This is a slightly modified exert from a multi-chapter fic that I thought stood as a separate story on its own.

Lucky

Rusty piles of scrap metal as tall as low buildings fill the immediate view, resembling jagged hills against a heavy grey-brown sky. A wide, sandy path between the piles is empty except for fine dust that's kicked up by the wind. A low hum starts then quickly rises in volume. Abruptly, a large vehicle swings around a corner and speeds along the path. The vehicle is dilapidated and awkward, with various arm-like extensions sprouting from its open framework; some arms still hold fragments of scrap. The machinery screams in protest at the pace.

Bucky squints back through the thick dust billowing behind the rushing vehicle. A sudden jerk nearly makes him lose his balance but he deftly jumps and lands back on the small platform in the center of the nest of shuddering metal arms.

Jenny calls from somewhere below him. "Oh my stars! It's just not meant to go this fast. Would you like me to slow down?"

Bucky is still staring intently back the way they've come. Some shadows appear in the dust cloud. He yells in reply.

"No! I want you to speed up!"

Jenny's voice shouts back. "Aye captain. I'll do what I can."

Jenny is below the platform Bucky is perched on; seated in the open driving chair that looks something like a stripped-down motorbike strapped to the bulky main body of the vehicle. She nimbly twists the steering head and whips them around another corner. There's an alarming grinding noise from the vehicle.

Jenny mutters to herself. "This thing corners like a slug and I don't think goes any frelling faster either."

A streak of maser fire flickers over her head. It's quickly followed by many more. On the platform, Bucky is firing back at several speeders mounted by toads that are rushing in pursuit. The speeders clearly out class the unwieldy trash vehicle for pace and agility, although the toads are clumsy pilots.

Jenny quickly glances to the side. A speeder has come level with her. While one toad steers another levels a blaster at her. Jenny's eyes widen; her hands clench on the steering bars and the vehicle jerks backwards away from the toads. A green body drops into Jenny's lap; Bucky lands on her with a slight ouff.

Bucky shifts a little as he lies across Jenny. "Sorry, lost my balance."

Jenny stares forward in concentration at the rushing view. The toad speeder is suddenly beside them again. Bucky immediately fires at the toads, the attacking speeder falls away. Bucky quickly raises his blaster again and fires repeatedly as another two speeders swing towards them.

He grumbles. "Why are there always lots of them?"

Jenny still concentrates on driving as she replies. "At least they're terrible shots. Look, there are side paths. If you can distract them I might be able to lose them for a while."

Bucky looks around. "Get ready, one distraction coming up."

Bucky raise his blaster and fires several times in quick succession at one of the vehicle's arms that holds a large piece of scrap. After a few hits the arm comes loose with a screech of metal and spirals haphazardly away. The toads panic and scatter. Jenny keeps the vehicle steady as the loss of the arm causes it to wobble alarmingly; she then quickly pulls them around a sharp bend into a smaller, winding path.

Bucky relaxes slightly back into Jenny. "That's a breather at best."

They whip around several more tight turns. Bucky holsters his blaster then cranes to look ahead from his position across Jenny. A little way forward the previously winding path straightens and widens out with even taller, precarious-looking piles of scrap all around.

Bucky's voice becomes calculating. "Jen, drop speed to sixty percent and be ready to step on it."

"Aye sir."

"Also, sorry about this."

As Jenny slows the vehicle, Bucky wriggles then quickly swings around to pivot behind her. Jenny remains concentrated on steering; only moving to lift her arm briefly out of his way. Bucky ends up standing awkwardly gripping onto the vehicle behind Jenny. She slides forward and he moves to a more secure straddle, immediately getting a face full of Jenny's long hair as it streams back in the wind of their passage. Bucky grins and ducks to one side. He carefully grips the steering bike and leans over Jenny's shoulder.

"Can you get close to that big pile on the left?"

Jenny gives a quick nod. "Aye sir."

As they pass close under a particularly tall scrap tower Bucky hurls a small object forcefully into its base. Behind them, a large number of speeders can be seen entering the straight section of path; they quickly gain on the trash vehicle. Jenny keeps the vehicle at a tantalizingly slow speed as Bucky pulls a trigger mechanism from his belt. Bucky watches intently over his shoulder then depresses the trigger as the group of speeders approach the bobby-trapped scrap tower. There's sound a small explosion and the tower wobbles precariously then stops moving.

"Fre . . ."

Bucky stops mid-swear as the tower shudders again. Several large blocks at its base move oddly then the entire edifice collapses over the path and their pursuers. Bucky stares at the mess and breaths out a heavy sigh.

"That was lucky."

Jenny's gems flicker with a faint fading glow. "Hum, lucky."

Jenny moves the vehicle's controls and they speed up again. Bucky still watches behind them. A couple of speeders have started to struggle over the collapsed pile of scrap.

"Those shouldn't be too much trouble."

Jenny suddenly sounds alarmed. "Captain! Hostiles at three o'clock!"

Bucky looks quickly to the side to see another group of speeders heading towards them down a cross-path.

Bucky mutters again. "Always lots of them . . . They might be dumb enough to fall for the same thing twice, we could be lucky . . ."

There's an abrupt shudder from the trash vehicle; its engines whine to a stop. The vehicle continues costing, gradually slowing, as Jenny quickly flicks and turns the various controls. She's suddenly yanked from her seat. Maser blasts flicker across the empty seat a moment later.

Bucky lands on his back in a puff of dust, still gripping Jenny around the waist. She rolls out of his hold and onto her feet as they hit the ground then turns quickly to Bucky. He appears winded, struggling to rise. Several poorly aimed blasts glance off the ground and scrap around them. Jenny looks up and peers around their erstwhile escape vehicle to see the toads closing quickly down the cross-path. The nearly stationary bulk of the trash vehicle is still between the parties, providing some cover. Jenny looks intently at the vehicle. It abruptly flips over then jerks towards the toads. Sparks flash over the vehicle's frame then there's a sputtering from the engines and they gutter into flame. Jenny watches for another moment then turns back to Bucky. He's still preoccupied with trying to get up, his head lowered.

Jenny steps quickly over and helps him rise. "How about you don't mention being lucky again?" She helps hold him up with an arm around his chest.

Bucky looks up at the twisted metal and flames jammed in the mouth of the cross-path. "I didn't think it would do that."

Jenny replies primly. "I guess they don't make scrap-gathers like they used to."

"I guess that's lucky."

Jenny releases Bucky's chest as he recovers, standing straighter and looking around. Bucky and Jenny stand in the dusty avenue. They're dwarfed by surrounding scrap piles. Amongst the piles, several small footpaths snake away.

Bucky looks at the ruined vehicle that currently shields them. "That won't hold them forever, although knowing toads it'll be awhile. We've got the coordinates now and it's not far from here. We should be able to make it on foot then . . ."

He's cut off as several maser blasts flash. Bucky and Jenny tense and look down the wide path to see two toad speeders rushing their way. The toads yell incoherently and brandish their weapons threateningly.

Bucky frowns. "I forgot about them." He sighs as more shots fail to hit him or Jenny. "We're out of range you idiots . . . although not for long. Okay, we need to even the odds a bit. They won't be able to manage those speeders off the vehicle tracks. New plan: split up, get codes, don't get captured, meet back at ship."

Jenny nods. "Aye-aye sir."

Bucky and Jenny start to run towards different paths.

Bucky calls out. "Careful Jen."

Jenny calls back. "You too." She speaks more quietly. "Good luck."

Bucky sprints agilely into a path, hopping briefly on one leg around a tight turn near the entrance then dashing onwards though the tall piles.

He speaks under his breath. "I think I got lucky the day I met you."