The Black Talon

Bounty Hunters:
Here are the optimal choices for gaining Mako's affection while doing the Black Talon flashpoint! Even if she's not visible, as long as you have her out when you joined the group you'll still gain her affection points, but not if she's on crew missions. I tried all choices, but only for light side, I haven't tested the dark side story line yet. If you choose any other choices you will either get no points or -1 points. All suggested choices give 15 affection unless otherwise indicated, the # symbol means that affection points are not given for this portion of the conversation (pick whatever you want), if # (just not...) then that choice will give -1 but the other two still give nothing. Hope this helps.

Solo'd (with Mako of course) as 18 Merc (Arsenal) with absolutly no problems, Mako kept me healed so I didn't have to heal at all.
Resulted in: +455 Mako Affection, +200 Light Side points, and +5 experience (no XP from mobs because of my level).

Lieutenant - 2, #,
NR-02 - 1
Grand Moff Kilran - 1, #, 1
Imperial Lieutenant - 2, 3
NR-02 - 3
Captain Orzik - 2, 2 (Light Side, 40 Mako Affection), 2, 3, 1
Captain Orzik - 2
Ensign Brukarra - #
Satele Shan - 1, 2 or 3, 1
Captain Ozrik 2, 1
Ensign Brukarra - 3
NR-02 - 1
Yadira Ban - 2, 1 or 2
The General - # (just not 3), 2, # (just not 2), 1 (Light Side, 40 Mako Affection)
Captain Orzik Holo - # (just not 3)
Captain Orzik - #
NR-02 - 2
Grand Moff Kilran - 2 or 3, 1 or 2

First boss dropped Black Talon Hunter's Boots. http://www.torhead.com/item/5Moq1fC
Second boss dropped Black Talon Keen-Edged Vibroknife (nice for Mako). http://www.torhead.com/item/cISebKV#comments
Third boss Esseles Vanguard's Shield Generator. http://www.torhead.com/item/gzA5v2R#comments
Fourth boss Black Talon Pulse-Wave Blaster. http://www.torhead.com/item/40YAkQV#comments
Brentaal Star trooper dropped Black Talon Hunter's Gauntlets. http://www.torhead.com/item/27NMZV1#comments

I used Nakomaru's warrior post above as a template for the warrior Dark Side choices.

WARRIOR DARK SIDE
NOTES: An ! means NOT that number. A # means any choice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lieutenant Sylas: 3, 3, #
NR-02: 3
Grand Moff Kilran: 3, #, #
Imperial Lieutenant: 2, 3
NR-02: 3
Captain Orzik: 2, 1 (100 Dark, -30 Vette)
Lieutenant Sylas: 3
Ensign Hetter: !2
Lieutenant Sylas: 3
Lieutenant Sylas: 2
Ensign Brukarra: 3
Satele Shan: 2, 2, 3
Lieutenant Sylas: 2
Ensign Brukarra: 3
NR-02: 3, 3
Yadira Ban: 2, 2
The General: !3, !2, !2, 2 (100 Dark, -30 Vette)
NR-02 Holo: #
NR-02: 1, 3, #
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, 2

+200 Dark Side points
+285 Vette Affection

Great flashpoint, though it is a tad spread out. It would be nice if there was an elevator after the first droid boss that took you back to the bridge. Other then that this was a great flashpoint.

Also since I am not seeing a seperate page for bosses yet I'll post a basic summary.

Boss 1-Large droid boss who spawns adds that explode when they get close to people. Melee needs to watch this, ranged needs to pick them off. Also LOS is important here.
Boss 2-Melee boss that spawns bombs that shoot out fire. After he drops one he moves. Simple tank, spank, avoid fire.
Boss 3-Little bit more complex. She will melee attack and then do an AOE pull, turn and run away as she then does an high damage AOE attack. She will then force leap to a (random?) target. Not to hard, defiantly need to avoid the AOE though.

Here's the Sith Warrior Light choices for Vette's affection gain. Thanks to Fearghal for the model. !3 means not 3. I did not bother with alternative choices.

Lieutenant: 3, 3, #
NR-02: 3
Grand Moff Kilran: 3, #, #
Imperial Lieutenant: 2, 3
NR-02: 3
Captain Orzik: 2, 2, 2, 3, 1
Captain Orzik: 2
Ensign Brukarra: 3
Satele Shan: 2, 2, 3
Captain Ozrik: 2, 1
Ensign Brukarra: 3
NR-02: 3
Yadira Ban: 2, 2
The General: !3, !2, !2, 1
Captain Orzik Holo: !3
Captain Orzik: #
NR-02: 2
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, 2

Khem Val +455, Dark side +200, Merciless Title:
Lieutenant Sylas: 3, 3, #
NR-02: 3
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, #, 1
Imperial Lieutenant: 1
NR-02: 2
Captain Orzik: 3, 1
Lieutenant Sylas: 2
Ensign Hetter: 3
Lieutenant Sylas: 2
Lieutenant Sylas: 3, #,
Satele Shan: 1, 3, 1
Lieutenant Sylas: 2
Ensign Hetter: 3
Ensign Brukarra: 3
NR-02: 3
Yadira Ban: 3
The General: 3, 3, 2, 2
NR-02: #
NR-02: 3, !3, #
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, 2

Khem Val +370, Dark + 0 or Light +200, Stalwart Title:
Lieutenant Sylas: 3, 3, #
NR-02: 3
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, #, 1
Imperial Lieutenant: 1
NR-02: 2
Captain Orzik: 3, 2, 3, 3, 3
Captain Orzik: 3
Ensign Hetter: #
Satele Shan: 1, 3, 1
Captain Orzik: 2
Ensign Brukarra: 3
NR-02: 3
Yadira Ban: 3
The General: 3, 3, 2, 2 (1 for Light Side)
Captain Orzik Holo: 3
Captain Orzik: #, !2
Grand Moff Kilran: 2, 2

I loved this flashpoint it really eases you into doing things as a group as well as conducting conversations in the group

also remember that if you kill the captain you have to fight the droid boarding parties instead of the human boarding parties

Don't forget to look on both ships for the ship codex LORE OBJECTS.

Depending on conversation choices--killing the captain (droid) or not killing him (landing party)--your first boss encounter could be different than the order cyvaris posted (though I would disagree with him about the need for LOS in the droid encounter: as long as your melee and your tank are not idiots you don't need to worry about focusing the droids either. Keep moving pay attention, because after a certain amount of time the droid's adds will start beeping then they will self-destruct. Your group can choose to just focus down the boss and ignore the adds, but people have to be awake and aware enough to move away from the exploding droids). The other two bosses will remain the same, though there are some interesting things that happen in this FP that are wholly dependent on conversation options.

If you don't kill the captain you will face Sgt Boran and his Squad. Kill the healer first (standard MMO suggestion, I know). Depending on the tank's preference the rest of the order is whatever you want to kill first. Though in my experience, I like to kill the squad--healer first-- then Boran. Boran is melee so taking out the ranged first while letting him bash on the tank seems easiest. Being melee the tank can easily keep Boran's attention, while the ranged can more easily be persuaded to start shooting a healer. But its not that vital.

Regardless of whether you kill the captain you can be given a chest after that first boss fight, though it is dependent on conversation options. Sadly, I'm not sure which option(s) spawn the chest. But it can have anything in it--I've seen all grey items, multiple greens, a green and a blue, and a green and a purple, though the purple only happened once. (These were all in beta)

And I've run this tank with no heals, heals with no tank. So it seems you have to have one or the other. The one run with 4 dps, we had issues. Though I have also run BH tank, 2 dps, and Mako healing and it worked out. So this instance can be very forgiving. But it seems that only the level 10 flashpoints are forgiving.

And as a side note: look up calumniation. It makes the conversations with the droid that much more entertaining.

If you kill the Captain, you get to fight Sabotage Droids down in Engineering.
If you dont kill the Captain, you fight Republic soldiers in the Hangar Bay.

Both paths converge after that point as you board the Brentaal Star.

the objectives listed above -
Destroy the GXR-5 Sabotage Droid
Defeat Sergeant Boran and His Squad

are mutually exclusive and are these two paths.

If you let the Captain live then sympathize with his plight, I believe option 2 on the conversation wheel after you finish sparing him, he will liberate some supplies he was carrying and make them available for your disposal after you finish off the Republic boarding party. The loot I received was equivalent to another boss drop.

I am not certain if this happens every time (of if there's a sith version of the same reward.. demand more assistance perhaps?) but it was a very pleasant surprise.

I can't remember off-hand but there's a point when you're asked to go back to the bridge because an "incident" has happened. You learn that some of the crew panicked and killed each other.

I think the chest is dependent on a conversation option you choose after an ensign explains to you what happened. He says something like they killed those unwilling to fight and you're free to use their supplies.

This is as of 26 Match 2012. I think I got a green.