Cybe Drives, alternatively abbreviated to CY, CD or simply Cybe, was a large shipwright active from the Old Republic era into the Legacy era. During the Galactic War, Cybe Drives was a supporter of the Galactic Republic, producing an enhanced version of the Hammerhead-class cruiser, the Hammerhead II-class heavy cruiser and the Honour-class cruiser.
While Cybe Drives had become a civilian contractor during the Great Peace of the Republic, the Cybe Drives Directive Board aligned Cybe Drives with the Republic during the Separatist Crisis. This eventually led to the devastating battle of Cybe in 19 BBY, and although Cybe Drives suffered major damages, the Directive Board would not be swayed. Nevertheless, they did produce the Reverence-class light frigate and a Separatist gunboat for the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
Following the establishment of the Galactic Empire, Cybe became an Imperial shipyard, producing a variety of Imperial warships including the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, but domestically designed ships as well, most notably the Regnant-class Star Destroyer.
In the wake of the Empire's devastating defeat at Endor in 4 ABY, Cybe Drives became independent again, albeit briefly, as later that year, warlord Norven Loyaler seized the nearby planet of Aradan, and Cybe fell under the warlord's influence. A number of ships were produced for the Aradan Union, including the Predator-class battlecruiser Overlord II.
Cybe Drives became the Galactic Federation Triumvirate's primary contractor after 141 ABY with the passing of the Shipyard Disarmament Act. Between 141 ABY and 148 ABY, Cybe Drives became one of the largest shipwrights still active. In 148 ABY, Cybe Drives also purchased Awfion Engineering, a producer of military vehicles in the Core Worlds.
History[]
Formation[]
While initially established as Cybe Conglomerate Shipyards, Arané Doby bought out his partner and rebranded the company Cybe Drives later the same year. Established during the Old Republic era, but prior to the Jedi Civil War, Cybe was at first neutral. Instead, Cybe Drives focused on civilian ships, and providing for the Cybe Home Defence Fleet.
Cybe Drives was contracted with the production of a command ship, which would later become the Contispex-class command frigate. The ship saw limited service with the Republic Navy however.
Upon Arané's death, the leadership position was abolished and replaced with the Cybe Drives Directive Board. This group led Cybe Drives for millennia afterwards, replacing its members every now and then.
Great Galactic War and the Great Peace[]
When Cybe learned of the return of the Sith Empire, Cybe Drives aligned itself with the Galactic Republic. Despite this however, a flagship was manufactured for Sith Lord Darth Caedius.
Cybe went on to produce a series of starships for the Republic Navy, including the Glory-class frigate, which was often seen as the base for the later Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser. The Honour-class cruiser was another product, serving as heavy warship in the Republic Navy with thick armour and strong weaponry.
It was around this time the designing began for the Hammerhead II-class heavy cruiser, the replacement of the ageing Hammerhead-class cruiser.
Around 200 BBY, the Hammerhead II-class entered service with the Republic Navy.
Prior to the Clone Wars, Cyber DroidTech was established and manufactured Droids.
Some time before the Clone Wars, Cybe Drives secured a license for the production of the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser and began domestic production. Dozens of the ship were later used by the Cybe sector.
Clone Wars and the Dark Times[]
A reticent supporter of the Republic, the Directive Board initially coursed Cybe Drives to remain nominally non-aligned. This neutrality encouraged Cybe Drives ship production and as a result, sales.
Several years before the Clone Wars had begun, Cybe Drives and Cyber DroidTech became involved with the Vianden Exchange Association, manufacturing a number of starships including the Reverence-class light frigate and the Watcher-class gunboat. In addition, Cyber DroidTech sold them several hundreds, if not thousands, of battle droids. However, during the build-up to the Ciera Major Crisis, Cybe Drives began to refuse sales to the Exchange.
In addition to the domestically produced Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers, Cybe Drives manufactured the Hammerhead II-class heavy cruiser and sold it to the Republic in 21 BBY. In 19 BBY, the Valiant-class Star Destroyer was produced and sold to the Republic in limited numbers.
While Cybe Drives thrived, Cybe itself had been neglected by the Republic in the past centuries, giving cause to a rising separatist movement. Several major separatists group were formed between 24 and 22 BBY, but they were all destroyed during the battle of Cybe in 19 BBY, which was tandem with the execution of Order 66.
With the declaration of a New Order, Cybe Drives became an Imperial shipyard, producing a limited number of Imperial I-class Star Destroyers, before moving on to the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer around the battle of Yavin.
In this time however, Cybe continued to design its own starships, some of which entered service with the Imperial Navy. Some of these ships were the Regnant-class Star Destroyer and the Predator-class battlecruiser.
The Star-class fighter-bomber was another product manufactured by Cybe Drives during the early Dark Times. While initially produced for the Rebellion, it was often used by the Black Sun Pirates instead.
A joint venture between Cybe Drives and an Ethereal company led to the development of a heavy freighter, the sole purpose of which was to safely traverse the Unknown Regions.
Galactic Civil War[]
Despite rebel sentiment on Cybe, there was never a major presence of rebellion on the planet, until the signing of the Corellian Treaty and the establishment of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Even afterwards however, there was no significant group on the planet, and Cybe remained officially neutral. Cybe Drives continued to lean towards the Empire, although some of its products ended up in the Alliance Fleet.
Shortly before the battle of Yavin, the Keeper-class corvette entered production. A number of ships were rapidly bought up by the Empire, as the Imperial Navy suffered from a lack of ships with anti-fighter capability. It was at this time that Cybe Drives began to make the Predator-class a modular ship, with a carrier version being manufactured later that year.
Following the battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance identified Cybe Drives as a loyalist shipyard. This made Cybe a target, and Operation Liberation was planned in the immediate aftermath for a string of strikes towards Cybe. However, due to the collapse of the Empire and the many new Imperial states, the plan became impossible and forced the now-called New Republic to abandon its plans.
Imperial Civil War[]
Safe from invasion, Cybe Drives fell prey to a warlord who had set up in the Cybe sector in the neighbouring Aradan star system. Aradan and Cybe were at the center of the Aradan Union, with Aradan serving as its capital and Cybe serving as its primary shipyard.
Cybe Drives commenced ship production for the Aradan Union Naval Forces, producing local Imperial-class Star Destroyers and its own products, notably the Overlord II.
At this time, Cybe Drives began construction of the Syracuse-class Star Destroyer, a commission by one of the Imperial factions.
Around 9 ABY, Cybe Drives acquired the schematics for a new Star Destroyer through Teren Rogriss. The Star Destroyer featured heavier equipment than the Imperial-classes and officially classified as a battlecruiser. The ship was branded the Protector-class Star Destroyer and was used with several Imperial states in limited numbers.
Later that year, warlord Norven Loyaler fled from Aradan, both planets celebrated their freedom and continued to enjoy a long trade relationship. Long after the end of the Galactic Civil War, Cybe joined the successor government, the Aradan Sectorate.
A year later in 10 ABY, Cybe Drives began production of a licensed version of the Informer-class support ship labeled the Interloper-class communications frigate. The Interloper saw a variety of improvements over the original including updated weaponry and the replacement of the bridges with a dome-shaped bridge.
In 19 ABY, Cybe Drives made a designed based on the Clone Wars Acclamator-class assault ship called the Bastion-class, named after the Imperial capital at the time. The Bastion would be the latest and newest innovation for the Imperial Navy for some time.
Yuuzhan Vong War[]
By the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War, Cybe Drives had become an ally of both the New Republic and the recently-established Imperial Remnant, continuing to produce a variety of Imperial and domestic warships, primarily for local defence forces.
While Cybe Drives aligned itself against the Yuuzhan Vong, a number of outdated ships were found in service of the Peace Brigade Fleet. This, and Cybe Drives' unwillingness to commit to the cause led to doubt and distrust of Cybe Drives, especially within the New Republic.
Like many others, the Cybe Drives Directive Board was unconvinced the newly-established Galactic Federation of Free Alliances could win a war against the Yuuzhan Vong and its allies, and as such the Directive Board refused to align with them in the case of a Yuuzhan Vong victory, in this case hoping for a similar treatment the Peace Brigade received during the war.
Despite the Imperial victory over Borosk, Cybe Drives could not be swayed, leading to the Galactic Alliance's resurrection of Operation Liberation in the event of a Cyber betrayal. The plan was however never put into action, as the war ended the next year.
Despite Cybe Drives' reluctance to join the war, they eagerly volunteered to help rebuild planets damaged or destroyed by war. The Galactic Alliance however declined the notion, leading Cybe Drives starting its own, small reconstruction project for nearby planets. Unlike the Galactic Alliance, the Imperial Remnant took up on the notion, and the Remnant and Cybe Drives jointly started rebuilding Bastion, despite the Galactic Alliance's opinion.
Despite their alliance, the Remnant and the Alliance would fail to see eye to eye in many situations, leading to constant drifts between the two allies and eventually resulting in the Sith–Imperial War.
Post–Yuuzhan Vong War and the Galactic Star Destroyer project[]
Cybe Drives' designing grinded to a halt, with only two starship classes being designed and produced up until 98 ABY. These two vessels were part of a ship designation called the Galactic Star Destroyer. The goal of this project was to manufacture a ship with a superlaser, and as many surface emplacements it could carry.
While the goal of the project was realised, it was deemed inefficient and expensive. Two Infinity-class Galactic Star Destroyers were manufactured and only a handful of Whitestar-class Galactic Star Destroyer which became relatively popular with the Hapes Consortium.
The popularity of the Whitestar led to a series of commissions, including the Rijk-class frigate and the Artois-class frigate. Both lightly armed ships, the two classes were prevalent in the Hapan Royal Navy.
Interim[]
In 98 ABY, Cybe Drives partnered with Cerci IV Drive Yards for the task of replacing the aged behemoth, the Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser. Despite several varying designs, the design the two companies would finally agree to was only sketched in 99 ABY, and it was decided the Warhammer-class heavy cruiser was to look similar to the Dreadnaught.
The ship entered production in 100 ABY and became one of the greatest financial successes of both Cybe Drives and Cerci IV Drive Yards to date.
Second Imperial Civil War[]
By the time of the Sith–Imperial War, Cybe Drives' primary contractor was the Fel Empire, while secretly harbouring sympathies for the Galactic Alliance Remnant. Despite the limited variety of Cyber ships in the following years, Cybe Drives stayed afloat by the mass production of the Warhammer.
In 138 ABY, Cybe Drives began designing the CY-450 destroyer, and a year later began the production of the Wyvern.
CY series[]
In 140 ABY, Cybe Drives began the CY series, of which the rebranded CY-450 destroyer was the lead ship.
Despite the CY-450's earlier construction, the CY-180 corvette became the premier ship of the series and enjoyed great popularity, particularly with the newly-established Federation of Free Planets.
By 145 ABY, the CY series counted over a dozen ship classifications.
Infinity War[]
In 147 ABY, Cybe Drives acquired Awfion Engineering.
Facilities and construction[]
Cybe Drives, much like Kuat, had a massive ring that orbited Cybe. The ring was composed of several departments with different tasks, including the construction of ship hulls and weapons, engines, and a large variety of other tasks. This ring was considered the main shipyard of Cybe Drives by many, including Cybe Drives themselves and most outsiders. At some point, this ring was extended to a second ring to allow more production nearing the end of the second Imperial civil war. Using these expanded shipyards, Cybe Drives eventually managed to compete with most of the major shipyards.
Headquarters of Cestean Space Manufacturing, Cestea.
While originally settled on and over the planet Cybe, Cybe Drives had expanded to a variety of planets they constructed ships over and on, including Cestea and Foron, however there being respectively known as Cestean Space Manufacturing and Foronian Space Faring.
Security[]
Cybe Drives employed their own security, usually recruiting mercenaries as protection against potential pirates during the days of the Old Republic. They also used their own ships as space protection, often crewed either by Cybe Drives employees, mercenaries, or long-time security members in very few cases.
At the time of the Clone Wars, Cybe stood under protection of the Galactic Republic, and while however employing a fleet of their own for security protection, many of their crew and ground forces were from origin of the Republic. This was however deemed ineffective when the Confederacy of Independent Systems attacked Cybe in the wake of the Clone Wars.
Cybe became part of the Galactic Empire shortly after the Cyber Resistance was destroyed planet-side, acquiring Imperial protection as such, however still employed their own fleet of largely relics from the Clone Wars, like the Valiant-class Star Destroyer.
Orbital Defense Line schematics.
Following the fall of the Empire, Cybe Drives signed an exclusive deal with the Aradan Union in exchange for protection. Cybe Drives would sell several ships exclusively to the Aradan Union in exchange. Mercenaries were hard to come by during these times, and finally Cybe Drives decided to employ a long-term security force, rather than only temporarily employing members. They also started purchasing Golans, however only briefly, as Cybe Drives soon decided to design and construct their own defense stations, like the ODT.
Later on, they also created a subsidary which focussed on the construction of defenses, called Cyber Defense Systems. They also created a shield generator which could generate a shield around an object and could be adjusted to work just through the atmosphere, allowing it to shield Orbital Defense lines, which were commonly installed just beyond the atmosphere. However, the further away from atmosphere, the thinner the shield became.
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: The Imperial Civil War (First appearance)
- Star Wars: The Expansion War
- Star Wars: The End War
- Star Wars: The Militia
- Star Wars: The Infinite War
- Dark Reach