Star Cabs originated early enough in galactic history that hyperdrive units were not yet completely reliable. A Star Cab's Class 10 hyperdrive was much slower than those employed by most New Republic scouts; indeed, by that era a Class 10 would have been a more common speed for a backup hyperdrive, which the Star Cab lacked entirely. Star Cabs included a complement of droids that handled the day-to-day operation of the vessel; the standard navigation droid equipped on Star Cabs may have been an ancient predecessor to the R2-series astromech droid. Star Cabs were usually heavily armed, considering the wilder state of the galaxy in their heyday. Their standard armament consisted of four blaster cannons, two firing forward and two aft.
The Star Cab was employed primarily as a scout vessel, usually by veteran scouts.
Scouts who served aboard Star Cabs for extended periods were said to develop disagreeable attitudes toward the ships' droid crews. Luskin Exovar kept a Star Cab hanging from the ceiling of his emporium along with several other vehicles.
Mara Jade's ship in Mara Jade – By the Emperor's Hand 1 strongly resembles a Star Cab, and is approximately the same size. However, it houses a Z-95 Headhunter in a small ventral hangar; Galaxy Guide 8 does not indicate whether Star Cabs had hangars.
- Galaxy Guide 8: Scouts
- Wretched Hives of Scum & Villainy