Tartaros

The Tartaros is the flagship of the pirate group known as the Void Demons. Originally it was a rare Venator-class Star Destroyer Mark II that was found derelict in an asteroid field. The pirates reclaimed it and restored the ship, making several modifications to the relic along the way until it became the most powerful ship in their armada.

Chief among the modifications was a reduction in the Mark II Venator’s starfighter capacity. This was done for a number of reasons. It helped to cut down crew requirements, reduced the resources that would have otherwise gone to maintaining such a large stable of starfighters, and it freed up space to increase the Tartaros’ cargo holds so it could carry more loot from raids. Even with the reduction of starfighter room, the Tartaros has the ability to launch up to eight squadrons if need be.

The other major change was made to the Star Destroyer’s armament. Aside from the laser cannons, all of the smaller weapons were stripped to be replaced with heavy turbolasers and ion cannons. In addition to giving the Tartaros a more powerful punch, it also helped to increase the ship’s fearsome reputation, making it easier for the pirates to take ships without a fight. However, the carefully concealed drawback is that the Mark II’s reactor had to be rigged to draw power from all nonessential systems to fire all of the heavier weapons at once. This is rarely employed since it makes the power grid unstable. Normally, only half of the heavier weapons can be fired at any one time; this is done in staggered procession to hide the weakness.

Despite being one of the most powerful ships in the Void Demon armada and their flagship, the Tartaros is rarely seen by those who are not a part of the pirates. It is only taken into combat when extra power or an added psychological edge is needed.