A couple of Combat Question

[Zoompet]

First, how does the game determine where the fleets start in combat?

In an e-mail game I am currently in, I have had multiple battles were the fleets started right next to each other. In one case it was after I had warped so that made some sense. In the most recent battles both fleets were in open space.

Second, how does the game determine who fires first, and is there anyway to make firing simultaneous?