Good question: I implied that the large vessel was more potent, but not overwhelmingly so. More than anything, it was the elves selfishness that prevented them from picking a fight with the cruiser; from their perspective, why get into a potentially deadly shootout when you can loot safely? From the bottom of the middle column: "Despite the aliens’ far superior numbers and maneuverability, none of that self-interested race were willing to engage with the Cold Dawn."