Battle of Gravlex Med (147 ABY)

The Battle of Gravlex Med was a large battle between the Imperial Confederation, Dark Reach and a remnant of the. While the battle resulted in a defeat for the Confederation, it led to the discovery of the Fel Empire's ultimate survival and their alliance with Dark Reach.

Interlude
Having wiped out the final Federation holdout near their territory, the Imperial Confederation now targeted the Dark Reach instead, leading to a series of battles known as the Maraissel Plan.

While had been a site of battle during the third Imperial civil war, the Fel Empire was presumed destroyed at the conclusion of the siege of, Akran Zelvden having been present for the battle himself, thus discovering their survival was an unfortunate turn of events.

The battle
Upon arrival, Akran immediately discovered a series of warships belonging to the in orbit of the. The warships were flanked by a number of Dark Reach ships. Quickly realising he was outnumbered, the Zelvden Fleet held position, hoping it would lure the Imperial and Dark Reach fleets to him while allowing him to maintain a defensive position.

As he had hoped, the combined Imperial and Dark Reach forces approached Akran's fleet but also held position at a safe distance. Unknown to Akran, the Dark Reach force was complemented with a stolen CY-320 siege ship, and started to artillery Akran's force, forcing him to move. The two fleets promptly engaged.

Despite being outnumbered, Akran held position. Most of his ships were heavier than their Dark Reach and Imperial counterparts. Akran's CY-450 destroyer, Avenger engaged the yet unidentified head-on, and proved to be a superior warship as the Invictus suffered major damage. It was at this moment that Akran identified the ship as the Invictus, which he recognised as a ship which had served in the Imperial Navy.

Tribon Squadron, a squad of CY-50 starfighters led by pilot Damon Hars was launched shortly after the battle commenced. These fighters provided backup for the Avenger against bombers. Shortly before the broadside commenced, the fighters broke off and instead pursued other fighters.

However, despite initial luck, several of Zelvden's ships had been badly damaged, and one CY-370 cruiser, Rejuvenator had been destroyed. Akran hastily called for a retreat, and most surviving ships retreated from Gravlex Med.

Aftermath
Recounting his losses, Akran was left with a handful of starships in the Zelvden Fleet, including his flagship, Avenger, the Corruptor, Adjudicator, Menace, Emperor's Downfall, Tribon Squadron and several squadrons of CY-50 starfighters.

The heavy losses suffered during the battle led to Akran's demand for a dedicated bomber to enter service with the Imperial Confederate Navy, leading to his designing of the Decimator-class heavy bomber, which would be locally produced by.

The discovery of the surviving Fel Empire state was a blow to Donovan Thorn and his circle of advisors, having expected the Fel Empire to have crumbled following the battle of Bescane the previous year. Its survival led some to doubt the Confederation's legitimacy as rightful Imperial government, not to mention having earned the Dark Reach a new ally.