Federation & Empire Q&A Continued
THE RETREAT IS THE THING IN WHICH TO CATCH...
by Nick Blank

QUESTION: If an Attacker offers an approach battle and is declined, then he can (302.23) either attack the base or retreat with a bonus against pursuit. If he retreats, can the Defender also retreat?

ANSWER: Certainly. A retreat is a retreat, and the Defender has the option to retreat if the Attacker retreats.

QUESTION: The Klingons have surrounded the Hydran capital, but the Hydrans still hold the (also in the same trap) major planet in 0718. The Klingons then capture the homeworld.
Part two: Can the Hydrans retreat to the major planet in 0718? Must they? (It is in the wrong direction, and they don't want to go there!)
Part three: If the Coalition retreats, and the Hydrans use their option to also retreat, can they go to 0718? Do they have to? They'd rather retreat toward the Old Colonies, of course!

ANSWER: The planet at 0718 is considered a partial grid at this point (as it is no longer connected to the capital, which no longer exists). Any ships that retreat there would be in supply (since they would be stacked with a planet).
As for the second part of your question (being forced to retreat to the planet), it depends on whether the retreating Hydrans are outnumbered in the other five possible retreat hexes. If so, those hexes are eliminated by Step 2, and 0718 is the only retreat option. If there is at least one of those five other hexes where the retreating Hydran fleet is not outnumbered, then that hex is not eliminated by Step 2. You can then voluntarily eliminate 0718 in Step 3, since that step lets you eliminate a partial grid hex if it is not the only remaining option.

As for the third part of your question, if the capital is not captured, then the planet in 0718 remains a valid supply point (supplied by the capital), and the Hydrans must retreat there since this would be the shortest distance to a supply point.