HLC you roll and turn any crits to hits then your abilities take effect and you turn one into a crit, also remember if you re-roll any crits stay crits it's only the first roll you change to hits.

The 2nd fact makes me think of the merc co-pilot as a waste of point (Esp since you're paying extra for the B/e mod) when one could get fire control systems (or advanced sensors) for cheaper (the same price).

Those 2 system upgrades are solid gold on B-wings, because guaranteeing actions lets them bump or run through obstructions (just don't land on them) with minimal loss of effectiveness. Fire Control also doubles as a damage increase because, if you keep firing on the same target, you'll have free reign to focus + TL your shots.