LCDR Nolen Hobart — Just a Sketch
Nolen Hobart
((Stellar Cartography, Science Lab, Deck 16, USS Khitomer, en route to Lagoon Nebula))
Ohnari: =/\= Chief Medical Officer to all crew, please report to Sickbay prior to our arrival to the Lagoon nebula. Due to time constraints, we will also have a mobile vaccination station in Main Engineering, and on the bridge. ::pausing:: And yes, I do mean everyone. Ohnari out. =/\=
As the intimately familiar voice abruptly broke their conversation in two, Nolen's eyes wandered up towards the holographic projection. The flickering white light—representing Sencha emissions—beckoned to and mocked him.
Hobart: If it was another sanctioned, off-the-grid mission like ours, Starfleet wouldn't have sent us to go look. But an unsanctioned one…?
Ayemet: But surely whoever sent this second mission, if that’s what it is, would realise the readings would be picked up and the nearest ship would be sent to investigate?
Nolen’s eyebrows shifted as he weighed the probabilities against each other. She didn't know about the manipulated orders, and that factored in as something of a wildcard for him. The kind of person who might recklessly and remotely hijack a starship with falsified orders might be the same kind of person who wouldn't give a second thought to the risks of discovery.
Hobart: That's one way to look at it. They might not have planned to be seen.
There was, of course, the opposite way to interpret just such recklessness.
Ayemet: Unless that’s what they wanted.
Hobart: And if that's the case, we're being lured into a trap. ::Grimace:: At least our eyes are open to it.
This time.
Ayemet: They wanted specifically the Khitomer, or someone onboard it.
Now that wasn't strictly speaking supported by the evidence. Whoever it was might have no idea that Khitomer would be the ship sent. Unless they knew about the upgrades. Which of course they did. They manipulated the ship into position before, there's no reason to believe that they weren't doing it again.
Hobart: Too much of a coincidence otherwise.
Ayemet: Response
Nolen's eyes stared at the Quadrant map taking all of it in. They hadn't identified who could be behind all of this, so much as develop a sort of profile on what kind of party could be behind it. And that was perhaps more valuable.
Hobart: This is good stuff, Lieutenant. Well done. We need to write this up and get it to the Captain as soon as possible.
Ayemet: Response
He nodded and began to transfer the computer's data to her PADD. They'd present it in person, but this was the sort of thing Shayne would want to stew in. And they still had a few hours left for him to do so.
Hobart: Let's start with ruling out organizations, and then shift to describe the observed actions and strategies of our presumed manipulators. Like we did here. Walk him through our process.
Ayemet: Response
TBC
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Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart
Executive Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
A240001NH3