Captain's Log Stardate 18759.5: Away Mission to Cobar 4

What started out as a routine away mission, quickly turned irregular. As decided in our last bridge meeting, we have established a version of radio silence with Starfleet. Thus this log and other following logs will not be transmitted to Starfleet but will be recorded and stored aboard the ship and transmitted when we return to federation space. This is to ensure the safety of our crew as we move through the beta quadrant. Subsequently, we also established the need for a map of the Romulan Empire. We know of two possible factions that we could be dealing with on this side of the Romulan Empire: the Kremda Syndicate (an enemy of the Romulans as of when my mother left the Romulan Empire) and the T'uvar (a tense political truce with the Romulan empire). There is also undoubtably Ferangi out this way. We decided to scan for a class M, warp capable planet, preferably with open trade, to send an away team to in order to get a star map of the area and hopefully Romulan space. We also decided in order to comply with the prime directive we would take a shuttle to the planet and the Electra would remain outside of orbit of the planet.
 
At the beginning of this stardate we found such a planet, we now know the planet to be called Cobar 4. Crewman Hollins was assigned to be the pilot for our mission by recommendation of Ensign Lee. The first away mission to this planet was a low risk reconnaissance mission to gather information on the inhabitants so we could disguise ourselves as we attempted to get a map. Being a low risk mission I assigned the Cadet to this away mission. I also assigned myself and Ensign Fox as we seem to be the only two people on the ship who Cadet Solace favors (see phycological file of Cadet Solace for more information). When we arrived on the planet we were able to get a sense of the local's clothes, which covered most of their body and see species that were remarkably humanoid. We were unable to get further information though, so we replicated clothes similar to the ones we could see that hid our distinctive markings and walked towards the civilization.
 
Upon arriving the civilization we saw a myriad of species both humanoid and non-humanoid. Cadet Solace found a small fraction of the currency used in the system, a small silver bar of metal, but without more knowledge we could not tell its value. We asked around about where we could purchase star charts which informed us of two things. We were in Kremda Syndicate space and we needed to look for someone named Tamin. We went to a cantina and found Tamin. He was a local outlaw who was willing to trade in either money or favors for a map of the Romulan empire. We decided it would be a good idea to get a sense of the money system to see if Tamin's request of 500 currency units was obtainable. To do so we decided to sell two serves: water (which proved to be a fast selling commodity on the desert planet) and medical service (which the civilization also needed). Through these we came to the quick realization that 500 currency units was no obtainable. However, our selling of water did two things. We brought the shuttle into a local dock to have access the replicator water and we attracted the attention of the Kremda Syndicate who promptly over powered Hollins while she was alone with the shuttle and stole the shuttle. Our routine mission had now become a rescue mission.
 
We made our way over to the palace where the Kremda Syndicate ran their business through and devised a plan. The plan was as follows: Fox would pose as a slave owner to myself and Cadet Solace. She would then offer us up as tribute to the local syndicate lord under the prospect of doing business in their town. They would whisk me and Cadet Solace away somewhere inside the palace where we could then search for Crewman Hollins and the shuttle and escape.
 
How the plan went:
As a newly obtained Romulan slave I was sent to clean the cage of crab-dog creatures. I was able to clean the cage with little trouble despite then finding out that even the trainer of the crab-dogs was terrified of them. I was then given very vague directions to find Olga. I took the opportunity when I wasn't guarded to search the palace. I went down the steps and quickly found the shuttle bay with our shuttle. They seemed to be trying to figure out the controls to our shuttle without success so far. I then snuck past a guard and found Crewman Hollins. She was still alive but showed clear signs of being tortured. I was working on the control panel to try and get her out when the alarms started to blare. I then took cover behind the door. When the guard walked in to check on Hollins I then fought the guard, knocking them out. I found their codes to release Hollins and input them into the control panel. Hollins, injured beyond being able to walk then changed into the guards clothing. We made the plan that we would get her medical attention under the rouse of being a guard who was injured when one of the crab-dogs got out and I was the slave helping her. It was then we heard the ruckus of Cadet Solace entering the guarded shuttle bay, tailed by three other guards. As I gathered afterwards, she had stabbed a guard with a knife she stole from the kitchen, then ran covered in blood into a room we believed was an armory, but instead was a guard station. She began to fight the guards she was already covered in blood and stabbed another. I then, acting as Crewman Hollins crutch, went to the opposite end of the shuttle bay to open the door. I failed, triggering another alarm that alerted the guards we were there as well. We altered our plan to say we were trying to lock down the shuttle bay in order to help the guards, which they believed. They then tried to give crewman Hollin's medical assistance while I locked three of the guards in a room.
 
I then returned to Hollins, Cadet Solace had made her way into the shuttle craft. They tried to send me away from Cadet Hollins, so I attempted the Vulcan nerve pinch the guard, they saw the attack and dodged. I was then locked in combat with the guard. Hollins tried to help me, revealing that she was on my team and the guard stabbed her in the stomach. I then stabbed the guard, with the electric spear Hollins had handed me (turned off), but I did not know its strength and the guard fell dead to the ground. Crewman Hollins was unconscious, I tried to drag her to the shuttle, but then the lead bounty hunter, Demda, that worked for the syndicate arrive. I hid Hollins and myself behind the landing gears of the master's space fighter. He had taken Crewman Hollins phaser and was now firing it at us, hitting me. He threatened to tortured all of us as he had tortured Hollins before killing us. I felt anger and determination not to let that happen to my crew members. Then Cadet Solace came out from the shuttle craft and used one of the spears to launch a plasma blast at Demda. I followed suit and together we shot down Demda, taking back the federation phaser. Then, the three other guards that I had locked in a room burst in carrying a rocket launcher. They proceeded to fire at Cadet Solace, missing and knocking her unconscious. I then shot down the three guards.... there was no stun setting on the weapon.... I loaded Cadet Solace and Crewman Hollins onto the shuttle. I was able to give Crewman Hollins a hypospray that allowed her to regain consciousness. I told her to engage the homing autopilot and get her and Cadet Solace back to the ship. I went back for Fox, who had undoubtably suffered when the alarms went off.
 
I took the phaser from Demda's body and went upstairs to release the crab-dogs hoping to cause panic that Fox and I could get out during. I found that Fox had been locked in the cage with the crab-dogs and was fighting them while guarded by four guards. I started stunning the four guards using the phaser. I took out two of the guards. Ensign Fox, was able to beat the crab-dogs, knocking one into the door and breaking the latch. She took out the remaining two guards and we ran to the shuttle bay and into the space fighter. We were able to turn it on as more guards began to close the shuttle bay door. That is when we got control of the weapons and reluctantly fired at the guards. Again... there was no stun setting.... We managed to get out of there but we were followed by two fighters. Who both got shots in on us before we could go to warp and escape.
 
We then returned to the rondevu coordinated of the ship, landed in the shuttle bay and went to medical where Cadet Solace and Crewman Hollins were already being treated. Once we were in better condition we began to talk and realized the potential for there to be a star map on the ship we had taken. Thankfully, there was. So now we have a map of part of the Romulan Empire, that way we can get around their territory without starting a war.
 
I am glad that all the crew is back and alive, but I had to kill for that and it will haunt me for the rest of my life.