Taleila Sparks was born on a family farm on Firewater to Mia and Garry Castle. She has two elder half siblings from her mother's previous marriage. As a small child she used to enjoy listening to stories her father would tell of their family history. He told her that they were descended from an Earth nation called the Irish, and that one of her ancestors had formed part of the crew that stumbled across and colonised Miriani.

Very little is known of Taleila's childhood, aside from the fact that her father lost his farm to some unknown misfortune and moved to Rosario to become a fisherman. Not wishing to join him, Taleila's mother moved to Desolo, where she lived with her children, sometimes taking Taleila to visit her father during school holidays.

The whereabouts of Taleila's parents are now unknown, accept possibly by herself. All of the siblings were schooled on Desolo and subsequently joined the Pilot's Academy. Her brother David, deciding that he preferred a "slightly simpler" life, withdrew from the academy and built up a number of successful businesses. Taleila will never understand why he considered this to be simpler than piloting. Her sister Kiara became a pilot, until she met and married a civilian from Venus. Shortly after her marriage, she retired as a pilot to start a family, wanting to raise children in a stable civilian environment with her husband.

Taleila eventually also graduated from pilot school, where she met her husband Jaime. He took her surname when they were married. So did her brother in law, simply because he decided it was "cool".

Very little is known about Taleila's history other than this, though she does not appear secretive at all. She appears open and forthright, and sometimes lacks diplomacy. She prefers confronting problems and is fiery by nature. However, she hides a soft side under her sassy exterior, caring deeply for all living creatures, especially those she considers friends. Her soft side is not all she hides.

Not even Jaime knows each aspect of Taleila's personality and history, as she feels strongly about her own space, both physically and emotionally. Still, she has shared the most with him. He knows she learnt to play the guitar from her brother David and her sister Kiara. She inherited her fiery nature from her father, and also a love of water. He knows that she loves to sing, but cannot do it if she feels she is being watched. He knows she has an affinity for felines, and is somewhat feline herself. She sees her extended family as her pack. The phoenix tattoo on her shoulder is a symbol of the fact that she herself is a survivor who rises up even harder and stronger when she is knocked down. He knows she can be childlike, as evidenced by her fervent wish that dragons were real and that she owned one. She's an explorer at heart,, even though her beliefs made her switch from AIE to Commonwealth. He knows she likes wine and shopping a little too much. Most of all, he knows she loves him, and that is enough. Her mysteries will unfold naturally on their own in time.