Outlaw Star

This article is about the spaceship also known as the XPG 15A-II.. You may be looking for the series of the name or the manga..

Outlaw Star
Technical information
Ship type	Grappler Ship
Artillery	Grappler arms Firearms Melee weapons Missiles
Operating System	Gilliam II
Propulsion System	Munchausen Drive Sub-Ether Drive
Affiliation	Outlaw
Captain	Gene Starwind
Additional crew	Jim Hawking Melfina Aisha Clan-Clan "Twilight" Suzuka
Status	Active
Out-of-Universe information
First Anime appearance	"When the Hot Ice Melts"

The Outlaw Star (formally known as the XGP 15A-II) is a state-of-the-art grappler ship created by Gwen Khan, Kei Pirate Guild and the Space Forces. The Outlaw Star was designed with the specific intention of discovering and entering the Galactic Leyline, it was stolen by "Hot Ice" Hilda and later falls into the possession of Gene Starwind and his crew.

History

Creation

Named the XGP 15A-II, the Outlaw Star was created with a clandestine collaboration between the Kei Pirate Guild and the Space Forces, following Space pirates supremacy with the grappler ships appropriated by the Chinese space pirates to use in battle. Its construction was requisitioned by the Kei Pirate Guild, however, the Kei pirates alone could not build such an advanced ship.

An alliance with the Space Forces was made to assist in the construction of the Outlaw Star. The Outlaw Star was designed with the intention of entering the Galactic Leyline. However, it required something from the Leyline itself to succeed. The ship's chief architect, Gwen Khan, used information he decoded from the ruins found on the Grave of the Dragon to complete the construction of the Outlaw Star. Using that information, he created Melfina VSD02C, the ship's primary navigation system.

Events of Outlaw Star

In an unexpected turn of events, the XGP 15A-II and its navigation system, Melfina, was stolen from both factions by an outlaw named "Hot Ice" Hilda. Hilda intended to use the ship to steal the treasure of the Galactic Leyline from the Kei Pirates for herself. She hid the ship inside a space station disguised as a floating asteroid and escaped to Sentinel III when she was pursued by Soi Len and Roi Fong.

News of Hilda's theft reached the Space Forces, who hired the MacDougall Brothers, Ron and Harry MacDougall to destroy any and all traces of the ship, to remove evidence of their involvement with Kei Pirate Guild. Following Hilda's death, the XGP was renamed the Outlaw Star in honor of Hilda by Gene Starwind, a gunman and pilot who joined Hilda in space for the chance of adventure.

Gene searched space for answers on the location of the Leyline in order to help Melfina find answers about her creation. His search made him an enemy of the Kei Pirate Guild, who hunted him across space in order to reacquire the Outlaw Star. What information he received on the nature of the ship from the eldest MacDougall brother, Ron, and Gwen Khan is minimal at best, but Melfina's intentions as the ship's guide into the Leyline are made clear. When questioned by Angel Links officer Valeria Vertone on whether or not Gene and his crew knew of the existence of the XGP and the Space Forces' involvement in its construction, the matter was allowed to slide by Duuz on account of information lost in their database.

The Outlaw Star was able to enter the Leyline as predicted. Though it is destroyed during the fight between Hazanko and Gene Starwind, it is later recreated by the Maiden of the Leyline and was able to transform, working in tandem on the physical plane and cyberspace with the crew to destroy the Geomancer after it was transformed by Hazanko. In the aftermath, Gene maintained ownership of the Outlaw Star and returned to Sentinel III.

Design

Interior

The Outlaw Star features a spacious interior, with a galley, hold, berthing, several passageways and a bridge. Its primary area of operations is the bridge/cockpit. A spacious area that houses a mobile captain and crew seat that rises and lowers from the ground during specific situations in combat. Situated behind the captain's seat is the Navigation Tank, an area where Melfina acts as the ship's primary guide.

Exterior

The Outlaw Star is a fairly large ship, originally designed with a dark green paint job. When it fell to the ownership of Gene Starwind, it was repainted with a red and blue paint job and sported the logo of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises.

As a grappler ship, two large mechanical grappler arms stay folded in the bottom of the ship, and unfold to the ship's sides when the user activates grappler combat mode. A grappler, such as Gene Starwind uses a specialized headset that feeds direct images from mini-cameras jettisoned outside the ship during combat mode to accurately survey his area.

Operating System

Sporting an on-board artificial intelligence system, the Outlaw Star features many systems not present on other ships, such as the synthetic-cyborg interfaced navigation system. It shares very few similarities with other highly advanced ships, such as the El Dorado.

The Outlaw Star is equipped with two large grappler arms which can be freely controlled by the user, as well as various peripherals such as weapons and tools that can be used by the arms. Inside the ship, artificial gravity is produced by a Newton reactor.

Armament

The grappler arms of the Outlaw Star.

As a grappler ship, the Outlaw Star sports an array of weapons. It's primary method of combat is the use of a pair of robotic grappling arms folded with the ship when not in use. Alone these arms are sufficient to battle other ships. To boost its combat effectiveness, the arms can be armed with a large machine gun and knife. The Outlaw star is outfitted with at least five guns. Two on its dorsal surface and one underneath its ventral body. With two more located on its forward port and starboard side.

While not weapons, the ship boasts camera pods that can be launched with a live feed video to the ships pilot so it can see beyond its own line of sight. The Outlaw Star is outfitted with missile launchers on its port and starboard front portion and its midsection. The rate of fire its missiles can be fired in a single salvo at the user's discretion. However, given the cost of missiles, they are seldom used.

Trivia

• A reoccurring theme throughout Outlaw Star is the costly upkeep of the Outlaw Star ship. Any money stolen or earned for the ship is fed directly into the maintenance of the ship, replenishing its munitions or supplies, thus often leaving its crew penniless and on the constant search for jobs.

Gallery

Artwork

Gene and Jim in the cockpit of the Outlaw Star as featured in an issue of Newtype Magazine.

Gene, Jim and Melfina inside the interior of the Outlaw Star, also featured in an issue of Newtype Magazine.

Screenshots

Exterior

The Outlaw Star before its repaint

Melfina and the Outlaw Star

The Outlaw Star's combat mode. Its grappler arms were specialized with firearms and melee weapons.

The Outlaw Star opens fire on an enemy ship with its gun

The Outlaw Star, strengthened by the Galactic Leyline

The Geomancer and the Outlaw Star grapple

The Outlaw Star vs. the El Dorado

Gene struggles to land the Outlaw Star.

Multiple camera angles of the Outlaw Star

The Outlaw Star after it crashes into a containment dome.

The Outlaw Star parked at a docking bay

The Outlaw Star departs from the Space Forces base

The Outlaw Star and its crew

Interior

Gilliam II the Outlaw Star operation system

Gilliam II's maintenance bot form

Gilliam II registers Hilda as a crew member of the XGP 15A-II

The cockpit of the Outlaw Star

Melfina inside the Navigation Tank

Gilliam II and the Heads Up Display of the Outlaw Star mock a failure state during a simulation

The cockpit illuminated during the Outlaw Star's tailspin in sub-ether space

Aisha Clan-Clan atop the captain's chair

The HUD of the Outlaw Star during combat mode

The HUD after the Outlaw Star is hacked by Crackerjack

Jim, Melfina and Gene in the cockpit after Harry attacks Melfina

Concept Art

Concept art of the cockpit interior and Navigation Tank

Concept art of the captain's chair in the cockpit.

Exterior of the Outlaw Star

Concept art of the Outlaw Star from the artbook Outlaw Record

Outlaw Star Manga

Concept art of the Outlaw Star from the cancelled manga Outlaw Star 2: Retaliation

See Also

• List of Spaceships