Editing Personal Logs (section)

== Looking for Love==
[[File:Axtis III.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Axtis III]]

Once released on leave, [[Ben Soma]] and [[Sanok]], head for [[Axtis III]], where they begin their search for [[Marah Neru]], a woman that Soma loves. Neru disappeared five years ago from the Soma family home shortly after Ben had rescued her from unsavory types on the very same world.

Following a series of clues, and hampered by the passage of time (brought about by the unexpected five year jump into the future), Sanok and Soma have returned to the planet to locate Marah and free her from her captors.  In doing so, they discover that there is an ancient rite of challenge that will allow them redress and all but force Marah's captor, A [[Nausicaan]] named [[Turok]], a relative of [[Kavol]].

During their investigation they were told by a [[Klingon]] named [[Klagth]] of a traditional trial of redress known as [[Ch'mok]].  The Ch'mok is requested before the council of the planet and consisted of three trials or challenges. Ben Soma, accompanied by Sanok, began the Ch'mok by hunting a [[Dagger Beast]].

In the second round of the [[Ch'mok]] it was the [[Nausicaan]] [[Turok]] that took the prize, as his physiology was better suited to the consumption of the liver paste. [[Ben Soma]] became violently ill, but after the victor was declared, [[Sanok]] provided Ben with a pill that he had purchased from a local physician. This pill, which was unnamed, immediately settled Ben's stomach and allowed him to quickly recover from the discomfort and nausea that the trial had caused him.

[[File:Marah Neru.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Marah Neru on Axtis III]]
Turok's victory, however in the second trial meant that the third stage of the [[Ch'mok]] the trial by combat, now had to be waged. The winner of that trial, would be considered the legal victor, and a poor outcome could mean that Ben lost all hope of rescuing [[Marah Neru]]. For Turok, such an outcome was not desired, as he wished to deny Soma possession of the woman, if only to break spite him for  his part in the death of his Brother.

What Soma and Sanok were not aware of at this point was that Turok had already sold Marah to a slave trader named Turrel Mousette. The continuation of this ruse to make that Turok still had Marah was nothing more than a desire for the [[Nausicaan]] to gain some sort of vengeance against [[Ben Soma]] for his perceived role in his Brother's murder six years prior.

The final stage of the [[Ch'mok]] was called and the collected members of the Axtis City community gathered to watch the trial. From the beginning, Soma found himself out-massed and out brutalized. despite his best efforts, Turok proved to be a formidable opponent, and Soma was defeated  after a brutal event. 

With the majority of the trials of the Ch'mok completed to Turok's favor, Soma was give twenty-four hours to leave the planet without the benefit of the knowledge of Marah's whereabouts.

Injured and defeated, Soma returned to his cabin to consider his options and to partially recover from some of his injuries.

Meanwhile, however, [[Sanok]] could not abide by the situation and proceeded to follow and observe Turok and the [[Andorian]] Shren.  As the two were drinking heavily as a result of their celebration, Sanok had only to remain patient long enough for the Nausicaan to pass out before making his move.

Sanok, confronted Shren and through the use of applied force and coercion, managed to acquire the location of Marah Neru. This location turned out to be the [[planet]] [[Aldavye]], a slave trading colony located in [[Orion Syndicate]] space.

Realizing that they had no ship, Sanok spoke with Ben and the two of them then went to [[Klagth]], whom they had befriended earlier. With his help, they took a [[Klingon]] [[Bird-of-Prey|B'rel Class Bird of Prey]] to Aldavye, where it was discovered that Marah was owned by Turrel Mousette.
[[File:Aldavye.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Aldavye]]
As Klagth had once been in the employment of Mousette, he had intimate knowledge of that man's habits. After some discussion, ben and Sanok decided to approach the slaver with a legitimate offer to purchase Marah, and they offered a reasonable, if not generous price for her.

BUt before the deal could be completed, Mousette discovered that Klagth had returned, and the two apparently not being on good terms, this caused some difficulties in the negotiations.

Eventually, strong-arm tactics had to be used to rescue Marah, and in the ensuing conflict Klagth was injured. It is believed that he sacrificed himself to aid Soma and Sanok, although the Klingon's fate is uncertain at present.

The two officers managed to return to Starbase geneva with Marah in tow, where she joined Ben aboard the USS Rosenante.