The transport touched down in the hangar with a heavy thud.
Caldero struggled against the restraints, his voice raw with fury.
"Where am I? You'll pay for this!"
No one answered him.
Nightcoil, Kess, and Marlin hauled him through the corridors and into the booking room, the temporary holding area where the STF processed demons, war criminals, and threats too dangerous to be left unsecured.
They forced his hand onto the scanner.
Measured his height.
Logged every biometric they could.
Then they shoved him into a holding cell.
Shadow stepped forward and pulled the hood from Caldero's head.
Caldero spat at him.
Shadow struck him once, sharp, controlled.
"Don't do that."
The cell sealed shut.
The team regrouped in the Nightcrew operations room, adrenaline finally wearing off. Renn Varos stood waiting for them, arms folded.
"Outstanding work. All of you."
He nodded slowly.
"You'll be receiving a substantial bonus after this."
Kess let out a breath.
"Caldero's not talking."
Renn smiled faintly.
"That's fine. We're bringing in our top interrogator."
Kess's eyes widened slightly.
"Voltron?"
"Yes." Renn said calmly.
"He'll get answers."
He continued,
"Once we have everything, Optimus or Blade will lead the full military operation to reclaim the planet. You did your part, well done."
Hours later, Caldero was dragged into a cold interrogation chamber. He was stripped, changed into a jumpsuit, and left alone.
No guards.
No security.
No allies.
Just silence.
Then,
Heavy footsteps.
Metal.
The door opened.
Voltron ducked beneath the frame and straightened to his full eight-foot height. Caldero shrank instinctively, suddenly feeling very small.
Voltron's voice was mechanical, cold enough to make demons hesitate.
"This can go two ways. A normal interrogation… or a painful one."
He leaned closer.
"Why did you turn a successful company into a criminal empire?"
Caldero swallowed.
"Greed."
His voice cracked slightly.
"I wanted power. Fast. Once I realized I could pay people to do anything… I turned the planet into my empire."
He kept talking.
"We bribed officials. Killed Galactic soldiers. Paid scientists to build an AI that erased our crimes. Drug lords came to me. Slavers. Traffickers."
A pause.
"And it felt good."
Voltron didn't react.
"Were you born into crime?"
"Yes." Caldero said.
"I ran from it. Moved to Noctyrr to escape, but it followed me. I didn't care anymore."
The interrogation lasted an hour.
Every word recorded.
Caldero was transferred to a top-secret prison before he could ever see daylight again.
At a military base near the capital, Ian and Blade finished briefing officers.
They boarded a transport.
Blade folded his arms.
"So we're bringing in a prison carrier and locking down the entire planet?"
Ian nodded.
"Yes. Civilians will be separated and investigated. Anyone clean is released. The rest face trial."
Blade glanced at him.
"You uncovered all this without a single public misstep. That's impressive."
Ian allowed himself a rare smile.
"I only pick the best."
The Empire moved.
A Capital Carrier Class vessel descended over Noctyrr Prime. Army, Navy, and Air Force deployed in force. Armored vehicles rolled through the streets. Buildings were cleared. Suspects detained.
By nightfall, the planet was quiet.
For the first time in years.
Shadow and his team stood together days later as banners were raised inside STF HQ.
One read:
BEST INFILTRATION SQUAD — STF
Another, deeper in the Nightcrew wing:
TOP NIGHTCREW UNIT — THIS YEAR
Months passed.
The Nightcrew dismantled remaining illegal operations. Innocent civilians were released. Noctyrr Prime was reformed under Imperial oversight.
In Ian's office, Optimus leaned against the doorway.
"Hey. The Eleventh Great's throwing a party. All the Greats, families too."
Ian looked up from his desk.
"…Yeah."
He stood.
"It might be nice to leave the office for once."