Tal’tar

"It serves my purposes."

- Solan Phota

The Tal’tar, or Blood Star as it is translated from Mando’a, is the personal ship of the Mandalorian mercenary known as Solan Phota. Like much of the mercenary’s past, how he acquired the ship is a story that can only be speculated upon. Some claim he recovered it from a battlefield, others that he purchased it from Kuat Drive Yards disguised as an Imperial officer. The most popular theory, however, is that Solan was arrested by an Imperial patrol, but that he killed the crew when he was taken onboard and procured the ship as his own afterwards.

Whatever the ship’s origins, it’s clear that the Tal’tar is no longer a stock VT-49 Decimator. It’s been extensively modified by its owner to make it a fearsome sight wherever it appears. The modifications start with an improved power plant that supplies the necessary energy for all of Solan’s other modifications, including the altered weapons package, the upgraded engines and shields, and even an installed Force Cage for holding Force-users. In order to make all of this work, twenty metric tons of cargo space was sacrificed to fit it all inside the ship’s frame.

The ship’s frame is mostly unaltered, but Solan removed the forward-most viewport in favor of more hull plating to provide greater protection. The ship’s interior retains the same basic floor plan as a stock VT-49 with the exception that most of the passenger quarters have been revamped into prison cells. Another has been changed into a weapon’s locker. To reflect Solan’s solitary nature, the ship is heavily automated by an advanced A.I. to allow him to run all operations from the cockpit.

The exterior of the ship has been colored to reflect the Tal’tar’s designation, with the VT-49’s prongs resembling bloodied knife blades. The ship is also emblazoned with a symbol that doesn’t quite match any established Mandalorian organization. The origins behind it, like the ship and its owner, remain mysterious.