In response to the modernization of the Imperial Scouts, The
Yaeger High Command has improved the arsenal of their highly
respected Rangers. One of the new craft currently fielded is the
Hatchet Transport. Designed to launch from either grounded Doublet Corvettes or from flyby drops by
various forms of carrier craft, the Hatchet will leave it's drop
area at high speed, and then duck below whatever cover is
available, getting the Rangers to the areas that they are assigned
to with a minimum possibility of detection.
When they reach the area that they are supposed to drop the
Rangers in, the primary innovations of the Hatchet come into play.
The Rangers mount their bikes inside the craft, and the craft will
then sling them out at nearly full velocity. All of the bikes are
usually launched at once, with 2 leaving the vehicle at each side
(except the front). The slings are concealed behind flash-open
doors that have been designed to look like armor plates, and the
gyro-stabilization of the slings makes them capable of angling the
launch quite easily, allowing the crew member assigned to the
slings to match the bike's trajectory with the available open
spaces (preventing early collisions with obstacles).
The Hatchet can travel for up to three weeks without
refueling, but unless some distraction is necessary, it will
usually travel back to another drop site to pick up more Rangers.
Note: The cost listed is in a theoretical situation, where
the Yaeger ships are available without restriction. In most
scenarios, they should not be available at all, or at incredibly
inflated prices.