EpisparhThe NPC pilot is a bait. Send it first, let the target chase it while you shred it from its six.
... My pilot last a lot unless I attack a wing where 2 nimble ships focus it. I am using one condor with fixed pulse lasers and a taipan with plasma. Tried Gu... but it is destroyed if someone sneeze in its general direction.
This was my approach as well but it got my pilot get killed quickly because the NPC immediately focused all the fire on that little fighter.
Now, I attack first with her defending me. This "distracts" the NPC to a large degree, my shield tanked Corvette takes all the fire while my fighter pilot can happily shoot the target. She hasn't died on me since.