First Principles: Samair in Argos: Book 3 by MICHAEL KOTCHER Page B

bastard!  And too many of his pilots had already been lost for little more than harassment attacks.  He chittered his frustration.
                  His comm panel beeped and he keyed it active.  “Korqath here.”
                  “Leader, this is Captain Eamonn on the Grania Estelle .”  An unfamiliar voice sounded over the comms.
                  “Yes, sir.  I’m afraid I’m a bit busy right now, sir.  Can this wait?”  Korqath dodged around a turbolaser that was trying to shoot the Cavalier .
                  “No, Leader, it can’t,” the freighter captain and owner of FP replied.  “I’m not calling to waste your time.  I’ve launched two of my shuttles and loaded them up with explosives.  I need your fighters to either distract the battlecruiser so they can do their work, or escort them in.”
                  It took a few seconds for what the captain said to process in Korqath’s brain.  A shuttle, no two shuttles loaded with explosives.  And he and his people needed to escort them in.  Or, they needed to distract the battlecruiser long enough for them to get close enough to do their thing.  All right.  “Copy that, Captain.  Tell your pilots that are in those shuttles that my Aploras will give them their opening.”
                  “The shuttles are unmanned, Leader,” Eamonn said.  “They’re being flown by remote.”
                  Korqath shook his head; that was a detail to be explored later.  “Understood, Captain.  Well then whoever is sitting at the remote better be ready.”  He cut the channel and switched back over to the squadron.  “Aploras, Delphons, this is Leader.  We have a pair of shuttles coming in from the Grania Estelle that have some big boom.  We’re going to give them a chance to get close enough to deploy.”
                  “Yeah!” Hukriss yelled over the comms.  “Now we’re talking, Lead!”
                  “Second flight, you will continue to harass the battlecruiser,” Korqath ordered.  “First flight, break off and vector on a course two-five seven mark nine.  That will move us back toward the shuttles and hopefully up and away from the cruiser’s forward weapons.  Just like before, First Flight, make sure you continue with evasive moves.  Break!”  Eight Sepulcres roared away from the cruiser, heading up and away, in the general direction of the gas giant and the mine, though if they continued their vector, they would just skim the northern polar atmosphere of the gas giant and out into deep space.  But Korqath had no intention of going that far. 
     
                  “Half of the fighters area breaking off, Colonel,” Paxton reported.  “Got one!  Got another!” the tactical officer called out in glee. 
                  “We’re still taking fire from the ones that stayed behind, Colonel,” the engineering watch replied.  “Shields are holding, but they’re losing strength.  No spotting yet, but it won’t be long.  And that corvette is still trying to get into position to shoot the remaining engine.”
                  Gants nodded to himself, not really listening to the report.  He watched the screen, his eyes seeing only the corvette.  That ship is the only real threat.  And it isn’t that much of one.  One good salvo and it will crack open like an egg.  “Alter course,” he spoke up suddenly.  “Up six five degrees.  Once the main batteries have solution, target that corvette and destroy it.”  He grinned fiercely.  I have you now.
     
                  “ Leytonstone is changing course,” Ykzann reported suddenly.  “They’re climbing.”
                  “They’re trying to get us in the sights of their heavy batteries,” Tamara said.  “Mister Wymea, keep us in their baffles.”
                  “Yes,