The Ardus-class stealth ship was a vessel originally conceived by Galactic Republic scientists but eventually utilized by the Empire of the Hand for long-range independent operations, which mainly meant the harassment of commercial shipping and raiding trade routes. Re-designed and built by Yaga Minor Shipwrights, Inc. and named after Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, the class featured a large amount of Hoersch-Kessel modules, such as the computers and the propulsion systems. Manufactured exclusively for the Empire of the Hand, it first saw use in 8 ABY, with the onset of Thrawn's campaign, when it was tested on captured New Republic vehicles. From the second half of the year, the Ardus-class was used in large numbers for jeopardizing traffic along the Hydian Way and other trade routes. Because of