Slave Camp

[Dumbass 0]

Our scans had detected a large supply of deuterium, surrounded by some basic structures in need of repair, but no discernible life signs. Clearly there had been a mining operation here at one time which now appeared abandoned. We will not be able to cross H'tiss space on our existing deuterium supply, and this looked as good a place as any to replenish our stock. The Qob dropped out of high warp, assumed standard orbit, and an away team beamed down with myself among them.

 

While searching for a way to extract the mineral and contain it - deuterium is a gas after all - I stumbled upon a humanoid, apparently a native. It didn't take an empath to tell she was frightened. I tried to calm her and noticed a collar around her neck. I surmised that she was a runaway slave. She mentioned something about the H'tiss being in the area. As I pressed her for information, and assured her we were not working with the H'tiss, noise came over my com badge indicating other members of our away team and the H'tiss had engaged each other. We had stumbled across a H'tiss slave mine!

 

I could never understand the logic behind slavery. Ethical issues aside, slaves are expensive to acquire even if it is by force of arms. They must be maintained at at least a subsistence level, including shelter, food, clothing, medical needs, etc.which is also expensive. The alternative is loosing the value of the slaveholder's investment. The administrative costs of protecting that investment are quite high, and is ironically often left to other slaves.. It is better economically, for both employer and employee, to pay the would-be slave a nominal wage and let them maintain themselves in a free market.

 

As we engaged the H'tiss they brought up reinforcements. There were too many to effictively combat so an emergency beamout was ordered. All escaped except Lt. Daryus, our Chief of Security, who was taken prisoner.

 

This is a dangerous situation. It had already been established that the H'tiss have the technology to reach our own galaxy in a matter of months if so motivated. Now that our CSEC has been captured the H'tiss can know the capabilities of the Qob, the Federation, and a working knowledge of both Federation and Klingon technology. I'm sure Lt. Daryus will resist interrogation as long as he is physically able, but if that ability breaks down under torture - such as having his fur rubbed the wrong way - the entire Milky Way could be at risk of invasion.