Ok ok fine. I revoke my post.
CONTINUATION (yet again, after significant backtracking):
ESPilot's fleet arrives in Gadzair, the middle of Strand territory. They quickly hyperjump out so as not to become suspected by the people who dwell in the station.
A few days later, they arrive in Hizdriar, and spot a Crescent Warship and a Lazira beating up on a Miranu Freighter, when all 29 of the fighters carried in ESPilot's fleet are launched, along with the 6 Aradas, and engage combat with the renegades. By now the Freighter is disabled, and boarding tubes are just beginning to be occupied when one is blasted by a Crescent Fighter from the fleet, signaling the start of the battle. The Lazira and the Warship withdraw their tubes and the CW launches its fighters, sending them after one target only to have them pounded and beaten by 4 other ships. ESPilot launches SAD's at the enemy, and the Crescent Warship and 3 Laziras in his fleet do the same, as well as the Heavy Carriers. Once the 2 renegade ships realize they're biting off more than they can chew with this fight, they quickly run away just as the fleet reaches them. The S.S. Honor Blade opens fire with all five fully-charged phase turrets, while ESPilot's Crescent Warship escort assists in the close combat, firing dispersals along with its phase turrets.
Soon the CW is disabled, as well as the Lazira. Both are boarded and captured by the Heavy Carrier-TTs and taken to the planet with the rest of the fleet for refuelling as well as restocking. The Renegades seem happy for some reason and the pilot of the Lazira says to ESPilot "I'm glad not to be one o' them anymore. Yessiree, those Renegades are total idiots. They're trying to win a battle with those Zacha or whatever y'call 'em with totally unupgraded ships (it's the rule in the Renegade military, don't ask me why), a low budget, and bad odds that continue to drop." The Crescent Warship pilot, an aged, battle-scarred Strandless, says "Boy ye got that right. Them Renegades are poor funded, getting what they can from the ships they plunder, and yet they have nowhere to sell it because Renegades are of course, not allowed on planets and stations other than their own. They hafta make do wid sellin' it to other Renegades. And they don't allow ship upgrades. You buy a ship; they don't letcha change it."
He continues "But now that we're with you guys we can do whatever we want with our ships." ESPilot says "Well I'm glad you feel good about it. Listen, my company has made a technology which allows shields to be increased by half the original amount of shields. How'd ya like to try one out on your ships?" The Lazira pilot's first mate, a young, brash pilot, says "Sure, we'd love to. The shields of a Lazira ain't really up to battle standards against the Zachit with their Pursuit missiles and moderate speed."
The Lazira pilot says "Ah shaddap." giving him a brief blow to the gut. He says "This un's a liddle firebrand, was when I picked him up, still is now." He looks to the first mate and says "You gotta learn to control that gizzard of yours, son. It can getcha into a heap o' trouble when you run it off like that." He continues, looking back at ESPilot "We'd be glad to try one out. He was right about one thing: our Lazira's shield aren't up to battle standards against the Zachit." ESPilot says "All righty then. They'll be installed before our next flight, I'll guaruntee. Right now, I say we could use a little rest. With that, he walks off to the spaceport bar.
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' Cross me, you die. Cross me twice, you die again ' ESPilot