The young Vulcan exchange officer who served as Admiral Janeway's aide, T'Norva woke up in her quarters with an odd sensation that seemed off center. "Computer, have we arrived back at Earth."
The voice of Iris responded back politely, "no subcommander we are somewhere else." Was the only answer given.
"Somewhere else?" T'noma said raising an eyebrow, and then added, "I am unable to logically accept somewhere else, can you please elaborate?"
"That information is classified at this time," Iris responded. There was no real precedent other than the original Voyager mission.
A vague memory of being tossed around flashed in T'Noma's mind, "I need to go check on the Admiral and see if she has any needs." If anyone could give T'Norva some answers it would be her direct superior.
"Unfortunately Lieutenant that is not possible at this time," Iris said knowing that the acting counselor from the rescued colony would soon be by to assist the Captain with informing the aide of the loss of Janeway and the situation they are now in. Iris could only imagine the counselor will be quite busy with the crew, after all they have just been marooned in a galaxy other than their own and no one has a clue exactly where home is anymore. "The Captain will be by shortly to brief you on the current situation."
"Understood," T'Norva said as she walked over to gaze out of the space window of her quarters. The computer beeped acknowledging the end of the conversation. As she looked out of the window an overwhelming emotion of shock came upon her after seeing the highly advanced starbase that the ship was now docked with. She could hear her own voice in her mind speaking, the Federation has been hiding a lot of technologies from us. This treachery needs to be reported immediately to the Romulan Star Empire.
She immediately asked, "Computer which starbase is that?"
And without missing a beat Iris responded, "that information is classified at this moment."
The first thought that came into T'Norva's mind was "Damn Federation always appearing to be so benign, so diplomatic. It is as we are told by the Praetor, they are treacherous and deceitful." Her duty now as a Romulan subcommander was to destroy the dauntless and try to take out the starbase with it.
-[ Two Hours Later ]-
T'Norva felt like a prisoner in her own quarters and she struggled to hide her impatience, her anxiety. She had the replicator create a Vulcan meditation lantern and sat in the middle of the room. She was taught the Vulcan meditation practices as part of her cover but found them to be useful and relaxing at this moment until the door chime of her quarters almost made her jump out of her skin. She took a deep breath and with the calmest soothing voice she could conjure said, "Come in."
The door slid open and only Captain Jonas Alexander walked into the room and gave her the Vulcan salute, "Live long and prosper."
T'Norva responded politely, "Peace and long life." She cupped her hands over the meditation lamp extinguishing its artificial flame. "How may I be of service?"
"Lieutenant," Captain Alexander said with a long face, "Admiral Janeway is now deceased." Jonas was confident that the Vulcan's took death much easier than humans and a counselor would not be necessary, only logical facts.
"May her katra be at peace," she responded as she stood up and looked at him, "may I ask where are we?"
"There are many questions as to what is going on at this time, I will do my best to answer them all," Jonas said as he walked to the window, "our experimental propulsion system was thrown off by a gravimetric shockwave. Quite honestly Lieutenant no one knows where we are."
"Then what of the starbase?" She asked.
"It's not ours," Captain Alexander said as he continued on for the next fifteen minutes briefing T'Norva with all the details as he currently understood them. "Lieutenant T'Norva, due to our current circumstances we have found the necessity to make some field promotions and reassignments. You are now part of our crew and I need a qualified Yeoman I can count on. If you were good enough to be Admiral Janeway's trusted aide then I know you won't fail me."
It was all she could do to keep from smiling, her mind flashed back to the day she first laid eyes on him. She was Romulan and had found him quite attracted she caught herself smiling at him and caught herself before it blew her cover. She spread her fingers towards him and bowed saying, "I am here to serve."
Jonas politely responded, "I am honored by your service." As he turned to leave T'Norva spread her fingers in the traditional Vulcan salute.
"Captain, live long and prosper," She said calmly.
"And may you have peace and long life... and a safe return to your home planet before it's over." Was his response as he walked out the door and it slid shut.
She took a deep meditative breath and thought to herself, either that was the biggest most elaborate deception she ever heard or it was the truth. After a few moments, she came to accept it was the truth. Then the realization set in. There will be no extraction by the Romulans. She will go insane if she had to continue her grand deception as a Vulcan. But the alternative would be certain execution if her true nature was revealed. T'Norva's heart sank as the gravity of her situation set in, she had no choice but to continue her great deception and would have cried in the moment if her tear ducts were not surgically altered so the tears would run down her throat.