Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't profit. And this is unbeta'd, so read at your own risk.

Chapter 3

Nyota stood outside the double doors. In front of her stood two stone faced security guards. Flanking her on either side stood two Starfleet Intelligence officers, their faces harder still.

Nyota had been questioned by SI numerous times since her return to Earth after the Narada. But these guys were different. They were terse. Hard. As though they'd already determined her guilty of something.

She gazed sideways at one of them. He looked vaguely Native American, the other was of Australian descent, she could tell by the way he spoke Standard. They'd both refused to give her their names, or to tell her why she was here. She tried to think back to what she could have done to deserve this, and drew a blank. There was her brother - but he'd been exonerated months ago.

The door clicked. Drawing herself up, Nyota took a deep breath.

Sliding open with a whoosh, the doors revealed a very pale looking Jim Kirk.

"Nyota," he said, swallowing.

"This way," said the SI agent taking her elbow and leading her in the door.

Nyota froze. Kirk did not call her Nyota, but he looked so distraught - and with the SI guys... now was hardly the time or place to protest.

"Move it," said the other SI guy, pulling Nyota roughly forward, making her lose her balance.

"Hey, treat her with respect," said Kirk. The two guards at the door went to either side of him and began pushing him out of the room. "She served beside me on the Enterprise," Kirk said spinning around, "She saved your hides!"

Regaining her footing Nyota said, "It'll be okay." And hoped it would be.

She yanked her elbows away from the SI guys and entered the room, listenign to Kirk protest as she did. The door whooshed shut behind her and Kirk's voice vanished. She found herself standing under a bright light. Beyond her in shadows she could make out the silhouettes of what she now had no doubt were herinterrogators.

"Halt," said a voice. It was Captain Pike's. Nyota froze. She admired Pike, what could she have done to sink in his esteem?

She heard the rattle of wheels, and then one more SI guys joined her in the light, pushing a cart loaded with what looked to be some sort of space going drone of some kind. It was oblong, about 1.25 meters, one end was pointed, the other had what looked like the remnants of rockets. The whole machine was scratched, battered, blackened and looked ancient.

"Lieutenant Uhura," said another voice, "Do you recognize this device?"

Nyota shook her head. "I've never seen it before."

"Perhaps this will jolt your memory," said someone in the shadows.

The SI officer in front of her pressed a few buttons. The drone thing lit up from head to tail, a small orifice opened on the side and a light shot up and took form.

At first the forming hologram was indistinct, just a shimmering three dimensional outline. But then it began to flicker into focus. It appeared to be a woman, of African origin Nyota thought. She had short cropped curly hair, her skin looked dark. Nyota leaned forward and squinted, as though that could somehow bring the hologram into focus. The light flickered one more time and Nyota blinked. The holo came sharpened and she was staring...at herself.

Nyota's eyes widened. In the holo she looked thinner, drawn. She wasn't wearing any make up, and she wasn't wearing a starfleet uniform. Instead she wore what looked to be a parka made of skins of some kind. She looked positively medieval.

"I am Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, communications officer of the Federation Starship Enterprise. I do not have a lot of time.

"In the year 2259 my ship, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, while on a routine mission, intercepted terrorists in possession of red matter just outside of the Oort cloud. We were unable to prevent the terrorists from detonating the red matter, in the resulting anomaly we were sucked back in time to the year 22 BC," said Holo Nyota in what could have only have been a practiced speech.

"Our subspace communication array and our warp engines damaged, we limped to Earth. And found that it was a small group of pre-Surakian Vulcans living there."

The holo Nyota looked down. "They were not...nice." Looking at the camera, holo Nyota said, "They sought to enslave our human ancestors. They were bent on domination of the planet. If their space craft hadn't been badly damaged they would have done so. As it was, it was still difficult for the Enterprise's crew and some of their number, under the command of Captain Kirk to vanquish them..."

Holo Nyota looked sideways as though nervous, "But that isn't what I need to say. In 2258 Vulcan is destroyed by the same Romulans who destroyed The Kelvin. If you get this message in time..."

Holo Nyota closed her eyes. "Spock says this will never work." She swallowed. "Jim says there is no such thing as a no-win scenario." Taking a breath she opened her eyes.

"For 20 years before the destruction of my bond-mate's home planet ships will disappear from the Neutral Zone...maybe the Narada, the Romulan ship, needs them for supplies...Every power blames the other. If you destroy the Narada before it becomes more powerful...before it comes into possession of red matter, you can save 6 billion Vulcan lives."

In the interrogation room Nyota felt sweat cold and sharp along her arms. She and Spock had spoken of bonding on many occasions. The only thing holding them back was the need for a healer.

In the holo a voice rose, as though over an intercom, "Uhura, you're out of time. We need you on the bridge."

In the interrogation room Nyota swallowed. It was Kirk's voice.

"I'm out of time," said holo Nyota. Reaching forward her hand paused in mid-air. "Nyota, if you are watching this...and Spock says you will...remember, there is always hope."

The holo flickered out abruptly, and the lights on the drone machine went out.

Nyota blinked and looked up. "Is this some sort of joke?"

Into the light stepped a Vulcan woman. In human years she might have been 50 years old or so; what little hair that peaked from beneath a traditional Vulcan headpiece was gray, the skin on her face was delicately lined.

"That is the question we have for you," said the Vulcan woman.

"I didn't make this holo," Nyota said brows knitting together, jaw going tight.

"Perhaps not yet," said the Vulcan woman. Stepping around the cart she held up her hand towards Nyota's temple, "May I touch your mind? I will not perform a meld, I merely wish to verify your...sincerity?"

Nyota unclenched her teeth. She looked at the drone. Perhaps not yet...

This was too important to worry about personal space.

Turning to the older Vulcan she nodded. "Do it."

Dry finger caressed her temple, but she did not feel the probe of a mind meld. It was just an empathic link, she and Spock shared them all the time. The older woman would know if she were lying, but not be able to read her thoughts.

"Do you have memory of making this holo, Lieutenant Uhura?" said the Vulcan woman.

"No," said Uhura.

"As I suspected," said the Vulcan woman. "She speaks the truth." She withdrew her hand, but not before sending Nyota a flicker of...was it courage?

Nyota heard a whirl, and then Pike's wheelchair rolled into the light. He took a deep breath. "Kirk has just been made Captain of the Enterprise. I take it, if he offers you the position of communications officer, you'll accept?"

Kirk? Captain of the Enterprise? He was too young...too inexperienced. She looked at the drone. A few minutes ago she would have asked if they were up to some sort of publicity stunt, giving the rookie hero of the Battle of Vulcan the flagship. She might have even refused the posting; she didn't want to be doing milk runs even if it was aboard the Flagship. Now...

Swallowing she turned to the Vulcan woman. "Have I already accepted the posting?" Nyota whispered.

"Perhaps," the Vulcan said.

A/N:
So I've been jamming along at "Appearances" (I've torn it completely apart and am putting it back together again in what I hope is a newer more exciting way...Im not publishin' until I finish though) Anyway, I just wanted to take a little break with this...it's been knockin' around in my brain for a while.

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