion cannons, six point-defense batteries, and interdiction mines. The ship initially featured a crew of 200, including boarding marines, but freighter versions of this ship can be manned by as many as 20 individuals, less including droids.

(This was a vessel I drew a lot whilst writing my first draft of this novel. I initially imagined it as a GA escort ship, but I feel like it also fits this converted freighter aesthetic as well. When I drew this ship, it was always oddly boxy, and I kind of enjoy that aesthetic in this case).

Adamant Class Star Destroyer

Based off the Incursor class cruiser (a fan rework from EC Henry that I am treating as canon here), the Adamant class Star Destroyers are the new flagships of the Imperial fleet, slowly replacing the venerable Pellaeon and Imperious class. These Star Destroyers, smaller than their predecessors, barely qualify as such, and are designed more as peacetime warships and a continuation of Imperial traditions, though they are formidable opponents for anyone who would dare attempt to invade the worlds of the Triumvirate. Thalia Fel generally favors ships of this class when the Imperial Court forces her to travel with escort, and rumors state that the current Imperial Flagship, the Pellaeon class Dauntless, might be replaced by the Adamant class Resurgence, to the disdain of more traditional Imperial Moffs like Arkus Itecht.

(I just imagine Colin Cantwell's original star destroyer model for this ship, original paint scheme and all. Maybe some minor modifications would need to be made to scale up the ship and give it additional guns or whatever, but generally speaking, that's what the latest Star Destroyers of this era look like.)

Xi Class Shuttle

A reliable product of Corellian-Dac Engineering, the Xi class multipurpose shuttle was one of said corporation's most favorable shuttle models. In its heyday, it was frequently utilized by Alliance or Imperial fleets as search-and-rescue craft, stealth pilots for long-distance bombing actions, or by commando squads for infiltration/rapid deployment missions, being famously used during the N'Zoth-Alliance conflict by both Jedi and Imperial Knights.

Descended from the Crix-class assault shuttle, the Xi is 17 meters long and 6.2 meters wide, designed to be fast and precise, with an elongated forward frame and a triad of thrusters and narrow retractable fin-esque wings in the back. The shuttle requires a crew of three, but can carry up to twelve individuals. Being primarily a deployment/retrieval shuttle, the Xi is equipped with an advanced navigational computer and sensors, a class 0.69 hyperdrive, and MCEC-2 thrusters, granting the ship a top sublight speed of 4,600 G in atmosphere and 24 MGLTs when in space, so the vessel can quickly reach their target. While it was not designed as a dedicated combat vessel, the shuttle can be used to launch missiles at enemy installations and has the capability to defend itself from fighter attacks: its armament is comprised of two rapid-fire missile launchers and two retractable point-defense laser cannons; one on the dorsal hull and one on the ventral hull.

As the original, more heavily armed version of this class was slowly phased out of active service in an increasingly more peaceful galaxy, the Consortium began to acquire its own fleet of decommissioned Xis. Whether they would be used in their intended role is unknown.

Planets:

Orîlla

Located in the Outer Rim, Orîlla was one of the last worlds to be colonized by the Hutt Empire before the Old Republic cemented itself as the dominant galactic power, and was the first world to achieve independence during the Freedom Flight Movement in 43 ABY. Following its hard-earned independence, the new government of Orîlla under the newly elected Prime Minister Malor Cierto used the planet's position as "the gateway to the Subterrel sector" to make their world into a thriving trade post, with a noticeable defense force–comprised largely of refitted older warships–fiercely guarded their newfound independence, managing to repel both the Lost Tribe and Darth Krayt's Empire. Sadly, upon its formation centuries later, the Consortium turned towards this supposed bastion of freedom and began to sink their claws into the world's government…

The planet's climate is largely temperate, its surface 80% water, its surface comprises the continents Cima and Origen, as well as various islands. It's government is a parliamentary democratic government led by a prime minister and their council, based in the capital of Señalar un.

Atarashi'ie

One of the first planets the ancient Kwa visited in their explorations of the galaxy, Atarashi'ie, fourth planet in the Atarashi'kei trinary star system, is located in Wild Space, and was subsequently forgotten once the Rakata destroyed the Kwa. The planet was discovered by Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae during a scouting mission to hunt down a rogue Sith lord. After completing her mission and leading an investigation of the planet and the Kwa temple on its surface, Rae proposed that Atarashi'ie (the original name given to it by the Kwa) be given to the Jedi Order, and the ancient Kwa temple was restored and repurposed as the Order's new headquarters, leaving the now-permanently tainted former temple on Coruscant behind forever.

The planet's surface is largely made up of mountains and valleys, and is mostly uninhabited save for the new Jedi Temple. Sunrises and sunsets on this planet are rumored to be the most beautiful in the sector.

Species:

Vie'vantae

Similar to the Neti and Zelosian species, the Vie'vantae (Sometimes called Sutori) are a plant-based species of humanoids. It is speculated that they are a descendant of the same ancestors of the Zelosians, as they also share many characteristics with most near-human species. Key differences include sap-like blood with a chlorophyllic consistency, the ability to photosynthesize when consumable food isn't available, thicker epidermal tissue that hardens and resembles bark the older they get, increased height with age, and a longer lifespan (roughly 350-400 years).

Their homeworld is presumed to be somewhere in the Unknown Regions, very few are seen in the galaxy at large, and little is known about their culture or history. All Kali'sto could say about his own past is that he was born on Kashyyyk and initially raised in the trading town of Wyaagwaaa (Translation: Welcome Friend) before being found by Yoda and taken to the Jedi Temple.

(Kali'sto was initially going to be a Neti, but I decided that I wanted to make my own species. Vie'vantae is an alteration on the French word for life. Even after publishing this book, I wasn't 100% happy with the Vie'vantae name at first, and I almost changed it, but I realized that I just had to let it go.)