Kathryn moved quickly, Gretchen trailing her, as they both rushed to the Bridge.

They arrived just in time to see Tom relieving a young and nervous looking crewman from the pilot's station.

Crewman Dobson, he's not even on the bridge crew. How did that happen?

She shook her head slightly to clear it. It doesn't matter right now.

As Janeway took her seat, Harry and Tuvok arrived in the turbolift, with Chakotay shortly behind them.

"What are the specifics Harry?" she asked quickly, as he took his post and began to assess the transmission.

"It's a rural space station called Bacchus. The message is from a Klingon named Kh'thoh. He says there are about 5,000 people on the station."

"Do we know who's attacking them?"

"No Captain," said Harry, "But there's already heavy damage."

"It's risky Captain," said Chakotay, from his command chair, "We could be outgunned."

"We have to try," said Captain Janeway, "Mr. Paris, proceed to the station and drop us out of warp again. Mr. Tuvok, prepare to fire at my order."

In the few moments it took to arrive at the site of the distress signal, Kathryn glanced at Gretchen, who was hovering by the Captain's chair. She looked out of place without a station or a uniform, but her eyes were locked firmly to the viewscreen and her face was intent.

She captained Voyager for 7 years, it can't hurt to have her assisting here.

A moment later she wished very much she had sent Gretchen away.

As the viewscreen lit up, Voyager was immediately surrounded by wreckage. As far as the eye could see there was twisted metal, burned debris, and…..more.

They were floating in an endless sea of bodies.

They must have killed hundreds already….thousands, Kathryn corrected, as Tom moved them out.

"Is there anyone left alive?" asked Chakotay, aghast.

"I'm reading one lifesign, in a shuttle," said Harry.

"Contact them," ordered Janeway, "Move us towards them Tom,"

Harry began pushing the transmission buttons and gave her the cue a moment later.

"Klingon shuttle, this is the Federation starship Voyager. We are responding to your distress signal."

There was no response.

"Try again Harry," ordered Kathryn.

Again there was no response.

On the viewscreen the shuttle became visible, lonely and silent against the terrible backdrop.

Would I want to live? If this is what happened to my ship? Came Kathryn's haunted thoughts.

Time to switch tactics.

"Shuttle, this is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager. Who did this to you?"

There was a pause, and then static over the comm. An older, male voice spoke quietly, "I don't know. So many of them gone…I don't know who did it."

The shuttle was badly damaged, and its shields flickered in and out.

"We're beaming you off," said Kathryn firmly, "Standby for transport. You can give us all the details on our ship."

"I don't….."

"Standby for transport," ordered Kathryn, using her best Captain's voice.

"Send a security team, just in case," she ordered Tuvok as soon as the channel to the shuttle clicked off.

"We'll meet him in the transporter room," she ordered Chakotay as she rose up.

As they headed towards the turbolift, Gretchen began to follow them.

She really ought to ask for permission…..thought Kathryn, But I can't see where knocking her down a peg will do anyone any good…..she's fragile enough.

Besides, as a former Captain I suppose I should offer her some slight autonomy.

Decision made, Kathryn nodded to Gretchen in acknowledgement, and the three of them made the short trip to the transporter room.

As they entered, a rough looking Klingon with graying hair, a beard, and patched armor beamed into the room, and stumbled off the transporter pad.

"Welcome to Voyager," said Kathryn, taking the lead, "We're very sorry for the loss of your space station, your friends and comrades. What can you tell us about the attack?"

The older man snuffed and frowned, gruff voice answering unhappily, "Don't know. I woke up to a red alert. I was in one of the watch stations far away, the oldest one, everything was outdated, nothing ever worked right…..There were 15 other security men in my section, but it wasn't a job they took seriously. They were always carousing and gambling and getting drunk. I'm too old for all that."

He looked away, "I got in the first shuttle and launched out, like we're supposed to, to see what was going on…I should've waited…I should've waited," he said slowly, "For the two boys who would've gone with me…..they weren't really boys…..but they were young…..stupid….we were always fighting about how I was more alert, even at my old age, than they were."

"I left them behind, to teach them a lesson," he said, staring at Janeway now, holding her gaze intently, "They'd have to cram into one of the other shuttles, and they'd all be shamed for being slower than me…old man that I am…quicker to patrol than they were…quicker to the fight….."

"I should've waited….," he said, looking off.

"What happened after that?" asked Gretchen, quietly.

"The whole bloody thing exploded," said the Klingon, "Just as soon as I got out of the shuttle bay, and started having a look around…..the section in the center, the heart of the space station exploded, and then one after another…after another."

"I thought we were being fired on…I shouted for my comrades…I looked around for the enemy…..I sent out that distress signal when I realized the losses we were taking, that we were overwhelmed."

"I didn't think anyone was close enough to hear us…..but it's what you do…I thought my fellow guards would start emerging and help me fight whatever it was….the Borg, the Cardassians, the Federation…" he said eyeing Janeway with a suspicious, desolate gaze.

"But the explosions kept happening, and I didn't see anyone…no enemy ships, no allies….about 10 minutes maybe…" he said quietly, "Ten minutes later it was over…there was nothing and no one left."

He looked down again. One eye was hidden, but the one that was showing was utterly enraged…..and beginning to glaze over…

That look is very dangerous.

"You'll find it." Gretchen spoke up suddenly, "You'll find what killed them. And when you do, you'll give their souls peace by fighting it. That's what you can do for them, isn't it?" she added, very persuasively, "Isn't that what Kahless would do?"

"Kahless?" said the Klingon, laughing shortly, turning his intense gaze to Gretchen, "What do you know about him, little girl? You're a human."

"My godmother was half-Klingon," said Gretchen facing him, "And I know what it's like to watch my family die. To seek revenge for that," she said, with a hard voice, "I'd like to learn more about Kahless, but there's never been anyone to teach me, until now."

The Klingon chortled grimly, "Very well, little girl. I'll agree to teach you about Kahless, if your ship helps me find who killed my crew."

Gretchen looked at Captain Janeway. She glanced at Chakotay quickly in consultation, who nodded.

Janeway spoke decisively, "We can't have an unknown enemy prowling the outskirts of our allied territory, sooner or later it'll sneak into the interior. This danger has already killed thousands of people, millions of lives could be at stake. I'll have my people do what they can to investigate, at least until the Klingon government can take over. When do you think they'll arrive?"

"Out here?" said the Klingon man, "Months….years, maybe. They won't notice we're gone unless we tell them."

"Are you that far out?" asked Chakotay in surprise.

"No one out here is important," said the Klingon gruffly, "Most of us are debtors, minor criminals, the perpetually unwise…..we don't have many ties to society, and they don't care about us," he said sneering, "We're far out here for a reason, the closest Klingon base is 4 months away."

"What about Ascelpius?" asked Janeway, "We've heard it's a month away…..if it exists. We're headed there. We'll continue that way if there's nowhere closer."

"Oh it exists," answered the Klingon, with oddly wide eyes, "It exists. Is that where you're headed? Well…that's the perfect place for me now."

Kathryn glanced at him, an unsettled feeling in her gut.

"You can help us talk to the Klingon government when we get there," said Janeway, not pushing for the moment, "That will be doable?"

"Sure," said the Klingon, "You can talk to the government all you want. If those idiots will listen to you."

Kathryn sighed internally, "If you would like to see our medical officer now," she said gesturing, "We'll get you Quarters as soon as you're released."

"Fine," said the Klingon gruffly, heading out of the room. Kathryn gestured to a security officer to escort him.