A/N - This was originally all one chapter but it was a little bit too long so I've split it up for ease of reading.

I do not own anything NCIS.

"What is this place?" Gibbs was the fist to speak, not that Timothy had expected anything different. His usually unshakable boss was clearly just as lost as the rest of his team, though he hid it better.

"The Lunar Orbiter is Earth's primary defence satellite and the control centre for all Stars activity." Timothy could feel himself slipping into the standard spiel and didn't like it. His team had not asked to be here and they deserved a proper explanation. He just didn't know how to give it.

Timothy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "As you've probably gathered by now, we are not alone in this universe."

All eyes in the room flickered back to Kinoan, who smiled serenely.

"Many civilisations are much more advanced than our own. With that advancement comes the ability to travel between the stars, to communicate with other peoples and planets. Of course, along with this comes fighting. There is always war." Timothy couldn't keep a hint of bitterness from his voice at this point. He hated that even the most advanced civilisation in the galaxy could not seem to stop fighting with their neighbours.

"The Unified Interstellar Peace Force was created to limit the consequences of interplanetary war. Stars is the human branch of this. We do not get involved in the affairs of individual planets - we only interfere if the fighting becomes a threat to other systems. In return for our soldiers, we get access to technology far ahead of anything we have developed ourselves and the resources we need to protect our planet from attack."

The team listened in stunned silence as Timothy explained a little more about the station, about Stars and about his own participation in the force. If he had been telling this story back on Earth they would never have believed him. In fact, they would probably have thought he'd gone insane. It was hard to deny the truth of it up here, though, with that view of Earth from above still spinning in their mind's eye and an eight-foot-tall alien scrutinising them.

"Why are we here, though?" Ziva asked. For a moment Timothy was surprised at how well she was taking it. Then, he remembered her words from onboard the Chimera and how open she had always been to the existence of things outside her own experience.

"I don't know." Timothy admitted. "Less than twenty minutes ago, this station was under attack from an enemy we can't seem to identify. Then, after we managed to deflect their missile, a teleportation beam was activated. Again, we don't know where from. Our technicians managed to divert it and ... well ..."

The team glanced at each other. Timothy hated not knowing who was behind these bizarre happenings. It left him feeling very vulnerable.

"War is coming," Kinoan said, getting to his feet and sweeping out from around his desk. He moved gracefully, despite his height. The team looked slightly alarmed as he came to a stop in front of them, three yellow eyes moving independently from each other to stare at each of them in turn.

Timothy almost wanted to laugh. He had never seen people look at Kinoan with fear before. He wanted to shake them, or slap them across the head Gibbs-style, and tell them Kinoan was the last person onboard this station they needed to be wary of.

"In fact, I might say war is already here. The attack my good friend here," he nodded to Timothy, eyes twinkling slightly. Kinoan was enjoying this. "Mentioned was almost enough to cripple us. That the teleportation beam got through our defences is worrying and the fact it targeted you six is even more so."

"What war?" Gibbs demanded.

"The oldest war." Kinoan's cryptic answer made Gibbs scowl but the alien just smiled in response and went on. "A war we have been waiting on for far longer than even I remember. A battle which will encompass not just our galaxy but the galaxies beyond and which will tear our universe apart. This is the end of all things."

Timothy hadn't heard the full prediction in many years but it still sent chills down his spine. Nobody could agree whether it was fantasy or prophecy, although the events of the past day or so left no doubt in Timothy's mind.

"No need for dramatics, General." Timothy said dryly. Kinoan had a mischievous streak that only Timothy really knew about; the old alien found a lot of fun in winding up new recruits, who tended to take every word he said very seriously. From the looks on their faces, the team were too.

"There's no need for you to worry." Timothy told them. "We'll get you back to Earth in a few minutes and you can try to forget about this."

"Back to Earth?" Gibbs frowned. "I'm not going back, McGee."

"Of course you are."

"I am not either." Ziva echoed. Staring around at his team, Timothy saw them all - even Abby and Palmer, who had no experience of the brutality of war - shaking their heads.

"Don't be ridiculous." He said. There was a force behind his words he recognised from the battlefield. "You are civilians. This isn't your fight."

"You can't expect us to go back now," Tony spoke for the first time, his voice steady. "Not when we've seen all this."

Timothy could have kicked himself. Of course. He should have expected this. This was the reaction of every human to have even the slightest experience with Stars. He knew first-hand how hard it was to go back to Earth and live a civilian's life, all the while knowing what was going on above your head and how much danger the whole planet was in. It could be done, though.

The enemy could attack again at any time. Timothy didn't want to waste any more of it arguing with them; keeping his family safe was his top priority and there was no way he could do that as long as they were onboard. On Earth, they were protected by the entire UIPF and everything it could bring to bear. Up here, they were on their own.

"There will be no arguments about this." Timothy said, his voice cold and flat. The tone of a General giving an order that could not be disobeyed. He took pleasure in the surprised expressions of his team, who had never even suspected he was capable of the kind of power and authority behind those words. From the corner of his eye he saw Harriet stand a little straighter, as if his words were a call to arms.

"I am the General here and I give the orders. You will be returned to Earth whether you wish to go or not. I will not have you onboard my station."

There were a few general protestations from Gibbs, Ziva and Tony but these were quickly silenced by Timothy's glare. His reputation was not all legend and exaggeration - a lot of it was justified. He hadn't gotten to this position by being nice.

"No." Kinoan's voice broke the silence that had fallen as Timothy went for the door. "They will stay here."

Timothy turned to stare at his friend, astonished and angry. It felt a bit like a betrayal.

"I will not allow that, General Kinoan."

"You do not need to. I am, as you say, a General and I have as much authority on this station as you do. These six will not be returned to Earth."