Nearly 4,000 years ago, the Galactic Republic was looking for a ship to carry VIPs on tours of star systems that were embroiled in conflict. It needed to be tough and capable of defending itself, able to detect threats far in advance, and swift enough to evade hostile craft. Politicians and industrial moguls tended to travel with a large entourage and liberal amounts of baggage, so the design needed to have plenty of cargo and passenger space. Zentine Dynamics delivered the preliminary draft of a design that would evolve to become the Lambda and Sentinel shuttles popular in the modern age. The Ministry-class Orbital Shuttle exceeded the Republic's design requirements and the first "Minis", as they came to be known by their ground and flight crews, immediately became the new standard military shuttle for a variety of roles.

The Ministry-class was capable of outrunning most fighters and gunboats of the period and could track them well beyond weapons range. Permanently assigned to capital-class carrier ships and system garrisons, it had no need for a hyperdrive engine and that space was used for additional cargo instead. The lateral stabilizers folded upward for sturdy off-pad landings on uneven terrain, making it an ideal dropship for planetary troops. The Ministry-class was deployed in such great numbers that they can still be found patrolling space and delivering payloads with devoted pilots who continue to admire the Mini's elegant simplicity and brilliant performance.