A Vorlon planet killer was an enormous type of ship used by the Vorlon Empire to destroy entire planets.
Overview
Featuring the mottled green skin pattern characteristic of Vorlon technology, planet killer were built around a laterally bifurcated disc-shaped hull that measured somewhere between four to five miles across. Much of the aft section appeared to be taken up a massive array of gravitic drives with a pair of cupped petal shaped port and starboard "wings" that curved forward from the aft section. The dorsal and ventral surfaces feature a number of large, smooth, blisters, a pair of low fin-like ridges as well as several large spikes and sail-like structures. The forward section is dominated by two forward pointing pairs of undulating tentacle-like structures, each flanked by a similar smaller set and mounted on the outer edge of the dorsal and ventral hull. It is this forward structure that is seen to be the focal point and directional emitter for the planet killer weapon itself.
History
The planet killers were first discovered by the younger races in 2261 when White Star 2 detected a fleet of thousands of ships lead by two planet killers in Hyperspace in Sector 70 by 10 by 53. Shortly afterwards the fleet moved in on Arcata VII and the planet was reduced to rubble.
A planet killer powering up to fire on Ventauri III in 2261.
This marked the beginning of a devastating campaign towards the end of the Second Shadow war in which the Vorlons rampaged across known space, wiping out any planets which had been influenced in any way by the Shadows.[1] Other targets included Dura VII, Kazomi VII, Tizino Prime and Ventauri III.[2] The Shadows retaliated by deploying their Death Cloud against worlds influenced by the Vorlons.[3]
Only one such ship is known to have been successfully engaged and destroyed and only then at the Battle of Coriana VI, by the combined fire-power of all the remaining First Ones.[4]
Notes
- It's unknown exactly how many of these vessels the Vorlons possessed, or how many may have been left behind when they departed for the Rim. What is certain however is that there must have been at least two of them, as in ("The Summoning") two ("a couple") were reportedly in the fleet that went on to destroy Arcata VII and later in ("Into the Fire") one was seen in orbit of Centauri Prime while another was destroyed at Coriana VI.
Behind the Scenes
The Vorlon planet killer was designed by freelance artist Luc Mayrand.[5]
Appearances
- "The Summoning"
- "Falling Toward Apotheosis"
- "The Long Night" (Mentioned only)
- "Into the Fire"
References
 Vorlon Empire Ship Classes
| ||
| Capital Ships | ||
| Cruiser • Planet Killer | ||
| Fighters | ||
| Fighter | ||
| Transports | ||
| Transport • Giant Ancient Transport • Sentinel • Small Ancient Transport | ||
| Other | ||
| Observation Post | ||
| Weapons | ||
| Phased Plasma Guns | ||
| Auricon PPG Pistol · Westlake & Grummon PPG Pistol · Tho'val PPG pistol · Kalat PPG Pistol · Sha'ann PPG Pistol · Tromo PPG Pistol · Auricon PPG Rifle · Auricon PPG Sniper Rifle · Auricon PPG Assault Rifle · Tromo PPG Rifle · Centauri PPG Rifle | ||
| Melee Weapons: | ||
| Denn'bok · Shock stick · Coutari · K'tok · Barrken · Minbari glove-knife · Drazi Blades · Graal · Electro-whip · Slaver's glove | ||
| Chemical/Biological Weapons: | ||
| Nano-virus · Drakh plague · Techno-mage nano-virus · Telepath · Morph Gas · Assassination device | ||
| Weapons of Mass Destruction: | ||
| Thermonuclear device · Mass driver · Vorlon planetkiller · Death Cloud | ||
| Other Weapons: | ||
| Energy mine · Perimeter mine · Blockade mine · Planetary defense grid · Slugthrower · Thermal Grenade · Hand-held Grenade Launcher | ||
| Personal Weapons: | ||
| Michael Garibaldi's Smith & Wesson · Marcus Cole's pike · Londo Mollari's coutari · Ta'Lon's k'tok | ||