I'm okay with it freaking out PD. Fighters have miserable success rates in general regardless of what mod you play because they can be targeted by main guns and non-main guns alike which coupled with low HP/armour and minimal shielding means they get massacred if anything much more than a non-combat ship so much as breathes in their direction. Drones could act effectively as ablative armour, distracting guns and taking hits otherwise destined for the fighter itself. Guns in general aim for the first thing that comes into range, which tends to be a drone as drones circle their host. When targets are knocked out, they switch to whatever target is quickest to start shooting at. So they could keep chewing through a mass of drones instead of attack the fighter itself unless you actually mark them a target and turn the attention of ALL your guns on them. Okim's method is also a clever way of fielding more than the 6-wing limit in one group. I've a question, Okim, what's the full complement to be? Will it be those 6 piloted ships and once they're all out, that wing is out? Or will they have a few replacements?
Aliens are pretty horrible to engage until you're in a sturdy capital. The frigates often have the firepower, speed and range to dictate the engagement. They can swoop in, unload on another frigate or destroyer then back off, having taken little to no return fire. However, when you're a capital, you're also probably high level and then you have numerous benefits stacked in your favour. I know from experience that a leveled battleship of any faction can more than capably handle an alien fleet by itself with the only time you really need to pay attention being the Mothership's terrifying volleyed firepower which often is on par with your own range if you use mass drivers or beam lasers, or outrange you quite handily if you have 408mms or some other array of "traditional" guns.
EDIT: Usually, by the time the Mothership is bearing down on you, the rest of the alien fleet has been wasted because she's a slow beast. Otherwise, there might be a heavily damaged frigate which'll probably be destroyed by your rear guns as you engage the Mothership.