+++

"Have the hanger crew equip the second Gauntlet flight with missiles. Pull the interceptors back. Those little shooting stars can be death on Interceptors if we give them a chance. Raise shields and extend them around our slipway."

Turbo lasers that could still fire despite the docking arms were crewed. Shields began to power up. Stormtroopers armed with shoulder fired missiles and torpedoes clambered into position on the outside of the station.

"The missile equipped Gauntlets will be ready in three minutes."

Admiral Dorja picked up him com. "Colonel Fel, try to keep as many of our pilots and fighters alive as possible."

"Understood Admiral. Shielded fighters up front. We'll break their formation for the Interceptors to jump them."

+++

The scratch built A-wing fighters were closing fast. Using their impressive speed to try and gain any advantage. At maximum range half of the tiny fighters fired concussion missiles.

"Break! Break!" Yelled out a half dozen pilots over the com.
"Fold formation!" Came Fel's distinctive voice. "Use lasers to shoot down the missiles!"

A flurry of laser and ion Cannon fire started, then ball explosions began appearing.
The designators for one Gunboat and four Interceptors blinked out before the two lines of fighters crossed and merged into a rolling dogfight. One full squadron of A-wings blasted right through the engagement, lasers firing, and out toward the shipyard.

The Gunboats fired torpedoes after the A-wing squadron before having to break off. Half the Rebel squadron fell back, targeting the missiles with lasers. At the same time Gauntlet Flight One broke free of the main engagement and headed after the squad. The trailing A-wing group had just destroyed the last torpedoes when Jag Fel's flight caught up to them.
Three of the Rebel fighters never survived the first pass, the six laser cannon on each Gauntlet fast chewing through their weak shields. The return fire punched through a Gauntlet's shields and sheared off a wing sending it out of control.

There wasn't time for Jag's flight to stop and dogfight with the survivors. They had to get ahead and stop the other A-wing group. The three A-wings were about to turn in pursuit when the missile locks of Gunboats drew their attention again.

+++

"Time until Flight two launches?" Asked Dorja.
"Thirty seconds."

Out ahead of the Destroyer six A-wings fired Heavy Rockets and Torpedoes.

"Gunnery-"
"Already on them sir."

Turbolasers opened fire on the missiles. Most of the bolts missed and those that did hit struck the slower Heavy Rockets. Six Torpedo detonations blossomed against the forward shields.
"Dropping Ventral shields for fighter launch."
Four Gauntlets armed with missile pods dropped fast from the forward launch bay. Before the Destroyer's shields had even come back up the Ties were firing pairs of missiles at the Rebels. Each overlapping their missile fire.

The A-wings broke formation and spiralled down toward the new threat. Most fired lasers while dodging heavily, blasting the missiles or out maneuvering them. One unfortunate fighter caught six missiles simultaneously, turning into a bright orange fiery smear.

Instead of turning to shoot down the remaining missiles or battle the Gauntlet flight, the surviving Rebels all flew straight for the nearest points on the ship docks. They reached the nearest docking arms and hull sections just at the missiles caught up, and used them to block their line of sight. Bright ball explosions lit up the dock next to Ardent.

"Tell the Stormtroopers to stay alert. They may try terrain following tactics."

Gauntlet Flight One soon caught up with the second flight. "Break by pairs, one laser equipped fighter and one missile equipped fighter."
Jag didn't sound happy from what the other pilots could tell.
"We'll have to hunt them down."

Out at the main engagement the fighting was in a stalemate. Nearly a squadron of Interceptors was destroyed or so badly damaged they were out of the fighting. The A-wings would have had the advantage by now were it not for the Gunboats and the older Tie Avenger unit from Sevanar.

"Colonel Fel, this is Admiral Dorja. No pressure but we're going to need help at the main engagement, and soon. Find those fighters."

+++

"No Pressure." Jag muttered under his breath.
Sensors were going to be near useless here, but sure enough down below he could see a fighter making a surface run towards the Destroyer.

"Gee Five, on me." He called into the com letting his wing know to stay close. Then he heeled his fighter over and dove towards the likely intercept point. Before they could accurately judge where the A-wing was going to go, a Stormtrooper noticed the fighter and launched a missile at it.
"Sithspit." Cursed Jag as the A-wing broke off, using a half melted communications array for cover.

They followed the fighter into a large empty slipway filled with broken or disintegrating docking arms. Instead of heading into the tangle of armatures the fighter instead flew through a blown out cargo hatch and into the station.

"Fel to Ardent. A-wings are inside the station. We are pursuing them."
Com static increased as they entered the structure. For all he knew the Admiral could have ordered them out and they wouldn't know.

As they came around an intersection in the main cargo module conveyer way he spotted the A-wing up ahead. Artificial gravity still seemed to be on in places forcing them to bring up repulsors to stay in the middle of the corridor and limiting top speed. There were some sparks from ahead and the A-wing turned a corner.

"Prepare to increase speed once we get around the corner."

Before they reached the corner in question Jag noticed a particular piece of debris sitting on the floor of the conveyer way standing out. It was shinier than the surrounding carbon scored metals and debris. The Torpedo that the A-wing had dropped on a timer exploded.
The forward shields disappeared off of both Gauntlets and debris pelted them. They missed the turn the first A-wing had taken and the corridor ahead was straight for some distance. Then laser bolts from a second A-wing hit their aft shields.

Jag swore again. If they turned in place in the narrow conveyer way the A-wing could shoot them through their unshielded front.
"Increase speed!"
With no other options Jag began firing lasers into the ceiling as they passed. Debris began raining down but the Tie's were moving fast enough to get under it before it could reach the floor. The A-wing was forced to either slow or risk running into half melted Durasteel support braces at several hundred meters per second. At the next intersection Jag and his wing went off in different directions.

+++

"We've accounted for all but three of the A-wings attacking us sir." Reported Wintle. "And the surviving fighters at the main engagement are now running. Apparently they've seen that their attack squadron won't be able to harm the ship."

Dorja sighed.
"Dispatch recovery shuttles. I want any extra starfighter debris, rebel or Imperial, brought aboard. We might be able to cobble a fighter out of it all. How many A-wings escaped?"

"Five out of the nearly two and a half squadrons in the main fight."

"And our vehicle losses?"

"Heavy. We're down to four Gunboats, four Avengers and six Interceptors. All of those are in need of repairs."

"Pilots?"

"Many of our Tie pilots managed to eject but neither of the Gunboat pilots survived."

"Find me some Rebel pilots Commander. I wouldn't mind having a talk with some. "

010