Things We May Find (Columbia)

• Location: Avronis V
• Stardates: 239107.17-239109.10
• Mission Summary: Ordered to investigate the origin of a mysterious Romulan shuttle, the Columbia is ordered to Avronis V. In orbit, the crew contacts a civilian garbage scow spotted in the system, calling itself the Last Chance, as well as the local Romulan Administrator residing on a small moon base. The crew of the Last Chance manage to convince Cmdr. Livingston to allow their First Officer to join the away team to the surface of Avronis V to investigate some ruins which appear to be emitting an energy signature similar to the gateway encountered on Iconia. They take a modified shuttle to the surface and begin scanning the area. The bridge crew detect a communications signal sent from within the caves that simply says, "Gateway open." Meanwhile the away team verifies that the shuttle originated there, but before they can explore the ruins within the caves, a mysterious alien being approaches the landing party, and a voice, assumed to be of Tal Shiar origin, warn them to leave within 5 minutes or be killed. They stall as best they can, gather more scans, and then are fired upon without warning. The team attempts to return to their shuttle, but are pinned down by enemy fire. The unidentified lifeform advances toward the Romulan guest and two Starfleet Officers, and the Columbia responds from orbit by vaporizing the being. Another shuttle is dispatched to provide covering fire from above. The away team is thus able to return to their shuttle and then the ship, but not before one of the Security members on the second shuttle is killed by Tal Shiar weapons fire. The Romulan Administrator sends for a nearby D'deridex class warbird to destroy the Last Chance, but Cmdr. Livingston is able to persuade him to cancel the order by convincing the Captain of the Last Chance to provide a list of her employers so that the Administrator can begin effectively clamping down on the dilithium waste dumping that had until then been freely occuring on Avronis V. After treating the Last Chance's FO for severe wounds received on the surface, he is returned to his ship and the Columbia returns to Federation space.