Star flew past the windows of the conference room as Vausees sat there looking out. She was in deep thought. Her mind was focused on her next move. She didn’t know what to think; was she running them into a trap on the last Klingon homeworld? Was she willing to trust someone that they just met? She was unsure, but she knew that she needed to do something.

A soft chime at the door jogged her from within her own mind. She looked at the closed door for a moment.

“Enter,” she said as she continued to sit there.

Debrah entered the conference room and walked over and sat down next to her fiance.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Debrah asked.

Vausees looked at her and smiled, “Just pondering if we are running into a trap.”

Debrah shook her head, “Yeah, that thought crossed my own mind as soon as we set course for Qo’nos,” she said.

A soft chime was heard, ‘Bridge to Captain Vax.’

“Go for Vax,” Vausees said out loud.

‘Captain, J’telas would like to have a word with you. As we will be entering Klingon territory shortly.’

“Copy, Bridge,” she said as she stood up and looked down at Debrah. “Shall we?”

Debrah stood up as she nodded.

“Bridge inform J’telas that I am on my way.”

-Klingon Territory-J’telas looked at Vausees. She had explained that with Qo’nos being that last homeworld for her people that a lot of traditions had been absolved and newer ones took their places. Some that could be deemed xenophobic in nature.

Vausees sat there as she thought about what she had learned from J’telas. She began to wonder if going to Qo’nos was a good idea after all. “Captain, Klingon ship detected and on an intercept course,” Debrah said as she moved from the Ops console back to the tactical console.

“Thank you, Commander,” Vausees said as she looked at J’telas. “Guess you are up.”

J’telas nodded and stood up from the guest seat. She walked over next to Jonton. He looked up at the Klingon woman and nodded as he stepped aside. J’telas entered a command on the ops console; identifying herself to the incoming Klingon ship.

Outside a Bird-of-Prey dropped out of warp in front of the Heracles. The main viewscreen changed from the Klingon ship to a battle-hardened and scarred Klingon man.

“Ah, Chancellor, it is good to see that you’re alive,” the man said as J’telas stepped out from behind the ops stations and into the center of the bridge.

“Alive and well, thanks to these humans,” J’telas replied.

The man looked at Vausees, “Then you have our honor for saving our leader…,” he paused for a moment.

“Captain,” Vausees stated as she nodded to the man.

“Captain,” the man echoed as he looked back at J’telas.

“There is much to discuss. Inform the council of my arrival and that a meeting is to be set up in the war room,” J’telas stated to the man.

He bowed his head and the viewscreen changed back to the Bird-of-prey.

-Qo’nos-As the Heracles approached the outer defenses of Qo’nos several Klingon ships converged and provided an escort to a very large space station that was in orbit around the planet.

“This is our last line of defense for my people and we will not be defeated without a hell of a fight,” J’telas stated as she motioned with her head at the station and the 9 fleets that orbited around it.

Debrah looked down at the tactical console and then whistled. “That’s a massive fleet.”

J’telas grinned. “This is only what you are seeing and why we are being escorted in. Don’t want you to ram into a cloaked ship.”

“Hold up,” Debrah said as she looked over at J’telas, “You’re telling me that there are more than the 900 ships that our scans have detected?”

“Closer to 25 thousand,” J’telas said in a nonchalant tone as she sat next to Vausees; who turned her head and looked at her guest. She looked back at Vausees, “If I may.” she pointed to the command console on the armrest.

“By all means,” Vausees said as she turned it to face J’telas.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she entered a command and the viewscreen shifted to a red hue as the screen was polarized, and thousands of ships were revealed. A grin crossed the Klingon’s face as she saw the stunned and shocked looks on the entire bridge crew’s faces. She then cleared the command from the console.

“You have to remember, Captain, my people are fighting for their existence,” she stated as she leaned back into the seat once more.

-War room-J’telas led the small group of officers from the Heracles toward the center of the station. They passed a lot of storefronts and eateries as they moved amongst the survivors of the Klingon species. The entire time J’telas was explaining that everyone for the most part had left the planet below and was living on the station. This intrigued Vausees to know that billions of Klingons from all castes were living together on the station; mostly in harmony.

As they turned a corner a door opened and an elevator, with two warriors inside, was waiting for them to enter. J’telas motioned for them to enter, Vausees and her group did as they were requested; J’telas entered last so that she was the first to exit when the elevator arrived.

The trip took them to the uppermost pylon of the station, and as the doors slid to the side J’telas exits and once again took the lead escorting her guests to a closed room, that was guarded by a small force of Klingon warriors; Vausees took count of how many there were.

A loud thud echoed in the room as the doors were closed. J’telas was greeted and Vausees was thanked for her actions in saving the Chancellor.

Suddenly a deep harsh voice echoed in the room and an older battle-hardened Klingon stood up.

“Let us get on with this meeting.”

J’telas narrowed her eyes, “Fool I will start this meeting when I am well and ready for it to begin. Don’t test my patience again F’nax. Less you want to taste my steel again.”

F’nax took his seat but grunted as he did. J’telas nodded to Vausees and then motioned for her guests to have a seat along the wall.

“Now I will begin,” J’telas said as she took her seat at the head of the table. “First order of business is that of my guests. I have come to learn that they are indeed not from this time.”

Vausees looked at her with wide eyes and then remembered that the Klingons from her time didn’t beat around the bush, so to speak, but got straight to business. Still, this comment caused several of the council members to laugh.

F’nax stood up and looked at Vausees for a moment before turning his attention to J’telas, “You expect us to believe such a ridiculous claim,” he said as he pointed at Vausees and her group.

“Yes, F’nax, I do,” she said in a challenging tone, “Unless you have some proof that I do not know what I am talking about.”

For several hours J’telas and the council argued and debated over what should be done with Vausees and her group. Then when that was settled they argued and debated on whether or not to help the group.

Vausees and her group had been led out a couple of hours ago. They all sat together talking about what could possibly be going on inside of the room. Vausees shook her head, “No idea, but I hope things are going J’telas’ way,” she said as the doors opened and a very irritated J’telas exited with her hands thrown up in the air.

As she walked up to the group she muttered, “Those damned old fools think that they can dismiss my claims,” she half growled, half yelled as she stopped next to the group.

“That bad,” Vausees states as she looked at J’telas.

“Walk with me,” she said as she turned away and started to walk to a window that overlooked the entire outside view of the station.

As both women stood near the window looking out J’telas explained how the council had decided against her in helping the Heracles get back to its own time. She also explained that she feels that had this been a more peaceful time that her people would have done anything to explore the possibilities.

As they continued to stand there an idea formed in J’telas’ mind, “I’m going to help you,” she said in a quiet voice.

Vausees looked at her with a shocked look on her face, “This wouldn’t sit well with your people, J’telas,” she said as she cautiously looked about the area.

“I have sat on the High chair for twenty years and have listened to those old men squabble about how things used to be. I have argued with those old men and yet they consider nothing I have said to be of note.” Her voice trembled as she spoke but she knew what her next actions would bring her. “Vausees my house is at your disposal.” J’telas reached up and removed her house’s insignia from her chest and placed it on the side of the window seal.

This shocked Vausees even more than her statement of help. No Klingon had ever placed themselves about their house as she had just done. Vausees placed a hand on top of J’telas before she spoke.

“I want you to think about this because there is no turning back if you do this and your house will forfeit its claims in Klingon space,” she stated as she looked into the dark, nearly black eyes of J’telas’.

A wicked and damn near evil grin creased J’telas mouth. “Someone needs to stir these old men into action and if the strongest and wealthiest house leaving causes it then so be it.”

Suddenly a younger Klingon walked over to J’telas and leaned in so that only she could hear what was being said. She then informed the Klingon to gather her house and prepare to leave. The Klingon looked at her for a moment and then nodded with a salute.

J’telas turned to Vausees, “Did you know that another ship from your time was here?” she asked as she looked Vausees dead in the eyes.

The look on Vausees’ face was enough to confirm that she didn’t. “We need to get to that ship and as fast as possible,” J’telas stated, “Before another of my people, get to it first, otherwise this will be enough to convince the old men that your people are coming to wipe them out.”

Vausees knew just enough to understand that would be total war, and with just two federation ships against the entire Klingon fleet, even with J’telas’ help, it would be total defeat and death.

-Zebulon Pike-J’telas rallied her house and set off after the Federation ship that had been detected by a patrol from her house. She made sure that all but a handful of her ships were cloaked as they left the Klingon homeworld, and that any beacon that they had was smashed, except for the ones on the visible ships.

Vausees informed her crew of what was going on and followed after J’telas, but in an indirect route. As soon as they left Klingon space, they redirected their course several times, just in case they were being followed before heading to the rendezvous place.

As they were en route, Jonton detected an incoming message from their time and informed the Captain. Vausees was overjoyed but at the same time unsure of what was going on. She made sure that they would help any ships from their time that were trapped in this time to get home.

Shortly after the message was closed Jonton informed her that the ship was surrounded by J’telas Armada. Vausees realized at that time that they were still too far out to be FIF identified so she risked an open call. It was then that J’telas contacted her to inform her that the ship was about to open a rift back to their time.

Not wanting to tear the two times to pieces she sent a message to the ship. Upon realizing that the message was ignored she had Trever push the Heracles to maximum warp.

Moments later the Heracles dropped out of warp right in front of the ship. Vausees ordered them once more to stop and when they failed to do so, she ordered the immediate seizure of the ship and the crew to be placed under arrest.

It was then that the computer red-flagged the ship as it had detected a serious threat to their timeline and as such Vausees ordered for all of the crew to be tested. Starting with their own doctor, however, the ship’s commanding officer was not going to have anything to do with that since the doctor was also his sister. After long arguments and several debates, they both came to a conclusion that it would be best if the entire crew was tested at one time.

In the meantime their timeline once more contacted them