Explosions rippled across the black void as the Odyssey’s three sections moved with surgical precision, like talons of a bird of prey. The Telemachus arced around the burning husk of a Vaadwaur juggernaut, flanking it from above with pulsing phaser barrages that carved glowing fissures in its heavily armoured hull. The stardrive section fired a coordinated spread of quantum torpedoes from below, each detonation skinning plating and rupturing containment fields. And finally, the chevron section swept in from the starboard flank, delivering the killing blow, a sustained phaser lance that sliced clean through the juggernaut’s central core. With a final, implosive burst, the Vaadwaur ship collapsed into itself and vanished in a blaze of light.

There was no cheer from the Odyssey’s crew, only the quiet, collective intake of breath as the tactical data recalibrated across their displays.

Reddick’s voice broke the silence, her tone firm and analytical from the science station behind the command chairs. “I’m detecting multiple Vaadwaur vessels falling back, sir. They appear to be rendezvousing in orbit of the largest settlement on the planet. They appear to be regrouping.”

From the helm, Paynkor nodded in agreement, his brow furrowing. “Confirmed. Their formations are tight. Intentional. They’re not scattering. They’re moving together, away from the engagement zones.”

Commodore James Preston McCallister leaned forward slightly in his chair. His fingers steepled under his chin, and his eyes narrowed at the tactical overview blooming across the holographic overlay at his left side. His instincts twitched at the corners of his thoughts, the kind of tactical gut feeling honed through decades of command. Beside him, Duncan shared a similar expression.

Court sat with a datapad clutched in one hand. His voice cut through the tension. “Are the Vaadwaur retreating?” he asked, almost in disbelief. “Have we won?”

The question hovered in the air. No one rushed to answer.

Without needing to look at McCallister, Duncan turned slightly in his seat. “Lieutenant Bollwyn, open a channel to Fleet Captain Taes aboard the Constellation. Let’s see if her sensors are reading the same pattern.”

“Aye, sir,” replied Bollwyn crisply from tactical.

Within seconds, the image on the main viewer shifted, replacing the swirling chaos of battle and the burning husk of the latest destroyed Vaadwaur vessel with the bridge of the Constellation. The lighting there was different, and the atmosphere was tense. Despite the strain etched into Taes’ features, she remained composed, her bridge around her still active and focused.

McCallister offered her a curt nod. “Fleet Captain, are your ships observing the same pattern we are? The Vaadwaur forces are pulling back toward the planet. Commander Reddicks confirms they’re regrouping in orbit of the primary settlement.”

Taes nodded her agreement.  “No predator simply drifts into a stable orbit.  They’re not circling, they’re settling.  From what little we know of the Vaadwaur from folklore, they are prone to draw an enemy into overextending, while they retreat underground.”

Duncan spoke up. “They’ve stopped pressing their attack. No reinforcements inbound. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they’re setting up a perimeter like they’re preparing to defend something.”

Paynkor tapped at his console and added, “That’s consistent with movement from the Triton’s flank, ma’am. They’re tightening their formation, not spreading out.”

McCallister nodded slowly. “They’re not fleeing. But they’re not advancing either. It’s a defensive shift. A Tactical retreat. Maybe even consolidation.” He paused, then looked at Taes again. “They’re preparing for something. I’m wondering if even they know what it is.”

“We haven’t broken their signal encryption,” Taes said, “but we’ve noticed their subspace chatter is dense and localised.  There’s no communication between each consolidated group. Their communication has turned insular.”

There was a pause before McCallister continued, his voice quiet but firm. “We’ve all read the dispatch from Vice Admiral Jaret. The Vaadwaur are losing ground in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Klingon High Command reports they’re closing off the Archanis front entirely. The Romulan Republic shut down their access. Federation task forces are sweeping up the remnants in places like Alpha Centauri, Andoria and Vulcan. They’ve been pushed out of nearly every major theatre.”

Duncan turned toward the screen. “They’re running out of options. If this is the last of their armada, they might try to make a stand or surrender without looking like they’ve lost.”

“The Vaadwaur are humiliation averse,” Taes remarked.  “Any retreat from battle will be framed as being unrelated to our coalition, or they’ll leave a trap for us.”

“We’ve seen this before,” McCallister said. “Cornered enemies. Desperate commanders. When an empire starts to collapse, they don’t always go quietly.”

Court stepped forward slightly. “If they think this is their last stand, they might take the entire settlement with them.”

McCallister didn’t react right away. Then, finally, he turned back to the viewer. “That’s what I want to avoid. Taes, what are your thoughts? Is this the moment to open dialogue? To demand their surrender?”

Nodding slowly, Taes said, “The best time to talk is before the last shot is fired.  The best time is always now, regardless of the context.”

Taes’ image held steady as the viewer flickered again briefly, a subtle reminder of the still-fragile sensor net around the planet.

“If we approach now,” Duncan added, “we might catch them at their most uncertain. They’re consolidating, not fleeing. They’re waiting, maybe for instructions, maybe for an end.”

McCallister nodded. “Then we offer them the end. On our terms.”

“They can only go under for so long,” Taes agreed.  “Now they’re all awake, it’s time for them to join the galactic community.”

“We send a joint transmission,” McCallister continued. “From both of our squadrons and the coalition. A unified message. They stand down immediately, cease hostilities, and pull their forces out of the Alpha, Beta and Delta Quadrants. No more Blackout stations or sleeper agents in the Delta Quadrant, especially in the Nacene Reach. They need to adopt a non-interference policy with the galaxy. And in exchange, we guarantee safety for their people, no further hostilities from us, and we destroy the technology our squadrons used to access the underspace corridors to this system.”

“Total surrender without becoming enslaved,” Duncan said quietly. “Seems like a fair deal.”

“Exactly.” McCallister looked at Taes again. “But we only do this if we agree. We send one message—together—or not at all. They need to see our unity. No cracks. No hesitation.”

Taes nodded sharply.  “We are stronger together.  We couldn’t have made it this far without our new allies from across the Nacene Reach.”

“If they refuse,” McCallister said grimly, “we resume our attack. We can overwhelm them. But I’d rather not reduce that settlement to debris if there’s a diplomatic path.”

Court cleared his throat. “And if they stall or play for time?”

“We don’t give them time,” McCallister answered. “This offer is conditional and immediate. Any sign of resistance or deception, we finish this.” He looked once more at Taes, his voice quiet but resolute. “Do you agree?”

Taes’s jaw tightened.  She sat back in her chair, meeting McCallister’s eyes.

Only then did Taes answer, “As long as we offer them a clear path to survival, to reconciliation, then I agree.  There’s still a chance to show them we won’t become what they fear us to be, so I stand behind giving them that choice, Commodore.”