ZH-40 Tribune-class Light Freighter
Light FreighterA heavily-armed Starfeld light freighter that out-guns its class — the favorite of pirates and syndicates, and the hull behind Hondo Ohnaka's Katooni.
- Size
- Small
- Length
- 25 m
- Speed
- Fast
- Reference price
- 140,000 cr
Lore
The ZH-40 Tribune-class is Starfeld Industries' answer to a simple question: what if a light freighter could hold its own in a fight? Built as the successor to the aging ZH-25 Questor, the Tribune keeps the boxy, utilitarian lines of a working hauler but bristles with an unusual number of guns — a fixed heavy laser cannon along the port flank, four fixed laser cannons built into the cargo pods, and a pair of laser cannons off the starboard side. For a ship its size, that is a wall of forward fire, and it explains why the ZH-40 turns up so often in the hands of people who expect to be shot at.
Four quad Novaldex JV-74 engines give the Tribune real pace, and its 85-metric-ton hold keeps it useful between fights. That combination — cargo capacity plus teeth — made it a favorite of the galaxy's crime syndicates. Crimson Dawn, the Zerek Besh, and the Ashiga Clan all fielded ZH-40s during the Imperial era, and the type became a familiar silhouette anywhere contraband changed hands.
The most famous Tribune belongs to the pirate Hondo Ohnaka, whose heavily modified ZH-40, the Katooni, worked out of Black Spire Outpost on Batuu. But the Tribune's story runs long: examples appear from the earliest days of the Empire through the New Republic era and beyond, and at least one flew with the Citizens' Fleet that answered the call at Exegol. It is a ship that refuses to retire.
For a player crew, the ZH-40 is the freighter that fights back. Stock, it already out-guns most of its class, trading a little cargo room and finesse for the confidence to hold a lane against fighters. Give it to a crew of smugglers, pirates, or hard-luck couriers who would rather punch through a blockade than sneak around it.
Default Loadout
| Weapon | Mount | Attr | Range | Acc | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Heavy Laser Cannon | fixed | DEX | Close | +1 | 3d10 energy |
| Forward Laser Banks | fixed | DEX | Close | +2 | 2d10 energy |
| Starboard Paired Laser Cannons | fixed | DEX | Close | +1 | 2d10 energy |
Reference loadout for a stock chassis. Players swap, add, or customize weapons in the Starship Builder, subject to hardpoint caps and GM approval.
Special Conditions
Bristling Armament
The Tribune mounts an unusual number of fixed cannons for a freighter — a heavy laser to port, four laser cannons in the cargo pods, and paired cannons to starboard. It out-guns almost anything in its size class head-on, at the cost of the cargo room and finesse a plainer hauler would keep.
How to use this chassis
These are the stock stats. Use the Starship Builder to name your ship, install upgrades (shields, armor, engines, hyperdrive, weapons, sensors), apply traits (Jury-Rigged, Hot-Shot, Salvaged, etc.), and export a printable sheet. For combat resolution, see the Starship Combat rules page.
Similar Chassis
More freighter-category ships in the catalog.
