“Dropping out of warp on the system’s edge,” announced Jarata, his voice tinged with caution as the crew prepared for potential encounters.

“Yellow alert, shields up,” Thaustin ordered.

The Constitution’s bridge was its usual busy self, with every station manned. McCallister, who had been mulling around the aft stations, moved back to his chair. A moment later, the turbolift doors opened. Stepping out first was Oron with their Vidiian guest in tow, with Uknare bringing up the rear.

“Welcome to the bridge,” McCallister said, his tone respectful and curious as he addressed Mala. “Listen, I know you didn’t want to share where you came from with us, but when we performed a long-range scan, we found the warp trails your ships left behind from their battle. They extended from this system, and we detected an M-class moon.”

“Quite a thriving moon, too,” Thaustin said, matching the captain’s diplomatic approach. “Over five million Vidiian life signs on it.”

Clearly, Mala felt a mix of guilt and annoyance at her hosts. “I’m impressed you were able to scan that far. What do you want?” Her questioning was laced with an almost defiant tone. 

Raising his hands to express his desire for nothing, McCallister replied, “We just want to get you home to your people.”

Mala appreciated the gesture. “Thank you, captain,” She took a deep breath. “You’ve found the interspatial flexure, haven’t you?”

Choosing to remain friendly with her, McCallister nodded. “We detected high amounts of neutrinos and graviton flux in the area.”

“Your ship is impressive,” Mala took a sigh. “Can it also deal with a squadron of Kazon ships?”

Concerned by that remark, McCallister didn’t get a chance to reply as Oron had stepped in first with a come-back. 

“A Kazon Squadron? I thought you said you destroyed the Kazon ship when your ship rammed it?” The Brikar questioned.

“That was one of their ships,” Mala admitted. “The Kazon have taken up a defence posture near the aperture. Our defence force doesn’t have enough ships left to push them away. The flexure opens every twelve days, so when this happens, the Kazon will send in more ships to secure both ends.”

“Damn,” Thaustin muttered. 

Mala looked curiously at Thaustin and McCallister before sudden realisation dawned on her. “You were going to use it, weren’t you?”

“We were going to study it first and see if it could help us return home quicker, yes,” McCallister confirmed. 

Crossing her arms against her chest, Mala took a deep breath in. “If I spoke with my leaders and perhaps if we could work together, maybe we could help one another.”

“What do you have in mind?” Uknare asked, interested in hearing what her patient was devising. 

“An alliance,” Mala replied. “You help us remove the threat the Kazon pose to our colony, and in return, we help you get through the flexure.”

McCallister looked at Thaustin, who gave him an assured nod.

“Let’s meet with your people then,” McCallister told Mala.

“Captain’s log stardate seven-eight-six-eight-zero point four. After evading detection by the Kazons, we held discussions with the Vidiian leadership and visited their colony. Mala’s description of her people’s paradise was accurate. After touring their many impressive achievements, I can’t help but wonder if the Vidiian hadn’t been inflected with Phage, would their entire society have developed like the one we’ve visited? While speaking with their leaders, all of whom are scientists themselves, I couldn’t help but feel like they would make excellent members of the Federation. This train of thought has occupied my mind for some time now. If the Phage hadn’t happened, would the Vidiian Sodality become the Delta Quadrant’s equivalent to the Federation? Their values of education, scientific discovery, art and philosophy would rival some of the best teachers, scientists, artists and thinkers from worlds like Earth, Vulcan, Bajor, Andoria and Tellar Prime. This encounter has also prompted me to question whether the Federation would resort to drastic measures to save its people if faced with a similar plague affecting millions. Putting these questions aside, I believe that the alliance we have agreed to will benefit both the Vidiian and our understanding of a people whom Voyager didn’t have the opportunity to fully explore due to the aggressive medical policies encountered by the crew. Despite their limited success, I was also impressed by the Vidiian’s desire to find a peaceful solution with the Kazon. While our ultimate goal is to remove the Kazon threat from their territory, I am prepared to act as a mediator if the Kazon are willing. Meanwhile, my crew is preparing plans to address the Kazon threat if our diplomatic approach fails.”

Sitting in his large ready room, behind the small conference table, Captain McCallister looked at Mala, who sat to his right and gave her a reassuring smile. “You okay?” He asked.

“I’m an engineer, not a diplomat; I don’t know why my leaders felt I should be the one to sit with you,” Mala shook her head. 

“You’ve survived a Kazon attack; you know what they’re like in battle; furthermore, your people feel you’re the right person to liaise with us,” McCallister told her sincerely. “All we need to do here is listen to the Kazon. We don’t need to make any decision. Now they know we’re here, it may force their hand.”

“That’s what worries me; with our defence force almost depleted, I don’t know how we can sustain a long drawn, out campaign against them,” Mala remarked. 

“Then what better reason to explore peace,” McCallister said. “I originally trained to be a pilot, then I became a spy before I was made a captain. We deal with what life throws at us with the tools, experience and skills we have in the moment. As I said, let’s see what they say.”

“I just can’t believe my people made me an ambassador just like that!” Mala said, shaking her head. 

 “And a promotion to captain,” McCallister reminded her. “They know by giving you such authority, it shows the Kazon that your people are serious about these talks.”

“As if we’ve not been serious enough before,” Male commented before she took a deep breath and exhaled. Mala nodded to McCallister, showing her appreciation for his support.

The door to the ready room then parted, and walking in first was Thaustin. He and Oron had met with their Kazon guests in the shuttlebay and had chaperoned them to the ready room. McCallister had wanted to show off how advanced the Constitution was to the Kazon. It was a small tactic to put them on notice of what and who they were dealing with. 

“Captain Horatio McCallister, may I present First Maj Cuzik of the Nistrim-Thorn Subsect, ” Thaustin said, starting the introductions. “First Maj Cuzik, this is Captain Horatio McCallister.”

“Welcome aboard, First Maj,” McCallister said, greeting his newest guest.

First Maj Cuzik approached with an air of imposing authority. His rough, leathery skin, marked by battle scars, had a reddish-brown hue. His wild, thick dreadlocks, adorned with metal and bone, framed his face like a savage crown. A rigid forehead, high cheekbones, and a square jaw gave his face a harsh, angular quality, while his dark, piercing eyes exuded ruthless intelligence. Cuzik’s clothing contrasted sharply with the Starfleet uniforms. He wore a long, tattered coat of deep, earthy tones, reinforced with leather patches and metal plates symbolising his rank, fastened with intricately carved clasps bearing Kazon symbols.

As Cuzik drew nearer, Captain McCallister couldn’t help but notice the confidence in his stride, the way he moved with a predator’s grace. This was a leader who had fought tooth and nail for his position, a warrior whose presence commanded respect and fear in equal measure.

“Captain McCallister,” Cuzik responded with a slight bow of his head. His voice was a gravelly rumble that seemed to resonate deep in his chest. 

McCallister nodded, maintaining his composure despite the intimidating presence before him. Noticing that Cuzik was now glaring at Mala, McCallister spoke up instantly. “This is Captain Mala of the Vidiian Sodality; she is joining us as their ambassador.”

 Giving out a resounding chuckle, Cuzik smirked at her. “This is the best the Vidiians could send? This female? No wonder they are scared of us.”

“My people are not scared of you, Cuzik, and you cannot intimidate us either. Your last warship was destroyed at the hands of my people; we have agreed to join these talks with Captain McCallister to find an ever-lasting peace with you,” Mala said sternly.

McCallister was surprised at Mala’s confidence but returned his focus to address Cuzik. “First Maj, the fact you are here proves you see there is something to gain by sitting down and discussing how we can move forward together.”

Glaring now at McCallister, Cuzik squinted his eyes at McCallister. “The only reason why I am here, captain, is simple. My sect knows the legends of the Federation and how one of your ships, as powerful as it was, refused to share that technology with our kind, and we were forced to take it for ourselves. Like the Trabe and these Vidiians, your Federation comes in with its mighty principals and values and refuses to share what you have with those who do not have a lot.”

“The Federation does not exchange technology with just anyone,” McCallister emphasised. “You mention your sect taking that technology from us,” He then sat down in his chair, showing his power in the room, “Voyager is a legend among my people too; in fact, Kathryn Janeway, who beat you, is now one of the most decorated admirals in Starfleet.”

“Your point?” Cuzik cut in

“My point is that Admiral Janeway advised Starfleet that the next encounter we ever had with your people, we should prepare for battle, but also told us that your people did not have the skills, the resources or cohesion to develop your own technology,” McCallister said. “Like Mala, she’s also female, so I can appreciate how it must hurt to hear that. You say you’re from a sub-sect of the Nistrim sect, correct?”

“The Nistrim-Thorn sub-sect is an honourable group within the Kazon-Nistrim,” Cuzik countered.

“I’m sure it is, but Janeway, a female, was the one who outsmarted and fought your leader, First Maj Cullah, almost thirty years ago, so if the Nistrim wish to see what we’ve developed in the last three decades to defeat you again, go ahead and carry on doing what you’re doing and you will get a front row seat to that show. Or you could sit here and discuss the situation with us.” McCallister paused as he fixed his attention solely on Cuzik. “Your choice.”

Growling to himself, Cuzik pulled the chair opposite McCallister and sat down. His small entourage of two others sat on either side of him while Thaustin and Oron joined the side where McCallister and Mala were. 

Pleased that they were getting somewhere, McCallister looked at Cuzik. “I understand that you’re here to gain access to the research and technology that the Vidiians have.”

“That is not the only reason,” Cuzik pointed out. “The Vidiians attack my people; they steal what is not theirs.”

“You mean their harvesting of organs?” Thaustin checked.

“Harvesting? No stealing is the right word here, commander,” Cuzik spat out. He pointed at Mala, “Harvest would imply they worked hard to reap what they sow. Her people brutally assault our people, take what they need to keep themselves alive from their dirty plague.”

“My people, on this world, are not infected by the Phage,” Mala said before gesturing to herself. “Surely you can see with your own eyes that I am not sick.”

“This world of yours, this sanctuary you use to keep those infected isolated from others, is a breeding ground for you to find otherwise to inflict suffering on the rest of us,” Cuzik countered back. “You create weapons to remove what you need without hesitation. We have seen it without our own eyes.”

Mala sighed. “Yes, my people back in our home territories take extreme measures to help others with the Phage and organ harvesting has become common practice. I won’t deny that, but what we are trying to achieve here isn’t a plan to destroy your people. We are trying to find ways to stop the suffering on our own and find a cure for everyone.”

“Your words are meaningless; your people will always prey on those they can take from,” Cuzik stated as he turned to McCallister. “You ally yourselves with murderers, captain.”

“The Kazon can just be as brutal, especially on their kind. You attack one another to gain further control, so if we are going to sit here and talk about each of your people’s actions, then let’s be fair to the Vidiians here, that your people can just be as bad in attempts to survive,” McCallister remarked. “So what will it cost to remove your ships from this area?”

“There is no price we would pay to allow this world to remain here, creating the technology to wipe us all out. We will make the Vidiians pay for every life they have taken from us,” Cuzik said, standing tall as he looked at McCallister. “And if you stand in our way, we will destroy you, too, captain.”

McCallister stood up, too and matched Cuzik’s eyeline. “Your ships are extremely old; they wouldn’t survive against us. As I told you before, Admiral Janeway has prepared us for this, and you should know that in her last days in the Delta Quadrant, she defeated the Borg with advanced weapons. You honestly don’t think we would use that technology against you?”

“You do not scare us, captain; we outnumber the Vidiians three to one.” Cuzik took one more look at Mala. “You will be stopped; the Nistrim-Thorn will see to it.”

Looking at Oron and Thaustin, McCallister gestured for them to take their guests back to the shuttlebay and see them off his ship. Once Cuzik, his bodyguards and the others were gone, McCallister turned to Mala. “We tried.”

“We did, but we failed.”

“Did we?” McCallister questioned her. “As I told you, we needed to listen to him. What did you hear?”

“That Cuzik is adamant he won’t stop,” Mala stated.

“Indeed, but there’s a level of concern from him. He knows our teaming up won’t serve him well, so we need to be prepared for him to take extreme measures at our next encounter. He will fight to the last man,” McCallister stated.

Mala stood up as she rolled her shoulders back. She looked at McCallister. “How does that help us?”

“Well, he also revealed to us how many ships he has,” McCallister stated.

“He did?” 

“They outnumber us three to one,” McCallister confirmed with a nod as he perched on the table’s edge. “So, how many ships do you have?” 

“Nine.” 

“So they have twenty-seven,” McCallister said as he scratched his chin. “It will take a lot of planning, but we might be able to disable them all.”

“Captain, there’s so many variables here. I’m unsure my people would be prepared to commit our remaining ships to such an assault,” Mala shared. 

“Let’s work together to reduce those variables and see what we can do,” McCallister suggested.