From: Doug Murphy <Draxon-X@msn.com>
I am almost 100% sure that those shields would NOT hold up against 3 or 4

particle beam sattelites.  Think about it, a beamsat is as powerful as

the 

alien's primary weapon.  The aliens would have to destroy the sattelites 
before they got their ships under them...

3 or 4 sats might be able to overpower one destroyer, but all 36? Also
there are plenty more destroyers on board the mothership. 
Destroying the sattellites wouldn't be too hard. I gather those particle
beams are for leveling cities not small nimble attackers.