of course, while all this was happening, a communication was sent over open channel to the b-wings, requesting their affliation and purpose, and a message also sent to ambassador stomwell informing him of a possible situation.

The squadron commander opened comms momentarily "Looks like we've woken up the Baltimnites. Gents, we need to make this quick, we need to get this done. Remember your objectives gents. Restore comms silence."

The Baltimn sensors would appear as follows.
X = X-Wing Section (3 Fighters)
B = B-Wing Section (3 Fighters)
S = Sentinel
E = Escort Shuttle

the pair of patrol boats were above and in front of the battlecruiser by several hundred kilometers, with the defender an equal distance to their right, spacing out decently. it was obvious this was a raid of sorts on baltimn and they were poised to defend as much as they could.

Aboard the Station.. the data was recieved and punched in. A fully detailed map of Baltimn popped up onto the screens of the command center. "Nice planet, shame really" commented the commander. From the Space Station's Hangar facing the planet faced a Giant Tube, half of it through the shields of the hangar to space (but not the external shields). With the assistance of several large loadliters the barrel was directed towards the planet, pointing towards the capital. The deck officer nodded begin to charge her up.. Droids scuttled around connecting cabling to the cylinder. Fuel lines were connected and began to fill the giant container, adding enough hypermatter to flatten a whole city.

Things were not looking good from the Baltimn perspective.

stomwell knew that hope wasn't likely to come anytime soon. nonetheless, a message was fired off to the senate. it had been a bit of time since his aide had sent a message to duke cale as well. part of the reason the senators had been unable to visit him was the simple fact that he was offworld. the message the aide had received had told her as much, a fact stomwell had seen no reason to pass on to the argumentative jamulon.

in space, the situation was different. the two squadrons looped further out and to the sides, aiming to come in and get behind the attacking craft. both squadrons were in staggered wedge formation, giving them decent clearance between each craft to maneuver and turn. so far, there were no shots fired.

the coloring on the ships marked them as neimoidian, an item that had been unforseen so far, but was hardly daunting. green leader of the preybird squadron sent a message to the craft approaching baltimn.

"neimoidian vessels, this is your final chance to turn back. leave baltimn space or we will open fire."

Aside from the X-Wings which as the vessels approached locked their S-foils in attack position. And dropped back from the formations of B-Wings in order to engage the Preybirds if they attacked. However the B-Wings kept up their course, giving the fleet and Baltimn a wide birth as they went on their wide arc that if continued to its completion would bring them down on the other side of Baltimn space opposite the planet.

All vessels proceded on with the mission, not wanting to waste any fuel they did not have to waste.

In space, the station spun gently, orbiting once every 30 minutes. An engineer walking up from his shuttle which he was working on and took a look at the planet as his hangar faced Baltimn, taking off his hat and thinking to himself how unfortunate it would be if the cities were burning after having thousands of tons of hypermatter dumped on them.

From the other hangar, the other hangar, the fuel cannister was slung out into space, at a fairly sluggish speed which would allow fighters and even tenders to keep pace and overtake it. As the hatless engineer watched his hangar spun gently away from facing Baltimn and he was able to see the cannister streaking into the void, its warning lights blinking gently against the pitch darkness of space.

Alea Iacta Est.

Sensor Diagram to clarify if anyones having trouble following.

the light corvette moved out from its position near the battlecruiser, heading out for open space as well.

One pilot, looking out his window at the approaching craft, smiled derisively "Those Baltimn jerks, all they do is piddle around. What time wasters" he kept his fighter on course, as did they all, not fearing fire from those Baltimnite cowards.

"hypermatter? they're shooting hypermatter at the planet! all craft, engage! engage!."

the baltimn ships accelerated from cruising speed to attack speed, circling in on the canister

meanwhile, telemetry data was fed back to the deep-underground war room. obviously the canister was launched from somewhere, and, as such, it seemed likely the neimoidians had a larger vessel out there somewhere.

"We're under attack!" the Commandant roared "Cancel those damn fuel-efficiency test flights and recall those fighters to the station, the Baltimnites have gone mad. And get those damn Senators up on the bridge, I want witnesses." only seconds later the Senators strode onto the bridge, the commandant continued to give orders "All craft are authorised to engage any Baltimn vessels who appear to be hostile."

The fighters and bombers, while having been moving around the Baltimn ships and planet itself, had not entered Baltimn Airspace, and did not do so. The two formations breaking and setting a course for the Baltimn Patrol Boats and Fighters which had engaged the cannister.

They zoomed back, designating an attack pattern on them, planning to catch them in a pincer movement, the ships gaining ground as they gunned their throttles to full as they moved in to engage... every B-Wing targeted a Preybird with a pair of proton torpedoes, every X-Wing locking a pair of torpedoes on the hapless patrol boat. The weapons systems of the Escort Shuttle locking onto the Preybirds also. The Sentinels weapon systems deployed, concussion missiles being targeted on Preybirds.. its Lasers taking similar targets.

As soon as they closed to torpedo range they would fire. 48 Proton Torpedoes as well as 6 Concussion Missiles winging their way towards the preybirds who attacked the cannister. Towards the unfortunate patrol boat there was another Rather unpleasentness.. 4 waves of 6 proton torpedoes.. 24 in all, would come streaking towards it.

Battle was joined.

while it was true that the neimoidian fighters had not entered baltimn airspace, for that was planetside, they had in fact, entered baltimn-controlled space, which did extend a goodly distance, as far out as their furthest sensor satellite and them some. after all, while the neimoidian station had been well outside baltimn's range of authority, the fighters and indeed, the canister, had come too far within. between threatening posturing and imminent threat of attack, baltimn had made a stand in its defense.