
The Cumulus-class Corsair was a light corvette employed by the Separatists during the First Galactic Civil War. It was designed to operate as part of a planetary invasion force, subduing small to mid-sized cities until the ground forces could arrive. Like the majority of Separatist craft, the engineers took inspiration from fauna of their homeworlds. The resulting vessel resembled the long-neck predatory birds common to many wetlands and coastal regions. As implied by its name, the Cumulus is most effective in atmospheric conditions, and is best deployed in close range over its target.
The bridge of the Cumulus is located at the rear of the ship on the dorsal side, overlooking a small open-air starfighter bay. Transparisteel panels offer the captain and their crew a near three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the horizon and the ability to directly monitor the starfighter bay. The Corsair's bay can hold two to four smaller starfighters, depending on size, but because of its open-air nature pilots can only reach their craft when in atmosphere or in optimal gravitational conditions and wearing proper survival equipment.
The dorsal side of the ship is defended by four quad-laser batteries to deter hostile aircraft. The real firepower of the Cumulus comes in the form of two rows of seven gunwales. These can be outfitted with heavy lasers, missile launchers, or other batteries as desired. The gunwales permit each weapon to track separate targets. As a last-ditch weapon, the reinforced hammerhead at the vessel's bow has proven an effective ram against similarly-sized defenders.
Following the Separatist defeat, many examples of the Cumulus-class were impounded and scrapped by Imperial forces, or else sold to private enterprises to pay down war debts, as was the fate of much Separatist hardware. The Cumulus' limited effectiveness outside of atmospheric conditions and vulnerability to being overwhelmed when operating alone has kept its price low on secondary markets. This had led it to become a favorite of pirates and syndicates with smaller territories, or those strapped for credits.