The orbiter’s legs were stout. Its ankle joints were fully actuated, allowing better stability and maneuverability. Likewise, it had wide, triped feet for similar purposes.

Along each arm were the blasters for the fireballs and along each leg ran the propulsion jets. The good news was that these things didn’t carry enough juice to get them back into orbit. The jets carried just enough to slow descent for more accurate fire and for powerful leaps and bounds now that it was landed. But any sort of sustained flight would quickly eat through any remaining fuel.

“I said, ‘Unhand my commander’!”