Playing the second scenario where one has to team with the Thalans to beat back the Drengin and clear the route to Earth. Apparently the overall goal is to make nice to enlist the Thalans against the bad guys (they're suspicious because they think we're going to destroy the universe doing it) and that part is going well. We're dominating the space lanes, killing random ships, starbases, and shipyards.) Have taken a minor planet.
The problem is, how do we clean out the local Drengin big planets? I can pump out Transports but I don't have the firepower to clear orbits. Thalans have lots of firepower, but no Transports (I recently gave them Planetary Invasion but they're not building any). The bugs don't seem willing to attack starbases, shipyards, or planets, instead killing anything that leaves orbit.
Is the solution maybe to research Alliance and make them allies?