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"Two days we'll never forget as long as we live ..." - W.C. Eastwood, Commanding Officer

On December 26th 2380, the USS Discovery entered the Tychor system on routine planetary survey. Just coming down from Christmas celebrations, and a successful First Contact with the Minimixies, morale was at an all time high. The fourth planet in the system, designated Tychor IV was found to be M class, and sustaining life. Closer scans revealed a planet covered in large bodies of water and tropical rainforests, but with no animal life. However, the signs of an ancient civilization were detected.

Because the planet was not deemed to be a security risk, Captain Eastwood opted to lead the survey team to the planet, and give his XO valuable command time. He selected Lieutenant Commander Ashla Bogan, Lieutenant SG William Frost, Lieutenant JG Marcus Mikkel, Ensign S'svaan, Petty Officer 1 Stephanie Hurd, Petty Officer 2 Tobias St.Clair, and Crewman Jett Ashton to come with him.

Upon initially landing, the away team discovered the planet as was predicted, hot, and very humid with lots of rain. Hardly five minutes after landing however, the Discovery contacted them and informed them that a large ion storm had flared up out of nowhere, and that they could not bring them back to the ship in time. Instead supplies were beamed down, and the Discovery left the area to wait out the storm and return for the away team.

Regardless of the storm brewing up, spirits were high on the away team. Most of them saw the twist of fate as a lucky one, allowing them several days to relax on a tropical planet without the worries of shipboard life. Captain Eastwood decided to continue with the survey mission, and investigation of the ancient ruins nearby. A scouting team led by Lieutenant Frost revealed that the surface level entrance to the large temple was blocked.

Quickly a scientific survey party led by Lieutenant Commander Bogan was able to find another way inside, via a back door in a subterranean cave. The away team opted to enter the temple and begin exploration. Along the way through the cave, they found the ravaged skulls of thousands of humanoids, a dire warning to those who understood it.

While the away team conducted their initial survey, the Discovery under Commander Sadena's command came upon a derelict vessel floating at the edge of the system. An away team aboard discovered a blood curdling message. Death and destruction lurked on the planet they had left the away team on, and there was no way to get there in time to recover them.

As soon as the team entered the temple, the door sealed behind them, trapping them inside. Thankfully the away team had the majority of their field equipment with them. Unfortunately the ionization from the storm hampered their tricorders detection capabilities, and limited their phasers to a heavy stun.

It was during this initial exploration that things took a turn for the worst. While studying strange runes engraved in the wall, Petty Officer St.Clair was attacked and savagely killed by a large and ferocious beast that appeared from the darkness. It did not take them long to decipher the warnings all around them. They were in the lair of the Gothaga, a monster worshipped by the people that lived in the city as a God of Death. They had failed to stop the monster when it escaped, and left behind a warning to all those to come later.

The away team was in a state of shock, and woefully unarmed. Regrouping, they began making their way towards the top of the five story temple, in the hopes of finding an escape route. Unfortunately, when they reached the top, they found no way out, and lost Crewman Ashton along the way. The morale of the away team was at an all time low, and they struggled to keep hope in the face of certain death. After a sleepless night, the away team continued looking for salvation.

During their search of the temple's top floor, the description of an ancient weapon used to kill the Gothaga was found. Placing all their hopes on perhaps their one and only chance, the away team used the last of their field replicators power to manufacture a dagger matching the description and pictures they had found. It was down to their very survival, and it was decided by the Captain they would attack the Gothaga. By now emotions and stress were running rampant. Captain Eastwood was feeling incredibly guilty and inadequate for loosing his crewmen, and Lieutenant Frost was feeling strangely connected to the Gothaga hunting them.

Immediately they launched their counterattack. It was then the found out the replicated dagger was useless, and lost Petty Officer Hurd. In a frenzied last attack, Ensign S'svaan stumbled onto the real dagger, and savagely killed the Gothaga that had slain his crewmates. 

The ion stormed cleared up almost immediately upon the Gothaga's death, and the away team was recovered by a landing party of Starfleet Marines. The bodies of the slain were also brought home, and the Discovery left Tychor IV. The lives of those who were members of the ill-fated away team would never be the same.

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