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Welcome to Day One of the annual Awards Ceremony! We’re very excited to present the General Awards today. Each captain has presented the General (Ship) Awards to their crew. The fleet’s commanding officers choose the winners, (or where the commanding officer was also nominated, we called the first officer in to decide) from the nominations made by you! This is your chance to see how each of the other ships did and see who picked up what award. The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class (TOSMA) The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement First Class is given to members who show great dedication in their behavior and simming abilities. A candidate for TOSMA regularly contributes good, solid ideas to the plot and character development. They also take the time to edit and proofread their sims to ensure quality in their writing. Maz Rodan, USS Arrow Elizabeth Snow, USS Chin'toka Sirn, USS Constitution-B Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Kiran Han, USS Juneau Genkos Adea, USS Resolution Ashley Yael, StarBase 118 Ops Wes Greaves, USS Thor The Genesis Award The Most Improved Simmer Award. For officers who show conspicuous effort in improving their simming skills. Hayley Caden, USS Arrow Noa Levinson, USS Chin'toka Lystra, USS Constitution-B Tahna Meru, USS Gorkon Rel Cassi, USS Juneau Hallia Yellir, USS Resolution Talas Beck, StarBase 118 Ops Anton Richards, USS Thor Roshanara Rahman, USS Veritas Scotty Cross Given to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in-character plot twist. Maria Alvarez, USS Arrow Nugra, USS Constitution-B Jona ch'Ranni, USS Gorkon Vitor Silveira, USS Juneau Etan Iljor, USS Resolution Prudence Blackwell, StarBase 118 Ops Sirok, USS Thor Ikaia Wong, USS Veritas Neelix Award For extra, out-of-character simming devotion. This includes, but isn't limited to, helping fellow officers who are in need of simming aid, visibility on the forums, OOC list presence, upkeep of wiki pages, etc. Maria Alvarez, USS Arrow Jacob Horne, USS Constitution-B Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Aine Sherlock, USS Resolution Sal Taybrim, StarBase 118 Ops Alieth, USS Thor Hannibal Parker, USS Veritas Nebula Bar Awarded to a simmer who has shown great imagination when creating or expanding upon planets, stars, stellar phenomena, and other physical environments and settings, such that these settings create a convincing, descriptive, realistic environment that inspires other simmers or enhances the flow of a given plot. Chloe Waters, USS Arrow Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Sirok, USS Thor Laudean Commendation Awarded for achievements in exploration with new lifeforms. The recipient will have shown great creativity in many facets of species creation or expansion, including physiological, psychological, cultural, social, and more, and their creativity will inspire their fellow simmers. The Laudean Commendation can cover many aspects of species development, but should primarily be based in IC simming. R’Ariel, USS Arrow Toryn Raga, USS Chin'toka Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Piravao sh'Qynallahr, USS Gorkon Meidra Sirin, USS Resolution Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Zhanyt Lafizatar, USS Veritas Silver Palm Awarded to a simmer who has consistently boosted the morale of his/her crew. The recipient will be known to be able to add that spark to a plot whenever it may be lagging, or may be able to consistently bring enjoyment or a bit of humour to the sim, whilst keeping such sims relevant and realistic. R'Ariel, USS Arrow Lystra, USS Constitution-B Loxley, USS Gorkon Yogan Yalu, USS Resolution Sheila Bailey, StarBase 118 Ops Dar Elandra, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Sheathed Sword Presented to those to decide to inflict mental and/or physical trauma on their character, and then dive into the resulting emotions and choices in a realistic manner. The name comes from a line in a Robert Jordan book where a warrior must be prepared to 'sheath the sword' in his own body, i.e. take a grievous wound to achieve one's goal (in this case, more realistic simming) as opposed to an actual goal of the character. Quentin Collins, USS Arrow Lephi, USS Chin'toka Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Meidra Sirin, USS Resolution Peri Katsim & Wes Greaves, USS Thor B-Plot Award For those simmers who manage to show a good portion of the character's life despite the demands of the main plot. Cassandra Mason, USS Arrow Lephi, USS Chin'toka Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon R'Kala, USS Juneau Yogan Yalu, USS Resolution Tatash, StarBase 118 Ops Alieth, USS Thor Kelrod, USS Veritas The Russ Bar The Russ bar is awarded to a writer whose knowledge of Trek lore is extraordinary. Named for Tim Russ, the actor who played Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager, who was already a dedicated Star Trek fan before securing the role on the show. Artinus Serinus, USS Arrow Sirn, USS Constitution-B Piravao sh'Qynallahr, USS Gorkon Peri Katsim, USS Thor Pathfinder Award Given to those who have shown great care in the mentoring of fellow members. Jona ch'Ranni, USS Gorkon Kiran Han, USS Juneau Addison MacKenzie, USS Resolution Alora DeVeau, StarBase 118 Ops Wes Greaves, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. Charlotte DeBarres, USS Arrow Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Yogan Yalu, USS Resolution Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Sky Blake, USS Veritas Q Award Awarded for continually surprising their crew with unexpected, devious plot twists throughout the year. Lase Ander, USS Arrow Jona ch'Ranni, USS Gorkon Genkos Adea, USS Resolution O'Brien Award Named for one of Trek's most stalwart and dedicated supporting officers, we give this award to members who hold the rank of Lieutenant or Lt. Commander and support the ship's command staff by mentoring crew, facilitating missions, maintaining the wiki and other tasks essential to the smooth running of our sims. These officers form the backbone of their ships and stations, helping to make simming fun for everyone aboard. Lael Rosek, USS Chin'toka Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Samira Neather, USS Gorkon Genkos Adea, USS Resolution Alexander Brodie, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Maz Rodan, USS Arrow T'Lea, USS Juneau Arturo Maxwell, StarBase 118 Ops Vega Award Named for one of the Federation's earliest colonies, we give this award to those who bring the worlds of their crews to life with art, videos, and all kinds of artistic endeavours. Serala, USS Chin'toka Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B Ayiana Sevo, USS Gorkon Karise Indobri, USS Juneau Aine Sherlock, USS Resolution Isaiah Andrews, StarBase 118 Ops Alieth, USS Thor Ikaia Wong, USS Veritas Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Alieth showing all her Vulcan Drama this year

Welcome to Day Three of the Annual Awards Ceremony 2021! The Staff awards are only for those members who have achieved the rank of Commander or higher. Just like last year, we asked the first officers of the fleet to vote on the nominations for each staff award, providing recommendations to the EC about who should receive each award. We’re so happy to have this valuable feedback and guidance for our staff awards! These awards recognise the hard work of our community members who go above and beyond to ensure that everyone has a glorious experience here. There's so much behind-the-scenes work required to keep the engine of our community running, and these folks are a central part of that. Elinor of Kanist Order of Excellence Named for one of UFOP: StarBase 118's most significant founding members. This award recognises those who have served the fleet as a staff member for at least 5 years, attained the rank of Rear Admiral or higher, previously been awarded the Picard Award and Staff Member of the Year Award, and continue to serve the fleet to the betterment of all members. This is the highest staff honour, celebrating longevity, dedication to the fleet, and the perseverance for wearing the Admiral's belt. Tristan Wolf, USS Administration Presented by Roshanara Rahman: My first direct interaction with Jordan aka Fleet Admiral Wolf was ten years ago when he left a message on my wiki talk page after I made a bold edit to the Starfleet Marines rank overview page, redirecting it to an existing comparison chart of Starfleet to Marine ranks. Jordan reverted my edit, explaining that the page was part of a larger series of pages for the Academy Library, but he encouraged me to add the table to the original page if I thought it made the information more easily digestible. In many ways, this first interaction is a perfect example of how our collaborative process in the decade since has developed. Like many members of StarBase 118, I was at first intimidated by engaging directly with “The Fleet Admiral” and the founder of our group. But I quickly saw firsthand that while Jordan may have been (rightfully) cautious at times of making hasty changes and decisions without considering the long-lasting effects, he was always open to hearing my ideas and those of other members, from veteran admirals to the newest ensigns. The Federation News Service, the Veterans Affairs team, and many other initiatives came to fruition because Jordan was not just open to new ideas and ways of doing things but enthusiastically so, and his support helped see those ideas followed through. It is this tireless and continual drive of his for innovation that I believe has truly set StarBase 118 apart from other simming/roleplaying groups. Jordan has built a culture from the top of our organisation in which we are open to change and regular self-reflection. As the landscape of Star Trek simming and online roleplaying games has changed over the past 27 years, Jordan has ensured that our fleet evolves with it. In addition to his own ideas and proposals (such as the simplification of our simming formatting and a fresh approach to the recruitment team), Jordan continues the often taken-for-granted role of maintaining our fleet’s “infrastructure.” The website, the forums, the wiki, and more all require never-ending care and attention as web development tools constantly update and change, causing new incompatibilities and technical challenges. Jordan has joked about being the fleet custodian because of this work, but perhaps to make a Star Trek comparison, his closest analogue is Boothby, the legendary groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy who served as a mentor to future renowned captains such as Picard and Janeway. Jordan similarly has supported many other venerated captains in our own fleet at various stages of their development as players and gone on to work with them closely as fellow 118 staff members in our shared goal of maintaining and growing our beloved fleet. Congratulations, Fleet Admiral Wolf! Your modesty in all you do is heartwarming, but know that all of us agree that the work you do has earned you well-deserved recognition with the Elinor of Kanist Order of Excellence. Honor of the Admiralty The highest award that can be conferred upon a UFOP: Starbase 118 staff member under the rank of Rear Admiral. This award recognises those who have served as staff members for a minimum of five years in a multitude of disciplines. From facilitating our task forces, engaging with the Captain's Council, and leading with the utmost dedication, these writers volunteer their time, effort, and skill to building our game and community and have comprehensively earned the respect and loyalty of members. Aron Kells, USS Thor Presented by Sal Taybrim: Funny enough, last year’s presentation for this award started with a quote that said, "He is quite literally the reason that I am still a member of this community." And again, this year, nothing could be more true of Tony, aka Commodore Aron Kells. Truly, he is the reason that I am still playing this game. When I was a junior player, then Fleet Captain Kells was Cadet Steward, the point of communication for new and incoming players in the fleet. He was supportive of new players and junior officers in a positive way I had never seen before. When I reached out to him to moderate a situation on a ship he had never been on — and I was a player he had never met before — his response was timely, fair and supportive. His communication turned an unpleasant situation into one where trust was built across ships and carried on over years, and later he was my command mentor as an up and coming orphaned captain. Year after year he has proven himself a supportive friend and mentor to so many members of the StarBase 118 fleet of every rank. Tony is a longtime steady member of the Executive Council, and in his illustrious career, he has served as Captain’s Council magistrate, facilitator of the writing challenges, promotions coordinator and was the driving force behind the Federation News Service’s Presidential Election campaign in 2392. Commodore Kells also directly fostered and promoted some of the greatest commanding officers in the StarBase 118 fleet and has served his crews tirelessly as a determined, brilliant commanding officer himself. His current crew echoes these sentiments, recognising him as humble, affable and engaging. He is incredibly supportive of new members, gentle but firm in matters of discipline and unbelievably patient. He has the remarkable ability to admit when he is wrong and see the point of view of other people - rare jewels in this world - and he cultivates some of the best writers in the fleet on every ship he commands. They also might have said something about dragging him to Risa, we’ll just say that’s off the record and I’ll send you his Horga'hn in the mail. And let’s talk about those ships he commands for a moment! Tony is renowned for bringing creative, unique and decidedly weird-looking ships into the StarBase 118 Fleet. From the Chariot class deep space explorer the USS Za to the Cardiff class diplomatic courier the USS Invicta, Tony’s legacy isn’t just with ships that look weird, but evocative ships with a specific story goal that helps the Star Trek world come alive. His vivid storytelling ability and steadfast crew support bring everyone from the newest players to the longest veteran along for an incredible ride. There is no one more patient, enduring or devoted and I am so happy to present this award to Commodore Kells! Staff Member of the Year Award For staff members who have contributed tirelessly to the organisation through many OOC channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Tristan Wolf: Okay, wow, I'm about to blow your mind: We have given this award every year for 10 years and Marshall (Em) is the 11th recipient, but the FIRST COMMANDER ON RECORD. Everyone before her was of captain rank or higher (some admirals!), so she's in experienced company and is clearly setting a new bar (lower? higher? Hard to tell with this metaphor). I had the pleasure of presenting another award to Em last year, as well: Quark's Bar, where I praised her efforts to make the Discord server feel like home for our members who frequent it daily. But that was all practice compared to this year. As one nominator asked, "FNS, POTW, Image Collective, the Academy, First Officer of the Gorkon, images for the Gorkon's Quote of the Month, a heavy presence on Discord and the forums, what DOESN'T Em do?" Another said, "Even if you’ve never spoken to Em, you’d know her presence. She has a hand in virtually every part of this fleet." Indeed. Every time I work with Em it's a pleasure. Like last year's award ceremony, which she also facilitated, where I proposed we formalise the tasks required to conduct this ceremony and she took up the charge without a second thought. And that's really the way she is: Game for anything, good-natured about everything. A razor wit coupled with easy charm just makes it fun to work with her, even as it seems like she's accomplishing impossible tasks on a daily basis. Oh, and since she can only win this award once, I just want to thank her in advance for the huge project she's been working on for months, which will be unveiled in the coming weeks. I think everyone will be amazed by it, and she definitely deserves this award on the basis of all that work alone, even if we won't pull back the cover on it until after the ceremony. So you can read the award description above, and it's easy to see how Em fits perfectly into this. Which is probably why she received so many nominations. "Contributes tirelessly ... while maintaining excellence in simming" defines Em. Congratulations to her for earning this award. It's the absolute least we, as a community, can do to show our gratitude for everything that Em has contributed. The James T. Kirk Cross Given to new a Commanding Officer who shows outstanding potential in command. Randal Shayne, USS Arrow Presented by Quinn Reynolds: It's been a real privilege to watch Randal Shayne develop as a commanding officer over the past year; from his tentative first steps as a commander to the more self-assured captain he is today. Becoming a CO can be a humbling experience, struck with just how much there is still to learn and how many skills there are to develop, and it's a challenge he has met with aplomb. He's worked hard to develop himself as a leader, taking feedback and seeking advice on difficult situations, earnest in his desire to do right by his crew and the fleet. And it shows! His crew enthuse about the friendly, creative and collaborative environment he has created aboard the Arrow; listening to their ideas about story and character, ensuring everyone can shine and contribute to their plots. His investments in mentoring, organisation and mission-building have seen his ship go from strength to strength, his crew dedicated and active. Under his guidance, the Arrow has become more than just a place people write; it's a community, warm and welcoming, coming together to create a haven of fun in a trying year. So it's with great delight and much pleasure that I present Captain Randal Shayne with this year's James T. Kirk Cross. Congratulations, and well very done! Chief’s Citation Recognising the essential staff members whose determined work has benefitted the group In Character, and/or Out Of Character, even while their primary service was not as the Commanding Officer of a simming installation. Inspired by the non-commissioned and enlisted personnel who are the backbone of any starship but were rarely recognised in Star Trek lore in favour of the officers. Sky Blake, USS Veritas Presented by Quinn Reynolds: It's a great pleasure to present this award to someone who has been a member of our fleet for many years now and has spent the past twelve months undertaking some of the least glamorous, but most helpful tasks in the fleet. As Captains Council Magistrate, she organises votes and keeps staff discussions on track and points them toward finding a resolution—not always the easiest of tasks! For two years running, she's been the driving force behind the State of the Federation Address, helping our community and staff to reflect on the year and decide how to move forward even better than before. In her role as Wiki Operations Facilitator, she hosts regular "Help Desk" hours and sets challenges for her team to improve the wiki for the benefit of all. She's also been steadfast in her role as Fleet Taskforce Coordinator, coordinating with COs and Taskforce leaders regularly, making sure membership rosters are up-to-date and keeping our taskforce leaders focused on their goals for the year. As a CO, a taskforce leader and a member of the CC, I've deeply appreciated everything she's done and will do, and I'm delighted to be the one who gets to present this award. Commander Sky Blake, thank you for all the time and dedication you've poured into the fleet, and congratulations on being the winner of this year's Chief's Citation! The Sarek Star Given to a commanding officer who shows great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Presented by Tristan Wolf: Here's some serendipity for you: I presented this award for the first time in 1996 to Elinor of Kanist. And at last year's ceremony, Emma was the inaugural recipient of the Elinor of Kanist Order of Excellence! And now, this year, I get to present Emma with an award she, perplexingly, hasn't received yet. Full circle. The Sarek Star is an award with a broad mission: Recognise the staff members who show great diplomatic ability with others in the community. For those folks beginning their journey here, this might seem like a bit of an odd one. Diplomatic ability? What exactly does that mean, and why do we need it? But for those folks in the staff ranks, the importance of this award is immediately apparent. Running a community that's as structured as ours is an incredible feat. The stakes aren't as high as being a member of the United Nations, but often the intricacy of our work seems the same. With competing priorities, limited resources (particularly time and energy), and incredible goals, finding the way to not only rally but also befriend people is paramount. Without the skill of diplomacy, it's incredibly hard to make this community work. Emma never fails to impress, generally, but as a "diplomat," she's adept. As always, she brings a seemingly unparalleled knowledge of the workings of the fleet to every discussion, often aware of nuanced interchanges between ships and members that help inform and contextualise our decisions. She deftly charges ahead but also concedes when necessary – always without a hint of ego. Whereas I am constantly reminding myself to temper my frustration, she is a steady voice of reason, never "raising her voice," although I'd never blame her if she did! I'd be remiss, though, if I didn't look to the nominations submitted for her, which clearly came from her crew and speak to a different facet of Emma's diplomatic skill that I see less of: leading the Gorkon. The nominations spoke of how much care and effort Emma puts into working with members of her crew, guiding them in each interaction with expertise – providing options on how to proceed and crafting sims that help her crew members navigate complex OOC situations. A key point I deeply identify with is how Emma seems to handle all this with a well of power, seemingly unexhausted or even invigorated by the opportunity to engage with community members. Oh gosh, even without intending to, I almost wrote, "A compassionate Vulcan is impossible to find but in Emma, we have one," without even remembering that the name of this award is the Sarek Star! Yes, of course, Emma embodies Sarek. We are so lucky to have her here, and I'm deeply appreciative of everything she brings to our community. Christopher Pike Pendant Awarded to commanding officers who command their ship with honour and dedication, and help to provide a creative atmosphere that fosters outstanding simming. Mei’konda, USS Chin’toka Presented by Aron Kells: I had the distinct pleasure of first getting to know Aaron, the writer for Mei’konda, back when he returned to the fleet eight years ago, in 2013. I wasn’t able to guide him through promotion to commander and into his captaincy that time around — that honour fell to Rich (Rahman) — but I’m very pleased that I could see Aaron blossom again as CO of the Chin’toka. He inherited the launch of that ship, along with the crew of the Atlantis, under some very unusual circumstances (the sudden retirement of the Atlantis’s CO), and while those circumstances might have produced an impossible situation for another CO, Aaron has thrived as the Chin’toka’s CO. One of his nominators notes that Aaron “did a remarkable job at setting the crew at ease and building a rapport with them that has resulted in the crew being at ease with him,” and through that rapport, he not only won the loyalty of his fellow simmers but established himself as an accomplished CO at the same time. Some words and phrases used to describe Aaron this year in his nominations for the Pike Pendant include “amazing sensitivity,” “grace and style,” and “standout dedication and honour” — high praise indeed! — and that he encourages “creative and insightful sims from his crew” while also “fostering an imaginative campaign scenario.” I’m incredibly proud to see the strength of character and conviction that Aaron brings to his captaincy, and I’m honoured to recognise him this year with the Christopher Pike Pendant. Congratulations, Aaron! Please join us in congratulating these members of the staff!

Dekas out here lookin fancy and being the entire rainbow that he is.

LtCmdr T'Lea. Thought bubble: "I have strategically positioned myself close to the restroom."

Valued members of the StarBase 118 Community, We are sad to report that we've discovered what appears to be intentional tampering with our 2021 Awards nominations. We'd like to help you understand what we found, how it affected the outcome, and how we will ensure it doesn't happen again. BACKGROUND As you know, we use a form on our website to collect nominations. We use a WordPress plugin called "GravityForms" to build this form and manage the entries, and your nominations are stored in WordPress, in the GravityForms plugin database. When it's time to compile the nominations each year, we export the entries and transfer them via a CSV file into a Google spreadsheet. Our Awards Facilitator and their team then collate the nominations and separates them by type (General, Duty Post, etc.). In addition to storing entries in GravityForms, email notifications are generated from each nomination and sent to the original nominators for their records. An additional email record is sent to a private archive. We were alerted by a member that they were not on the list of people who were due to receive a nominator badge, despite receiving email confirmation of their nomination. We verified that the nomination had generated an email notification from the nomination form but was not present in our database of nominations in GravityForms. INVESTIGATION We then began an investigation to try and determine how we could be missing nominations in our database that had been properly entered into our form. Two staff members conducted a full audit of our backup archive of email notifications against what's in our database, and it became clear that a total of eight nominations were missing from our database and therefore not considered by the various committees that review and select award winners. These nominations were for two members, and half the missing nominations were for one member and one award. We also conducted an audit of our 2020 Awards nominations to see if we could find any missing ones there, and found none missing. As we investigated, we found that a former staff member who had left the group last year somehow had access to WordPress at the level required to delete GravityForms entries, despite having been removed from all staff-level access upon their departure – a fact that had been confirmed twice on separate occasions after that. We also found that this player had a secondary forum account from the one they had used as a staff member, and that this player had been logging in to our forums repeatedly around the time of the awards. And, perhaps most damningly, we found server access records that clearly linked the IP address used to log into that forum account to deleted entries in our WordPress Community News queue. Hoping someone would not be malicious enough to delete award nominations for a friend and former colleague in our community, we investigated other possibilities. But we could not establish a compelling, alternative theory on how these nominations disappeared. If the error had been technical, we would not expect to see only two people – from the same ship – affected: The nominations came from several people, who also had other nominations for other players, some for the same award or award category; The nominations were submitted on different days and different times, so where we originally suspected this could be due to overload at peak times of nomination submissions, this is not the case; Those whose nominations were missing received other nominations present in the lineup, both from the same nominators, and others. While we are fairly confident that the pattern of missing nominations, the login pattern on the forums coinciding with the awards release, and the relationship the former player in question had to those affected are pretty convincing evidence of guilt, we don't have an open-and-shut case. WordPress does not have native login tracking, and there are no logs to show records being deleted manually. As such, we are choosing not to reveal the identity of the player we believe may have been tampering with our site. There was extensive conversation amongst the Captain’s Council on this matter, and though some members considered the evidence that we have to be clear enough to name the player in question, we have decided to avoid doing so due to the fact that this evidence is circumstantial. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT The Captain's Council is mortified and upset to discover two members of our community were not properly considered for nominated awards this year due to the nefarious interference of a former member. We have made a personal apology to the two affected players, and we're making it again now in this public forum. Of course, our awards process is one of our most honored traditions in the group and we don't want anything to impact it now, or going forward. As such, we intend to make the following changes to our process immediately: We will increase the time between the closing of the nomination period and the beginning of the Awards Ceremony by one week. This will give us more time to audit the data we have and allow the Staff more time with the administration of awards, ensuring we're not adding stress where we can avoid it. We will change the access to WordPress in the coming weeks and, specifically, move the Awards Nomination Panel to its own WordPress subsite with access available to fewer people. We have already begun a process – and will continue to iterate on it – to strengthen our access control, safeguarding our community by removing members who have retired or taken long-term leave. The Captains Council also has a process of reviewing the awards post-ceremony each year – examining what went well and considering what needs improvement – and we'll be starting this sooner than we normally do, to ensure the most recent Awards Ceremony is fresher in our minds, for the sake of coming up with other recommendations on how to ensure the integrity of our process. Sincerely, Members of the Captains Council

Welcome to the last day of the awards ceremony! So far this week we’ve announced the recipients of the Staff, General, Length of Service and Special awards. Today, we present the Duty Post awards. Each award focuses on a different department from the major ones such as medical, operations or engineering to the more unique - like diplomacy, intel or marines. Even civilians are recognised for the valuable contributions those who prefer the path less worn can make to our stories. Each of these awards recognises a player for excellence in simming their duty post. Since we give only one award per duty post each year, we chose only those who sim the duty post in an exemplary fashion to represent. You’ll see from our spread of winners — who range in rank from Ensign to Captain — every player can be nominated for one of these by consistently simming to the best of their ability and striving to improve their craft. The Prantares Award - Medical The Prantares Ribbon is a duty post award and is awarded to those Medical officers who have moved beyond competence to display a genuine gift for the healing arts in space medicine. The officers given this award should display the ability to keep a steady hand in the often hazardous conditions in which they must practice, as well as the willingness to risk their own lives to save the lives of others. Alieth, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: This year’s Prantares Ribbon goes to Alieth, written by the talented Andrea, who has served as the Thor’s medical officer and, recently, a chief medical officer since its relaunch in 2020. Andrea’s take on medical simming is some of the best in the fleet, and her nominators describe it with high praise: “In our time writing together, I have come to respect the way Alieth crafts a medical scene - whether treating mass trauma events or consulting for one-on-one evaluations, her attention to detail is impressive.” She mixes real-world medicine and science with what they have shown in Trek canon, and the results are technical without losing her fellow simmers’ interest — detailed and engaging, in all the right ways. As important is Andrea’s attention to detail when it comes to the character she’s writing. Several of her nominators pointed out how Andrea’s crafted Alieth, not into the “perfect” Vulcan physician — with “the potential to be stale, describing nothing but a logical progression,” according to one nomination — but Andrea’s writing is anything but. Alieth’s approach “is a treat which strays from tropes and constantly challenges the scene, improving it in every way,” according to one nominator, while another notes “her unique brand of compassion and humour is especially notable because she threads the needle of playing a Vulcan character while still demonstrating powerful empathy and emotional resonance.” Very impressive indeed! While Alieth is an excellent medical officer on the Thor, she’s likely to be familiar to many in the fleet at large, and not only because of Andrea’s presence on Discord, the forums, and in various teams and taskforces. Andrea has gone out of her way to craft stories that include simmers and characters from around the fleet, and usually, with some key grounding in medical science of the Trek universe — one nominator called special attention to her arc with the character Sern. I’ll leave this citation with a final quote from a nomination that summarizes Alieth especially well: “Her professionalism is marked with a hint of humour (but don’t tell her that, she’ll deny it), her bedside manner is far warmer than one might expect from one of her species, and who can resist being given candy for good behaviour after a doctor’s visit?” Congratulations, Andrea! The Natasha Yar Pin - Security The Natasha Yar Pin is a duty post award and is awarded to those Security officers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in protecting and preserving the lives of their crewmates, even at risk to their own. Aine Sherlock, USS Resolution Presented by Kalianna Nicholotti: There is a lot that goes into a good security officer. With plenty of on-screen examples, we have a pretty good idea of what it takes to serve in this role on a starship, but it takes a special writer to bring it all together. The recipient of this year’s Natasha Yar Pin, Jared - aka Lieutenant JG Aine Sherlock - does a fantastic job and exemplifies everything we look for. Strong, true, smart, and witty. The character Jared writes jumps off the page and fills the role so well I can't imagine the Resolution without her. Every sim that Jared writes and every contribution to the story that he adds is one that we all look forward to reading. He takes us on a journey through Sherlock that shows us that a good security officer is vulnerable sometimes, and not always one to make the best decisions. But, when it comes to the safety of her crew, there are no chances, no second guesses, and no wondering about where her intentions are. Beyond the character, Jared serves in many other roles as well, including the incredible upkeep of the Resolution’s wiki and in the capacity of making graphics and images. With each thing he adds, he offers something that adds to the depth of our fleet and lends credence to why he is this year’s Natasha Yar pin winner. I look forward to seeing him go far with us in the 118 fleet. Congratulations! The Voyager Medallion - Ops The Voyager Medallion is a duty post award and is awarded to those operations officers who have shown great skill in keeping a starship in working order despite near-impossible circumstances. The officers receiving this award have advanced the field of Operations, making sure duty rosters, provisions, gear, and even recreation time are available... no matter what. Maria Alvarez, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: Some time ago, I was interviewed about the Ops officer position, and in it, I advised all future Opsians to simply make the role their own. There is so much variety provided that anything less is a waste of material. I have no way of knowing whether Max read it, but it doesn’t change the fact that he writes an Ops officer so impressively that I can’t help but take notes. His brilliant intertwining of character, personality, past experience and current adversity make Maria Alvarez a delight to read and behold. Max knows just how far to push and pull, and he knows how to make a story work not just for his character, but for the entire ship. It is the Ops officer’s job to keep things organised and running smoothly, to keep interconnected facets of a ship and crew working together harmoniously. I’m not sure where we would be without Max, in character or out. Whether he’s writing for his character, working with others on joint stories, or advising and assisting the Arrow staff, Max is an Ops officer through and through, and I say without reservation that he is absolutely deserving of this recognition. Congratulations! The Sisko Tactical Cross - Tactical The Sisko Tactical Cross is a duty post award and is 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. Atan T’Seva, USS Constitution-B Presented by Jalana Rajel: Tactical is one of these posts on a ship that can be a challenge to write for. As ships do not get into battle all the time, or in the Constitution's case ever until recently, it's difficult to bring this department to life. But not so for the Chief Tactical Officer on the Constitution. No matter the kind mission she joined with enthusiasm, creativity and out of the box thinking on how to integrate the Tactical department. Be it putting together escape routes on Xatrac, training of new officers, suggestions for updates of technology to build an earthquake alarm system on Endaasi, or analyse opponents to predict their moves so we did not have to find out a way into battle. During the last Constitution mission, though, when Orion Syndicate Pirates attacked out of nowhere, she finally could put all her tactical knowledge to good use. With her cool head and confidence, she finally had her time to shine and was a big part of why the Constitution only lost a warp nacelle and was not torn apart. It is my pleasure to present the Sisko Tactical Cross to Atan T'Seva. Congratulations! The Phoenix Award - Engineering The Phoenix Award is a duty post award that recognises engineers. Named for the vessel that legendary engineer Zefram Cochrane piloted during his historic first warp flight, this award goes to those Engineering officers who continue this tradition of excellence in engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by making their equipment perform above and beyond its rated capacities, the officers meriting this award further the mission of their ship by their superior know-how. In short, miracle workers. Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: A good engineer is a problem solver. A great chief engineer not only comes up with solutions but leads a team, encouraging and inspiring them to come together as an entire department of problem solvers. Since Wil Ukinix first started simming aboard the USS Veritas, he has shown enthusiasm and knack for tackling whatever is thrown at him in-character and out-of-character. Learning under the guidance of Geoffrey Teller, his department chief at the time, Ukinix was a diligent starship engineer, contributing to various contraptions and imaginative plans-of-action to save the day, ship, and crew. But in this past year when he took on the role of chief engineer, we’ve gotten to see a new side of Ukinix, that of being a leader and mentor to not just his fellow engineers but the larger crew. Within the engineering department, Ukinix writes with two other players, and he often employs departmental briefings and special projects to ensure that everyone is engaged and gets a chance to shine. When his engineering crew came up with ideas to develop animal-like repair drones and other creative engineering tools we hadn’t really seen in Star Trek before, Ukinix worked with both of them on fully fleshing out the idea and how to implement them in our game. Beyond his department, Ukinix has now become one of the ship’s most senior officers, rising to the position of second officer, and he provides a steady hand as part of the command team, perfectly balancing his character’s fun personality and light-heartedness with that of a dedicated Starfleet officer who wants to do the right thing and set a good example for the people under his watch. As he continues to write with StarBase 118 PBEM RPG, I know he will reach any star he sets his aim for, and I am delighted and honoured to see him recognised with this year’s Phoenix Award! The Cochrane Award - Science The Cochrane Award is a duty post award and is awarded to those science officers who have contributed to the advance of science during their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, taking part in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Presented by Jalana Rajel: Where do I even start with this one! Science is such a huge part of Star Trek that it can intimidate, not wanting to write the wrong thing and have millions of Scientists scream in pain. But it can be one of the most interesting and exciting posts if you either know what you are talking about or have so much creativity to make up things and mix it with facts so that it sounds real even though it's fiction. One of the people with who I have the joy to write with who can do this to a breathtaking extend is Lazarus Davis. Frequently questions came up on how to solve problems, how to explain a plot twist and the Science never disappointed. Solutions like using a unique gas to our advantage, throw space dust at the enemy - even if the resulting explosion had dire consequences for his psyche, or explain unnaturally strong currents in a nebula with a stellar phenomenon like a starry tempest. At times don't go by plan or the science fails and in those times Josh is not scared to show the ethical dilemmas or struggles that follow as well. During our last mission, he had to face what happens when your science causes fatalities. And seeing that side of Science as well makes a great read! When talking about science with Josh or reading his sims it is easy to feel his enthusiasm for the field and I can't wait to see what else he'll come up with. It's my pleasure to present the Cochrane Award to Lazarus Davis. Congratulations! The Pilot's Sextant - Helm The Pilot's Sextant is a duty post award that recognises helm officers. An award named after an old Earth navigational tool, the Pilot's Sextant is given to those Helm officers who have proven themselves to be the best of the best. From finding a safe route home to flying an emergency atmospheric landing, pilots who have earned the right to this award know the importance of staying focused and puts their ability to make spectacular manoeuvres at the service of their ship and its mission. Cadfael Peters, USS Chin’toka Presented by Mei’konda: A highly experienced member of the fleet who’s played almost every duty post that we offer, Zephyr, the player of Peters, came aboard the Chin’toka as a dedicated helmsman, because we were lucky enough to have an Operations Chief already. Helm can present a challenge for players, because of the occasionally limited nature of the role, but Cadfael Peters has brought life to both his character and to the position of helm by taking the initiative when he can to describe the movements of ships or shuttles through space, particularly during exciting moments like ship to ship battles. He takes every opportunity to describe things visually interestingly that makes it easy for his crewmates to be drawn into the action, and he always gives his fellow players opportunities to add in by communicating directly between the helm and their stations in unique and well thought out ways. The Chin’toka is very lucky to have Zephyr, and I’m thrilled to present him with the Pilot’s Sextant for 2021! The Order of the Valiant Heart - Counselling This award is given to those ship Counselors who show great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, evincing superior ability to care, assist, and comfort those in need. They have gone above and beyond the call of duty in assisting their crewmates with their problems, and in preventing future problems from occurring. R’Ariel, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: Anyone who’s written for a counsellor is well aware of how uniquely challenging the role is. In character, counsellors have to get incredibly creative with how they engage with missions and carry out their obligations to the best of their ability. That’s extra difficult if there’s not a lot of call for diplomacy, discussion or conflict mediation. Many counsellors will take up alternate avenues; they’ll be skilled in other areas of ship operation, or perhaps they’ll take up long-running personal plots. Kat has done these things to a significant effect. However, this doesn't stop her from exploring the first duty of a counsellor at every opportunity. R’Ariel is always there for others aboard her ship, be they Starfleet, civilian or alien. She responds with calm, open tact that soothes not just the souls of characters, but of their writers as well. The adversity she faces does not impede her gracious, kind words from doing good for those around her, and in these ways, Kat and R’Ariel are breathtakingly similar. Both writer and character embody the spirit and strength of a true counsellor, and I can think of no one more deserving of this high honour. Congratulations! The Semper Fidelis Award - Marines For those Starfleet Marines who have shown great skill in protecting their crew, accomplishing their mission, avoiding tragic loss of life in the line of duty, and upholding the values of the United Federation of Planets in times of crisis. Kiran Han, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: Playing a Marine in Starfleet, a position with little to no screen time in the Star Trek Universe can be tough, which makes this award so special. Knowing how to portray a Marine, how to play a military character in a universe where traditional military stereotypes do not always work. As the nomination put it, Patrick plays Han as the “modern 'problem solver' required by the fleet”, leading a Rapid Response Unit aboard the Juneau. Patrick can always be counted on to lead an Away Mission, lead to exciting situations, and still get his people home. Writing with him is a pleasure, as he can make action out of nothing, and still make you feel as if it was always ‘part of the plan’. He can always make his action sequences and calls for movement fit within the universe and story we are trying to tell, never an add-on or an afterthought, and always furthering his character and plot. Congratulations Major Han and Great Job! The Lwaxana Troi Medallion This award is given to a member who takes on a unique and non-traditional role outside of the normal Starfleet positions, while creating a colourful and engaging character such as, but not limited to: a diplomat, a civilian or a mission specialist. Charlotte DeBarres, USS Arrow Presented by Randal Shayne: Charlotte DeBarres, played by Mark- one of our most dedicated writers- knows what she’s doing. It doesn’t matter where she is or what the circumstances are; you can count on DeBarres for a witty, sarcastic comment and lifesaving, quick thinking. Mission specialist is a tricky role, requiring both an in-depth understanding of the conditions of a mission, and knowing what to do in case things go south. It’s an even greater challenge to write for, but does this stop Mark? Heck no! He’s as much of an everyman out of character as in serving on staff and providing MSNPCs on the regular while helping along the plot and taking care of business that makes the entire ship run better. He’s a shining example of a dedicated, capable and innovative member, and the character he writes for exhibits these qualities, and so much more. Congratulations! The Strange Medallion - First Officer Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years, we give this award to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Addison MacKenzie, USS Resolution Presented by Kalianna Nicholotti: A ship cannot thrive without the guidance of a good command team, and a command team without a good first officer is already setting up the wrong scene. Imagine Kirk without Spock, or Picard without Riker. When countless things could go wrong, it is often this bond, and the sheer will of that first officer, that moves mountains. Having a few years of command experience, and real-world management experience as well, I can honestly not be more proud to present this year’s Strange Medallion to an incredibly deserving officer and my very own XO, Matt, aka Commander Addison MacKenzie. Matt does nothing halfway. At the very base of all, his characters bring realism that provides a shining example of how to sim for the entire crew. Because he is frequently involved in Academy classes, this gets shared with many of the newest members as well, getting them the solid foundation they need from the start. Volunteering his time to many other areas around the fleet, we can all see and feel Matt’s impact. While there are many qualities that Matt has that make him more than worthy of this accolade, one of the strongest is the sheer fact that he is willing to learn, grow, and lead. Fear, hesitation, and inflexibility don’t even slip into the shadows of this equation. I am thrilled to present this to him today, but I am even more excited to see the even greater mountains he is yet to scale. Congratulations! And thank you for your continued work and dedication to the Resolution and the Starbase 118 Fleet! Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Today we are proud to present the Length of Service and Special Awards! Length of Service Awards Length of Service Awards are presented to members who have been continuously active for at least a year, there are also tiers for three, five, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years of continuous service. This year, thirty players have reached a length of service milestone. Of those, eleven are celebrating their first milestone, having picked up the award for one year of active membership. Another six have achieved three years of active membership and ten more have been here for five years. Two players have reached the incredible ten-year milestone, and one has reached fifteen years! We also have two players celebrating their five-year command milestones as Commodores of our fleet! 5-year Commanding Officer For those who have served as commanding officers for their ships and stations continuously for five years. Officers in this category are also appointed to the rank of Commodore to recognize their experience and leadership. Commodore Sal Taybrim, who took command of StarBase 118 Ops on December 12th, 2015. Commodore Roshanara Rahman, who took command of the USS Invicta (NCC-81407) on April 5th, 2016. 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Haley Caden, graduated from training on June 1, 2020 R'Ariel, graduated from training on June 1, 2020 Artinus Serinus, graduated from training on July 1, 2019 Lephi, graduated from training on June 1, 2020 Stefan Mattheiu, graduated from training on May 5, 2020 Noa T'Nessa Levinson, graduated from training on January 6, 2020 Airik Tierney, graduated from training on May 25, 2020 Drevas Matthel, graduated from training on June 1, 2020 Alieth, graduated from training on February 10, 2020 Sirok, graduated from training on February 10, 2020 Wes Greaves, graduated from training on February 9, 2020 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Serala, graduated from training on December 4, 2017 Toryn Raga, graduated from training on October 4, 2017 Jacob Horne, graduated from training on August 23, 2017 Kiran Han, graduated from training on October 1, 2017 Genkos Adea, graduated from training on February 6, 2018 Tatash, graduated from training on August 1, 2014 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Amuro McKnight, graduated from training on February 15, 2016 Jocelyn Marshall, graduated from training on April 10, 2016 Ayiana Sevo, graduated from training on September 1, 2014 Serren Tan, graduated from training on April 1, 2010 Oddas Aria, graduated from training on May 5, 2016 R'Kala, graduated from training on August 1, 2011 Etan Iljor, graduated from training on March 23, 2015 Yogan Yalu, graduated from training on November 13, 2011 Alora DeVeau, graduated from training on August 6, 2013 Anthony Meeks, graduated from training on January 17, 2011 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Shedet, graduated from training on August 4, 2003 Sky Blake, graduated from training on March 1, 2011 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Lilith Thorne, graduated from training on August 1, 2000 Special Awards The Rising Star Award For members who show great promise in many facets of their participation in the group, and to whom we look to as a future leader. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: We're so fortunate this year to see many people nominated for the Rising Star award, showing what a fantastic community we've built and how many people love to invest the time and energy into making it even better. Those who nominated Jo Marshall talked at length about her leadership qualities; her dedication, her willingness to go the extra mile, and her ability to balance good humour with teaching moments. Over the past twelve months, her contributions to the fleet have bordered on the incredible, showing how much she cares for and champions our community. Not only does she help lead her ship with the above qualities, but she also steers and supports many of our OOC efforts; helping to organise the State of the Federation Address, as a stalwart member of the training team, showing her creative flair in the Image Collective, facilitating the Federation News Service and Poll of the Week. On top of that, she helped champion the return of the Writing Challenge to phenomenal success, and of course, facilitated this very ceremony! Her guiding hand already makes this fleet a more fun, vibrant and exciting place to be, and we're fortunate to count her among the leadership of the group as a staff member. We look forward to seeing her continue to cheerlead, support and innovate, and thank her for everything she does now and in the future. Congratulations and well done! Luminary Award Given to members holding the rank of ensign, lieutenant junior grade, or lieutenant. For those who show great promise in their future endeavours in UFOP: Starbase 118 RPG. Wes Greaves, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: I’m especially honoured to present this year’s Luminary Award to Jacob, aka the marine detachment commander for the Thor, Wes Greaves. Jacob also received the Thor’s TOSMA this year, and one of his nominations for that award included the observation that Jacob “has been a driving force on the Thor since he was a second lieutenant.” I’m borrowing it for this citation and to recognise that Jacob started out running and has only been building momentum since. He’s now a member of the Thor’s staff group, where I rely on his strong senses of leadership and equability, and he’s someone you’ve probably encountered around the fleet as well, whether on Discord, as a new member of the Training Team, or — if you’ve been a member of the Captain's Council over the past year — for his keen insights on marines in the Star Trek universe and for Starbase 118 RPG specifically. Jacob pulls from his own marine background to bring a grounded, experienced perspective to marine structure and function on the Thor, and to say that he’s revolutionized how his fellow simmers and I think about marines is actually an understatement. He’s the well-deserved winner of last year’s Semper Fidelis Award (the marine duty post award), and what he’s done with his time with the 118 fleet has not only changed my sense of marines in Star Trek, he’s done a lot to educate me about marine ethos and ethics in the real world, too. But this citation isn’t for the Semper Fidelis, it’s for the Luminary, and I mention his marine work to introduce everyone to the idea that Jacob’s been a natural leader from the very beginning when he generously allowed me to bring his thoughts on marines to the Captain's Council. He’s a natural leader who seeks challenges both IC and OOC — he recently, for example, came to me with an idea for a series of JPs in which Greaves receives additional command training from Kells. One of his nominators said it best, and so I’ll leave you with some of that high praise: “This is a man with a solid head on his shoulders, who cares about others, has fantastic writing talents, and I cannot wait to not only sim more with him, but to watch where he goes in our wonderful community.” The Sarpeidon Award Awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the 118Wiki. Sarpeidon was the world in TOS's "All Our Yesterdays," in which the planet's population created a library containing their entire world's history. This is, in essence, what our wiki strives to become: a collection of our group's history and a simming database. Noa T’Nessa Levinson, USS Chin’toka Presented by Roshanara Rahman: Watching the wiki grow over the years is one of the highlights of being a part of this community and every year, new members bring fresh ideas on how to present information about their characters, the stories of our ships, and the greater universe we’ve all built. Since first diving into the wiki, Noa T’Nessa Levinson has shown remarkable originality and creativity in figuring out new ways to bring style and a polished presentation to the wiki. He similarly continues the long tradition of wiki gnomes before him in diligently maintaining not just his own ship’s pages but that of the wider fleet and its lore to help ensure everything is as up to date as possible. Above all else, Levinson’s passion for the wiki and helping other members learn its power and potential is obvious, endearing, and inspiring. Learning to edit the wiki is often perceived as one of the most intimidating skills for new members to master, but Levinson’s joy in his work and commitment to supporting others by answering their questions and troubleshooting problems helps make the unfamiliar task of wiki editing not just friendlier but an exciting world of possibilities waiting to be discovered. Congratulations, Noa T’Nessa Levinson, on being recognized with this year’s Sarpeidon Award, and thank you for your hard work and dedication! The Boothby Award For trainers who go above and beyond their Academy training requirements. These trainers display an outstanding example of dedication to bringing new cadets to our community. Addison MacKenzie, USS Resolution Presented by Quinn Reynolds: It is always a pleasure to present the Boothby Award and recognise someone who has gone above and beyond in supporting the Training Team. Addison MacKenzie is a name that stands out in the Academy, volunteering regularly and long past his obligations to do so. He supports the team with positivity, respect and good humour, shining in whatever role he takes on—be it mock cadet, First Officer or Commanding Officer. Several of his nominators spoke of how fantastic his mentoring is, offering cadets feedback which not only corrects problems with the basics but gives them things to think about as they move forward into the fleet. But he doesn't just teach cadets! The nominations also spoke of how his enthusiasm and skills inspired them to be better trainers, learning from the example he sets. Besides taking part in classes, he supports the work of the Academy as one of our Statisticians, a role that requires an organised, keen and detail-oriented eye to ensure that we track the cadets passing through, and ensure we properly credit our trainers for their hard work. His presence makes the Training Team a fun, dynamic and streamlined experience, and cadets and upcoming trainers alike benefit from his experience and professionalism. Commander Addison MacKenzie, thank you so much for everything you've brought to the team and many congratulations on winning this year's Boothby Award! Quark's Bar Quark's Bar is a special award and is awarded to members who are regularly active on the forums and have been supportive and involved in conversations enhancing the overall forum experience. Lephi, USS Chin’toka Presented by Mei’konda: One of the fleet’s newest members, Lieutenant Lephi, played by Daphne, has proven herself to be a rising star amongst the Chin’toka’s crew. One of the things we can always count on her for is to be a welcoming, positive presence in Discord, one of the newest and most important avenues of communication with our members. Lephi reliably greets newcomers to the server with genuine and enthusiastic positivity and has been referred to as our unofficial ambassador by members of our crew. She answers questions in the Academy channel when she knows she has the right answer and is a constant source of humour and an occasional participant in our impromptu gaming sessions, such as in games of Bridge Crew. For these reasons, I’m delighted to present the Quark’s Bar to Lieutenant Lephi! The Xalor Clan Xifilis Award Given to any simmer who overcomes any sort of disadvantage while simming. This award was originally called the "Rachel Garett Pendant," but was renamed for the 2000 ceremony to honor a respected simmer in UFOP: StarBase 118 who passed away in that year. This is the only Special Award that is given more than once per ceremony. Alieth and Sirok, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “There are many types of disadvantages one might have in a community like SB118,” writes the nominator for both Andrea (Alieth) and Miguel (Sirok) for the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award this year, and praises the two simmers’ abilities in a language that isn’t their first tongue. “Despite the difficulty that this must surely present,” the nomination goes on, “they have become a wonderful asset and add a depth and colour to any scene in which they write.” Andrea and Miguel are to be commended not only for their skilled writing but also for their perseverance in a community like Starbase 118, which is so strongly text-based and when so much of what we do revolves around writing our stories. Congratulations to Andrea and Miguel, and thank you for making Starbase 118 a part of your story! Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: One of the bright lights of the fleet and tireless champion of its members, it's a delight to have Corliss as a member of the Gorkon's crew. In the past, she's won the Order of the Valiant Heart for the realism and fidelity she brings to the role of counsellor, the Silver Palm for lifting hearts and keeping morale high, and this year we've awarded her the B-Plot for the windows she creates into her character's personal life. When you realise she lives with ADHD, and the challenges with executive function and writing that often walk hand-in-hand with it, it makes her dedication to simming even more impressive. She's an inspiration and I am very pleased to recognise her with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. Drevas Matthel, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: Not everyone has the same access to support and healthcare and knowing that a bright and shining young writer not only struggles with mental health issues but also struggles to get the support he needs is a concerning reality of the 21st century. But over the past year, we are so incredibly proud of Ensign Drevas Matthel for speaking openly about his issues, actively seeking positive solutions and resolutions and seeking support for the right places. His ongoing endurance is a testament to an amazing inner strength that is both admirable and commendable. Many of us know how difficult it can be to push forward at times, especially with everything that has occurred over the last year, and yet Ensign Drevas never failed to persevere. Furthermore, with his continued positive growth in out of character communication, he has impressively improved in his simming, bringing his character to life, creating a meaningful pNPC that his crew enjoys reading about and forming bonds with fellow players and characters alike. Ensign Drevas, your hard work over these past months has been noticed and appreciated and you have done an awesome job in improving your writing and your communication. I am so pleased to present you with the Xalor Clan Xifilis award! Nugra, USS Constitution-B Presented by Jalana Rajel: I have had the pleasure to write with John on and off for years during his guest visits to the Apollo, the Constitution and other ships across the fleet and it finally got to sim with him on a more permanent basis when he was placed on the Conny. John is passionate about writing, listening to his ideas is pure joy and the excitement is contagious. He thinks out of the box, inside the box, around the box and is not afraid to try new things, is happy to help other players and has quickly become a pillar of the ship. As long as I have known him, despite challenges in Real Life, be it his own mental or physical health, difficult circumstances or overwhelming events, he still did his best to not let it show in his writing or in the way he interacted with the players. Through all his difficulties, he wanted to make sure that everyone has fun. During this last year, Jonathan had not dealt only with his own challenges, but has only taken care of his hardships but also took care of his lovely wife who struggled with her health as well and took care of his job, his writing business, their lovely children on top of staying the spark bug we know him as on the Conny. He never lost that light, his humour, creativity or willingness to give his writing his all, reached out to players to plan plots, help them, welcome them and assist despite not being a member of staff at this point. I am in awe that he managed all that despite his RL situation. Thank you for being you, Jonathan, and congratulations on the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award! The Community Champion Award For members who participate in – or help facilitate – simming community events, representing the best of UFOP: SB118 to other organizations by hosting events, acting as contest judges, or otherwise contributing their expertise in a way that benefits the wider community. Zhanyt Lafizatar, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: In the wider world of Star Trek simming and roleplay, one member has consistently shown up to represent StarBase 118 not just as a guest but as an event host. Zhanyt Lafizatar (known to some by his previous characters of Ceciri Ariadust and Tiria Hamasaki) has consistently served as an event host in each year of the Khitomer Conference since 2019. Last year, Lafizatar hosted the informative panel, “Writing with Canon,” showcasing to the wider audience of non-118 attendees how we frequently play and expand on canon in our stories here in the fleet. Lafizatar has also been an active and regular presence at other non-118 simming events such as FallFest. Through his participation in the panel discussions, Lafizatar helps bring awareness to other Trek role players of our organisation’s existence, how we do things, and what makes us special. For his persistence in carrying the 118 banners beyond our borders, I’m pleased to present this year’s Community Champion Award to Zhanyt Lafizatar, one of our fleet’s most dedicated ambassadors. Locutus Award For members of the Publicity Team who go above and beyond their monthly requirements for regular participation. These team members show enthusiasm and flair for spreading the word about our role-playing community and take an active interest in finding new ways to invite people to join our ranks. Alieth, USS Thor Presented by Kalianna Nicholotti: Publicity, or in a more modern term Marketing, is what brings people to the fleet. Without it, we would never meet our newest friends or reconnect with some of our old ones. This year saw the split of the official Publicity Team into one that handled publicity and one that focused on social media. With these changes came novel approaches and a learning curve for everyone involved. Thankfully, we have some incredibly talented and dedicated officers involved, including Andrea, aka Alieth, who is the recipient of this year’s Locutus Award. The Locutus Award is given to recognize someone who exceeds the requirements and participates regularly in activities that bring new members to the fleet. In this, Andrea is a force of nature. She is visual, present, and accounted for in various faucets, even helping to get an Instagram plan in place for the newly developed social media part of this team. She’s always looking out for the fleet, and she is a powerful voice for us when the opportunity presents. It is such a pleasure to present this award, and I offer a hearty congratulations to her - and to say that I can’t wait to see what trail she will blaze next year! Northern Star Award Given to members holding the rank of Lieutenant or Lt. Commander who show constant commitment to the fleet as members of taskforces and through our other fleet endeavours. These officers are vital to the success of our fleet, showing their support and enthusiasm for their crews and our community through their tireless efforts. Alora DeVeau, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: If you have played on StarBase 118 for any length of time, you have almost certainly come into contact with the name Alora Deveau. Maybe it was through an interview for the Community News where Lt. Commander DeVeau is an absolute powerhouse writer, showcasing members of our fleet from every ship and every rank and reaching out to dozens of fleetwide members to help get them in the press. Maybe you heard her on the StarBase 118 PaddCAST where she helps both behind the scenes and in front of the microphone, bringing you special features and special segments that help light up your airwaves. Maybe it was on the training team where she serves as one of the diligent academy officers mentoring new members on their first steps into our community. Maybe it was in the forums where she is a tireless supporter of the Appreciations area across multiple ships. Maybe it was on the wiki where she works hard to make sure ship and fleetwide articles are edited for continuity and accuracy. Or maybe it was on Discord where she’s a bright and shining star, always ready with a positive word for others. And through all this, she also maintains more than full time simming on two ships, with excellent writing skills and a willingness to reach out and create joint posts with any player on any ship in the fleet. She is a generous player who is always willing to bring new people into a scene, facilitate positive storylines for characters and be supportive of her ships in so many ways. She is a mentor, team leader, staff member and an incredible player. Amanda, the player behind Alora DeVeau is truly a positive force for Fleetwide unity and an amazing role model for junior simmers. Her fleetwide mentality helps make the taskforces she works with shine and brings all of our ships and players in the fleet into the limelight so we can grow closer together. I am so incredibly proud of Amanda and pleased to present her with the inaugural Northern Star award! Jake Sisko Prize Awarded to members of the Federation News Service Team who regularly go above and beyond in their contributions and participation. These team members show dedication and creativity in editing and writing news reports, helping to maintain our IC news service, build the 118 universe and provide inspiration for our members. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Roshanara Rahman: There is no one more dedicated to the successful operation of the Federation News Service than Jo Marshall. Em, the player for Marshall is passionate about the unique lens the FNS offers to the world of Star Trek and how it can serve as a great vehicle for storytelling, either complementing and expanding stories from our sims or presenting wholly original and exclusive stories just told through the medium of FNS articles. Like the best editors-in-chief in newsrooms around the globe, Em rallies her bullpen of roving reporters and editors every month with the organisation of a field marshal. No pun intended! She brainstorms headlines to inspire others to flesh out full stories and contributes her own regular articles. She adeptly manages a team of co-facilitators and news editors to ensure that every ship report is revised and proofread in time for publication, her charm and efficiency belying just how much work she does behind the scenes to make sure they meet deadlines. And unlike, say, J. Jonah Jameson of the Daily Bugle, Em is always cheerleading and championing her team, encouraging their ideas and giving helpful feedback on their drafts. For her tireless devotion and work to make certain that the FNS meets its publication schedule month after month, year after year, I can think of no one better to be awarded the first Jake Sisko Prize. Congratulations, Em! Okuda Award Awarded to members of the Image Collective who regularly go above and beyond in their contributions to this team's efforts, creating images and graphics for the fleet. These team members display their artistry and dedication with a visual feast for members new and old, bringing our creations to life and stoking imaginations. Alieth, USS Thor Presented by Jalana Rajel: In a roleplay that draws pictures with words and in which we have to imagine our surroundings, the characters and species, one of the most helpful tools we can provide are graphics to kick-start or expand that imagination. Knowing the faces of our characters, the wallpaper in our hallways or the view out of our windows breathes life into the writing. Ever since I started working with Andrea I have been in awe of her carefully honed art, her skill and her knowledge. She has jumped right into new ideas and projects from the first moment, eagerly spearheading the makeover of Ship and Task Force Logos, updating graphics across the board, streamlining processes and sharing her knowledge and tips with the image team. It is no surprise that before long she became part of the Facilitator team and eventually was promoted to the main facilitator. In the shortest time, she had made a name for her and has left her mark on Starbase 118 from the first day on. By now it is almost impossible to look at the website and wiki without finding something Andrea made. And when you ask the members of our community, you'll hear the same reaction: We love it! This brand new award found a worthy first winner! Congratulations, Andrea. Very well deserved! Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

"Red is and always will be your colour, ervami." -Tristam Core (played by @Blake)

Lael Rosek and fiancé Chythar Skyfire go civilian formal with Lael wearing a gray plaid halter dress and Chythar in a traditional black tuxedo.

Max has gone for the simple black tie look this year.

Meru is going fairly simple with a blazer and some family rings.

Just finished nominating a whole bunch of my shipmates. Time to get dressed and watch all of you get some well-deserved recognition!

Maz is awards ready. No Trill spots, coz Trill didn't have spots in the 80's 😉

Genkos looking his best in a jacket that may or may not have been Elmer the Elephant

Aria is going fairly simple, but she does like to dress up.

Ever since I handed off the production of the Awards Ceremony to an "Awards Facilitator" – in 2012, I believe – I've been writing a section for special thanks. Looking over those past notes of thanks I've written, they've grown considerably from 2012's very modest couple of lines mentioning the assistance I received, to 2020, which included a detailed description of the rather insane lengths we go to produce this event – our largest, oldest, and most special event of the whole year. This year I want to jump right into the thanks without further ado because the folks who have helped here deserve nothing less than the world. Let's start with @Jo Marshall, Emily, comparable only to Captain Marvel in feats of strength and focus! From appointment as the Awards Facilitator in May, Em took the job of coordinating everything with aplomb, ensuring that each step of the process runs smoothly. If you've read last year's special thanks, you know that Em also facilitated last year and so now has managed two years without a hitch! It's really hard to imagine, if you haven't done this kind of thing, all the plates you need to keep spinning at once but also how much "manual labor" is required. At the staff level of this community, we value making things as easy and expeditious for each other as possible. We have dozens and dozens of administrative forms that allow us to easily catalog data and format it into tables. We have administrative forums, where we organize threads of data. We have Google Sheets galore where everything must be ordered and colored correctly. The goal here is often to present data and tasks to others in a way that feels as seamless and easy as possible, but often it means putting in a hell of a lot of work to move data from one place to another in a format that works. You can't describe it as anything other than a labor of love to help other people participate in the Awards process, even when it means spending a lot of time to make that work. A former boss of mine once wrote in an evaluation that I have a "high tolerance for bureaucratic process," and now I want to pass along this rather backhanded compliment to Em, who never complains, is good natured, funny, quick to volunteer and adapt to the challenges posed. She navigates the intricacies of this bureaucracy with ease and ensures that the rest of us can pick up exactly where we need to. I can't help but feel an affinity for her, and a deep appreciation for her skilled dedication to what we're trying to accomplish when it comes to the awards and any other task she takes on. Next, I want to thank everyone who had a hand in the selection of our awards and other setup: @Addison MacKenzie (Matt): Who assisted Em with the entire process and helped to get everything posted The Awards Committee: Who carefully read a lot of nominations and made the best choices for those awards. Thanks to each of the following people who put in extra effort for this part of the process and it is a HUGE lift to read all these nominations. VAdml. @Quinn Reynolds Com. Aron Kells @Tony, aka Kells Com. @Jalana Rajel Cmdr. @Kelrod Cmdr. @Serala Our Commanding Officers: Who not only tirelessly command and manage their ships, but also ensure that members of their ship are justly rewarded for their contributions during the awards – which requires reading lots of nominations and balancing them all appropriately, all while simming and everything else they do! Thank you for your dedication, your enthusiasm, and the work you put into this process and everything else you do. I know that this is an incredible lift for all of us each year, and your efforts do not go unnoticed! Our First Officers: Who help advise the Executive Council in deciding what Staff Awards are received, by reviewing all the nominations and making recommendations. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into considering the nominations! Everyone who nominated someone else: Your nominations really do matter! These nominations inform the entire process and help the staff and Awards Committee recognize the contributions we couldn't possibly have seen alone. Thank you for putting in that time. There's also a couple other "special thanks" for the year on behalf of the Executive Council. I recognize that putting these at the end of our Awards Ceremony, at the bottom of other thanks, sends a signal about their importance. But I want to counter that impression by saying that the fact these are being mentioned here, and chiseled in the stone of Wiki Mountain in our Awards Ceremony archive, should also say something about how important these notes are! Cmdr. Serala (Jim) deserves recognition for stewarding the crew of the USS Chin'toka after their commanding officer abruptly resigned without notice. Jim's loyalty to our community and skilled intervention helped ensure a smooth transition to Capt. Mei'konda. We want to thank him for making that transition as easy as possible for everyone Capt. @Oddas Aria (Nick) deserves recognition as the EC's Captain At Large who keeps the most consistent and well-communicated office hours for Captains Council questions! Com. @Roshanara Rahman (Rich) deserves thanks for taking on the EC Magistrate role, facilitating and helping to push forward boatloads of to-do items across 2020-2021, keeping us on task and making sure things got completed in a timely fashion as well as taking lead on a bunch of projects. Also, for being an open-minded individual who helped foster meaningful discussions that helped our staff understand other's points of view And Com. Taybrim also had these thanks to offer: So that's a wrap. Awards are presented, thanks are given, and we now head into our 27th year of operation as a community. I hope you all enjoy your time here and feel recognized and rewarded for your efforts, and that the joy of being in fellowship with each other is a reward of its own. Until next year! -FltAdml. Tristan Wolf

Much like Ayiana, Piravao has decided red is a good colour for an awards ceremony, and is looking very formal in her suit. She promised someone that she would wear a flower crown to the ceremony, but can't remember who it was.

Quentin attending with family friend Judith Johnson :):):).

Aine's wearing department colors with some Starfleet licensed earrings and necklace.

Tristam's been given some hosting duties...

To probably no one's surprise, it turns out that choosing an actor who played James Bond gives a lot of formal options. This year I chose both white and black!

Noa decided to go pretty formal this year. Nothing too regal, but definitely formal!

Ayiana looking beautiful as always in a sparkling red, backless dress.

clean cut this year, huzzah

Ensign Kendrick is ready for the Award Season!

Commander Alexander Williams will suit up for this one.

Commander Serala in red, Doctor Karise Indobri in blue.

Greetings and Welcome to the 2021 (or 2398) Fleetwide Awards Ceremony! Every year, this annual ceremony is an opportunity for us all to come together to recognise the accomplishments of this incredible organisation of people. For many of us, this community has become a part of our lives that we couldn’t foresee happening when we first graduated from the Academy, but the more time we spend here, the more time we realise what a truly unique community this is. So, we’re using this 25th Award Ceremony as the opportunity to come together to not only celebrate the group’s 27th anniversary (and what a bloody milestone that is!) but to acknowledge and congratulate the writers who have fuelled our imaginations by creating strange, new worlds, and worked tirelessly to keep the lights on, is worthy of celebration, indeed. There are five categories of awards: General Awards (which some ships have presented to their crews already!), Duty Post, Special and Staff Awards distinguishing players across the rank spectrum for many achievements. The member Length of Service Awards continues to grow as we award membership lengths of one, three, five, ten, fifteen, and even twenty-five years! A remarkable number of simmers have been around for such extended periods, and they count among our numbers. We’d like to extend tremendous gratitude to everyone who took the time to submit nominations this year. It has been absolutely incredible to us to read how you all celebrate one another, the writing that takes place, and the community despite everything currently happening in the world. Every nomination submitted was full of deep respect, recognition, and appreciation for our fellow writers, and it should serve as a reminder that we value everyone’s presence and contributions. As our group continues to cultivate and mature, we’d like to throw a special thanks to our fearless leader, Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf, who always makes time to lend advice for any problem, no matter how big or small. To the members of the Executive Council, Captain’s Council, and those who lead and serve on our various taskforces — no amount of thanks could effectively communicate this community’s appreciation for your boundless energy and leadership to ensure we ALL have a safe, creative and imaginative experience. Happy 27th anniversary everybody! — Em (Jo Marshall) and Matt (Addison MacKenzie)

A very "formal" Wil rocking up in typical red carpet attire - jacket, casual pants and a back to front Bowie t-shirt.

Raga is looking fierce as ever. (Hide your tables and doors. If you know. You know. :P)

So I was driving to work and today's date struck my mind which made me wonder what the significance of it was. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks... Three years ago yesterday is when I officially graduated from the Academy and today is when I was posted on my first ship, the USS Veritas! First, I'd like to thank @Ayiana Sevo for training me as I was just a mere green cadet learning how this amazing experience both IC and OOC within the community works. You certainly had a lot of patience with me as I look back on the emails we exchanged almost constantly. Here's the link to my last Academy sim when I graduated! Next I would like to thank @Roshanara Rahman, @Blake, @Mei'konda, @Lael Rosek, and the rest of the Veritas crew for the outstanding experience aboard the ship for my first few months writing with you all! I look back on my First sim aboard the USS Veritas every now and then to get a good laugh over how nervous I was when German just happened to be on the ship off screen when the ship had been many years in the past after dealing with Borg shenanigans. Another thanks to @Mei'konda and @Lael Rosek for helping me along with a smooth transition to the USS Astraeus as well as continuing to mentor and helping me with building my confidence to explore the opportunities given to me to eventually help and mentor others to have just as much fun as I've had with the game! And last, but certainly not least I would like to thank @Sal Taybrim, @Alora DeVeau, @Sheila Bailey, @Jalana, and the rest of the Ops and Conny crew for all the best experiences during shoreleaves and missions. Been a wild and crazy ride through the cosmos, loving everything that's happened! I'm glad to be able to write and have fun with you guys! Words can't describe how much I love this game and the people I've met along the way. @FltAdml. Wolf, you're an incredible person and leader whose gift of inspiration and passion to keep this PBEM RPG group alive for so long since 1994 is amazing! With just seeing a small amount of what goes on behind the scenes shows how much you and both councils put so much time and effort into making SB118 a great place to make long-lasting nerdy friendships. And that's just enough of my long winded speech of gratitude. Thank you all again! Live long and prosper 🖖🤓 Dane/Ensign German Galven - Science Officer/StarBase 118 Ops V239507GG0

Loxley is breaking the theme by putting emphasis on the “casual” of “smart casual”

Here's the Galaxy's Okayest Klingon rocking some very formal attire It's not a skant. Shhhhh! Not seen - He's wearing a shark tooth pendant under his shirt.

Artinus Serinus rocking dress whites.

Scotty is ready for awards

As the Covid-19 pandemic swept throughout the year 2020, it profoundly affected the lives of millions across the globe. Many of our own members suffered from the virus itself, while others experienced the grief of losing friends and loved ones. Persevering through this, our members remained enthusiastic about the fellowship we've built here, and found new ways to connect and share our stories through this challenging time. The Captains Council considered, for this Awards Ceremony season, the ways we could recognize the complications and challenges of the past year. We landed on a new type of Community Honor called Commemorative Coins, the first of which will be specifically focused on 2020 and 2021's events and the way in which we came through them. Commemorative coins, also known as "challenge coins," are a tradition in many government and military agencies with a history stretching back to the days of the Ancient Romans. These small medallions are bestowed by leaders to signify a job well done, or memorialize participation in an event. As such, everyone who simmed with us during the pandemic will receive the Per Aspera, Ad Astra Commemorative Coin, a digital item that can be displayed on your wiki profile: The coin displays our new logo, to signify the launch of our new brand and recognize that this was an experience that affected our entire community. And, you'll find on the left of the coin the image of a spiral – representing rebirth, and resilience, while also alluding to the mRNA sequence (which looks similar to a DNA spiral) of the vaccines which are helping to bring us out of this tragedy. On the right-hand side, you'll find the image of a lily, representing the return to innocence after death and the recognition of grief that touched many of us during this difficult time. And the name, "per aspera, ad astra" translates from Latin to English as, "through difficulties to the stars," a fitting reminder for us all. Over the coming months, we'll be transitioning some of our former legacy badges into Commemorative Coins, and we'll provide more information about that as it becomes available. Sincerest thanks to everyone who participated with us in the last year. We know how hard it's been for many, and we appreciate all of the good memories we created together. You can find out more about Commemorative Coins on the wiki, including instructions on how to add this one to your profile.

Awards Ceremony season is upon us, and it's time to get all dressed up for the big event! As we launch our ceremony, we encourage everyone to change their forum avatar to their character wearing glamorous attire like the kind you'd see on the red carpet. There's no need to get things perfect – lots of players just find a picture of their character's actor somewhere on the web and use that, like so: But if you're looking for something more spiffy, you can also head to the Graphics Requests forum and open a new thread asking for some help. Make sure you leave plenty of time for the team there to help get something that works – best to start earlier than later! Once you have an image you like, you can change your forum avatar by following these instructions. Let's see what everyone is wearing this year! Halcyon Apparel from Deep Space 224? Elan Vital, the principal fashion designer for the Bolian Ballroom? Nova Collection from Betazed? You can purse-shoe all your dreams and you don't have toupee! Find your fashion sole mate and let us see if you're a triple thread! Hose before bows!

Thank you so much for all the awards team effort to review and evaluate every nomination submission! There has been EXCELLENT writing this year, no matter how CRAZY the world has been, and you all deserve to be praised to the moon and back

Mercifully alone after hours in sickbay, Geoffrey John Teller stood in his quarters and wept openly for the first time in his adult memory. Wracking sobs shook his torso as he supported himself with one hand against the bulkhead, peering through tears at the indifferent stars beyond the viewport. He’d maintained his composure through all the debriefings and the mandatory counseling sessions but now, in the safety of solitude, Geoff let the feelings he’d been tamping down pour out unfiltered. Tears ran down his face and onto his uniform unchecked as the events replayed in his mind once again. It started, as it always started...with the children. Their smiling, delighted faces. Their giggles and laughter. Their pure, innocent wonder. Their screams of terror. Geoff tried to shake the memory away but it would not be restrained anymore and he collapsed to his couch, hunched over with head in hands. A renewed series of sobs made his entire body shudder. It was several minutes before he could compose himself, and even then he was far from settled. His mourning had given way to a fierce anger every bit as unrestrained as his grief. With a hoarse bark he called out to the computer, his mind growing dark with increasingly violent thoughts. “Give me all the atmospheric surveys conducted on Telstrus 3 prior to beam down, along with the names of every officer and crewman responsible for their research. Someone is going to pay for this if it’s the last thing I do.” The computer's polite request to have him restate his query led to a shattered display and four broken bones in Teller’s right hand, although he didn’t know that. At the moment, the pain was strangely satisfying and helped focus his incoherent rage down to a fine, precise edge. He dug into the research for almost two hours as his hand throbbed and discolored, subsisting on a diet of cold coffee and even colder rage, but he came away with his answer. “Lieutenant Kowalski, report to my quarters, now!” The comm successfully conveyed the acid in his words because moments later his door chime rang. “Get in here and stand at attention, Mister.” Geoff’s tone was harsh, his quarters a mess and his own appearance far from uniform standard, but none of that mattered to him at the moment. The sole thing on Geoff’s mind was justice but at this point he’d happily settle for a violent measure of revenge. “Lieutenant Koawlski reporting as ordered. Sir, may I speak freely?” The tension in Koawlski’s voice was thick enough to land a shuttle on, but Geoff wasn’t in a mood to be compassionate. “No you damn well may not, Lieutenant. And I thought I told you to stand at attention!” Kowalski’s already rigid posture became ramrod straight, their unblinking eyes fixed on a far off point on the bulkhead. Geoff finally turned his attention away from the console and stood, closing the distance to Koawlski until they were nose to nose. Geoff’s eyes were frantic, red and bulging. A passing medical officer could have checked his blood pressure from the hallway. “Lieutenant, I am going to ask you a series of questions and you are going to respond Yes Sir, Commander Sir or No Sir, Commander Sir. Is that absolutely clear?” Geoff’s tone made it clear what answer he expected. “Yes Sir, Commander Sir.” To Koawlski’s credit, they weathered this volcano of rage without flinching. “Good. Were you the planetary meteorological officer on duty when we arrived at Telstrus 3?” Geoff knew the answer but he needed to hear the man say it to his face. To admit it was him and not some incomprehensible computer error. “Yes Sir, Commander Sir.” Again, it was the answer Geoff had expected, and it did nothing to quell his anger. “Were you responsible for preparing the atmospheric survey the Captain used to judge the coordinates of our beam down?” “Yes Sir, Commander Sir.” “When the Captain asked you to prepare that survey, were his instructions in any way unclear or subject to misinterpretation?” “No Sir, Commander Sir!” “Do you consider yourself competent at your duties, Lieutenant?” “Yes Sir, Commander Sir!” “In that case, Lieutenant, perhaps you’d like to explain why the Thor’s first children's kite flying contest was such a massive disaster?!” “Sir, I...the wind...it was supposed to be gentle...favorable...nothing in our models suggested hurricane force wind gusts!” “Perhaps you’d like to explain that to seventy-three primary school children who just saw two months of their hard work turned into high altitude confetti while they suffered scrapes and boo-boos the likes of which I’ve never seen!” “Sir, I can’t...I...I’ll resign...or...or you can file charges...you can’t possibly….” “Oh yes I damn well can, Lieutenant. As of now, you are assigned to serve as a class mascot until such time as I feel you’ve learned an important lesson.” Kowalski’s voice went up several octaves in shock. “But Sir!.....” “But nothing, Mister. Now get into that Flotter costume and get down to Deck 12. Those kids are getting blankies and juice boxes and they expect a visit from their new pal real soon....” Kowalski sputtered in incoherent shock but retreated in defeat, leaving Geoff alone again in his quarters. He’d always loved the wind but after today...he’d never be able to think of it without remembering Telstrus 3.

Congratulations, everyone.

Congratulations everyone! Great job!

Hello all! My character’s name is ‘Kivik’. Kivik is J’naii and, as such, is androgynous and does not experience gender. Their preferred personal pronouns are ‘ne/nir/nem/nirself’. They understand many species are primarily binary and won’t be offended by incorrect pronouns, except on a continued basis. My name is Keegan and I’m from Vancouver, in BC, Canada. I work in post-secondary education administration. My personal pronouns are He/Him/His. I’ve watched Star Trek from a young age - my Dad was a casual fan and we’d often watch TNG together. When Voyager started airing, I followed the series and also followed Enterprise and some of Discovery. I’ve also seen some (though not all) of the other series - i.e. TOS, DS9. I’ve not seen any of Below Decks yet. As a teenager, I played a considerable amount of Table Top RPGs (mostly the World of Darkness system) as well as a number of online text-based RPs (Lord of the Rings, Battlestar, and others). Recently, I’ve been re-discovering TTRPGs with Dungeons and Dragons (5E) and have been enjoying DM’ing a couple campaigns. I was interested in exploring an online sim as well - getting a chance to play again - and after some research came upon this community, which seemed really awesome! I'm looking forward to getting started and surviving the Cruise!

The water was calm, its gentle waves lapping softly against the shore. Even the sky overhead contributed to the calm of the place. A secluded little lake tucked away in the mountains. Tall trees stood like sentinels around the water, reaching nearly to the shore. Aspen and pine alike reached up and painted the horizon in hues of greens beneath a blue sky. The dark wood of a small log cabin peaked out from the treeline before a thin wooden dock, a single figure sitting alone at the end. Wes Greaves relaxed in a cheap folding chair, fishing line in the water, and a cool drink in hand. It was a warm day at his little hideaway, and he let out a deep breath. A breath he felt like he'd been holding for months. He'd needed this break from real life. A break from the doctors, from the counselors, and from Starfleet. They thought he was crazy; he knew it. No one believed him, but it didn't matter. Wes heard it before he felt it. His breath caught in his throat as a deep chill ran the entire length of his spine. The sort of chill that comes from deep fear and unspeakable terror. The sound was rushing through the trees behind him. The subtle rustling of leaves in a thick forest. A warm wind blew past the man and ruffled his short hair. The Marine turned his thoughts inward, just like the counselors had taught him. He'd always loved the wind; after all, he'd grown up sailing where the wind was his lifeblood. He tried to focus on that, but failed. After Telstrus III, that love had turned into something else. Something dark and foreboding. That mission had started like any other—a mystery that needed solving, a starship and crew nearby eager to solve it. Wes had even led the away team himself. Six young men and women, including himself. Just the sensation of the breeze took him right back to that terrible day... The surface was cool and rocky, with wide-open plains to the north and quickly steepening mountains to the south. They'd materialized at the base of a rocky cliff and immediately had set about their scans. He took stock of his small team, each a fine young officer. In no time at all they were spread out in a search pattern looking for the strange life sign that was the source of the mystery. A smile crossed his face at the team's proficiency, and Wes did his best to help their science officer with his scans. An hour into the mission was when he’d first begun to realize something was amiss. The ship wasn’t answering any check in calls. Their communicators still worked, but the guardian angel in orbit wasn't responding. Nothing on the tricorder that could determine why. That was about the time Wes heard it for the first time. A light breeze, nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact it was the first indication of wind he'd experienced since they'd beamed in. Ever so faintly, hidden in the sound of the breeze, Wes could make out a whisper. It was a scratchy voice, dry and worn with age, but he couldn't make out the words. The Marine rallied his team and began searching in the direction the wind to no avail. No one else had even heard the voice, but with each new breeze came another whisper, just barely audible. They searched for another hour, and the wind grew stronger by the minute. No one would say anything, but Wes could tell they all heard it. The wind would roll in, someone would look surprised, searching for the source of a sound, but when he would ask about it, the officer would simply wave him off and say it was nothing. The day dragged on, each new search pattern resulting in more questions with no answers in sight. By the time the sun was beginning to set Wes was getting concerned. Surly, the ship would send a relief team or a shuttle to extract them. He’d only planned on being down there for a few hours. As the horizon darkened Wes finally made the decision to seek shelter near the rock face. In minutes the team found a small alcove that allowed a respite from the still-growing wind. He could still hear the hint of the whisper in that breeze, but now the man was sure he wasn't the only one. The eagerness of the small team had been replaced with something darker. They all looked at each other with narrow eyes and suspicious glances. As the evening faded away into blackness they turned in for the night. One by one, each person found a comfortable position and curled up to sleep. For what seemed like hours Wes laid awake, trying to fight for rest while inaudible whispers in the wind kept his mind spinning. He was nearly asleep when the wind changed direction and whipped into the alcove. "They're killers…" This whisper was stronger. The dry raspy voice spoke as if directly into his ear. Wes snapped up and looked around in the dark, his hand reflexively reaching for a phaser. No one was there. Not even his team. He was alone with the wind. "Hello? Who's there?" the Marine called out. "You won't survive the night… They'll find you…" With a flourish Wes was on his feet, phaser in one hand, tricorder in the other. For a moment, the wind died down, and the voice relented, but Wes couldn't detect anything with the device. He took a hesitant step out of the alcove and scanned in an arc for the rest of his team. "You can't run from them…" A shiver ran down the Marine's back as the wind and the whisper seemed to whip around him. There was no explanation for it all. His tricorder detected no life signs, not even his own team. The Marine tried his communicator again, but there was no response. The darkness of the planet seemed to consume him. Wes could see no more than ten feet in front of himself, and the wind dominated his senses. With as much gusto as he could muster, he called out and challenged the wind. "I'm Captain Wes Greaves of the United Federation of Planets; identify yourself!" The wind, already blasting and strong, seemed to snap at his clothes in response. A whirlwind of dust spun around him, and with it a raspy cackle. "Find them first. Before they find you…" He snapped his tricorder shut in frustration and the spinning, cackling wind blew around him again. Without hesitation, Wes pushed forward, directly into the gust. It was like walking through water. Every motion took extra effort. Every move was resisted by the howling wind. He wasn't sure how long he marched through the dark, but when he finally stopped he wished that he hadn’t. Wes found the first two bodies together. Their security and science officers lay on the ground no more than a few feet apart. The distinct dark color beneath their bodies was a muddy, gore-soaked, mess. The sight of a blood-stained rock and the crushed skull of one turned Wes's stomach. Deep bite marks in the other's neck spoke to clear causes of death. For a time, Wes tried to talk himself out of the obvious, but he came to no other conclusion. They'd killed each other. The bloody rock still lay at the feet of their security officer, and the blood soaked mouth of the science officer was testament to their final actions. "They found each other at the same time…" whispered the wind. "Who are you!" the Marine cried out in anger, and the swirling wind laughed at him in response. "Find them first. Before they find you…" Again he trudged along, searching for the rest. One by one, he came across each of his team members. Their doctor, stabbed to death. Another science officer strangled, the bruises on her neck evident, even in the dark. Each time the wind had laughed in its dry, evil, whisper of a voice. Each time it had told him to find the others first. Each time he'd marched deeper into the night. Until the last one. Wes's tricorder beeped with a lifesign ahead, and even as his spirits lifted, the wind laughed at him again. "They found you first..." Before he could react, a giant rock whistled past his head, narrowly missing him. The Marine spun to find their chief of security standing near a boulder, reaching for another rock to throw. The look in the woman's eyes was crazed, and she cackled with delight as another rock was hurled, this one hitting Wes in the left arm with a sickly crack as his forearm broke. A burst of adrenaline carried him through the pain and the man dove for cover, drawing a phaser in response. "Dianna, what the hell are you doing?" he shouted. "I’ll get you first! Just like the rest of them!” came the woman’s chilling reply. The wind snapped and swirled and laughed as another rock narrowly missed Wes’s head. “Stop! It’s me, Wes!” he screamed across the now roaring gale. His words were stolen by the wind and the man watched in horror as the chief of security drew a long slender piece of metal and charged him. A bright beam of light crossed the distance between the two in a split second, illuminating the ground in a bath of orange hues. When darkness once again engulfed them, it was quiet. The gale stopped, and the plains were deadly silent. Rushing to the fallen woman, Wes scanned her. Not believing the tricorder he reached trembling hands to the woman’s neck. Her pulse was gone. It didn’t make sense. None of it did. His phaser was on stun, he triple checked the setting. “Is this what you wanted?” he shouted up to the sky. “Show yourself, whatever you are!” Despite his pleas, there was no response. No wind. Not even a gentle breeze to answer. Just the cool hum and the faint blue shimmer of a transporter beam taking hold and whisking the Marine off to saftey. The XO told him he’d only been on the surface for an hour. They said that there was no evidence of strong winds on the surface, let alone a gale. The ship’s captain was adamant that they’d beamed him back as soon as they had realized that communications weren't working. For months, he’d undergone tests. The doctors couldn’t find a thing wrong with his head. The counselors did the best to reconcile his memories and feelings. It was all chaulked up to stress induced hallucinations. No one believed his story. No one believed that the wind spoke to them. That it told them to kill. The only thing they all could agree on was that Wes Greaves was the only survivor of Telstrus III. The gentle warm breeze ruffled his hair again and Wes stood from the chair on the dock. The faint sound of whistling wind through the trees terrified him. Not bothering to reel in his line, the man left the fishing pole and retreated into the cabin. Away from the wind. Away from its insidious whisper.

OOC: This was originally a two part post, but for easy reading I am combining it so we all enjoy this wonderfull sim. It speaks for itself. IC: ((XO’s Quarters, USS Juneau)) Natalia woke up from her nap and sat up in her little bed. She pushed aside the blanket and picked up the little badge and activated the HMT she had named George. Natalia: Hi, George. Springing into existence in a cloud of photons and fabric, the Holographic Muppet Teller was a goofy mass of smiles and hugs a few seconds later. HMT: Geordi? Who’s Geordi? Not me!? ::Suddenly, the puppet had a [...]-fabric Visor across its eyes while it looked around the room, feigning confusion.:: Natalia beamed at him and gave him a tight hug. Then with an arm around his neck she headed into the main living area. Edgar the cat lifted his head as they came out. Seeing that he wasn’t about to be chased, settled back down in chair. There was no sign of her parents, so Natalia walked to the door of her parents’ bedroom and looked inside. Both of them were asleep. She rolled her eyes. Pepe must have given Meme another of those special backrubs. They were probably going to sleep for a while. Natalia didn’t mind the backrubs. Pepe always gave the best ones. But still… She wandered back into the other room. She knew there was no leaving their quarters by herself. Her last adventure had resulted in some very strong security features. Unless the red light was flashing, that door wouldn’t open without her parents’ say so. She looked at her special shuttle and smiled. Her Uncle Geoff had made that for her and it was lots of fun. Under her arm was Wimbo, her first and best plushie. She really missed them. Then a smile curved her lips. She would talk to them. The little girl happily went to her father’s workstation and climbed onto the chair. Bounding alongside, the HMT pressed a nose to the edge of the desk, eyes just barely able to see the work surface. HMT: Whatcha doing, stinky? ::It had become a favorite nickname after a particularly smelly incident with the waste recycler:: If you want to watch Toby the Targ, I can put it on for you in the main room. Natalia: Computer There was a chirp of acknowledgement. Natalia: I want to talk to Uncle Geoff and Uncle Wil. Computer: Unable to comply. That earned a frown and pout. Natalia: Why not? Computer: Insufficient Parameters. The pout kicked in full force. Natalia turned her attention to George. Natalia: I don’t know what that means. Fix it. The holo-muppet scratched its head with an exaggerated finger. HMT: Well I’m not sure I know how! You know we’re not supposed to go playing with the computer! Natalia: I want to talk to Uncle Geoff and Uncle Wil. Now! Beneath the fabric & photons, a complex series of algorithms was running to predict the young girls needs, desires, and probably emotional outcomes from different courses of action. As a high priority directive was to avoid making his charge cry, additional programmatic strategies began opening up. The holomuppets outfit changed from the golden engineering tunic and oversized commbadge to a shimmering turquoise. His head changed to a more amphibian shape and an equally deep shade of blue. HMT: How about we go spend some time with Flotter! Our next chapter is "Flotter meets the Invincible Invertebrates" and there’s a very impressive castle…. Natalia’s expression took on the bland stubborn look her father’s would sometimes wear. In her case it meant trouble. Waking up working parents was not part of the HMT’s programming. Sensing failure, the HMT reverted to its typical appearance. With an exaggerated sigh of its oversized head, the muppet shuffled up into the chair next to Natalia, setting off a peal of giggles as he ‘accidentally’ bumped into her several times. Covering its eyes with one hand and clumsily rummaging around the desk with the other, the HMT silently uplinked to the Juneau’s computer and completed the complex series of subspace interlink requests. With a dramatic spin of its cuddly hand, the HMT tapped the controls and the console sprang to life. HMT: I still think we should’ve hung out with Treevis.... It wasn’t long before images of the two men appeared side by side on the viewscreen. Natalia bounced with joy. Natalia: Uncle Geoff! Uncle Wil!! Wil’s screen on his desk in the Chief Engineer’s office of the USS Veritas chimed with an incoming message, from outside of the Shoals. He smiled. It would be crackly and sometimes distorted, but it was a testament to Tristam Core’s engineering smarts. The 3G network was working a treat. Ukinix: ::Smiling:: Tarls! How are you? Natalia: ::bouncing on the chair:: Uncle Wil! I is good! On the bridge of the USS Thor, a priority one communication request directed to Commander Geoffrey Teller sprang up on the main view screen. He was tending the midwatch and there wasn’t much activity on the bridge, so rather than retreat to his office he decided to answer here. As the screen filled on one side with the delighted face of Natalia Moonsong, and the other with the slightly laggy face of Lt. Cmdr. Wil Ukinix, Geoff’s smile widened until it hurt. Teller: Natalia! Wil! What a surprise...and is that a fuzzy friend I see? Natalia: George fixed it! Ukinix: ::To Teller:: G’day Geoffrey, how are ya? Geoff smirked at his dear friend. Teller: G’day knackers! Nacelles fall off that old bucket yet? Natalia: Not yet! Ukinix: Did you make this call, little lady? Natalia: ::head bobbing frantically to make curls bounce:: I called you this time! Teller: I did not program the HMT to do that. From its position in the chair, the HMT hopped up and blew a loud, long razberry. When the holographic toy version of Teller appeared on the screen… Ukinix: ::hand on chest:: Argh! … Wil shrieked a little bit. HMT: Haha! Boring old Geoff, you programmed me to do 1001 things! This was number 624 - “Establish emergency contact with caregivers using whatever means necessary if & when Natalia is in distress. Unca Geof & Unca Wil are listed in my emergency contacts.” Oooo wait a minute, is that a new shiny on your uniform, Dull Geoff? I’ll need to update my outfit! With a spin and a flourish, the HMT was now wearing a crimson uniform with three dots along the collar. After examining his new appearance in a comically oversized hand mirror that popped into existence, the HMT let out an exaggerated ‘yuck,’ shook off the new color and pip and returned to its base appearance. Geoff heard a bit of snickering on the bridge and glanced towards the science station, where Lieutenant Kowolski was very studiously looking anywhere but at him or the viewscreen. Ukinix: Do your parents know? Natalia: ::rolls eyes:: Meme and Pepe sleep. Special backrub again. Ukinix: Oh. Um... right. Well, when a mummy and daddy love each other… uh.. Wow, your hair has grown so much Admiral Natalia! A coughing fit from Lt. Kowalski’s station broke through Geoff’s stupefied expression. The man had inhaled and promptly aspirated most of his cup of coffee and was now hacking for air, trying desperately to hide the tears of laughter in his eyes. Teller: Well then Admiral, we’ll let them sleep for now! So, do you have any orders for us, ma’am? ::Geoff gestured to the bridge:: the Thor is at your disposal. ::Geoff glanced at the aft station:: Especially Lt. Kowalski. Natalia: I am big girl now. Ukinix: ::To Natalia:: Are you and Mummy and Daddy having fun on the Juneau? Natalia: Exciting here. Pepe’s diner go boom! ::arms wide:: And da fireworks went boom too soon. Admittedly not the most recent mission for the ship, but it was the one she actually got to play a part in. Teller’s eyes narrowed in confusion and he tapped at a few controls adjacent to the Captain's chair, bringing up the Juneau’s mission reports. He started skimming with one eye as Natalia went on with her story. Natalia: We wents to the park and had ribs. Then the old stuff store went boom and the man was gonna be on the moon. Wil rested his chin on his thumb and forefinger. Ukinix: ::To Teller:: I think we’re getting a mission report. Geoff chuckled and nodded towards the console. Teller: Honestly it’s better than the one Jansen filed - more explosions and he doesn’t mention the ribs at all. Tisk tisk. Natalia: And Meme wasn’t Meme she was ::pauses to get the word out right:: Ly-bray-rhee-an. And Pepe was chef! Ukinix: Wow! And what were you doing when all that happened? Natalia: ::pouts:: I had to go to kindergarten. Not as fun as Juneau. Dens the ceiling fell on me and Molly. Teller: Well it certainly sounds like you had quite the adventure, Admiral. I think I’m starting to understand why Meme needed a special back rub. That earned him an unimpressed eye roll from Natalia. Ukinix: Well, maybe Uncle Geoff and Uncle Wil could tell you a story about what we’ve been up to. Would you like to hear? Geoff lowered his voice and looked around. Teller: Well, if you’re sure it won’t be too scary for you! The Thor’s mission reports are classified, “Big girls only!” Natalia: ::pointing a thumb to her chest:: I AM a big girl! I’m not a baby! No diapers! Wil thought for a moment about how to describe their last mission in terms that Natalia would understand. Ukinix: We went to visit a pretty Nebula, and we found an asteroid in it. Some miners tried to land on it, but their ship crashed. So your Auntie Roshanara sent us to go inside the asteroid and look at it. And do you know what we found? Natalia: ::eyes big:: What, Uncle Wil? The HMT and Geoff spoke in near unison. Teller/HMT: Yeah Unca Wil, whaddid ya find? Ukinix: People who have been living on there for hundreds of years! They didn’t even know there was space outside. And the asteroid had a very smart computer trying to find them a new planet to call their home, but it broke. So we had to help fix up the computer. Natalia: You broked their house, Uncle Wil? Geoff made a mental note to call up the Veritas mission reports for the last few months. It sounded like it had been an exciting time for his old shipmate. Teller: Well I certainly hope Auntie Roshie saved the day, don’t you Natalia? Natalia: Auntie Roshie always saves the day. Hers is the smartest. And Auntie Char always fixes stuff. Geoff chuckled agreeably and nodded. Teller: Skipper always saves the day! That’s why she’s the Skipper. Now let me think…::Geoff put on an exaggerated display of thinking, which the HMT mockingly pantomimed::...We’ve had a few adventures here. Maybe you’d like to hear about a whole planet that…::Geoff snapped his fingers::...vanished! Nah, that planet was full of dragons, you wouldn’t want to hear about that….no no, much too scary…. Natalia: Uncle Geoff! I want to hear about dragons! ::she put on her prettiest pout:: Please? Teller: Hmm, I don’t know Uncle Wil - what would Starfleet Command have to say about this? Ukinix: ::Smiling:: She’s an Admiral, Geoffrey, I’m sure she’s got clearance. Natalia: Pretty please, Uncle Geoff? With sugar on top? Teller: Well, you did use the magic word, so now I suppose I have to! Your Uncle Geoff and his friends we’re trying to find some people who had gotten lost, and to do it we had to go wayyyyyyyyy underground! It was dark and scary and the tunnels went on forever and ever and ever…. Geoff could see the little girl leaning forward, completely transfixed. He began moving around the bridge, trying to visualize things with his hands as he went. Teller:....so we’re walking and walking and walking and we can’t find the lost people...but you know what we did find? Natalia: A dragon? ::he did say the story was about dragons after all:: Teller: Not just one….but TWO dragons...and they could eat rocks! Can you imagine it, Natalia? A nice hot bowl of rocks for breakfast? The HMT made a disgusted blatt and Natalia giggled in delight. Geoff raised his arms above his head as far as they’d go and splayed his fingers, digging at invisible stone and stuffing it into his mouth with exaggerated chomps. Natalia: Did they tries to eat you Uncle Geoff? Teller: Oh don’t worry, they were very nice dragons...although one of them did eat a little bit of our ship! Natalia gasped and clapped, enthralled by the tales of adventure. Meanwhile, the noise from an excited three-year-old and the voices of old friends dragged parents from a restful sleep. Raissa stood in the doorway of their bedroom, her arms crossed as she shook her head. Moonsong: ::softly:: I wonder how she pulled this off. Orrey: ::pointing at the puppet.:: I have an idea. Moonsong: ::whisper:: Let her hear the end of the dragon story first, then we will interrupt. Orrey: Dragons indeed. We will have to read that later on. Natalia: ::happily bouncing on the chair:: More stories Uncle Wil! More stories Uncle Geoff! Teller: Well there was this time Uncle Geoff & Uncle Will got a little silly on shoreleave…. Ukinix: Yeah, and your uncle Geoff got a picture of someone on his arm, and didn't get it removed! Moonsong: ::coming into view of the monitor:: I think that is enough stories for now. Teller: Raissa! Hope we didn’t wake you. I understand Jansen’s special backrubs really take it out of you. Geoff tried to keep a serious expression. He failed, but a respectful attempt was made. Ukninx: I, uh - ::clears throat:: - awkies. Orrey: Someday I am sure you will be lucky to find someone to rub your back, Geoff. Natalia pouted. Figures her parents would wake up now. Geoff reddened visibly before turning away from the display. Moonsong: ::smiles as she leans forward a little, a hand to Natalia’s head.:: It is great to see you two. Despite the fact this call wasn’t authorized. Teller: Well it seems like we’ve got “George,” to thank for that, isn’t that right….George? Geoff scowled slightly at the HMT, wondering how hard it would be to push a six hundred gigaquad matrix update over subspace. He knew he should’ve built a holo-puppy. For it’s part, the HMT feigned innocence and shuffled behind Natalia for protection. Ukinix: ::smirking:: Onya George. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have seen how much Natalia has grown. Orrey: ::smiling down at the little girl and petting her hair.:: Aye, been a spell hasn’t it? Raissa leveled her gaze at the HMT. She didn’t really blame the little creature. Children were notorious throughout time in finding loopholes in parental authority and exploiting it until caught. Moonsong: HMT Security Update, authorization Mommy Moonsong 01. No subspace calls without parental real time verbal authority. That would stop the off ship calls, but still allow her to call the friends she had made in the ship’s childcare facility. Ukinix: ::To Raissa and Jansen:: Natalia’s going to make a great engineer one day. Or maybe security. Orrey: She can learn from you and Jayla, eh? Teller: I thought we were trying to expose the little lady to good influences, but if you say so. Geoff headed back to the Captain’s chair, storytime having come to a close with a few giggles Geoff felt surprisingly warm, the unexpected reunion buoying his spirits considerably. Moonsong: Considering what Jayla did to Wil for two years, that is not a good thing. Ukinix: Well, I’d just like to say that I miss all of you guys. ::Looking at HMT, smirking:: Maybe not you though, furball. The HMT covered Natalia’s eyes with one fuzzy hand and made a very rude gesture towards Wil with the other. Orrey: We all need to get together more often. Perhaps on the holodeck. Moonsong: That would be a lovely idea. It would be wonderful to give you both a virtual hug. Natalia: ::bouncing in her seat;: Hugs! Hugs! Geoff smiled at the idea, briefly wondering how much leave he’d accumulated. Teller: Sounds like a wonderful idea to me - as I recall, Wil’s got a beach program I’m not supposed to know about hidden in the aft datacore. Wil’s eyes opened, slightly shocked. He had been with Geoff on the tropical planet Limbo where the Veritas crew had become marooned. Once they rescued themselves, the ship was limping away but that didn’t stop Wil from performing a detailed scan of the beach dubbed “PurpleWhiteHaven”. Ukinix: How - how did you know about that? Moonsong: ::looking at the screen:: It appears you are on duty, Geoff, if the snickering crewmen behind you is any indication. And Wil, you probably should be on duty or is Charlena running everything while you’re skirting work? Teller: Oh don’t mind the soon to be demoted Lieutenant at the science station. ::Geoff glanced over, Lt. Kowolski now attempting to blend in with their console.:: Besides, a Priority One communication from the Admiral here ::Geoff nodded respectfully towards Natalia:: will never be ignored. My word as an officer and an Unca. Ukinix: ::Putting feet up on desk, relaxed sigh:: Alpha shift just ended. ::Hand behind head:: I’m free and easy. Moonsong: It was wonderful to see you two again. Say good bye now, Natalia. Natalia: ::with a great big grin:: Good bye now, Natalia! ::blows kisses to her uncles:: Teller: Night night little one. Fair seas to all of you, my friends. Ukinix: Seeya Admiral Tarls! Have fun little lady. Jansen scooped up his daughter with a laugh as the feed cut. Orrey: Alright you, lets get dinner made and have a long talk about subspace communications. END ------ Natalia Moonsong A Child Too Clever USS Juneau & =/\==/\==/\==/\==/\==/\==/\= Lt. Commander Raissa Moonsong Acting Chief Of Sciences Specialty: Cultural XenoAnthropology/Psychology USS Juneau, NX-99801 =/\==/\=G239107RM0 =/\==/\= & /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Lieutenant Commander Jansen Orrey M.D. M.Sc First Officer USS Juneau O238506JO0 & Lieutenant Commander Wil Ukinix Chief Engineer and Second Officer USS Veritas V239511WU0 & Commander Geoffrey Teller Executive Officer and Holographic Muppet USS Thor - NCC 82607 Commodore A. Kells, Commanding V239509GT0

From Sky Blake @Blake: