After the release of the Marauder,
Dromos Ltd. started bidding on New Republic military contracts.
The Cyclone is the first cruiser they have produced specifically
for the New Republic, and it looks to become a significant part of
the New Republic's arsenal in the years to come. Termed a "brown
water" cruiser, the Cyclone is designed for in-system and high
atmospheric combat, and is virtually useless in pitched deep space
battles.
In form, the Cyclone is a sleek, long, ship, with a pair of
supercharged capital ion engines at the rear, and another pair
bulging out near midships. As many of the missions in the
Cyclone's profile could best be accomplished by a ship capable of
traversing asteroid fields, it has been equipped with a pair of
weapon systems that allow it to do just that. Modeled after the
Extra Heavy Cannons of the Shallitan
clipper, the Cyclone's cannons can blow apart even the most
dense asteroids. In addition, the tractor beams of the ship can be
used both to immobilize opposing ships (a virtually guaranteed kill
in an asteroid field), and, when the polarity is reversed, to shove
asteroids out of the way. In addition, the particle shields of the
Cyclone are nearly twice as powerful as normal, protecting them
from the mini-asteroids that are often the most damaging factor of
diffuse asteroid fields.
Because of it's mission profile, Cyclones are not really
capable of spending long periods in space. A Cyclone requires
refueling and resupplying quite often, and routine maintenance at
least once a year.