The Rabbit's Foot

Above the planet Fozdix, an Imperial Customs Corvette held fast between its long forked bow a seemingly harmless N-Class freighter, which had recently blasted it's way off the planet without proper clearance. Suddenly, several small explosions and blaster fire rocked the interior of the larger ship.

Inside the freighter, Jaxxon, the seven foot, green-furred rocket rabbit and Amaiza, the infamous heartbreaker and gunslinger, raced into the cockpit and began hastily charging up the Rabbit's Foot's systems. Between the mercenaries that forced a violent departure from the planet below, and the Imperials who had just attempted to seize their cargo, it had been a long day for the two star hoppers. And it wasn't over yet.

"You just had to offer him a bite," Amaiza scolded.

"How was I supposed to know Makebian space-carrots are poisonous to humans? I can't stand the things meself!" Jaxxon replied as he flipped the switches, pulled the levers and turned the knobs that brought his ship to life.

"The biohazard seal on the crate didn't tip you off?"

"Well, I'm sure I woulda checked the cargo manifest a bit more closely if the sellers hadn't started shooting as soon as you walked into the docking bay! Why didn't you tell me the Guavian Death Gang has a bounty on you?"

Amaiza shrugged. "I didn't think those zero-faced freaks would hold a grudge after I scorched their exhaust ports on Delphon."

Jaxxon cocked a disbelieving ear in his partner's direction. "That's generally how grudges start."

Jax pulled back on the Foot's controls. The ion drives roared and strained, but the ship didn't budge. "I can't break free! Did you release the docking clamp?"

"Of course I did! Did you charge the space modulator?"

Jax turned to the console behind him and began diverting power to the modulation systems.

Amaiza released the docking clamp, and the ship lurched free of the Imperial corvette.

Jax cackled. "Now we're hopping!"

Amaiza extended the tactical scope and began basting the customs ship with ion bolts while the Foot corkscrewed between the long pincer-like bow of the corvette and pulled away into open space. TIE fighters detatched from the corvette and accelerated to pursuit speed after the fleeing freighter.

Jax cocked a thumb over his shoulder. "You better get on the turret. It's gonna take a minute for the Navi-computer to grok the numbers for the jump to lightspeed."

"I'm on it!" Amaiza gracefully rolled out of the co-pilot's seat and ran to the Foot's starboard tri-cannon turret station.

The TIEs screeched through space spraying green blaster bolts at the Rabbit's Foot. Explosions rocked the hearty little freighter, and Jax desperately struggled to evade the fighters.

"We've lost the rear deflectors!"

Amaiza grabbed the cannon's controls and began returning fire. "Careful, green-genes! If they hit the Illudium ore we're haulin', the detonation will cream half the system!"

"What the Hutch?! Again, Amaiza, I did not read the manifest! You said you'd handle the paperwork!"

Amaiza squeezed the trigger and a trio of crimson bolts blasted through a TIE, which burst into a roaring ball of fire. "That's how I handle paperwork."

The remaining TIEs closed ranks and pressed their attack on the Rabbit's Foot. It was going to be close, and Jax couldn't let them keep shooting at his unshielded aft.

He repeated what his good ol' mother always said at times like this. "Better lucky than good."

Jax turned the stabilization thrusters one direction and jerked the yoke the other. The Rabbit's Foot scissored and tumbled uncontrollably. Jax's ears flopped down in front of his face, and Amaiza's curses rattled the freighter.

But the TIEs broke formation and screamed past the Rabbit's Foot to avoid collision with their twisting prey.

Jax reversed the main drives and hauled back on the column, and the ship snapped back into his control. Amaiza whipped the main cannon around and lined up another TIE in her sights.

The Rabbit's Foot soared through the exploding TIE as the Navi-computer clamored for attention.

"Punch it!" Jax slammed the hyperdrive levers forward and the stars around him streaked into the swirl of hyperspace.

Jaxxon slumped down over the ship controls and caught his breath. "And another green hair turns gray. I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at-"

Amaiza bounded into the cockpit, pumped from the close shave. "How many times do I have to tell you, Jax? There's no 'left' in space."

"Some days I really can't tell."

 

• The Rabbit's Foot

Craft: Modified Corellian Engineer Corporation YT-1210 Transport

Type: Light N-Class Freighter

Scale: Starfighter

Length: 35 Meters

Skill: Space Transports: YT-1210

Crew: 2

Passengers: 4

Cargo: 100 metric tons

Consumables: 2 months

Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1

Hyperdrive Backup: x11

Nav Computer: Sure thing, bud

Maneuverability: 1D+2

Space: 5 / Speed: 2D+2

Atmosphere: 295; 850 kph

Hull: 4D

Shields: 3D

Sensors:

Passive: 10/0D

Scan: 25/1D

Search: 40/2D

Focus: 2/3D

Weapons:

Triple Laser Cannon

Fire Arc: Turret

Crew: 1

Skill: Starship Gunnery

Fire Control: 2D

Space Range: 1-3/12/25

Damage: 5D+1

Two Light Ion Cannons (fire linked)

Fire Arc: Turret

Crew: 1

Skill: Starship Gunnery

Fire Control: 1D

Space Range: 1-3/7/36

Damage: 4D

 

 

The Rabbit's Foot was created by Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson.