The Tortantula are one of the the 37 mercenary races in the Galactic Union.
They resemble giant spiders, but with wasp-like waists with thin abdomens. They have ten eyes that look eerily like human eyes around their head.
Tortantula warriors are always female. The top 5% of all warriors are paired with Flatar, who ride on their back and cover their flanks. Both Tortantula and Flatar are considered client races of the Veetanho.
The standard Tortantula assault company includes 50 riderless Tortantulas (called ferals), led by a company commander and a number of squad leaders varying on the situation. The leaders are always Tortantula/Flatar pairs. Ferals rarely carry weapons, though they may have armor. When they do have weapons, they are usually controlled remotely by Veetanhos.
Tortantulas also have special operations units that include only pairs. These usually include ten pairs. These units are separate from covert ops units, which also include only pairs but which operate in smaller groups.
Riders sit on Tortantula assault saddles. These not only include seats for the riders, but also a weapon hardpoint. Most often, they are armed with MACs, but can also be seen with mini-guns and rocket launchers.
Home Planet: Lycosa
Pronunciation: Tor-tan-chew-la