The flanking Hegemony fleet moved and swayed and swirled around the Federation ships they surrounded, and kept them contained as they maneuvered all around.
And though they exchanged weapons fire against each other with equal ferocity, the fact that the Federation ships were squeezed together and bunched up meant they took far more damage than they needed to.
Shots that missed their intended target often ended up hitting whatever was behind them.
The Federation ships struggled to push themselves out of the envelopment - no matter where the fleet maneuvered, Lucifer ensured that they were clamped down tightly. Ze punished them hard with concentrated fire every time they attempted to push out, and kept them in their place.
Every ship in the Federation interception fleet was pummeled mercilessly, and their armor was torn apart further with every passing moment.
All but one.