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  1. Yesterday
  2. StarBase 118 Staff
    STARBASE 118 — Malfunctioning holoemitters have caused widespread trouble for the crew, with the safeties off and wild fantasy games endangering everyone. Minutes after a briefing regarding the lethal chemical Death Fog in the Conference Room, the senior staff were beset by a shimmering figure. A dirty, pirate-like man with a long sword, pointed directly at Fleet Captain Taybrim. They quickly realized it to be a hologram produced by the ship and discovered the safeties were off when the pirate plunged the sword forward. It managed to miss any soft organic beings but left marks on the wall. It didn’t take long to conclude that the entire station had been thrown into chaos, with the holoemitters installed throughout the base were to blame. The crew jumped into action, heading out to shut down the systems and keep everyone safe, which was much easier said than done. Splitting into teams – each taking a different location both in the commercial sector and Starfleet secure sections – no one expected to be tossed into the fantasy programs being played out on a grand scale. The station’s main engines were plagued with Greek Gods and Goddesses, hurling thunderbolts. The promenade played out with all the frills of girl power anime. The lower decks within the commercial sector were set in a gothic theme with angry female vampires. “It was all very confusing!” exclaimed Sadral Diax, a civilian child accompanying her parents. “You thought someone was real and they weren’t! Mom tells me vampires aren’t real, but she’s got me a garlic necklace just in case.” A wave of transfers, from the USS Apollo, arrived at an opportune time. Led by Marine Major Fairhug, the crew was met by turmoil and illusion. Not wasting any time, they delved into the mess. Early reports of diagnosis into the ship systems believe it to be a complicated virus let loose within the computer operations. Now, sure of the problem and with a solution, the growing crew of StarBase 118 set out to rid the station of the troublesome virus and alleviate some of the confusion as best as possible. Written by Rustyy Hael The post Holoemitters on StarBase 118 plunge crew into world of fantasy appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  3. Last week
  4. StarBase 118 Staff
    Insurance for Starfleet ships would be a nightmare. The ships are constantly investigating dangerous anomalies and getting into fights. But that’s not even the most dangerous thing that a Starfleet ship does – there’s a less obvious danger hidden in plain sight on most Starfleet ships: A piece of technology that is so ridiculously prone to failure or malfunction that it is one of the best-known Star Trek cliches. The holodeck. It would seem that every time an episode centers on the holodeck, something has to go wrong with it. This could be as simple as the doors locking and the safety protocols turning off. However, that is only the start of what could go wrong with the holodeck. It could even, with a little outside interference, take on a mind of its own and actively try to hunt you down and kill you. We can only assume that the engineers responsible for the holodeck safety protocols are the same engineers responsible for the tendency of bridge consoles to explode. There are a lot of problems that could be pointed to in the holodeck’s safeguards. This week’s poll asks which holodeck malfunction you think was the worst. Click here to head to the forums and vote. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the thread. The post Poll of the Week: Safety Protocols Disengaged appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  5. StarBase 118 Staff
    Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Nabihah Abu El Sayid, Andy Monroe, Charlena Vanlith, and Karen Stendhal! The post New Academy Graduates appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  6. StarBase 118 Staff
    The Captains Council is pleased to announce that Alexander Williams, First Officer of the USS Atlantis, has been promoted to the rank of Commander! Cheers to Commander Williams, and here’s to many more years of simming with UFOP: SB118! Click here to head to the forums and add your congratulations on this promotion. Williams joined the fleet in June of 2013, and was assigned to the Apollo as the tactical officer. He continued playing in the tactical role, transitioning to the Chief Tactical Officer, on a number of ships including the Aegis, Apollo-A, Constitution-B, Excalibur-A, and Za. He has played the First Officer on the Athena and his current ship, the Atlantis. The writer behind Williams has been highly decorated with the Genesis Award, Russ Bar, Q Award, Laudean Commendation, Neelix Award, as well as the 1-Year, 3-Year, and 5-Year member awards. You can read more about him in this interview: “First Officer in Focus: Alexander Williams, Atlantis“. The promotion to the rank of commander is a joyous occasion in our community – the result of years of writing, mentoring, and learning the ropes. The multi-step process in a promotion to Commander starts with a nomination from two members of the fleet at or above the rank of Commander, followed by an initial vote from the Captains Council to allow the examination process to begin. Then, the member must pass both a written exam, and a practical exam. Finally, another vote by the Captains Council confirms the promotion. Candidates must show that they have great simming skills, strong knowledge of Star Trek, and the foundations of leadership and teaching skills. The post Alexander Williams promoted to commander! appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  7. Earlier
  8. Sophie290999 Sophie290999 changed their profile photo
  9. Lazarus Davis Lazarus Davis changed their profile photo
  10. StarBase 118 Staff
    The staff of UFOP: SB118 would like to congratulate all who saw their hard work and dedication pay off this month. Please be sure to congratulate these members when you see them around the forums and chat room! EAGLE Kayla Drex to Lieutenant Hal Mika to Lieutenant Krindo Pandorn to Lieutenant Commander MONTREAL Lieutenant JG Jacob Harkrow to Lieutenant Ensign Tiria Hamasaki to Lieutenant JG Ensign Stennin to Lieutenant JG STARBASE 118 OPS Reema Poq to Lieutenant JG VERITAS Wil Ukinix to Lieutenant JG The post Promotions for March appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  11. Sakinth
    Sliding a duffel bag from his shoulder, allowing it to drop to the floor at his feet a young man stands looking around the hallway outside the docking port. A hand idly brushing away a lock of brown hair from his eyes he tilts his head and lets out a barely noticeable sigh: "Now where to go next. Sir, a moment, I need to report to...". The officer he tried to catch the attention of keeps walking down the corridor. Once more he tries: "Excuse me, I'm Sakinth. Cadet Sakinth... I need to report for cadet training, but I lack the knowledge of the layout of this particular starbase design." The officer he asked looks at the young Vulcan man, noticing an almost imperceptible hint of... embarrassment? "You'll need to go down there, take the turbolift, go to..." the officer patiently explains where the new cadet should go. As the cadet jogs off to the turbolift the officer waits a second before calling out: "Cadet, your bag.. " and then turning around with a grin and walking on himself. As Sakinth returns for his bag he looks after the officer, picks up the bag and starts to follow the directions again. Half an hour later, after he has reported and stowed his gear in his assigned quarters, Sakinth studies a map of the station and makes his way to the promenade. (( Not my best work.... my grandfather in law will be passing away and I must admit my mind is not fully on it. I also requested a delay in training because of that... ))
  12. StarBase 118 Staff
    The best soundtracks in films are those that match and enhance the ambiance and themes presented on the screen. In this regard, Star Trek composers have had a particularly difficult job: how do you compress wonder, mystery, and beauty into small auditory snippets? Fortunately for us fans, it seems that each movie in the Star Trek franchise has been graced with a phenomenal musical accompaniment! Whether it’s the introspective, grand and powerful themes from The Motion Picture, or the pulsating, action-filled tunes from the nuTrek movies, there’s something for everyone. This week’s poll asks you to name your favorite movie soundtrack. Head to the forums now to register your vote, and let us know what you chose in the comments section below! The post Poll of the Week: Best Movie Soundtrack? appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  13. Sakinth Sakinth changed their profile photo
  14. Keira Callahan

    I should really be sleeping and not watching Star Trek Beyond. But Chris Pine 😍 Is an good enough excuse to be late to work later especially in that uniform!! 😍

  15. andyy_monroe andyy_monroe changed their profile photo
  16. CoryCodeRed CoryCodeRed changed their profile photo
  17. StarBase 118 Staff
    We invite all members of our community to join us in the Discord chat room this coming Sunday, for our regularly scheduled get-together, where we’ll talk about what’s happening around the fleet, learn more about each other, and discuss Star Trek! The chat starts this Sunday, April 14 at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern, 6pm UTC. Click here to see the start time in your zone, and add this event to your calendar. This chat is open to all and casual, so feel free to come and go as you please. See you there! The post Join us for the fleetwide chat this coming Sunday appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  18. Sky Blake Sky Blake changed their profile photo
  19. Sakinth Sakinth joined the community
  20. Ben Garcia
    Great interview
  21. StarBase 118 Staff
    We’re here with another interview with a newer member of our community. The title of this column is “Lower Decks,” hearkening back to the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode titled “Lower Decks,” in which junior officers aboard the Enterprise-D speculate on the reasons for recent unusual actions taken by the command crew near the Cardassian border. This month’s interview is with the writer behind Ensign Beelam Grog playing a Trill female medical officer assigned to the USS Montreal. GALVEN: I appreciate you for accepting my Interview! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself for our readers out there? GROG: Sure thing. I live and go to college in Colorado where I am studying to become a special education teacher. In my free time I do role play for systems like Star Trek adventures, write and watch British history programs. How did you find out about Starbase 118 and what made you ultimately choose our community and stay with us? I find it to be a funny story. I found your group when I was searching google for Information about Starfleet academy. I found the wiki and upon seeing that this group was still active decided to join. I mostly stayed because I liked the people and how they valued the players as real people first. There’s a lot of species to choose from. Why did you choose Trill? I wanted to play a medical officer so the obvious choice was to use a character I had somewhat already created as part of my Deep Space Nine original character Abby’s bridge crew. She was already a Trill, had a name and set up to be a medical officer so being able to create her personality through this role play was a no brainer. Your character plays a nurse. Are you in the medical field and is there a TV show, movie, or book you take inspiration from when writing your character? I am not in the medical field but my future job as a special education teacher deals with kids who have disabilities; I guess you could say it does indirectly. It’s from these types disabilities that I might see in kids whom I will work with that I take inspiration, along with disabled youtubers that I watch. Though I would have to say that my favorite source of information is the BBC historical medical drama Call The Midwife. Such a great show, makes me cry every time I watch a new episode. Now Beelam is a interesting character. She has a form of autism that also goes into effect with her hosts. How are you going to expand that for character development? Thank you. I’m not sure, I never even planned for her to have Autism but being me it just had to happen. You see every character I create, and I have created a lot, have to have a disability, not sure why. If I had to give some insight I would say that I’m going to try and reveal more about her childhood and past hosts, as well as how these affect her and her Autism. I’m going to bring as much awareness to Autism as possible while writing this character. And lastly, do you personally have aspirations in the fleet? Are there any OOC activities you’re associated with, or any you’d like to join? Aspirations, hmm. Not sure, it might be nice for Beelam to make a head nurse position someday but for now I’m mostly going where the wind takes me. As for OOC activities I would love to join the FNS. Outside of SB118 I would love to get more into painting mini figures for role play. Thanks for your time, Ensign Beelam Grog! You can read more about Ensign Beelam Grog on the wiki. The post Lower Decks Interview: Ensign Beelam Grog, USS Montreal appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  22. Toryn Raga
    Thanks! I had a lot of fun envisioning an MSPNPC that was different than the ones we've had before. Glad it was an enjoyable read.
  23. andyy_monroe andyy_monroe joined the community
  24. StarBase 118 Staff
    Every month, the Academy staff works to compile the statistics about our recruiting and training for the fleet’s informational purposes. Let’s take a look at how we did as a fleet in March. This first graph depicts the number of applications that we have received each month this year. After a surge of new applications in February, March was a bit lighter with only seven new applications. This ties January as the lowest number so far this year. The following chart shows how our new members found us, according to their application: This final graph shows how many people graduated from the Academy during the month of March. The fleet saw only four graduates this month, three of whom applied during the month of February. There were four people who applied during the month of March, but who’s training did not conclude until after the start of April. These new recruits are the lifeblood of our community. Without them, it becomes difficult to keep our ships fully crewed and even more difficult to grow the fleet. If you’d like to help us recruit more members and grow our fleet, you can join the Publicity Team using this form. The post Applications and Academy Graduates for March 2019 appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  25. Sophie290999 Sophie290999 joined the community
  26. Lael Rosek
    I loved this post by Solok from our last mission. It showcases his creativity and knowledge when dealing with a challenging situation. It was very well written and really added another layer to the story while also developing our fleet history in a unique way. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did! ((Quarantine Ward-A, Shuttlebay 1, USS Montreal)) ::Solok sat rigidly at the desk that constituted almost all by itself the "command center" in the quarantine ward he had designed. He was looking forward, at the screen on the computer console, but his thoughts were momentarily elsewhere. Or elsewhen.:: ::After he had resigned his commission in the Vulcan Diplomatic Corps, many years ago when he was a much younger man, Solokhad chosen to pursue a career in Starfleet, and specifically, to hone his skills as a physician and xenovirologist in the multi-species environment that only Starfleet could provide. Having received extensive medical and scientific training on Vulcan, at both the Vulcan Science Academy and the Vulcan Medical Institute, he had nevertheless been required to continue his education as a part of his cadet studies. While most of the other medical cadets were conducting their studies in medical schools scattered throughout the quadrant, Solok's case had been a special one. Instead of medical school, which he had already attended, Solok had been assigned as a junior researcher at the Federation Institute for Advanced Immunology in San Francisco, on Earth. The FIAI was one of the most sophisticated facilities for immunological and virological research in the Federation, and after a brief period as an immunology resident and junior researcher, he had been promoted to Director of Research -- in which position he had learned and witnessed a great deal.:: ((Flashback -- Stardate 237702.15)) ((Office of the Director of Research, Federation Institute for Advanced Immunology, San Francisco, Terra)) ::Solok had been interrupted in his work -- the filing of one of numerous reports required of him in his position as Director -- by the sound of the door chime. Ordinarily, he would have instructed whoever it was to return at a more auspicious time, but the sheer number of the reports before him had led Solok to welcome almost any intellectual distraction. So long, of course, as it was relevant to his and the Institute's work.:: Solok: Enter. ::The door slid open, and in stepped one of the least Vulcan colleagues Solok had ever known. The Bolian physician wore a labcoat that, owing to his rather diminutive size, near brushed the floor as he walked. The sleeves of the labcoat were rolled up to expose his aggressively blue hands, and in one of them, the he was carrying a sealed vial of some sort.:: Solok: Doctor Zand. ::The Bolian repressed a chuckle.:: Zand: Doctor Solok. ::A brief silence.:: Solok: What can I do for you, Doctor Zand? ::Zand smiled.:: Zand: Do you know what this is? ::He held the vial up to eye height, which was of course, relative to the short cyan man, not very high.:: ::Solok looked from Zand to the vial, and then back to Zand. His impassive expression did not change.:: Solok: I do not. ::Zand laughed. Out loud. Solok chose not to address the breach of protocol.:: Zand: This ::he shook the vial, gently:: is something even you have never seen before. This is a plague cure. ::Solok paused, as if he did not understand.:: Solok: I am familiar with 398 distinct cures for diseases known popularly or in the scientific literature as "plagues," Doctor Zand. Zand: You're not familiar with this one, Solok. This one is new. ::Solok raised a single eyebrow.:: Solok: I was unaware FIAI resources were being used in pursuit of the cure of an epidemic virus on any station or planet. Zand: They -- we -- are not. This was made in the field, by that Enterprise doctor -- Crusher? -- and the researchers on Cor Caroli V. The specifications for the cure were just transmitted to us, and this is the first dose replicated by anyone but Crusher and the Carolians. Solok: Why have I not been informed before now? Zand: Ah, yes. Well, you will not be officially informed, and I recommend you forget everything I'm telling you now. Starfleet Medical has decided to classify the Cor Caroli virus -- they're calling it the "Phyrox plague" -- as secret. There won't be any record of it, anywhere, if Starfleet has its way. ::Solok was silent a moment.:: Solok: I see. ::He paused.:: It must be an especially dangerous pathogen, for Starfleet to authorize such an unusual classification. Zand: Oh, it is. ::The Bolian's near-constant smile faded.:: The virus attacks the lung tissue of its host, destroying nearly everything in its path. People bleed to death internally. Their lungs fill with blood. Can you imagine if this got into the wrong hands? It's like nature's perfect bioweapon. ::The Vulcan nodded.:: Solok: So why are you telling me, now? ::Zand smiled.:: Zand: I don't know, Solok. I trust no Vulcan could ever logic themselves into becoming a bio-terrorist, for one. And I guess I was just too excited to keep it to myself. A new cure! Doesn't even just the idea of it -- salvation from certain death for a whole planet! -- thrill even your cold, Vulcan heart? Solok: The Vulcan heart is not cold, Doctor Zand. The average Vulcan body temperature is approximately 32.7882 degrees Celsius. Relatively speaking, that is quite warm, indeed. ::Zand nodded, smiling to himself.:: Zand: Yes, of course, Solok. Of course. ((End Flashback)) ((Quarantine Ward-A, Shuttlebay 1, USS Montreal)) ::Solok activated the computer console before him.:: Solok: Computer, display public health history of Cor Caroli V. Stardate range 237501.02 to 237905.20. ::The computer bleeped, indicating it was working. Within a second, a great deal of text was displayed on Solok's screen. He adjusted the scroll rate to four times the Terran standard, the words flying by. But he read it all.:: ::No mention of any plague.:: Solok: Computer, access popular media archives, news services, Cor Caroli V, Stardate range 237701.01 to 237712.31. ::Again, the computer bleeped. And then, again, it displayed a great deal of information on the screen -- although this was not just text, but was text interspersed with images and videos. He worked through the material until, about halfway through, he found what he had been looking for -- despite the fact that he had not known what he would find.:: ::There, on the screen before him, was a news article announcing a medical breakthrough on Cor Caroli V. The image at the head of the story showed a group of Carolian scientists with broad smiles on their faces. They were celebrating their discovery, which apparently meant a great deal to them, since they looked both exhausted and exuberant. They had worked hard to achieve whatever it was they had achieved.:: ::What fascinated Solok, however, was not the group of scientists in the foreground. It was the figure, half out of frame and somewhat blurred, as if she was caught in the attempt to avoid having her image captured, but unmistakably Starfleet, her uniform clearly medical teal, her hair a remarkable shade of orange. He knew her at a glance, despite the fact that they had never met. She was famous, of course, and well on her way to commanding her own Mercy vessel.:: ::Doctor Beverly Crusher. Chief Medical Officer of the USS Enterprise-D. Solok checked, but according to the official logs, the Enterprise had not been anywhere near Cor Caroli V during this period.:: ::Zand had been right. The Enterprise had helped the Carolians with some biomedical discovery that led to public rejoicing. They had cured a plague.:: ::The Phyrox plague.:: Solok: Computer, access the Library of the Starfleet Medical Academy. Computer: Accessing. Solok: Display all information related to pandemic diseases of the twenty-fourth century on Cor Caroli V. ::It was silent a moment.:: Computer: There is no data to display. Solok: Display all data related to the work of Doctor Beverly Crusher on Cor Caroli V. ::Silence.:: Computer: There is no data to display. Solok: Access genetic profile of the pathogen referred to as "the Phyrox plague." ::More silence. Then the old familiar bleep, and the connection to the Starfleet Medical Academy library was lost. Before he could even raise an eyebrow or utter the words "curious" or "fascinating," however, the computer made another sound. The textual display on Solok's monitor made very clear what was happening.:: ::INCOMING COMMUNICATION FROM STARFLEET MEDICAL. URGENT.:: TBC === Lieutenant Commander Solok Medical Officer USS Montreal Writer ID: R237908S10
  27. Chloe Waters Chloe Waters changed their profile photo
  28. James Tate James Tate changed their profile photo
  29. Roshanara Rahman
    I wanted to give a shoutout to @Lael Rosek and @German Galven for a wonderful scene they wrote together. I particularly liked how this scene shows the growth of Rosek's character, who as she notes when talking to Galven, was once in his position of being told that a line had been crossed (you can read *that* scene "Tempestuous Trio" here: Parts One , Two , and Three). It's great to see this kind of character development in our fleet. Furthermore, this scene was constructed through the regular tag system back-and-forth rather than a joint post and is a great demonstration of how substantial and intimate scenes like this can be constructed in the typical tagging system and not just left for JPs. Well-done, both of you! (OOC: The completed scene below is constructed from several sims.) ((Bridge, USS Montreal)) {{Time Index: A half hour after landing}} Rosek: Can we disable them without destroying them, Commander? ::She prayed the answer was yes. She really didn’t want the blood of 200 otherwise innocent people on her hands. She was already barely able to live with the blood that seemed to permanently stain her hands from the lives she’d been forced to take during her career just to survive.:: Tel-ar: I can disable both warp drives on your command. Estimated 3.47 minutes before they reach long range Rosek: ::pauses:: Can we do it without destroying the vessels? Tel-ar: There is always a chance, :: Tal did some quick calculations and simulations on the computer before he finished speaking. :: There is a 38.362% chance that the freighter might suffer more damage than expected and 13.275% chance of the smaller vessel suffering more damage than expected. ::A quiet sigh of relief passed her lips. There was a chance, no matter how small, that despite their best intentions, they’d end up doing more harm than they intended. If she managed to get to the end of this day without having to take a single life, it would be a good day. She had no desire for it to become a habit nor did she want it to become a running theme. She’d signed up to save lives, not take them.:: Ch'Dargon: Those percentages are high, these ships were not designed very well. The freighters in my home system could take much more. :: He bragged a bit unintentionally.:: Tel-ar: A number of the freighters more vulnerable systems such as life support and the impulse engines are in very close proximity to their warp engines. There is only a small margin for error. Hamasaki: We can have the shuttles perform a rescue if necessary, although, with quarantine protocols in effect, it'd just be beaming them to a hospital directly from the freighter or our makeshift sickbay. Dante: We can take that action in no time Commander. Hamasaki: We should have our patrol in range to cover most of the possible launch vectors within 4 minutes. ::beat:: They'll be just too slow to directly engage with the current ships attempting to break the quarantine. ::Lael took only a moment to take in all of the information being presented to her before turning to Tel-ar with a curt nod. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means and was one of the most difficult ones she’d had to make since becoming first officer. With Mei on the surface talking with the Klingon delegation, this choice was on her.:: Rosek: Do everything you can to minimize the damage, Commander, but if it comes to it-- ::turns back to face the viewscreen:: To quote the Vulcans, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. Rosek: Damage to the ships? Hamasaki: I'm reading some damage to their communications and life-support systems. Rosek: ::to Hamasaki:: Get our shuttles out there to recover the ships’ occupants. All of our personnel must maintain quarantine. Advise them they’ll need EVA suits. Hamasaki: Aye. They're already nearing the freighter. Rosek: ::presses her thumb to the button on the armchair:: =/\=Rosek to Skyfire.=/\= Skyfire: =/\=Go ahead, commander. =/\= Rosek: =/\=I know you have your hands full down there, but we have two vessels full of passengers that tried to breach quarantine and they might need medical assistance. Prep a couple of your medics with the necessary supplies to treat the passengers.=/\= Skyfire: =/\=On it. I’ll pull a personnel hat trick and find the people.=/\= Rosek: =/\=Understood. Rosek out.=/\= ::She sat in silence for a long moment, contemplating what had just happened and the call that she’d just made. A grimace twisted her features and she had to remind herself that she was here because Mei trusted her judgement and had faith that she could handle situations like this. She’d never felt the burden of command so heavily as she did in that moment. Her choice could just as easily have resulted in 200 deaths. It wasn’t something she’d chosen lightly, but that didn’t change the risk she’d taken.:: ::Meanwhile, Dr. German Galven had stopped by Sickbay to see how everything was going and overheard some of the conversation between Lael and Chythar over the CMO’s commbadge. He wasn’t too sure that what they had done was the right thing. And of all people, Lael made that decision to stop the ships, but at what cost? He quickly got the bridge and arrived as the conversation between the officers was dwindling down.:: Tel-ar: Thrusters off line… :: short pause. :: last passengers beamed off. It will crash about 5 miles away from the city. Rosek: :: leans back in the chair :: They were the first...but I doubt they’ll be the last. Stay on your toes. Hamasaki: Ma'am, the shuttles are already in orbit and moving to intercept. They'll need to standby for beam out. There's only one left if we need to scramble it for another emergency. Galven: I’m confused. Why are we shooting at ships? ::He was indeed confused and was oblivious to how Lael wasn’t too happy about his sudden appearance on the Bridge. He did, however, notice that everyone was looking at him with curiosity as to why he was there asking that. He then walked around to where Lael was and saw that her eyes were closed, but for a moment.:: ::German’s sudden appearance had her fighting not to jump. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but something about the way he asked it made her tense. Her hands wrapped around the arms of the chair she currently occupied and she had to force herself to be conscious of how tight her grip was so she didn’t damage Mei’s chair. She could easily have left indents from the tips of her fingers, possibly even mangled the arms. Closing her eyes for a long moment, she drew in and then released a steadying breath. She owed him no explanation and didn’t offer one beyond a simple statement of fact.:: Rosek: Vessels containing 200 potentially infected people tried to break quarantine. Galven: My apologies, but isn’t there a better way to handle that kind of situation? ::Lael rose from the chair, turning to face German as she drew herself up to her full height, her bright blue eyes piercing his. Logically, she knew German hadn’t intended to challenge her...only her decision. But the poorly-chosen moment for his frankness had placed her in a difficult position. To maintain her authority with the rest of the crew, she’d need to call him on it.:: ::When Lael rose from her seat, her gaze met his. The way she was looking at him should have caused him to stop talking, but then the Andorian spoke which threw him off and he turned his head to look over at tactical station.:: Tel-ar: They were given a direct order to land and more than enough time to comply with that order, Chief. Galven: We could try communicating with them? If they don’t comply, then trap them in a stasis field? Hamasaki: Projecting a stasis field over kilometers through atmospheric attenuation is .. rather risky. In addition, they knew that under Federation Code 335 § 89.922 once a planetary quarantine is declared, all merchants are to stay in orbit until cleared by planetary authorities. That said… ::Wisely, the young ensign allowed her sentence to trail off without finishing it. The last thing Lael needed was two officers openly questioning her judgement. It set a bad precedent. Regardless of whether she was right or not, protocol demanded that she be awarded the respect of dissenters voicing their thoughts to her privately so they didn’t stir up a mutiny. Though she doubted one incident would lead to that, allowing it to happen again and again very well could.: Rosek: ::without breaking German’s gaze:: Thank you, Ensign Hamasaki. Keep an eye out for any other ships that are looking to break quarantine. ::It was then that German realized he made a mistake in questioning Lael and everyone esle on the bridge when the ensign helmswoman stopped talking and how Lael had never took her eyes off of his gaze. He had seen her like this before, but it was during the time when they were on the decaying planet and they were fighting the pirates. This time, he was on the receiving end of her daggers. He shifted nervously.:: Tel-ar: The city has dispatched a security detail to deal with the exploratory vessel and its occupants. They have informed me that they will keep us informed, in case there are any further problems. Hamasaki: The shuttles are reporting that approximately 50 people need attention from the freighter, and they've got a complaint from the freighter captain, but are returning it to orbit for orbital facilities to handle the rest. They're standing by to beam up medical personnel and begin SAR. Rosek: ::nods:: Noted. ::turns to Tel-ar:: Commander Tel-ar, you have the bridge. Comm me immediately if more ships try to break quarantine. ::to German:: May I see you in the ready room? ::It wasn't a request and she hoped German would pick up on that. As much as she was dreading this conversation, they needed to have it. He had to understand the magnitude of what he’d almost done.:: Tel-ar: As you wish. ::The Denobulan hesitated before he spoke. He knew now he had broken a rule. Now being alone in a room with a woman scorned wasn’t what he had planned on doing, but he complied.:: Galven: Yes, ma’am. ::Without looking to see if he followed, she crossed the bridge in a few long strides, the irritation clear in her posture, her hands tucked behind her back as she entered the ready room for what she was convinced would be one of the most awkward conversations of her career.:: : :He followed her close behind and noticed by the way she was walking that the Al-Leyan wasn’t too happy about what German just said. His posture was a little sunk in as he approached the door, then glanced back at everyone on the bridge, then turned.:: ((Ready Room, USS Montreal)) ::The moment the doors closed behind them, she turned to him, her lips a thin line. Despite her best attempts, she was certain her features couldn’t appropriately convey the hardness she was trying for because this was German. She couldn’t look at him with the severity she knew the situation warranted. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her eyes were giving her away with the softness in them.:: : :Once his inside, German stood still with his posture straightened and his hands clasped together behind him. He knew he was about to be dressed down for his behavior just a few seconds ago by the way Lael’s lips formed a straight line. He looked straight on past her once she began to speak.:: Rosek: Remind me, Lieutenant. What’s the proper protocol to follow if you disagree with a choice your commanding officer has made in a given situation? Galven: Not say anything until a moment presents itself to talk with them privately. Rosek: ::arches an eyebrow:: So you’re aware of the protocol, but you chose to ignore it despite the potential consequences. : :He was aware of it, but at the time he was so bewildered that he forgot about the protocol. He had broken that trust between ranking officials. He was straining himself to glance at her, but wanted to remain as professional as ever for her.:: Galven: ::voice quivering:: I’m sorry, but::beat::I was confused and-- Rosek: ::scowls:: You arrived on the bridge after the fact with no knowledge of the details and decided I’d made the wrong call. ::She was right. He didn't know what to say after she told him that. What German did was incredibly stupid and he knew it.:: ::She took a couple of steps forward, a dangerous glint in her eye as she stopped an arm’s length away from him.:: ::As she stepped closer to him, his gaze met hers and saw how upset she was with him.:: ::If looks could kill.:: Rosek: If you’re going to serve under my command, I need to know that you’ll follow the orders I give you regardless of whether you agree with them. What you did out there demonstrated an astonishing lack of trust in my ability to make decisions that are in the best interests of all parties involved. Galven: ::lips quivering:: Commander, I have never not trusted your ability to lead and I have a feeling that was a difficult decision to make, but at the time I was confused as to what was happening. I was stupid. ::It took everything she had not to drop her mask as she saw how upset he was. His reaction was flaring her temper and she had to get it under control. The way he was acting felt manipulative even if logically she knew that wasn’t his intention. She knew from past experience that German was his own worst critic and was probably more upset with himself than she was with him.:: ::In truth, she wasn’t upset. Just disappointed. She had to force herself to remember a time when she’d stood in front of Rahman feeling the exact same way German did right now. She’d prayed at the time for the deck to open up and swallow her whole, so ashamed of her outburst that she’d seriously had to fight tears. Against her will, her expression softened slightly.:: ::Lael didn’t say anything which made the situation a little more awkward and made German wonder what she was thinking. He wanted to know more about her reasoning behind her motives back on the bridge. Granted, she didn’t have to tell him, but the Denobulan’s curiosity got the better of him.:: Galven: Permission to speak freely, Commander? Rosek: ::murmurs:: Go ahead, Lieutenant. Galven: We are going to have enough on our hands treating to sick, but now there's going to injured people on board. How will they trust us knowing we were the ones that hurt them? ::She had to clench her fists to keep her temper in check at the reminder of the similar statement he’d made on the bridge moments before. He was right. She should have at least tried to give the ships a warning. Everything had happened so quickly and her primary focus had been on ensuring whatever illness those people were potentially infected with didn’t leave the planet.:: ::She’d shut off her emotions and, clearly with them, her empathy. She was thankful it hadn’t ended in disaster. It was a burden she’d carry for a long time...until she could forgive herself. If she ever did.:: ::The way the Al-Leyan responded by clenching her fists made German move back a little. He wanted to brace himself for a storm.:: Rosek: Be that as it may, Lieutenant...the bridge is not the proper forum to express your concerns when you come strolling in after the fact having not been present for what led up to the course of action. ::She didn’t exactly answer the question, but German reminded himself that it wasn’t his place to question her. He didn’t want another incident like the both of them had down in the mines during the Havley’s Hope mission.:: Galven: I understand that. I'm incredibly sorry for breaking your trust and that's the God's honest truth. I'll accept any punishment you have for me. ::pauses:: And I hope you can forgive me. Rosek: ::rolls her eyes:: Enough with the groveling. ::huffs:: If you truly believe what you’re saying, stand by it. ::The statement had come out more than a tad harsher than she’d intended it to, but it irritated her to no end when people asked forgiveness even if they’d made a mistake. To her, it had always been a sign of weakness...though she knew that wasn’t true of everyone. She rarely, if ever, apologized when receiving criticism or advice from her superiors. She simply acknowledged that it had been given to her and confirmed her understanding with a simple “yes, sir” or “yes, ma’am”.:: ::It was how she’d survived the Academy with them constantly drilling down on the cadets those first few months to make the weak ones quit. But she’d been damned and determined not to be one of the ones who was weeded out.:: Galven: ::straightens his posture:: Yes, ma’am. Rosek: ::meets his gaze:: I once stood where you are, Lieutenant. I made a mistake and questioned my direct superior, Luna Walker, in front of the entire senior staff AND the Antor II governor. When Captain Rahman called me and Commander Walker into her ready room, I silently prayed that a gaping hole would form in the deck and that I’d fall through. But I stood my ground. The only apology I offered was where and in front of whom I had made the remarks. I didn’t ask for forgiveness because I knew my commitment to never make that mistake again was enough. ::She was trying to give him advice...to toughen him up for the climb up the ladder. Apologies didn’t fix the mistake, action did. No matter how sincere his apology, if he couldn’t back it up with action, it wouldn’t matter. It was something she’d learned the hard way at the Academy and in certain situations out here. :: ::He felt somewhat better that she had been in his shoes before, but he knew not to do it ever again. The situation was more of a one time experience. And he fully was capable of putting it locked away in his memory bank. If Captain Rahman was there, she’d be very disappointed in him. Also the Caitian commander. Which made him wonder how they were doing and if there was any progress.:: Galven: I’m not going to make the mistake again as well. Rosek: ::expression softens slightly:: Have you ever heard of Anne Frank, Lieutenant? : :Thinking back to his Academy days, he had never heard of the woman’s name. He tried to remember if there was any mention of her in his history classes.:: Galven: ::shakes his head:: The name doesn’t ring a bell, no. ::She didn’t figure he would have. The young woman’s story was an inspiration to Terrans even today. She’d first read The Diary of Anne Frank in high school. English had been her least favorite subject, but something about the story had touched her heart and had stayed with her ever since.:: Rosek: ::gaze drops from his for a moment before returning to it:: She was a young Jewish girl who became a victim of a fascist group who believed that Aryans were the master race and anyone who didn’t fit that mold was rounded up and slaughtered. Galven: That’s horrible… Rosek: She died at 16. But before she did, she said this: “What is done cannot be undone, but at least one can keep it from happening again.” ::lays a hand on his shoulder and squeezes:: We all make mistakes, Lieutenant. What makes us stronger is doing everything in our power not to repeat those mistakes. : :That was lesson to be learned and also keep very well in his mind. Lael was giving him his confidence back by telling him about the girl and her situation. The disgusting depravity of people and how they were ignorant of other races. Historical mistakes of people surely needed to be remembered and not have it repeated. He shook his head and frowned at such a life for a teenager. Most likely scared and wondering what was to be next. Then dying in the hands of the disgusting level of what a group would do to gain power.:: Galven: Lesson learned, ma’am. You can count on me to do better. ::She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the chirp of her commbadge. She’d been so wrapped up in the situation with German that she’d almost forgotten she was expecting an update on the set-up of the quarantine zone. She tapped her commbadge, Solok’s voice coming through.:: Solok: =/\= Solok to Doctor Skyfire and Commander Rosek. =/\= Skyfire: =/\= Skyfire here, doctor. =/\= Rosek: ::murmurs:: I should get back to the bridge and you're needed down below. Galven: Yes ma’am. ::turns to the door, then glances back at Lael:: Thank you. ::Lael opened her mouth to speak, but as the doors closed she was hit with the most disorienting sensation followed by a flash of an image so brief that she couldn’t make it out. She gasped, gripping the edge of Mei’s desk to remain standing. Her footing was still shaky at best as she rose to her full height, straightening her uniform.:: Rosek: =/\=Rosek here. Go ahead, Doctors.=/\= --- Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek Executive Officer USS Montreal I238110RH0 & Lieutenant German Galven Chief Science Officer USS Montreal V239507GG0
  30. StarBase 118 Staff
    The most important aspect of the overall story of Voyager was the distance of their journey back home to the Alpha Quadrant. Shortening the distance that the ship had to travel, or even returning to Earth immediately was a frequent plot device in Voyager episodes. It seems like at least once a season there is the potential of some shortcut getting the crew back home only to not work out or only take them part of the way. On one occasion this desire to find an alternate way home got the ship stuck in a trap they thought was a wormhole. It’s understandable that there were occasional episodes centered around this idea. Sometimes it was a good idea to shave time off of the trip like in the episode “Night,” where the ship had to get clear of an empty void of space thousands of light years across or in the finale “Endgame.” However, it will appear in a story from time to time where it isn’t related to the primary plot. Sometimes the plot device of a shortcut to Earth was just used to raise the stakes of an episode and was never mentioned again. This week, we want to know which Voyager shortcut you felt was the least necessary for the episode. Head to the forums now to register your vote in the poll. Then us more in the thread below! The post Poll of the Week: Shortcut of the Week appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  31. StarBase 118 Staff
    Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Ambrosia Haley and Keira Callahan! The post New Academy Graduates appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  32. Ferier Ferier changed their profile photo
  33. StarBase 118 Staff
    It’s been a great month for the UFOP: Starbase 118 fleet, as sim rates throughout have increased almost across the board for a total post count of 1,980. The average per ship sim count is 198, a definite uptick from February. This month, the USS Gorkon left everyone in the dust, with a record 378 sims written, the most since the ship was launched. The Montreal is the closest competitor, with a very respectable 303 sims. Following the pack leaders, Ops clocked 209 sims for the month of March, and the USS Veritas came in with 208. Check out some of the highlights of this past month’s simming through our Appreciations forum, where you and your fellow members can nominate sims, great quotes, and other memorable moments for the rest of the fleet to enjoy! The post March 2019 Post Counts appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  34. StarBase 118 Staff
    Join us for another in a series of interviews with winners of Duty Post awards from our recent 2018 Awards Ceremony. Our goal is to give you insight into how our fleet’s best simmers write, and imagine their characters. This month we’re interviewing the writer behind Lieutenant Arturo Maxwell, better known as ‘Max,’ who is playing a Human tactical officer assigned to StarBase 118 Ops. He won the Sisko Tactical Cross: “Awarded to those tactical officers who have shown cunning and bravery in battle. Master strategists, and experts in targeting and shield power distribution, these officers have done the impossible to save their ship and the lives of its crew. “ TAYBRIM: Tell us a little about the writer behind the character — where in the world do you hail from? Maxwell: Hey, well, I’m Iain and I live in Warrington, Cheshire in the UK. What made you choose to create a tactical officer? Did anything in particular draw you to this duty post? Oddly my first choice was a Marine character, but I went into Tactical as it was something I was unfamiliar with writing. I guess that was the main drive behind it really, as I was so used to “military fiction”. What sort of real life knowledge or experiences do you draw from when writing Maxwell? Max is essentially me, but in space. He’s a bit – a lot – of a dork, and tends to respond to stress by making a joke or lightening the mood. But then there are also little bits of some of my friends ins his character as well. Mostly me, though! Your character had a journey last year where he was demoted in character while as a player you worked with his character development. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Aah, yes. The pirate attack on the station. Max was injured and his crew was repeatedly goaded by a – then unknown – traitor in their midst. After hints of the truth came out Max interrogated that character and ended up physically assaulting the man. Captain Theo Whittaker – who was a Commander and first officer at the time – was forced to have Max placed under arrest for the assault. It was totally on the fly and I think it caught the rest of Ops a little off-guard, but Theo quickly grabbed the ball and ran with it. It’s been quite the sub-plot and Max is still feeling the repercussions of it in character. But a flawed character makes for better reading I feel! What is your favorite moment from your time playing Maxwell? Now that’s a really tough question. There have been so many so far, from the fallout of Max’s above-mentioned assault, to embarrassed mornings-after as well as dealing with his match-making mother and catty sister. Not to mention an Indiana Jones-esque minecart ride! (And it’s exactly how it sounds)… I’ve have a lot of fun with Max. Thanks for your time, Lieutenant Maxwell! You can read more about Arturo Maxwell on the wiki. The post Duty Post Award winner – Arturo Maxwell, StarBase 118 Ops (Sisko Tactical Cross) appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  35. StarBase 118 Staff
    Last month we let you know that we finished our 2019 donations drive with more money than we needed! (We’re banking that lil bit extra in case we come in short in a future year, or for if we need emergency funds if we need it for the website.) This month, we started the 2020 donation drive strong with $165 in donations from Jo Marshall, Samira Neathler, Ferier Kian, and Joan Basilone – as well as a few anonymous donors. Many many thanks to all these folks their generosity in helping us to get started for the next year, and ensuring that our community continues to fully fund all of its resources. You can join these donors in donating securely via our website. It only takes a few moments, and we never see any of your credit card information. It costs over $1,450 a year to keep our website, wiki, and forums. All of that is funded entirely by our members. We appreciate everyone who pitches it to help in this way! The post Our 2020 fundraising campaign begins with $165 in donations! appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  36. Ben Garcia
    This bit of description sealed the scene for me Thanks for sharing! Great writing.
  37. Jo Marshall
    Crazy feels in this for an officer trying to deal with the fallout from a secondment to the KDF. Amazing writing as always from @Sera zh' Aella and @Quinn Reynolds. --- ((Spa - Cochtois Lagoon)) :: Wearing a dark blue shirt and smart black pants, Sera strode purposely through the spa lobby. The attire wasn't weather appropriate, the heat and sunshine would normally have made her uncomfortable in such a dark outfit but right now she wasn't concerned with comfort. She wasn't quite marching like a cadet on the parade ground, but if anyone had paid attention to her they would have seen many similar features. The stern-faced determination and the measured posture with her shoulders back and head held high. Only now she was using the drilled movements as façade to hide her inner emotional turmoil, a crutch to lean on as she tried to perform an act which her heart rebelled against but that her brain knew was absolutely necessary. :: :: Sera's career hadn't exactly been the stuff of legends but she did have a few achievements that she was incredibly proud of. Leading an away team on the Romulan Republic colony of Sikuna and the resulting action on the bridge of the IRW D'delnor was probably her finest achievement. But there were other less dramatic things which she held close to her heart, most importantly she still considered it an honoured to wear the uniform each day. It was an honour she doubted that she deserved, so perhaps it was fitting that she was having this meeting in civilian wear. Maybe the absence of her uniform would make the unpalatable task a little easier.:: :: When Sera approached the Admiral's table she felt a lump in her throat and the urge to turn and run. For a moment she paused in her tracks and considered indulging the thought, but only for the briefest of moments. squashing those feelings deep down inside her, she continued up to the table with renewed determination. When the flag officer noticed her, Sera came to attention despite officially being on shore leave and civilian clothing. Formality would be the only way to get through this.:: zh'Aella: Admiral Reynolds, Sir. Reynolds: Hello Lieutenant. Would you like to take a seat? ::Sera remained standing but took the offer as permission to relax her stance. In contrast to her sombre clothing, the Admiral was wearing a light, draped shirt and capri pants, sandals on her feet. Wherever her combadge was, it had been stowed safely out of sight.:: zh'Aella: Thank you for agreeing to see me, Sir. I won't take up much of your time. Reynolds: It's fine. ::She offered a quick smile.:: What can I do for you? :: From her pants pocket Sera withdrew a PADD and her combadge. She gazed at the iconic symbol for several seconds before putting it and the padd down on the table. She found herself wringing her hands again and placed them both behind her back.:: zh'Aella: Admiral Reynolds, I'm officially offering my resignation. :: It wasn't too often that someone caught the Admiral off-guard, but Sera had achieved it. Her eyebrows shot up, lips parting wordlessly before she caught herself and sat up in her chair.:: Reynolds: I beg your pardon? ::The look on the admiral's face made it harder and Sera felt herself waver slightly.:: zh'Aella: Yes sir, the uniform is too important to me to be disgraced my actions or worse, my potential actions. Reynolds: You're going to have to explain. ::Sera shuffled uneasily, had the Admiral not heard about the incident in the ‘Cargo’ hold? Hadn't the civilian mental health nurse advised her of his preliminary diagnosis?:: zh'Aella: Sir, there probably a report waiting in your queue. I started having… relieving memories when we were receiving our medical assessments on the Yarahla. ::Her hands were back in front of her, trembling at the memory.:: I was so confused that I threw an Orion Security officer to the ground under the belief that I was still serving with the Klingons. Reynolds: Yes, I saw it happen. ::She paused.:: What triggered it? :: Sera’s antennae shuddered in embarrassment at the thought of her Commanding Officer watching her break with reality but she forced herself to continue, an explanation was owed for the outburst.:: zh'Aella: The Gre'Thor found a detention area on an Orion pirate base. It was ugly… I tried to kill the pirate leader and was restrained by two enlisted crewmembers. ::She knew that the admission would be the end of her career, but that was precisely why she'd sought out this meeting. She wasn’t going to stain the end of her career further by lying to someone she respected. But to Sera’s surprise, the Admiral kept her response guarded.:: Reynolds: I see. ::With that unexpected response, Sera felt compelled to continue as she stood under the gaze of her CO.:: zh'Aella: I've been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I don't want another incident to tarnish the Gorkon and I don't want my friends to get hurt because of my failure. Reynolds: Nothing's tarnished, Lieutenant. You've been hurt. It's a wound, not a failing. ::Was the Admiral serious about that? Sera didn't think the flag officer would sugarcoat anything to spare a junior officer's feelings but her words were difficult to accept. By any means of measurement, Sera considered her actions contemptible.:: zh'Aella: Maybe, Sir. But wouldn't the Gorkon be better off with someone else as the Chief of Security? Someone you could trust? ::The warm breeze picked up for a few moments, and it carried with it the scent of barbeque and sweet fruits. Reynolds absently smoothed down the strands of hair that it caught, and in one smooth movement it became a gesture toward the other chair at her table.:: Reynolds: Are you sure you won't sit down? ::She offered the Andorian a small smile.:: If nothing else, you're doing to give me a crick in my neck. ::Sera relented and sat in the chair opposite her commanding officer. Once seated, Quinn gestured for her to continue.:: zh'Aella: I'm afraid that I'll have another episode and do something which cant be undone with an apology. Reynolds: You've been diagnosed, Sera. Have you started any treatment yet? Counselling, medications..? ::Her face heated at the questions and her antennae shuddered as she realised that she wouldn't be able to give a satisfactory answer.:: zh'Aella: I have a treatment plan which includes medication and therapy. The medication I got on the Yarahla helped alittle. But… :: She stuttered for a moment.:: But, I haven't started therapy yet. Reynolds: ::Gently,:: Are you planning to? :: Pride clashed with the knowledge that she needed to seek help, the conflicting feelings causing her head to spin.:: zh'Aella: I was in the process of booking a session, but I'm not sure how talking about my feelings will help. Resigning seemed like the better option. ::Reynolds didn't answer immediately, and Sera's antennae dropped flat to her head.:: Maybe I choose the easier way out. ::Marching up an Admiral and offering her resignation sure didn't feel easy at the time. But perhaps it was easier than discussing, and attempting to manage, her mental state with people she had to see daily.:: Reynolds: There's nothing easy about any of it. ::She paused, considering her response.:: Take it from someone who's stridently private, and spent half her career fleeing in the opposite direction whenever she saw the ship's counsellor... it helps. It's not just talking. It's learning about yourself, understanding yourself and what you've been through. It's about figuring out the techniques that will help you. :: Sera let out a deep breath and placed her trembling hands on the table. She cupped them in an effort to keep them from trembling, and immediately her right heel began bouncing off the floor causing her leg to shake. It was almost enough to send her into a nervous giggling fit, but only almost.:: zh'Aella: I looked at the symptoms of this... of my, disorder when I got back to my quarters. I haven't experienced many of them yet, but I might in the future. Relieving the flashbacks was bad enough but other symptoms might strike when I'm not expecting them. I don't want to resign, but I honestly don't know if I can do my job while dealing with this. Reynolds: We have a while before the conference ends and we're back on duty. Take that time to think about it. You have to do what's best for you, and if that really *is* resigning your commission, then that's what it is. ::She paused, woodland eyes intent on Sera.:: But give yourself a little time, and take a little help. If the counsellor clears you for duty, that's good enough for me. Talk with her and start your healing, before making any final decisions. :: She sat there with her leg vibrating under the table and hands clenched together so fiercely that Sera's mind began to have thoughts of hanging onto a ladder as she was flipped her head over heels. Fortunately the memories were not so vivid that she forgot where she was, but the increased level of anxiety was undeniable. It felt like people at the other tables were watching her, judging her. Sera closed her eyes, recognising the negative feeling and began breathing slowly and deeply. After a minute she felt slightly calmer.:: zh'Aella: Yes sir. I'll start working on it, on healing and get back to you. :: She collected the PADD and combadge from the table.:: I'll hang on to those for a little while longer. I'm sorry for laying this on you, Admiral. Reynolds: I'm glad that you did. ::She offered a small, kind smile.:: You're not alone in this, Sera. zh'Aella: Thank you sir. Reynolds: Alright. ::She paused, about to say something else, and then changed her mind.:: Try and enjoy your shore leave, in the meantime. And if you *do* need anything, just ask. End -- Lieutenant Sera zh'Aella Chief of Security and Tactical USS Gorkon V239107TZ0 & Rear Admiral Quinn Reynolds Commanding Officer USS Gorkon T238401QR0
  38. StarBase 118 Staff
    Captain Kerk got up from his seat and headed out to the bridge. Kerk looked at the viewscreen where the ship was in orbit around planet Sigma Iotis. Kerk smiled, looking at the lush Class M landscape below. Kerk was hoping that it would be the perfect spot for shore leave. “Let’s prepare an away team!” Kerk said. The paragraph above shows a common issue that all writers struggle with, and that’s stagnancy in sentence structure. Many writers worry that their writing will boil down to a narrative of “My character said this, my character did that. My character went there and then my character did this other thing.” One of the reasons that this issue is a common struggle is because it is a fully functional way of writing, especially when you are focused on only one character’s point of view like we commonly do in our simming. Because this is such a useful and functional form both for actions and dialogues, we can’t just get rid of it. No one wants to read paragraph after paragraph of needlessly complicated prose when the same thing could be said by writing “Captain Kerk was the first one to beam down.” So how can we keep the majority of writing straightforward while not feeling like every sentence is just a laundry list of things a character did, felt or said? Think about what is around the character. What is the setting they are in? Who is around them and what are they doing? Adding in some description not only helps add variety to your writing, but it helps create a clearer picture of the whole scene for your readers. In the above example you might focus on the setting of the planet Kerk has just arrived on: “Sunlight spilled through thick palm fronds on a white sand beach making Captain Kerk glad that he was the first person to beam down and experience this.” Focus on reasons why characters do actions, not just the actions. In the example above, if you put a reason why Kerk would be the first to beam down you might write “It was the job of a commanding officer to take lead, that’s why Captain Kerk always beamed down first.” This still describes the action, but gives us a little more insight into Kerk’s mindset. Picture the character in action and describe that action. This technique helps bring the scene action to life in a very descriptive way. Again, with the above example this might look like “Running ahead with a bouncing excited step, the rest of the senior staff held back to let Captain Kerk beam down first.” This is particularly good for scenes where characters are engaged in combat or a similar sort of dramatic action. Bring a ‘tight focus’ into the character and describe how they physically feel in a way that relates to the action or setting. Examples of this are feeling heat rise in the character’s cheeks from embarrassment or describing difficulty breathing from a alien poison. This puts the character front and center under a microscope, letting the audience know their inner workings before describing their actions. Working with the above example, you might get: “His heart was beating faster and faster, brimming with excitement – it had been too long since their last shore leave and Captain Kerk was absolutely itching to beam down first” Don’t sweat it. After all is said and done, straightforward statements are fast easy ways to cover ‘down time’ or explain simple things that don’t really matter to the meat of the story. Beaming down to a planet might be a big deal for a character – or it might be something totally boring for that character and writing “Kerk beamed down first.” is an easy way to move into action that Kerk and his writer are really invested in. Hopefully this will help you consider new ways to describe scenes and actions, while also reminding everyone that sometimes just writing things out in a straightforward way to move the plot forward is the best way to go. The post Witty Wordsmith: He said, she said appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
  39. Brell
    MSPNPC Arbitrator Parven Try'vel - Welcoming committee of one ((Beta Quadrant, Par'tha Expanse, Illara Prime, Diplomatic Landing Pad Delta)) :: Parven had received word that the Federation shuttle had been detected by the system patrol ships and was descending towards the city-planet with the haste one would expect from a group posting such serious claims against one of the more well known and respected businesses within the Expanse. That they had arrived several hours early had been unexpected however and had been of a slight inconvenience as he had been enjoying quite the relaxing time in the fashion district when word came of their imminent arrival an hour or so later and Parven just had to have enough time to make himself look presentable. :: :: Ever prompt Parven had arrived on the landing pad several minutes prior to the El Dorado's descent into the atmosphere and the Caraadian stared up at it as the sleek vessel alighted on the pad with ease, its landing struts absorbing the weight of the shuttle itself as it settled on the pad. Parven casually strode around to the rear of the shuttle, the aft he believed it was referred to as the rear ramp lowered into place. A moment later the crew within emerged and Parven was delighted to see a familiar face, even though he knew she was among the delegation. Seeing Lyldra the Caraadian smiled the over extravagant smile one used to pomp and circumstance preferred. With her he noted another, somewhat portly Bolian in Starfleet uniform of crimson highlights. From his knowledge, the male matched description of the renowned commander of the Federation's lone starship in the Expanse. Behind the Bolians Parven noted a pair of Terrans, one in gold and one in teal. Though he wasn't overly certain of the significance of their colors. The arbitrator did notice the sidearms both the male Bolian and the female in gold carried openly on their hips. Such was the right of dignitaries and he found it amusing in a way. None here would question the weapons, though many might find it entertaining to see such meager weapons being displayed as if marks of honor. :: :: As for the Caraadian himself, to say he was flashy was more than an understatement. He wasn't overly tall, standing somewhere between five and six feet in height was the least remarkable thing about him. Shoulder length blonde hair rested about his shoulders, billowing in the breeze from the winds roiling about on the landing pad. At least, there was enough blonde noticeable that one could tell that was possibly his natural hair color. At first blush it might not be so easy a thing to peg as vibrant streaks of silver, teal, and bright blue seemed dyed into the man's hair like a resplendent rainbow of eye-catching hues. Still, that was only one of the notable things about the male. His garb, if one could describe it in words looked like a tailor had taken the scraps of a half dozen different discarded outfits, or the scraps that had not gone into the final product and stitched them together in a rather odd, but well manufactured canvas of at least three different fabrics. Some of the suit he wore was at strange angles and might have gotten in the way had they not been made of soft material. The suit had as many colors as his hair, purple, deep green and orange highlights. The emblem of Arbitrator was sewn into the left breast of his clothing. And then there were the frills. So many frills. He looked like a walking pillowcase. And even it had a stylistic edge to insignia itself. Every hand had a ring, some gem encrusted, some not but all of them excessively ostentatious. Yet as he stepped up to greet Lyldra when she exited the craft his eyes would be the last thing of note. The unnatural heterochromatic tint of his eyes, contacts of course though they were hard to spot. The right eye a pupil-less silver, while the left was a vivid forest green. Parven outstretched his arms to his sides and in the air slightly in an overly dramatic flourish as he greeted them all. :: Try'vel: ::His voice a soft baritone:: Ah! Lyldra! It's such a delight to finally get to meet you! ::He gestured to them all with his hands beckoning them all to come closer:: Welcome to Illara Prime! Lyldra: Good to meet you in person. ::Looking to the others.:: This is Try’Vel is the arbiter who will be hearing our argument against the Consortium. :: Parven saw the looks he received from the gather Starfleet officers and let out a raucous roil of laughter then clasped his hands together so all of the rings clinked together and were quite visible. :: Brell: Ah, Nice to meet you sir. I look forward to your judgment in this matter. Try'vel: Oh, my dear Captain it's a pleasure! I had no idea the person speaking at this arbitration would be the Ambassador's own husband. I must say, the Federation knows how to keep their people well fed! ::He laughed and waved a hand dismissively:: Parven Try'vel, House Lanaxa. Well, formerly. ::He cackled and expressively waved his hands about in an exaggerated manner:: Hyden: :smiled: Pleasure to meet you. Anyone: Response Try'vel: Oh, the pleasure is all mine. ::He said with a bit of a lascivious curl to his lips as he scooted closer to Hyden:: I dare say I haven't seen such a lovely woman so well armed since we had a Klingon contingent through here a few years back. ::He clasped his hands together and eyed Hyden's uniform:: I say, it's not very flattering. I know a wonderful tailor that could put some wonderful touches to your uniforms. They're so drab..and....functional. Lyldra: response Try'vel: Oh yes. My apologies, ambassador! You'll forgive me I could talk about fashion all day! ::He made a giggling sound and gestured with a flourish that had his hair and the trails of his suit billowing about behind him:: Please, follow me and I'll see you someplace confortable to await the hearing. :: The Caraadian lead the Federation group from the landing pad through the nearby structure that, like many all over the planet towered in the sky. Several hundred floors at least and in this particular case all housing various diplomatic personnel and facilities. One such locale, a rather luxurious lounge that had a view overlooking a central square of sorts. The communal square was still several thousand feet in the air, but below the view offered by the windows and had the faint, ant-like shadows of people milling about among the shops and establishments on offer. Across the way was a view of the landing pad where the El Dorado was parked and several other spectacular views. Parven stopped centrally in the room and spun about as if he were on a fashion runway, palms open and gesturing around the well furnished room. Several couches, chairs, tables and even a bar with a wide assortment of libations sat at the back. A communication console sat on the wall opposite the floor to ceiling windows. :: Try'vel: Your accommodations! Splendid isn't it? I mean, I'm sure it must be horribly drab and cramped on those starships of yours yes? ::He said in genuine ignorance:: Well, the proceedings are to take place within the hour. I've already contacted the Consortium's representative and notified him of your arrival. As soon as the Phoenix arrives and it's commander lands we can begin. Anyone: response ========================================================= MSPNPC Parven Try'vel of House Lanaxa (Formerly) Freeworlds Council - Arbitrator as simmed by Lieutenant Commander Toryn Raga Mission Specialist USS Atlantis NCC-74682 PodCast Team Atlantis Staff Member Writer ID: A239410TR0 https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Toryn_Raga @Toryn Raga This was one of the most humorous introductions of MSPNPC ever!
  40. StarBase 118 Staff
    Whether you’re throwing rice at the bride and groom or beating them over the head with Ma’Stakas, weddings are generally happy occasions, and symbolize a sacred union between two people. From the first (aborted) marriage of Robert Tomlinson and Angela Martine aboard the Enterprise NCC-1701, to the long-awaited conjugation of Deanna Troi and William Riker, Star Trek has a long tradition of showing such ceremonies on the screen. Each has taken a different tone, different visual style and, of course, different participants. This poll asks you which of the many marriage ceremonies shown on screen was your favorite. Did you enjoy the Japanese-styled ceremony of Miles O’Brien and Keiko Ishikawa? Or were the somber, aggressive overtones of Worf and Jadzia Dax’s wedding more to your taste? Perhaps the less than romantic civil union imposed upon Quark by the widow Grilka struck the right tone. Click here to vote now on the forums and explain your choice in the thread below the poll! The post Poll of the Week: Best Wedding? appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article
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