Kuat Drive Yards



Background Information
"At Kuat Drive Yards, we're driven to excel. It is this uncompromising commitment to performance that has made us the largest military shipbuilding corporation in the universe."

Kuat Drive Yards or KDY is the largest military shipbuilding corporation in the galaxy, based on Kuat.

Kuat Drive Yards mainly sold its products to the Galactic Empire, and the Galactic Republic previously. Many Kuat products can be found in TIE Fighters, armored fighting vehicles such as AT-STs and AT-ATs, Star Destroyers, and other military vehicles. Kuat Drive Yards does not sell only to the Imperials, however; many planetary governments purchase its weapons for the purposes of defending their planet from war. These circumstances help to make Kuat Drive Yards one of the most famous corporations in the galaxy.

Facilities and Construction
The actual Kuat Drive Yards are a collection of various facilities throughout the Kuat System. The primary shipyards make up a nearly solid ring, called the Orbital Array, that surround the planet Kuat itself. These stations are split into smaller units, designated as slipways, offices, machine shops, factories, drydocks, or apartments for workers. Most Kuati citizens live within this ring, never setting foot on the surface of the planet below. The orbital array is lightly armed, sufficient to deal with pirates or small warships, though anything above a frigate is beyond the capabilities of the array's defenses.

Kuat's two moons, Bador and Ronay, are used for weapons and drive testing, to prevent damage to the main facilities or planet in case of any accidents. Further out are a number of secondary facilities. While the orbital array contains the most important shipyards, they are far from the only ones. A massive belt of stations, docks, and repair facilities orbit at the fringe of the Kuat system itself, making up the bulk of KDY's construction capabilities.

In addition to the Kuat system, KDY had facilities in a number of other systems:


 * Rothana is home to Rothana Heavy Engineering, with facilities for the construction of capital ships, combat vehicles, and gunships.


 * Belderone is the location of a major AT-AT production facility.


 * Xa Fel is the location of a number of hyperdrive manufacturing facilities, which make up 20% of KDY's hyperdrive production capability. The planet is heavily polluted as a result.


 * Karavis is a regional shipyard owned by KDY.


 * N'zoth is the location of Black Fifteen shipyards, used by the Imperial Navy to support Black Sword Command as well as undertake finishing work for vessels begun at other KDY facilities.


 * Gyndine is the location of orbital KDY research shipyards, where modifications to the Delta-7 interceptor were made.


 * Balmorra is the primary builder for the AT-ST and other KDY combat vehicle designs.

Besides starships and vehicles, KDY produces a line of planetary defense weaponry, including ion cannons, turbolasers, and magnapulse weaponry. These products are advertised as "The first, last, and only line of defense your planet will ever need!"

Kuat slipways utilizes a unique method to build large capital ships quickly. To maximize productivity, the hulls of ships under construction are wrapped in an airtight shroud, allowing workers to avoid wearing bulky space suits. This shroud is also part of the launching ceremony for a new ship. The work crew is evacuated, and the atmosphere ignited, burning the material away. The ash would settle on the ship until it moved, when it would be shaken off and the new vessel emerged, clean and tempered.

Security
Besides physical defenses and the system defense fleet, Kuat Drive Yards undertakes other measures to protect themselves or prevent capture. Every ship built or upgraded at a KDY facility has secret backdoor codes installed, allowing KDY security forces to access and gain control of that ship, or simply shut it down. The KDY facilities and some ships are fitted with secret self-destruct mechanisms to prevent capture.

During his takeover of KDY and Kuat, Cameron Centurion privatized the Kuat System Defense Fleet and added them as part of KDY's infrastructure.

1 x Executor-class Super Star Destroyer 5 x Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer 7 x Imperial-class Star Destroyer Mk. II 4 x Victory-class Star Destroyer Mk. I 3 x Lancer-class Frigate

In The Wake of the Imperium's Downfall
During the Imperium's fall, Cameron Centurion traveled to Kuat to have a meeting with Kuat of Kuat. With the Imperium's primary accounts on Muunilinst closed out, the Dark Lord dead, and systems beginning to destabilize, Cameron manipulated Kuat of Kuat into signing over stock options and shares previously afforded to the all but defunct Sith Imperium to himself. Additionally, he forced Kuat of Kuat to give up his personal shares - giving Cameron Centurion a 70% control of the sprawling corporation. As if that were not enough, Kuat of Kuat was forced to grant dominion over the Kuat System and then summarily killed.