"So you're not going to be home for dinner?"

Tw'eak had retreated to the quarters she'd been assigned on the Minerva, quarters that felt bigger than the house on Andoria. She'd needed to rest, but more than that, she needed the familiarity of home. So she'd contacted her sister Dashii, who, while standing next to her other sister, Sassil, had just asked the question. It was a fair question, as Tw'eak was going to be out in space for a while longer, it seemed, trying to help Octavia.

"I have greater concerns than dinner," Sassil interrupted.

"Dinner is important, too!" Dashii retorted.

Sassil ignored her. "If this ...friend of yours is responsible for aiding and abetting the Mo'Kai, she should be hunted down and brought before a Klingon tribunal. The events on Qu'Vat demand the Empire's justice."

"I wouldn't disagree, except that we don't have all the facts yet. I know Octavia better than I know-" Here Tw'eak stopped and glanced up at her sisters. How well did any of them know each other, really, despite being family? Aside from the past few months and their occasional annoyances, the three of them had never been able to abide each other's company for long. By comparison, Octavia had been her first officer, then flag captain, and was the kind of officer Tw'eak was most proud to say she'd served alongside. "Better than I know most people," she continued. "She's an honourable woman, and a Starfleet captain. She survived the Borg. She fought as part of my crew - right throughout the Iconian War. I owe her my life, multiple times over. I owe it to her to try."

"It's Twaiheak," Dashii said to Sassil. "I mean, if anyone's going to get through it and get it figured out, it'll be her. She saved me, y'know."

"Yes, she did, as you are all too familiar of reminding me." Sassil turned to the screen. "If your quest is honourable and your intentions are sincere, then I would ask to be brought along."

"Wait, she gets to go?" Dashii protested.

Tw'eak considered for a moment. "To what end?"

"As an observer, and as a representative of the Empire."

"I don't think that will be necessary."

"Then I would seek to accompany you in order to participate meaningfully in the search. I have friends across the Empire - friends you may need in order to ensure you are given access to sectors, or information."

Now this was of far greater interest to Tw'eak. "You know something?"

"I... do not."

"She's lying," Dashii quickly inferred.

Sassil gave a snort of disapproval. "I did not say I know nothing."

"But you have an idea."

Sassil's eyes narrowed and her antennae twitched. "I may."

Tw'eak shrugged. "I don't object to having you along, I just need you to realize we'd be working together in an official capacity."

"I do not need to be reminded of such things," Sassil replied haughtily.

"Good. Then I won't need to remind you that the chain of command runs from me, to you - and everyone else aboard. This is a Federation starship and I'll expect you to conduct yourself diplomatically at all times." Tw'eak leaned forward slightly. "Don't make me regret this."

Sassil gritted her teeth. "You have my word, as a warrior."

Tw'eak nodded. "I'll see if I can clear it with Captain Kagran, get you aboard as a liaison to the Alliance - for official purposes." Tw'eak put a hand up. "Don't look at me like that. You'll still get all the requisite perks of your rank within the Empire."

"Your 'perks' do not concern me. I have never had any involvement with the Alliance before." The way Sassil snarled out the word 'Alliance' made her feelings on the subject clear.

"No, but diplomatically it's a lot easier for me to clear than formal Klingon Empire involvement at this point. We're a little short on time, and the Diplomatic Corps isn't known to expedite anything for anyone."

Sassil ground her teeth softly, with a glare at Dashii. "Very well. I will ready my kit, then stand by to beam up."

"That's the spirit." Tw'eak smiled at Dashii. "Sorry to be making your leftovers crisis worse."

"No, it's fine. I mean, I'll miss you." After a moment, Dashii added, "Both. Both of you, I mean."

"She meant only you." Sassil stepped off-camera. "I must prepare myself."

"See you both soon, I hope," Tw'eak said as she signed off.

"Admiral?" came a disembodied voice over the comms.

"Sh'abbas here," Tw'eak replied.

"Admiral, this is Ensign Staunton. Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I have Vice Admiral Downey standing by on subspace."

"Wonderful timing, Ensign. Put her through."

The ship's badge of the starship Australia appeared on-screen briefly, giving way to a dark-eyed, ponytailed human in a vice admiral's coat. A massive grin erupted on her face as her screen became active. "Oi, Tw'eak! How've you been?"

Tw'eak smiled broadly. "I've been well, Emlyn. How about you?"

"Oh, not too shabby - retirement not treating you well enough, then?" Downey noted Tw'eak's uniform with a furrowed eyebrow and a wave of the hand. "You just getting dressed up for old time's sake, there?"

"We had a bit of an emergency here over Andoria. All settled now, but while I was here I found out about another... involving a mutual concern."

"You mean House Mo'Kai?"

"In a sense." Tw'eak let the silence hang in the air for a moment. "I don't mean a 'what' kind of concern so much as 'who' that's caught in our concern." She leaned forward slightly. "That 'who' is a mutual friend."

"Ah. I read you." Downey nodded. "And yes, a mutual friend indeed."

"Would you happen to have any idea where I might start looking for that person? And, perhaps, the starship she commands?"

"Hm. Not sure, really." Downey scratched her eyebrow. "I mean, there are a few sectors that might prove more favourable than others. To narrow things down, I mean."

"That's all I could ask," Tw'eak replied. "And of course, if you learn any new details, at a later time..."

"Oh, definitely. I wouldn't hesitate to pass them along, of course."

Tw'eak took a moment before continuing. "Because, I mean, I could pull rank... simply order you to tell me everything you know."

Downey gave an enigmatic smirk. "You could do that. But given how little I know, that might not be worth the trouble."

"A fair point." Tw'eak made a see-sawing motion with one hand. "Still, if there's a risk involved, especially to Starfleet personnel who are dragged along for the ride, I think we both agree it'd be best to do all we can to ensure their safety."

"Of course." Downey shook her head. "Christ, remind me never to play poker with you."

"I'm terrible at it," Tw'eak joked. "I always bet on black."

This made Downey burst into laughter, defusing the tension of the situation. "I gotta remember me that one."

"I"m just worried about her, that's all."

"You an' me both, boss. She's gone walkabout and I don't pretend to know what she's thinking. But having a few places to start... well, better than a kick up the backside, isn't it."

Tw'eak nodded. "Most things are," she replied.

"Well. Right, then. I'd say, hm... obviously it'll be out there a ways."

"Maybe not - she could be traveling under cloak."

"Too right, too right. So let's see, where she'd be hiding..." Downey looked at a star chart. "I'd try the Lirss sector, maybe the Nimbus sector, the Narendra sector's probably pretty likely - I think we can keep it on this side of the galaxy."

Tw'eak nodded. "She probably wouldn't get through the gateways unnoticed."

"Right! If she can, then the Voth surely can, too! And nobody wants them bastards showing up uninvited, isn't that right. But that's where I'd look, anyway."

"We'll see what we can find."

"And... let me know, eh? Whatever comes of this. Those bastards don't know what they're messing with, comin' for Mal."

Tw'eak smiled at the reference to Octavia's pre-assimilation name, Mallory Jermyn. "It's good to know that someone else out here has her back."

"Oh, always, mate. For a friend like her? Always." Downey smiled. "No worries, as we say in Oz. She'll be right."

"Thanks for the help. Sh'abbas out." Tw'eak smiled for the camera, then when the screen switched to the Federation insignia, she tapped her commbadge. "Sh'abbas to bridge."

"Bridge," Ralani replied. "Sh'thras here, Admiral."

"Ralani, run a trace for me - I want to know which subspace relays I just used to talk to the Australia."

"Yes, ma'am." Tw'eak waited a moment before Ralani became audible again, mumbling. "Let's see... Sol Central Relay, Starbase 39-Sierra, Relay 23... If I were going to bet I'd say she's off in the direction of the Hobus sector, ma'am."

Tw'eak brought up a map of sector space. Lirss and Narendra were on the opposite side of the Romulan Republic's space, but the Hobus sector-

"She called it the Nimbus sector," Tw'eak recalled. Of course - it made perfect sense. Federation ships had shared jurisdiction under Alliance regulations over Nimbus, but weren't assigned a regular patrol. Admiral Downey could easily have her ship pass back and forth through the Hobus sector, with Warspite concealed in any number of places there. The stellar wreckage and remnants of the supernova would just make Warspite another shadow amidst the dust. She knew Downey wouldn't let her old friend down in her time of need. Now she just needed to find them both and get some answers.

"Lieutenant, get us to Nimbus III, as soon as possible," Tw'eak ordered.

"Understood."

"And advise the captain of my orders."

"She's right here, Admiral," Aurora's voice chimed in. "You heard her, Staunton. Get us underway."

Tw'eak remembered her earlier conversation. "Has my sister beamed aboard?" she asked, using the simplified non-Andorian reference to her shi sibling.

"Dashii's joining us?" Aurora asked.

"No, Sassil."

"Ohhh." Aurora's voice betrayed an unmistakable sense of concern. "Um, transporter room says-? Yes. She's... oh, she's on her way up. I should probably have sent Ralani down to meet her as an honour guard or something. I hope she's not upset. She'll probably kill someone."

"It's alright, Aurora. Let's just get the ship underway. I'll find her and get her caught up."

"Actually, ma'am," Ralani corrected, "security is holding her in transporter room three, pending your arrival."

Tw'eak smiled wryly at the thought of the poor security officer whose detail brought a fully-armed Andorian warrior in Klingon garb into his transporter room. "Makes finding her a lot easier. I'll be there shortly."

"And we'll be warping out as soon as we're ready," Aurora added. "Bridge out."

As Tw'eak departed her quarters, the subtle swaying of the deck beneath her and the enhancement of the electromagnetic sensations she felt around her made clear that Minerva had powered up her engines. Soon, she hoped, they might be able to ask the right questions of the right people, and get to the bottom of this.