The Ithullan ore haulers, colossal spacecraft utilized around 4000 BBY, possessed a unique construction. Rather than being manufactured in the conventional sense, they were fashioned from the remains of Ithullian colossus wasps, gigantic insect-like creatures exceeding one kilometer in length. This distinctive characteristic set them apart from virtually every other starship design. The humanoid Nessies of the Stenness Node systems, a significant mining area situated on what was then the edge of the galaxy, employed these vessels.
The Stenness Node systems were teeming with Ithullan wasps, providing the Nessies with an easily accessible supply of hulls. Upon the death of a wasp, the Nessies would transform its exoskeleton into an ore hauler. The Nessies maintained that they only utilized wasps that had perished from natural causes, however, it was widely known that mining colonies offered substantial rewards for wasp carapaces. This practice resulted in the illegal hunting of Ithullan wasps within the asteroid fields. To the detriment of the poachers, the Ithullan wasps were formidable defenders, leading to numerous fatalities among the hunters.
Given that their shells were vacuum-sealed and sturdy enough to withstand blaster fire, the engineers primarily focused on creating decks and cargo compartments, as well as integrating essential systems like computers, sensors, armaments, and power generators.
These massive ships possessed cargo holds capable of transporting quantities of valuable mutonium ore comparable to the largest bulk freighters operating in the Core Worlds. To maximize interior space, two ion engines were externally mounted onto the wasps. The wasp's legs were outfitted with stabilizers and jets, enhancing the ship's maneuverability. In addition to a pair of heavy turbolasers situated in the forward section of the thorax, the ship was equipped with low-power defensive blasters positioned along its exterior.
Similar to typical insects, Ithullan wasps exhibited a distinct head, thorax, and abdomen. Once converted into an ore hauler, the head served as the location for the command center, computers, sensors, and weapon control systems. The thorax accommodated the ore modules, while the abdomen housed additional ore storage, the ship's power generators, drive control systems, and the fuel pods, which occupied the majority of the abdomen's volume.