The Rebel Faction

The Imperial warships reverted from hyperspace eight kilometers directly astern of the Diversity Alliance flotilla sent to intervene at Diamal. The DA force was composed of mostly older types serving as the large and main captial warships in the fleet, while the smaller craft are more modern, though still outdated compared to the new Imperial craft that had come to wipe their existance from the galaxy. The Imperial cruisers immediatly opened fire, along with the Fire class Light Frigates, firing at their assigned targets. Ion energy lanced into the Kaloth Battlecruisers, scattering ionic energy along their hull, disabling multipule computer systems, and weaponry. The engines on the three cruisers sputtered, then died. Next came the Proton Torpedoes launched from the Imperial cruisers. The torpedoes shredded the minimal shielding the Kaloth's possessed, noted as their main weakness, and impacted squarely into their aft and engine compartments. Fire blossomed from them, then even bigger explosions engulfed them, the funeral pyre for the three Battlecruisers. Although the bridge, engines, and after compartments had been obilterated, the bow section of one battlecruiser remained, prize salvage to be had after the battle was over.

Moving on, Quad laser cannon by the Fire Light Frigates swarmed into the formation of Republic style fighters surronding the Diversity Alliance's fleet flagship, an old but still very much powerful Republic type Star Destroyer. Hundreds of explosions blossomed and then faded around the Star Destroyer as most of the DA's starfighters were blown away by the superior anti-starfighter guns of the Imperial Fire class Light Frigates. And into the Republic it's self flew turbolaser, and ion cannon fire from the Light Frigates, and power turbolaser blasts from the Imperial Cruisers. The Star Destroyer's shields held at first, then buckled, and collapsed as the powerful turbolaser fire whittled away at them. Turbolaser fire lanced into the command pylon, and engines, destroying them, and leaving the Republic Star Destroyer adrift, crippled, with the remains of it's engines on fire, and it's command structre blown away.

Then, the fighters deploy from the Imperial fleet, some two hundred or so in number. The remaining DA fighters, having been scattered after the concentrated attack by the Fire Light Frigates, were felled upon by the superior Imperial fighters, called Devils. The other Imperial type of fighter found present at the scene, the Defenders, formed up into groups, and fire their torpedoes, and missiles at the smaller Gunships. One gunship was blown away completley, and three others suffered considerable damage. Follow up fire from the strafing Defenders disabled them, and drove a fifth off.....

The Diversity Alliance Fleet had suffered horribly, and were caught completley off guard from the suprise, and bold move by the Imperials. With their chain of command having been obliterated, and their heavy ships been destroyed, one can only imagine how long the fleet would hold together...........

The ten C-1000 type Light Cruisers, and the ten Corellian Gunships that made up the Mon Calamarian section of the Diversity Alliance flotilla had made it back to the planet, and had rallied the various Diamalan forces. In addition, some Marauder Corvettes that had been out on patrol had now come back in, making total fleet strength for the combined alien fleet thirty two vessels, quite a war armada. In addition, a total of one hundred fighters, and fifty bombers also were included, including fighters that had been brought off from patrol in addition to fighters having come up from the planet to reinforce the fleet. The Imperial fleet now numbered ten captial warships, with one Fire Light Frigate having been destroyed, and another one detached to rescue DA survivors, and salvage the large pieces of wreckage to look for any helpful information.

The Imperial fighters had also suffered bad losses, but not severe, or crippling in any means. Half of the TIE Devils were destroyed, leaving forty four, and about a fourth of the TIE Defenders had been destroyed, leaving about eighty eight. These, combined with the anti-starfighter capabilites of the Fire Light Frigates, mean that they had more than enough firepower suited with dealing with the enemy starfighters. As for anti-ship firepower, the combined enemy armada had the power of about two hundred and fifty turbolasers, and about one hundred ion cannons. The Imperial armada firepower totalled one hundred seventy turbolasers, and and a similar number of ion cannons, meaning that the Imperial captial warships were slightly outgunned. Thats why they had to go for the weakest prey first, the Diamala Cruisers, and Carriers. Once they were destroyed, they could move onto the gunships, then marauders, and finally the light cruisers.

First the starfighters engaged. Space was lit up between the two fleets as each sides respective starfighters engaged one another. The Imperial Defenders went first, absorbing with their shields most of the damage that the enemy starfighters could put out. Ten TIE Series Defenders were destroyed on this first pass alone. In turn they managed to destroy five fighters, and two bombers. Then, in came the TIE Series Devils. They quickly formed into groups, and blasted enemy fighters on the first pass, then split up, and used their far superior speed, and mauverability to get onto the tails of enemy fighters, and bombers. Then they would use their ion cannon to knock out the enemy's shields, then the light laser cannon to finish them off. In the first three minutes, the Devils alone managed to account for forty eight fighters, and twenty bombers, losing only three of their own number. At five minutes, it was all over, with the last five fighters, and single bomber being dispatched by the swarming TIE Devils. The Imperials had lost only ten of their fighters, and destroyed one hundred and fifty of the enemy starfighters, and bombers. The Imperial figthers, their jobs done, were swiftly recalled to dock with thier respective ships, and let fresh piltos take their places, along with their fighters being refuelled, and rearmed.

The captial warships were now twenty kilometers apart. The fighters were hurriedly redeployed, and spread outwards from the two fleets in two groups, preparing for another Marg Sabl manuever. The enemy formation shifted in response, their Corellian Gunships breaking into two groups, and moving out to use their quad laser cannons against the two groups of Imperial fighters. Instead of retreating from this threat, the Imperial fighters dived head on into this, the Defenders firing their torpedoes, laser, and ion cannons as fast as they would cycle, the Devils likewise.

Then the Impeiral warships engaged the Diamalan Blockade Carriers, and other ships at extreme range. The Imperial crusiers launched a two hundred torpedo barrage at the Mon Calamarian Light cruisers, and fired their ion cannons at the same targets, while their turbolaser batteires, and cannons focused upon the Diamalan Blockade Carriers. Within five minute of this, seven explosions had dotted the viewport. One Imperial ship, the Fire Light Frigate Harmzuay, had detonated under the intense fire from the enemy ships, which were also targeting the weakest Imperial ships first. Of the others, four were CEC Gunships destroyed by the enemy fighters, and two were Light Cruisers being impacted by multipule torpedoes after having their defenses weakened by the ion cannon fire. Thirty minutes later, the engagement it's self was over. The Imperials had won, losing one Light Frigate, with the others moderatly damaged, and of the enemy flotilla, one light cruiser, and three gunships survived to jump into hyperspace.

With the remaining forces defending Diamal gone, Imperial rule could finally begin.