How about this as a tweak? First, limit how much a skimmer can affect the shields (but they WILL affect the shields). How they affect the shields will depend on your status towards the station/location. If you are 'green' with them, every time a skimmer brushes up against you your shields will get a boost (unless your shields are already at maximum). However, if you are 'red' with them the skimmer will 'steal' some of your shield energy (and they could then brush against a ship hostile to you and pass the energy to them). If you are neutral then you will get a lesser boost. In effect, the skimmers become little shield batteries.



I voted 'other' and have explained here why.