The DDS and ABBO fleets engaged in battle earlier today in what was a definite win for the DDS though the cost was high with 9 ships destroyed and over 20 knocked out of action (though some of those have been given emergency repairs) as well as 54 Ferret UCVs lost. The losses for the ABBOs were huge though with an estimated 308 ABBO ships destroyed. The ABBO fleet is now returning to Malau.
With the two fleets taking position the DDS opened fire with a salvo of MRMs, a tactic they have used before. However on this occasion one of the TPMs was equipped with what has been called a "electro-paint bomb", a secret weapon especially designed to fight the ABBOs. The bomb when it exploded amid the ABBO fleet sprayed dozens of ABBO ships with a nano-engineered EM-dampening "paint" which is said to have disrupted all sensory and communication input to the ABBO ships it sprayed. These ships were basically rendered useless. Other MRMs were equipped with nuclear warheads and exploded deep within the ABBO fleet.
The DDS then attacked with several waves of Ferret UCVs, some on suicide attacks. The ABBO flagship was destroyed by these attacks. The DDS then moved in and engaged with TPM salvos. By now well over 100 ABBO ships were already destroyed but the ABBOs began to regroup and fight back. Dozens were sent on suicide attacks, although shield and CIWS upgrades to some ships did prevent their loss some other ships such as the Starsystem on the flank were destroyed when ABBO ships rammed them.
Despite the pressure from the ABBOs the DDS held their discipline and the ABBOs began to falter as dozens of ships were destroyed in salvo after salvo of TPMs. The ABBOs, with little over 100 ships still operational, finally decided to withdraw. The DDS picked off the still crippled ABBO ships who had been hit by the paint bomb. Unfortunately the DDS only had one such weapon available, it being developed by DDS Research within the last few days. More will now be built though it is expected the ABBOs will develop some kind of counter.
The 9 DDS ships lost are listed below. Most are frigates which had not yet received shield upgrades though a few larger ships were also lost due to shield failures or mass attacks.
C130 Kaon
D106 Lion
D163 Sirius II
F113 Quartenary
F126 Mesozoic
F139 Banda Sea
F152 Aral Sea II
P135 Hawk
T108 T.S. Eliot
DDS Engineering is now urgently trying to repair the damaged ships, virtually every ship in the battle received damage of some kind. However it is expected the ABBOs will not be able to attack again for some time. The DDS unfortunately are not in the position to follow up the battle and try and dislodge the ABBOs from Malau.
