[Azatol]

The Second Battle of Calatius Homeworld, Part 1

Since both the Initiative, which had a weak fleet to begin with, and the Collective, whose fleet had been pared down greatly, were unlikely to be able to finish off the Empire for the time being, the allies returned to feverish construction schedules for new fleets. The construction ships of the Collective who were at the staging area were of great help, since the trip between the allies was a half year endeavor.

The Empire improved its laser technology once again, giving it an advantage in weapon efficiency. Against the large ships of the Initiative, this worked well, but the Collective had more smaller ships that were manueverable and presented problems for the Empire's targetting computers.

Having received the message about constructing a new class of ship designed for ramming, Vader ignored it, never telling Palpatine of its existence.

The Collective could not understand the designs of its Cerebral ally, but said nothing. On the other hand, the Initiative was shocked to discover that the Collective operated over two dozen mining bases that provided a significant portion of its resources. Asteroid Fields were an ideal system for the collective, but only one had been found, and it was being exploited to the max.

The Collective wrestled with the issue of whether to bring the Monarchy into the war. The negatives were that the Monarchy was militaristic like the Empire, whereas the current alliance was composed of nations who had other main goals, such as knowledge and industry. The Monarchy might decide to join the Empire side if they had contact, and destroy the Collective whose fleet was away.

The arrival of the Second Collective Fleet, merging with the first on location at the Initiative homeworld would form the largest naval force yet assembled, surely sufficient to smash Imperial defenses.

The Collective was preparing on the ground war front as well, recruiting a vast Space Marines force, but the troop transports were delayed, just in route as of 2409.6, while the second Collective fleet was approaching the main fleet. Coordinator Esharon had asked his people for ideas about how to help the Collective fleet destroy the Empire. Since the collective was leading the show, it was decided to integrate Initiative ships under their command.

2409.8

23 Warships, 6 refuelers, and troops from both the Initiative and the Collective are ready at the staging area. More troops will be arriving from Chelikbar, the Collective home system, but they don't plan on waiting. The fleet is ready to move at the beginning of the next month.

Meanwhile, the Empire is building the Anterab class Light Cruiser, they have three, and the older Adz, which have all been upgraded to the newest lasers. The Imperial fleet is about half the Collective fleet size. Palpatine knows an attack is coming, he can feel it. Vader is worrying about a disturbance in the force, very faint. He can not solve this mystery, much as he tries.

The Construction Ships of the Collective halt operations, and pack up, taking one warship with them to search out systems for mining operations. The Collective war fleet is in transit.

2410.4

The Collective fleet arrives in the Imperial Home System, with about 60% of supply remaining. Refueling ships credited with successful operation, fleet prepares for offensive operations.

The Empire begins a mass troop conscription drive in preparation for a ground war.


Final composition of the Imperial Fleet before battle:
10 Adz III class Heavy Destroyers
5 Anterab class Light Cruisers.

Final composition of the Collective Fleet before battle:
6 Psi Class Refueling Small Transports
1 Gamma Class Troop Carrying Small Transport
2 3B3 Class Cruisers (On Loan from Initiative)
1 Phi Class Frigate
2 Theta Class Frigates
13 Eta Class Frigates - 4 with unrepaired retrofits: 1 missile each missing.
3 Kappa Class Corvettes


2401.5

The battle begins:

The Imperial fleet makes a formation manuever, slowly arranging the fleet in front of the homeworld, where missile defenses may provide a small amount of additional defense, but largely they are obsolete. The planet also provides a small amount of point defense.

Each Eta has a very long range missile launcher, but the Empire has missile defense integrated into all of its ships. The Collective fleet pushes forward, seeking to get in range of its cannonry. The undamaged Eta's Fire missiles at the Imperial ships that are already in position. The other imperial ships are still closing into the fleet line.

A communications problem has put some of the Collective's warships off the battle line with the support ships instead. Those ships rush off towards the battle line. It is clear that formations on both sides need to be worked out for the future.

The Collective fleet moves forward again, forming a double line in some places. It is clear the Empire will get the first shots off, not counting the missiles.

The Empire orders its ships to give first priority to the 3B3 Cruisers of the Initiative. The Empire's point defense proves shoddy, but it has plenty of it...hopefully. Imperial lasers prove themselves to be quality and the majority of beams hit. The first of the two 3B3s is turned into a weaponless hull as a result of the focus of the Empire's ships.

On the bad side for the Empire, against the Collective ships, which are more manueverable, the lasers struggle to hit. The Empire is barely countering the initial missile attack of the Collective as most anti-missile cannon fire misses completely.

Enough Laser fire does get through to neutralize another ship, an Eta frigate as the last of the Imperial ships in range fire. Still there are ships coming in from the far side of the planet. This includes two Anterabs.

The battle seems more even sided than expected, and the efficiency of the cannonry fire will be very decisive in this battle. If the Collective can strike back and take out some enemy ships, they will do fine, if they only knock out one, they will be destroyed as the Laser fire has proven sufficient. Once again, the effect of larger hull sizes on the Imperial side has been underestimated by the Collective who sticks still with Frigates. An Imperial victory today will be an incredible blow to the Collective which has outproduced the Empire by astounding margins.

Closing the point blank range, the frigates of the Collective fire, but they have much less impressive weapon spreads than the Empire, having even as few as one cannon on some of the ships, and two on most.

The fleet does little more than slightly damage a few Imperial ships, and heavily damage one, and the seemingly invincible Collective fleet is looking pathetic against the withering Laser fire of the Empire. But the remaining 3B3 of the Initiative decides to make a tactical manuever and swings away from the battle, but remains somewhat close, no doubt hoping to not get targetted by Imperial weapons for a while.

Never count the Empire out as they seem to rebound excellently, with a weaponry advantage and especially a ship design advantage the AI alliance is floundering, and we may see the Empire once again knocking on the doorstep of the weak Transcyber Initiative soon.

*BATTLE TO BE CONTINUED*