Merlin flew over to Valos’ heavy frigate as his fighter escort easily polished off the drones that were chasing him. He swooped over to the frigate’s armored belly, and slowed as he came closer.
And when he reached a certain distance, portions of the armor slid aside and folded into each other. As they retracted, a shallow docking collar just beneath the surface was revealed.
He eased his fighter into position just under the collar, and slowly slid up into it so that he was partially nestled in the frigate itself. Magnetic locks kept the fighter in exactly the right place as huge rubberized seals inflated between them and formed a seal.
There was a long HISS as the fighter’s cockpit pressurized to the frigate’s internal atmosphere.
A mix of smells filled Merlin’s nose, from acrid mac
