The Tavya-class armored picket, a robust starfighter, was manufactured by Hoersch-Kessel Drive, Inc. and saw service with the Galactic Republic throughout the Clone Wars.
Differing from the sizable capital ships that HKD produced for the Trade Federation, the Tavya-class (named in honor of the Tavya system situated within the Tapani sector) was a compact, swift reconnaissance vessel, continuing a lineage that traced back to the Delaya-class courier from four millennia prior, and also exemplified by the Seltaya-class fast courier of the same era.
Manned by a lone pilot, the Tavya-class boasted significant offensive capabilities with both energy-based and projectile weaponry, notably a laser cannon mounted on a turret. A proton torpedo launcher could also be attached beneath the main body of the craft to increase its destructive potential. In contrast to numerous fighters deployed during the Clone Wars, it featured a complete internal hyperdrive system.
As the Clone Wars escalated, the fleet of the Confederacy of Independent Systems initiated a string of effective ambush strikes on Republic convoys at crucial points where they exited hyperspace, utilizing intelligence covertly provided by Palpatine in his guise as Darth Sidious. To counter these assaults, Hoersch-Kessel Drive engineered the Tavya-class to reconnoiter areas and identify possible risks to essential diplomatic ships or military transport groups.