Oran
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(1) Dual Ion Cannon
(4) Turbolaser Cannons
(4) Quad Laser Turrets
(2) Point Defense Lasers
(2) Proton Torpedo Launchers
(1) Tractor Beam Generator
The Orion is an extensively modified CR90 Corvette under the command of Captain Soto Terius. It currently serves as a fast attack ship in the Alliance Fourth Fleet.
History
The Orion began life as a CR70 Corvette named Aurora. It functioned as an interstellar courier for a mid-level Republic diplomat: however, when Corellia involked Contemplanys Hermi and withdrew from the Republic in protest of the Military Creation Act, the diplomat retired and his ship was consigned to the same fate.
Repurchased by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, for use as a technology testbed by the same team of engineers that developed the Vanguard c20 retrofit that brought the CR70 up to the same specs as the more heavily-armed CR90 Corvette. Their goal was to explore just how far the basic design could be taken, in the hopes of matching the military performance of designs from rival companies, such as the Marauder Corvette.
In order to equip the Aurora as an interdictor, the design team installed a tractor beam generator in place of the ventral sensor array, and replaced double turbolaser on the ventral turret with ion cannons. In combination, the Aurora was now able to function as a customs frigate, disabling the freighters of suspected smugglers and preventing their escape. The sublight engines were upgraded to make the ship fast enough to intercept those transports; and the ventral turret also mounted a pair of starfighter-grade proton torpedo launchers so the ship could safely destroy any captured craft if needed.
Much of the passenger capacity was saccrificed; however, this allowed the escape pod capacity to be reduced as well. Four of the existing berths were repurposed as sites for quad laser turrets; taking inspiration from the Charger c70 upgrade for the old Consular-class cruisers, the engineers also installed point defense lasers to protect the ship's engines. More living space was saccrificed to increase the output of the generators - providing additional power for weapons, shields, and the tractor beam - and the hyperdrive was also upgraded to shave a few points off her FTL speed.
Though most of the modifications were too expensive for widespread implementation, some of the developments were incorporated into the Assassin Corvette, and into other custom CR90s.
The Aurora herself meanwhile remained with the CEC development team, used as a component in the testing of other upgrades and designs, or as a passenger transport as and when required. It was during one such courier mission that the Aurora was "ambushed", and allegedly destroyed by pirates. In reality, the ship's destruction was staged by Soto Terius and members of the Corellian Resistance, in order to deliver the ship into the hands of the Rebel Alliance. The deception was necessary at first to disguise the origins of the ship, and to avoid any repercussions for the families of the defectors: towards that end, the Aurora was provided with forged transponder codes, and was renamed Orion in reference to the Rebel base destroyed on Orion IV.
