X-1 Defender

The T.I.E. Defender was a high-performance T.I.E. Series starfighter developed for the Imperial Navy by Sienar Fleet Systems shortly before the Battle of Endor. Representing a shift in starfighter design from previous T.I.E. models, the ship featured a hyperdrive as well as deflector shields to allow it to operate independently of Imperial capital ships. The ship's speed and agility, combined with its firepower, made it arguably the most advanced Starfighter available at the time.

The ship's high cost, together with political factors, kept it from achieving widespread use in the Galactic Empire and units were assigned only to the most elite pilots. The Starfighter played a major role in the Galactic Empire's campaign against rogue Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin and units participated in several other battles including the Battle of Endor. The advanced Starfighter attracted the attention of several other factions and the Galactic Empire struggled to prevent the spread of the technology.

Following the death of Emperor Palpatine at Endor, the T.I.E. Defender continued to see limited use by the Imperial Remnant up to at least 44 ABY and was involved in numerous conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War.

 Defenders In The Shadow Empire 

Already built for attack and defense, the rebuilt T.I.E. Defender only needed a few touch ups with the Shadow Empire's state-of-the-art technology. With a navigational device set into place, the new X-1 Defender is also known as a shuttle for commanding officers. Although it's primary use is a Starfighter, with the use of it being a Shuttle would be better than using the X-1 Defender instead of the X-1 Shuttle. With a slicker layout of carbon fiber and a pitch-black outfit, the X-1 Defender's speed is now compared to the X-1 Shuttle, despite the heaviness of the Shuttle.