LCDR Nolen Hobart — Served Cold

[Nolen Hobart]

((Bridge, Deck 1, USS Khitomer))

In a holding pattern near Deep Space 33, Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart was faced with a great many unknowns. But to address them, he had the crew of the USS Khitomer (formerly of the USS Arrow) at his back. And the Khitomer itself. And they were all playing their part in a ruse that would hopefully trick their quarry into revealing itself.

He turned to Campbell.

Hobart: How’d I do?

Campbell: As well as one might believe, commander. I commend your acting. ::clapping his hands slowly::

With exaggerated flourish, Nolen bowed to Ensign Campbell.

Campbell: On the other hand, I could use your assistance on a matter, commander. I need full access to the subsystems, I can’t do a full system check with my current security clearance. 

There had been enough shenanigans with security recently that Hobart hesitated. But the thieves had seemingly gone out of their way to wreak havoc on the Arrow crew without actually affecting the Arrow crew, so he quickly decided the upside was greater on giving the fresh Ensign greater access.

Hobart: Computer, grant Lieutenant Commander access to Ensign Campbell, time limit fifteen minutes. Authorization Hobart Three-One-Eight-Indigo.

After a confirmatory chirp from the computer to announce the granting of the aforementioned authorization, the XO took his place at Ensign Campbell’s side again, overseeing the new Com/Ops officer’s work.

Campbell: Appreciate the help, commander. Okay, let’s see what we have here. ::tapping on his console:: First of all, the authorization code used was of a Starfleet Lieutenant and higher. The security clearance used was Level 4 Alpha.

Nolen’s brow furrowed. This confirmed what they’d already expected, that there was someone within Starfleet helping the ship-rustlers. But the precise combination of facts given suggested a serious breach of Starfleet security.

Hobart: Four-Alpha on a Lieutenant?

Campbell: Indeed, the clearance used was quite high. I am not ruling out the possibility of Starfleet Intelligence Officer having it. Though with that being said, I’m checking all relavent data as they could have had gotten some data off the ship. 

Hobart: Hrm. ::squinting:: If they were on the Khitomer, they’d have probably known not to make the attempt in the first place.

Campbell: I’m not taking the possibility of whoever it is knowing the ships layout and major systems.

Before this thought was given much time to fester, the computer announced an incoming internal comm.

MacKenna: =/\= Astrometrics to bridge. =/\=

Hobart: =/\= Bridge. Go ahead. =/\=

MacKenna: =/\= We are sending a list your way now. =/\=

Nolen looked down at the display on Ensign Campbell’s screen as the short list of systems and astronomical objects streamed in. It was shorter than he had been expecting, which was good. Or potentially bad. They’d find out soon.

Hobart: =/\= Acknowledge receipt, thank you, ma’am. =/\=

He tapped his combadge to close the intercom, and stooped down to speak to Campbell, his voice lowered with excitement. The gambit was his idea, and he hoped it would pay off. This was going to be their one chance, and if they wasted it, the odds of ever recovering the Arrow were slim. The reckless, thrill-seeking side of Hobart was salivating at the risk involved.

Hobart: Cross-reference all outgoing station comms since our transmission. See if they’re pointed in the general direction of any of those items.

He didn’t need to reiterate his orders; the Ensign was already on it. But he couldn’t help himself.

Campbell: Response

Hobart watched as some of the suggested destinations were crossed out. His black, Betazoid eyes fixated on one entry, as something familiar cried out.

Hobart: Good work; keep going, and update that with whatever Security has.

Campbell: Response

As Campbell once again dutifully set about to layer information set upon information set in an effort to sift their mystery into a single (hopefully) direction, the comms once again crackled to life. Nolen wondered briefly if this was what his life would look like, and he wistfully thought back to his time spent on the outer hull of the Arrow, welding microfractures in relative silence.

Shayne: =/\= Shayne to bridge. Nolen, we’re out of time. Plot your best guess and prepare to kick this pig. =/\=

Hobart: =/\= Understood, sir. We’ve narrowed it down to a few possibilities. =/\= 

And one of them stood out to him, he just couldn’t remember why. Why was it so familiar? The conversation continued as Nolen returned to looking over Campbell’s shoulder. As the Ensign carefully eliminated unlikely destinations with each pass of the data, the one that caught his eye remained. Nolen sat down at the next console over and pulled up information on it.

Multiple planets. Moons. Asteroid field. Gamma and theta radiation. There was nothing particularly interesting or noteworthy about the system from the astronomical data. Maybe something happened there?

Dewitt: =/\= We're preparing slipstream, Nolen. Have somebody up there monitor all systems and contact engineering as soon as something goes south. We'll be doing the same and have one hand on the off-switch. I will not wind up at Odyssey station again.

He smirked at his best friend’s concern for the ship.

Hobart: =/\= Hey, it’s me up here. Don’t worry. =/\= 

Dewitt: =/\= So where do we go? =/\=

They would go wherever Nolen picked. Which meant he had to hurry up and pick a direction.

Shayne: =/\= Feed the heading into the QSD computer and bring the drive up to full power. =/\=

Hobart: =/\= Will do, sir. =/\=

His voice was distant, as if he was only half-paying attention. Nolen’s narrowed eyes suddenly widened in surprise. First mapped by the USS Arrow, stardate 240001.06. Less than three weeks before he’d boarded. There were still some other options, but what were the odds that the Arrow would have been stolen and taken anywhere else? The Arrow, of all ships. This had to be personal, it was the only way to make sense of it. And if it was personal, so was the destination.

Hobart: Aw, hell.

Campbell: Response

Hobart: I know where they’re going. ::tapping keys, turning:: Helm, sending you coordinates. Lay in a course and engage slipstream. Now.

Campbell: Response

He turned to face Ensign Campbell, to explain.

Hobart: More than a year ago, around when I was assigned to the Arrow, we performed a rescue at a Sheliak mining colony. There were captured civilians, captured Starfleet personnel. Funny-looking installation, we called it the Hexagon. Some of those people were from the Arrow’s original crew, before it was lost in the Aavaro Wilds. ::beat:: Somebody’s out for revenge.

Campbell: Response

TAGS/TBC

———

Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart

Executive Officer

USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)

A240001NH3