Assistant Federation commissioner who was assigned to mediate a peace agreement on planet Epsilon Canaris III in 2267 to avert an impending war. Hedford was forced to leave the negotiations prematurely when she contracted the fatal Sakuro's disease. She was being transported to the U.S.S. Enterprise to receive treatment when her shuttlecraft, the Galileo, was diverted to Gamma Canaris N by a noncorporeal being known as the Companion. The Companion refused to allow repairs to the shuttle, letting Hedford get dangerously close to death. Zefram Cochrane, who had been kept immortal on the planet by the Companion, fell in love with Nancy, and wanted to help destroy the creature. But the Companion entered Nancy's body and healed her, effectively merging with her. Cochrane decided to remain on the planet with the merged Nancy/Companion to live out a normal lifespan and possibly have children. Captain Kirk promised to keep their arrangement a secret, so according to the official record he entered, Hedford died aboard the Galileo.