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"Two, cover me!" Hermus Dogan snarled into the comm link as he piloted his shielded TIE Fighter on an erratic course. The similarly shielded TIE Bomber behind him continued firing relentlessly, hoping to score hits through sheer volume of energy.

"Hang on, One. I'm on it."

Hermus frantically sprayed laser bolts at the dupe in his sights, hoping to force it from its attack run on the light cruiser Saguaro. Some of the bombers carried heavy rockets, deadly warheads that could wipe out large portions of a warship's shield energy. He'd managed to eliminate a handful of other dupes already, but between their shielding and his need to evade others it was a slow process. His fellow TIE Fighter pilots were stretched thin against the continuous waves of hostile TIE Bombers.

The streams of green energy flooding the space immediately around Hermus' TIE abruptly ceased. A quick glance at the sensors informed him that the TIE Bomber behind him had broken off its pursuit.

The comm crackled in his ear. "Your six is clear for now, One."

Hermus relaxed slightly. "Thanks, Two." He took more careful aim at the bomber in his sights and fired another burst, successfully striking it. The bomber's pilot veered off course and initiated an evasive maneuver, but not before it launched a heavy rocket at the Saguaro. He snapped off a couple shots at the rocket, but missed. "Saguaro, rocket incoming!" Hermus abandoned any attempt at precise targeting on the warhead, choosing instead to unlink his lasers and pepper it with a constant stream of shots.

Despite his efforts, Hermus couldn't land a hit on the rocket. It slammed into the Saguaro's dwindling shields, triumphantly detonating its payload.

"This is the Saguaro. Shields are DOWN! Repeat, shields DOWN! Thorns, intercept those bombers immediately!"

Hermus flipped through bombers with his TIE's targeting system until he found one carrying rockets four clicks away. It wasn't yet close enough to launch at the Saguaro, but was closing in. Green flashes lanced in at it from one side, dropping its shields to twelve percent and sending its pilot into an evasive roll. The TIE attacking it refused to be shaken, chasing it through its attempt to escape and finishing the job. The bomber's engines exploded, ripping the craft apart.

The comm stuttered to life. "Saguaro here. Another wave of bombers is launching from the VSD. Pick your targets and take 'em out."

Two TIE Fighters set course for the new bombers. Hermus chose a closer target, a bomber preparing for another attack run on the now unshielded Saguaro. "Two, you still here?"

"Affirmative, Lead. Finished off that bomber on your six and one other trying to launch rockets." A hint of smugness could be heard in Two's response. "Picking another target now."

"Copy. I've got one prepping another run." Hermus settled his crosshair on the dupe he'd selected and fired a linked pair of bolts. The bomber jinked to the side, successfully avoiding the shot.

Hermus frowned and fired again, only to see the TIE evade a second time. "Looks like this one has a pilot with some brains."

Two's response was immediate. "Hah! That'll be the day. Keep on him."

"Count on it." Hermus tapped the trigger on the flight yoke a third time before immediately shifting a few degrees to starboard and firing twice more. The bomber avoided the first shot but took the second and third squarely on its aft shield. He grinned as he set up for another shot and moved closer to the bomber. He wasn't about to let it escape.