New capital ships deployed in Kessel

Date: 230410
Planet: Kessel System

Story: (Written by the Galactic News Agency, Ramona doesn't write IC).

For a few weeks now rumors of both sides of the Galactic Civil War preparing to deploy new capital ships in the Kessel system have been going around. Solid information has been scarce though, while tales of veritable "fighter killers" were thrown around.

Last night the first confirmed reports of such deployments reached us. A mixed force of Onyx Squadron and DFA ships encountered a Nebulon-B class frigate under the flag of the Alliance to restore the Republic in the Kesel system. The firepower of the ship and their escorts apparently was without precedent, greatly surpassing that of other common rebel ships and installations, and the imperial forces had some trouble destroying the frigate. The Empire itself has been reported to deploy Lancer frigates, vaunted for their anti-fighter capabilities, as a response.

Both frigate classes have been said to not only sport over a dozen powerful anti-fighter gun turrets but also other defensive systems that affect a fighter's performance even without a direct hit.

In other news several shipyards have announced breakthroughs in shielding technology, greatly improving the resistance of gunboats to blaster fire. Upgrade kits are said to have been wide-spread already and most starfighter squadrons are expected to change some of their tactics in response to this development.