The hours it took to reach Nimbus gave Tw'eak time to rest, recover... and think. She had no idea if they'd find the starship Warspite, and Octavia, at the other end of their journey. She had no idea where to go if they didn't find the missing ship, and she had no idea what to say if they did. There were missing pieces in this puzzle, and it made the overall picture much harder to determine. She also had no idea to explain to Starfleet why she had ordered a Jupiter-class carrier to leave what was an unsecured disaster zone and race halfway across the Beta Quadrant. At least, not without telling the truth.
Tw'eak passed the time in a resting position, reclined in a chair with her eyes closed. Opposite her was her sister Sassil, who had joined her after a period spent in the security office. The younger of the two Sh'abbas girls had shown up aboard ship wearing a full Klingon Honour Guard uniform, replete with daggers and other stabbing implements, some obvious and others concealed. This had obviously presented itself as something of a challenge to ship's security, but fortunately Tw'eak had arrived to oversee the arrival and avoid any bloody ramifications. As long as the 'items' were identified and numbered, she could keep them - all of them.
Sassil, for her part, was not seated but on her feet in the centre of the room, practicing mokbara without much rest. This was a regular feature of life with Sassil - the maintenance of her warrior physique meant much to her. Tw'eak chose to stick with a daily run and mixed martial-arts program in their small holodeck, tucked away on the lowest floor of their house. It kept the fighting side of herself safely away from the children, and while on occasion Shrim'ta or Pholl'rem might join her, it also gave her time to herself. That was perhaps the rarest of commodities in their Andorian household.
"May I inquire about something?" Sassil suddenly asked, her motions coming to a halt.
Tw'eak half-opened her eyes. "What's that?"
"You have not inquired of Captain Shon as to the whereabouts of your missing friend."
"I thought about it. He wouldn't know anything."
"Nor have you inquired of Starfleet Command."
"Now they might know something," Tw'eak replied, "but that would tip my hand."
"Tip your hand?" Sassil repeated, resuming her motions.
"It's an Earth expression. From card games. It'd show our next move. Right now they don't know we're engaged in a search - I haven't even told them I've returned to duty."
"And the captain is likewise keeping things to herself?"
"Yeah. Aurora wouldn't tell-" Tw'eak thought for a moment. "Rather, I doubt it'd occur to Aurora that she was authorized to contact Starfleet independently. She's accustomed to being under my command, which means I handle that."
"Are you certain of that? And that no one else might remind her of this?"
Tw'eak hesitated before replying. "Good point." She smiled. "That Lieutenant sh'Thras is really something. You'll get along with her nicely, I imagine."
"She would do well to stand out of my field of fire when the time comes."
And vice-versa, Tw'eak thought but didn't say. She shook her head at her sister's characteristic refusal to play nice with others. "Anyway, she might be one to suggest that a big new starship like this shouldn't just jet off to a hostile sector on the orders of a retired admiral with a personal stake in the game - not without verifying their mission with the high command, anyway."
"Precisely."
Tw'eak tapped her commbadge. "Sh'abbas to Captain duBois."
"Hey, Admiral," came Aurora's reply.
"Just wanting to check something here. Sassil's bet me a cup of katheka that you've already signalled Starfleet Command about our unscheduled trip to the Nimbus system."
"Oh. Which one of you picked 'Aurora is a space cadet'? 'cause you win."
Tw'eak smiled at her sister. "That would be Sassil." A sharp look from Sassil ensued. "Just belay doing so for now - better to apologize than to be denied permission."
"Sure, Admiral. DuBois out."
Tw'eak resumed her restful pose. "So there you go."
"And so your hand remains tipless," Sassil added.
Tw'eak opened an eye slightly, but left the remark uncorrected.
"Admiral on the bridge!"
Tw'eak and Sassil entered from the rear turbolift. "As you were."
"We're here," Aurora said from the command chair. "Nimbus III."
"Famous for its wildlife," Commander Tuxx quoted, "and the fishing is terrific!"
"Fishing?" Ensign Staunton asked from the helm. "Isn't it a desert world?"
Before Tuxx could explain that he was joking, the tactical console sounded a notification. "We're being hailed," Lieutenant sh'Thras interrupted from tactical. "The starship Australia."
Tw'eak stepped beside Aurora's command chair, leaning in. "This ought to be interesting," she whispered, "if they're hailing us."
"Maybe she wants to tell us something," Aurora said with a raised eyebrow. "You know, now that we're here."
"I hope so," Tw'eak replied. She looked to Ralani. "On screen, please."
The desk of Vice-Admiral Emlyn Downey filled the screen, with the admiral herself seated behind it. "G'day, Tw'eak! Fancy meetin' you here!"
"Emlyn," Tw'eak replied. "What an unexpected pleasure."
"Somehow, I think - in fact, I'd bet - you might ever so slightly have expected us to be here."
"You gave me a set of places to check. So we started here."
"Luck of the draw, then? Right. Well. Glad you made it. So now you'll have yourself a Captain Cook and be headed on your way, then."
"That's the general idea." Tw'eak took a step towards the screen. "As soon as you tell me where we're headed."
"I gave you a set of places to look."
"And I'm narrowing it down." Tw'eak's eyes hardened. "I know you're covering for her. And I know you're going to tell me what my next heading will be."
"Oh, I am, am I?"
"I don't need to be a Betazoid to read your mind here, Emlyn. I'm not here for official reasons. No authorizations, no higher-ups in the know. Whatever happened, I want to find out - because I want to help her. Sincerely."
"Look, Tw'eak. I'm not trying to pull the wool over your eyes here-"
"Yeah, that's never a good idea."
"Especially with the antennae up there," Aurora observed, using her fingers to mimic an Andorian appearance. Tw'eak and Downey both glared at her for a moment.
"Right! Well." Admiral Downey adjusted in her seat. She tapped a console. "Downey to Warspite. Best say hello."
"Starship decloaking!" Ralani called out.
"Yellow alert," Aurora ordered.
As Minerva raised its shields and the fighters began preparing for launch, next to the Odyssey-class starship opposite came into view a sight all too familiar to Tw'eak and Aurora alike.
"Warspite?" Aurora asked.
"Confirmed," Ralani replied.
Downey returned to the viewscreen. "I'll let you two kids chat. Just... hear them out, Tw'eak. Please."
"It's why I'm here."
Downey nodded, and her place on the screen was taken by two female figures. The one on the left wore a dark uniform with pointed shoulders, the duty uniform of the Romulan Republic. The rank indicated she was a subcommander. The other was dressed in a shimmering black outfit, a Starfleet jumpsuit with a gloss exterior, and a commander's rank on its right shoulder. Both of them had dark, short hair, almost matching in its cut, with skin near-translucent in its paleness. Both of them also had only one visible eye - the Starfleet officer wore an eyepatch that concealed a scar, while the other had a Borg vision device slotted in her eye socket. It was clear that both of them were "xB", former Borg drones, like Octavia herself.
"Greetings, Admiral," the Starfleet commander began. "It is an honour to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise. To whom am I speaking?"
"My name is Commander Violet Pearson, executive officer of the starship Warspite. This is Subcommander Nevala Tebok, who is serving on exchange from the Romulan Republic."
Tw'eak nodded to the Romulan subcommander. "Jolan tru."
"Jolan tru," the subcommander responded.
"Captain Eight of Twelve has left us in temporary command of this starship. Under regulation, Warspite reports to your command as of this stardate."
"Thank you," Tw'eak replied. "But I'd like to speak to your captain."
The two Warspite officers looked at each other. "That will not be possible," the subcommander advised.
Tw'eak fought to keep the rising anger out of her voice. "And that's because..."
"She is absent from the starship at present."
"On whose authority?"
Once again, the two officers exchanged awkward glances.
"I'll ask again."
"We were advised that her departure was authorized by you, Admiral."
Tw'eak gritted her teeth. "Stand by to receive flag transfer," she barked out. "I will be attended by two officers who will additionally need quarters."
"Admiral?" Aurora squeaked.
"We will arrange accommodation aboard ship," the commander replied.
"Thank you. Stand by for signal from our transporter room. Sh'abbas out."
Tw'eak turned her back to the viewscreen, startling Aurora. "You're leaving so soon?"
"Duty calls." Tw'eak looked across to her sister. "You're with me."
"I stand ready to assist."
Tw'eak looked around the bridge. "Where's Bianca?"
"You're taking her, too?" Aurora protested.
"Look, I know, okay?" Tw'eak caught herself, and corrected to a less hostile, more compassionate tone. "I would love nothing more than to spend time with you - and for you to spend time with Bianca, as well. But this was never a social call - the three of us being together is ...just a happy coincidence."
"Yeah. It... was really nice to see you back in charge again." She leaned in towards Tw'eak and whispered, "I think about you every time I'm scared."
Tw'eak gave her trusted friend and fellow officer a warm embrace. "Out here, they should be scared of you," she said as she did. "I wouldn't have made it through all that we made it through without you."
Aurora wiped away an unexpected - and unwelcome - tear as she turned back to her officers. "We'll remain on station here to support the admiral's transfer, then return to Andoria to assist with rescue and recovery efforts."
"Should we scramble fighters?" Commander Tuxx asked. "It could be hostile."
"It'll probably be more hostile if we look like we're expecting hostilities," Tw'eak suggested. "Nimbus isn't exactly the kind of place for us to do this."
"Three of your starships in a non-aligned system, with fighters scrambled, would give a distinctively belligerent impression," Sassil noted.
Tw'eak raised an eyebrow at her sister, then nodded. "Contact Vice-Admiral Downey, advise her that I'm instructing her to return to Starbase 39-Sierra once we're done here." She turned to Aurora. "You're both to await further instructions from me, wherever you end up next. I may need you."
"Understood," Aurora replied meekly.
Tw'eak tapped her commbadge. "Commander duBois, please report to transporter room one."
"Acknowledged," Bianca's voice came in reply.
"I wish I had time to say goodbye to her," Aurora said in hushed tones.
Tw'eak put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "As eager as I am to get over there, you can come down to see us off."
"Alright." She looked to Tuxx. "You have the conn, Mister Tuxx."
"Aye, ma'am. And Admiral?"
Tw'eak turned back to see Staunton, Ralani and Tuxx, along with several ensigns she didn't know the names of, all watching her depart.
"Not every day we share the deck with a Starfleet legend. It's been an honour to meet you."
Tw'eak took a moment to meet the eyes of everyone, then gave a nod. "Likewise. Carry on." Then she stepped into the turbolift with Sassil and Aurora.