Fanfic: Cowboy Bebop in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

IG-88E wrote:The inclusion of the CB fighters in this chapter gave me sudden inspiration the other day for alternate construction histories. Tell me what you think, Kelly:
Swordfish Mark II

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Model No.: IXB-II
Builder: Koensayer Corp.
Fixed Armament: laser cannon x2
Optional Armament: ion cannon x1, missile launcher x1
Hyperdrive: Class 1
Shields: yes

The Swordfish fighter was designed shortly before the Clone Wars, and is still a successful fighter. It was originally intended to be a patrol craft, but it's stability and reliability pushed it into a more attack-minded profile. It is well armed, with 4 laser cannons and a mount below the nose, which can hold an ion cannon, a missile launcher, or a sensor pod. The Swordfish, although not a widely used fighter, is rather popular on the Outer Rim, as it can hold its own against an X-wing, but costs less.

The Swordfish has a larger wingspan than other fighters, but the wings fold upwards during landing, so it actually takes up less room than another fighter of equal mass. The Swordfish also features an escape pod built around the cockpit, so a pilot hit during combat has a chance to fly back to his ship.

The Swordfish has roughly the speed of an X-wing, but is less maneuverable. Like the X-wing, it is easily modified, so most pilots with some spare parts can fix that problem. It is also an excellent atmospheric pilot.

To date, both the Empire and the New Republic have frowned on the craft, for different reasons. The Empire didn't want to shift from its TIE series, and the NR preferred the designs from Incom. Despite this, the Swordfish has sold well among planetary defense squads, who prefer it over the slower Headhunter.
Looks great... except this story is actually pre-NR. It coincides with the OT.
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Post by Kuja »

I know. I wrote it from the POV of the later years, like pre-Thrawn or so, although with a little tweaking.....
To date, the Empire has frowned on the craft, for several reasons. First, Imperial Fleet commanders didn't want to shift from its TIE series, second, they fear that accepting a fighter with a hyperdrive will cause them to slash lucrative orders for capital ships. The existense of System Patrol Craft has also dulled the possibility of widespread use of the Swordfish. Despite this, the Swordfish has sold well among planetary defense squads, who prefer it over the slower Headhunter.
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

That works great.
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Kuja
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Post by Kuja »

Would you like to see the others?
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

Of course.
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Post by Kuja »

Red Tail

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Model No.: PRO-RT
Builder: TaggeCo.
Fixed Armament: none
Optional Armament: laser cannon x4, ion cannon x2, missile launcher x2, gripper claw x2, bomb x 16
Hyperdrive: optional
Shield: yes

The Red Tail is a fighter that never got the spotlight it deserved. Designed near the end of the Clone Wars, it was intended to be an all-purpose fighter-bomber, and might have actually beaten the TIE for the Empire's contracts had it not been for bad luck, sabotage, and an honest accident.

The Red Tail is a speedy, maneuverable fighter that can use its repulsorlifts to quickly change direction in atmosphere. Its shape gives the pilot a near-panoramic view, allowing them to rapidly react to incoming threats. It is unique in the fact that it has NO mounted weapons. Rather, weapons pods on the 'arms' of the fighter can mount laser cannons, ion cannons, missiles, or bomb payloads. TaggeCo even included pincer arms for heavy construction work for possible civilian sales. The Red Tail was primed to become a prominent galactic fighter. Then, everything went wrong.

Twenty prototypes were constructed, and shipped to a testing ground for final preparations. En route, one of the transports exploded, destroying ten. Later investigations pinpointed Sienar Fleet Systems, maker of the TIE fighter. The surviving fighters received another blow when one of the prototypes was stolen, along with a copy of the blueprints, destroying two others in the process.

All considered, the remaining seven might have turned the Empire's heart, had it not been for a final blow. On the ninth day of testing, a Red Tail's starboard engine exploded, killing the pilot and destroying the machine. The Empire proceeded to reject TaggeCo's offer, although Lord Vader purchased the remaining prototypes for "personal use."
Last edited by Kuja on 2002-12-01 08:43pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

Oh, that gives me a great idea. :twisted:
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Kuja
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Post by Kuja »

YAY! I gave Kelly an idea!:mrgreen:
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Post by Kuja »

TheBebop

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Model No.: LT-1200
Builder: Corellian Engineering Corporation
Armament: quad laser cannon x4 (modified)
Hyperdrive: Class 2 (modified)
Shield: Yes

Although not flashy like Han Solo's Millenium Falcon, and not huge like a Corellian Corvette, the LT-1200 is a sturdy, reliable civilian freighter. It is slow and bulky, and often passed over by those who want a quick smuggling ship. Older captains, however, often appreciate the virtues of this ship.

The LT-1200 is not quick or maneuverable. It is, however, equipped with strong shields and a tough hull, meaning that pirates will have a nasty time trying to board it. It is able to set down on land or in liquid, making it a must-have for trips to Mon Calamari or Ando Prime, where parking space is at a premium. Much like other Corellian designs, it begs to be modified, it's interior being spacious, if not well appointed.

Because of its large size, the LT-1200 needs a better armament than other freighters. The stock version comes with two quad lasers, which are nearly always modified for a stronger punch. The stock hyperdrive is a Class 3, slow by both civilian and military standards, making it the ship's primary drawback.

The Bebop, Jet Black's freighter, is modified with a heavily augmented communication system and a better hyperdrive. The ship also sports four laser cannons, two beneath sliding hull plates.
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

Excellent. NOw we need the Hammerhead.
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Post by Kuja »

As you wish, Mistress Kelly! :wink: :twisted:
"Hammerhead"

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Model No.: KHB-1134
Builder: Kuat Drive Yards
Armament: laser cannon x2, ion cannon x1, bomb x 28
Hyperdrive: none
Shield: yes

Built roughly a year after Kuat marketed the successful Aethersprite "Jedi Starfighter" design, KDY decided to enter the bomber niche. Their design was the moderately successful Slammer, derisively nicknamed the "Hammerhead" after its appearance. It was sluggish, ungainly, and ugly, and many pilots wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole.

They changed their tune when they saw it in action. The Hammerhead's heavy armor and shielding protected it from enemy fire while it pummeled ground targets with a large payload. The Empire expressed interest in the design as an atmospheric bomber, and purchased it in limited quantities. It was mostly fielded in the Outer Rim.

However, the Imperial Pilots showed little respect for the Hammerhead, often dumping it whenever a TIE Bomber could be earned. It was slowly phased out of the Imperial forces, and many of them ended up in the hands of renegades.

True to Imperial-favored design, the ship has no hyperdrive, and is reliant on a home base or ship to operate with. It is equipped with a turret-mounted ion cannon, and a pair of front-mounted laser cannons, but it is by no means a dogfighter.
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

Oh, that is just SO perfect!
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Post by Kuja »

I did my best! :mrgreen:
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Kelly Antilles
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Post by Kelly Antilles »

IG-88E wrote:I did my best! :mrgreen:
You always do, Iggy. :)
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Post by Evil Sadistic Bastard »

Iggy fighter stories = good.
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Post by Coyote »

Kelly--

Really cool, a good quick read. About halfway through you switch Kyra's name to "Kyla".

One thing is that there is not a lot of background detail-- setting, description, even good descriptions of the main characters. It's hard to get a mental picture in my mind of where they're at and what they look like. Maybe some personal affectations, stances, gestures they repeat a lot or other subconscious quirks?

And I'm wondering if Coronet is supposed to look like Coruscant? In SW, we've only really seen four cities: Coruscant, Theed, MosEisly/Mos Espa and Bespin. For each place we have a vivid image in our minds, a "style" to the city. Depending on what kind of story you want to write, maybe fleshing out the place a bit more would be cool.

And the ship, the Bebop-- what does it look like, what always seems to be breaking, what is going to get an upgrade 'someday', is the bridge cramped or roomy, how many turrets...

The dialogue is good and believable, and I find myself liking the characters and I'm interested in what happens to them. And it is also nice that at this point I know we will see Kyra again but I can't make any solid predictions on what will happen-- I could see you taking this in a number of directions.

Thanks for a good read, I'll check out some of your others too!
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