McCallister stood on the Constitution’s bridge, his jaw set with determination as he surveyed the tactical display. The tension in the air was palpable, a testament to the high stakes they were facing. Before him, the viewscreen showed the alarming sight of the small Kazon battle fleet, its vessels arranged in a tight formation, ready to engage.

“Status report,” McCallister spoke calmly but with authority.

Lonar responded promptly. “The Kazon fleet has charged their weapons, and their shields are at full power.”

McCallister nodded, his mind already calculating the best course of action. Everything they had planned with their Vidiian allies was about to take place. A sense of giddiness entered him. Could everything go as simple as they hoped? 

He could already feel his first officer looking up at him from his chair beside his. Thaustin and the entire senior staff were on board with this plan. It was a bold one, one that included many tactics to deal with the Kazon threat, hopefully. 

Looking down at Thaustin, McCallister gave him a reassuring smile. “Ready?” He whispered.

Thaustin just gave him a nod. 

The whole bridge was on red alert. Every station was crewed. Security officers were on guard with rifles in their hands, and everyone had a weapon attached to their hip. If the Kazon tried to board the Constitution, they were ready for that, too. Though the Kazon were brutal in their tactics, the crew would do whatever it took to survive and ensure they were victorious. 

“Ethav, open a channel to Maj Cuzik,” McCallister ordered. He knew he still had to follow Starfleet’s protocol in trying to give the diplomatic approach one more try. McCallister composed himself. He wanted to project a sense of strength and remain calm before he spoke to the Kazon leader. Putting his best poker face on, McCallister looked forward. 

Nodding in acknowledgement, Ethav activated the subspace radio as the call to the Kazon leader was accepted. 

“Captain McCallister, are you here to surrender?” Cuzik sneered. He stood among his men, ready for the fight ahead. 

“That’s funny, as I was just about to ask the same thing,” McCallister said with a smirk. “This is my only warning: stand down, or we will open fire.”

“Your ship is outnumbered, and the Vidiians can barely keep going. End this now, or I will execute your crew when I take your ship!” Cuzik threatened. 

“Nah, I’m good. Thank you for the offer, but I should let you know that at some point in the next few seconds, you may start to detect a combined Federation-Vidiian fleet on its way here,” McCallister said, gesturing at Ethav to proceed with what they had planned. “And I should tell you that the Vidiians are joining the Federation. So, if I were you, I would stand down now if you want to avoid losing your entire fleet.”

“Your threats are meaningless,” Cuzik said.

McCallister shrugged. “Your long-range sensors should detect a task force of forty-seven Starfleet ships. Do you really want to test us?”

 Cuzik briefly considered McCallister’s threat before ordering someone off-screen to send twelve ships to investigate the incoming fleet.

“I know your fleet is a trick,” Cuzik responded.

“Is it?” McCallister questioned. “Do you honestly think we arrived without the rest of our fleet? Remember that our technology has dramatically improved since our last encounter. Our ships have quantum slipstream drives, positronic computer cores and transphasic torpedoes. How else do you think we beat the Borg?”

Becoming irritated with their exchange, Cuzik squinted at McCallister before closing the channel. 

“I’m not sure if lying about the Vidiians joining the Federation was taking it too far. Do you think he took our multiple bluffs?” Thaustin asked as McCallister slumped into his chair. 

“I hope so; otherwise, we’re dead,” McCallister replied. He looked at Jarata at the helm and said, “Rubon, take us in full impulse.”

“Aye, sir,” Jarata replied as the Constitution lurched forward with the remaining Vidiians.

“The Kazon are opening fire,” Lonar announced as the ship shuddered slightly. “Shields are at ninety-three per cent.”

“Returning the favour, fire at will!” McCallister ordered. 

The Constitution’s advanced phasers and photon torpedoes sliced through the Kazon’s outdated shield technology with surgical precision. As Jarata expertly manoeuvred the starship into position, the phaser beams lanced out, easily bypassing the Kazon shields. Each shot struck on target, unleashing energy torrents that overwhelmed the Kazon warships’ defences. The photon torpedoes followed, detonating with devastating force against the weakened hulls, sending debris and flames erupting into the vacuum of space. The disparity in technology was starkly evident as the Kazon vessels faltered under the relentless assault, their shields flickering and failing before the onslaught of Federation firepower.

“Shields at eighty-four per cent!” Lonar reported. 

“We’ve taken out three of their shields and disabled another two; the Vidiians’ strategy is working!” Kazlaf shared from her station.

Impressed to hear that, T’Penni raised an eyebrow at engineering. “Their approach of pairing up and reinforcing each other’s shields with their deflector fields is making the Kazon’s attack almost futile.”

“Let’s just hope we can keep this up long enough!” McCallister shared.

“Another Kazon raider destroyed, sir,” Lonar stated. “Those tips we showed the Vidiians in using tachyon bursts against the Kazon’s shields are helping them. Only eight more ships are left.”

“Sir, Captain Mala is hailing us!” Ethav reported as sparks flew around them. 

“Onscreen!”

Mala, who was now wearing a new uniform, appeared on the main viewer, showing that she was sitting in the centre of the bridge of one of the Vidiian ships. “Captain, I suggest we move to our next phase.”

McCallister nodded. “Agreed, and Mala, all our best!”

“To you too, Captain McCallister and your crew. Please, if you survive, let us know.” Mala said sincerely. 

“We will!” McCallister promised as he told Ethav to close the channel. “Rubon, you heard her, let’s go!”

The pilot nodded as he changed their heading, and the Constitution approached the interspatial flexure. “One not-so-wormhole ahead of us, sir.”

“Arm torpedoes,” Thaustin ordered.

“We need to fire one to force the aperture open, and then I want a spread ready for our aft launchers!” McCallister ordered. 

Lonar worked at her station. “We’re ready, sir. Just give me the wor-”

“Wait!” Kazlaf screamed as she changed the screen to show the Kazon flagship moving towards them. “Cuzik’s ship is moving to block us.”

“Damn it,” McCallister cursed. “Redirect all weapons, target their aft sections, continuously fire into we breach those shields. Attack pattern Delta-Four.”

With relentless determination, the Constitution maintained its assault on the Kazon flagship. Phaser beams continued to sear through the remnants of its shielding, scoring direct hits on critical systems. Each volley of photon torpedoes found their mark, detonating in brilliant bursts of light and heat that tore through the Kazon vessel’s hull. 

Despite Cuzik’s desperate attempts to retaliate, his weapons proved no match for the precision and power of the Constitution’s arsenal. Gradually, the Kazon flagship’s defences crumbled under the sustained barrage; its once-proud structure was now reduced to a crippled, smouldering wreck. 

“They’ve lost shields and weapons, sir,” Lonar shared.

“Arm a full spread of quantum torpedoes,” McCallister ordered. “Fire!” 

The Constitution unleashed quantum torpedoes that engulfed the Kazon flagship in a blinding cascade of energy, obliterating the once-proud vessel in a spectacular display of firepower.

“The remaining Kazon ships are attempting to retreat; Mala is pursuing them,” Kazlaf announced. 

“Get us back on course,” McCallister said. “And ready those torpedoes. Take us in, Rubon!”

Firing a single photon torpedo, the Constitution forced open the flexure and instantly engulfed the Federation ships with its wide purple mouth. 

“We’re passing through the threshold,” Jarata declared.

“Torpedoes,” McCallister ordered.

Four photon torpedoes were released from the ship’s aft launchers, and they all detonated seconds later.

Surging forward, the Constitution kept ahead of the shockwave behind them. Jarata reported how close it was getting to them. T’Penni announced more power was being transferred to the aft shields. The ship shuddered a lot as the pressure from the collapsing flexure built up around them. Then, the vessel was expelled into normal space in what felt like one massive shove.  

“Report!” McCallister asked aloud after a few seconds. 

“We’re back in normal space,” Jarata replied.

“Systems are coming back online,” Ethav shared. 

“I’m getting a fix on our location now,” Kazlaf stated as she tapped at the science station. 

“Bridge to sickbay, any injuries?” Thaustin asked after tapping his combadge.

“A few, but nothing serious,” Uknare replied over the intercom.

McCallister stood from his chair and walked over to where Kazlaf was. “Well?”

She turned around in her chair with a smile on her face. “Exactly where we wanted to be?”

“Really?” McCallister checked.

She nodded before showing them all what her sensors were telling her. “We’re seven light years away from Takar.”

Pleased with the results, McCallister returned to his seat and sat down. Mission accomplished, he thought. With the Barzan wormhole entrance not that far from them, they would finally be closer to home than they were a day ago.