The Altor-class supply ship represents a fuel resupply and general supply ship type engineered by the forces of the Galactic Empire. During the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance made use of an Altor-class vessel, specifically the ship known as Pikka's Pride. Between the years of 3 ABY and 4 ABY, Pikka's Pride played a crucial role in transporting four rebel starships to the Core Worlds planet of Coruscant, enabling the Alliance to launch an aerial assault.
The Altor-class supply ship was a very large supply ship class, reaching an impressive length of 4,600 meters. These ships were powered by a set of seven robust thrusters. Each of these primary thrusters was encircled by a grouping of eight auxiliary engines, resulting in a total of fifty-six auxiliary engines. The ship also featured six spherical fuel storage containers.
Thanks to a stern section that contained a series of hangar/dry dock facilities, the ship was capable of conducting deep-space repairs. This meant it could accommodate capital ships as large as frigate class vessels. Altor-class ships also had multiple articulated arms equipped with refueling nozzles, allowing them to service two capital ships simultaneously—one on each of its sides.
The Galactic Empire utilized Altor-class supply ships to perform fuel replenishment operations.
The Altor-class supply ship was a product of the Galactic Empire, which was established in 19 BBY. During the Imperial Era, an Altor-class ship was stationed at Naval Station Validusia, a massive Imperial space station located within the Validusia system.
During the Galactic Civil War between the Empire and the Alliance to Restore the Republic, the Alliance put at least one Altor-class supply ship to use, namely Pikka's Pride. Sometime between 3 ABY and 4 ABY, the owner of Pikka's Pride was tasked with delivering fertilizers intended for algae farms located on a farming platform within the Coruscant system of the Core Worlds. Simultaneously, the ship secretly carried four rebel ships—the YT-1300 light freighter Millennium Falcon and three RZ-1 A-wing interceptors—to facilitate an aerial assault against the Imperial capital planet of Coruscant. Upon Pikka's Pride's arrival in the system, Imperial forces boarded and inspected the ship. After successfully passing the inspection, Pikka's Pride continued on its course. Reaching the closest point to Coruscant possible without attracting the attention of nearby Star Destroyers, the owner of Pikka's Pride released the four rebel ships and proceeded towards the platform.
The Altor-class supply ship was first introduced into Star Wars canon through the thirty-fourth issue of Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon, a magazine series published by De Agostini around August 26, 2015. The ship's actual debut occurred in the thirty-sixth issue of the 2020 comic series titled Star Wars. This issue was penned by Charles Soule, visually rendered by Andrea Di Vito, and released by Marvel Comics on July 5, 2023.
The Altor-class tanker began as a 2010 fanon digital model created by Ansel Hsiao. It subsequently entered continuity in both name and design when it was presented as the Altor-class replenishment ship in The Essential Guide to Warfare, a 2012 Star Wars Legends reference book authored by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart. Hsiao also worked as an illustrator for the book. The Latin term "altor" translates to "nourisher" or "sustainer," reflecting the role Hsiao envisioned for the ship.