StarBase 118 Staff

MENTHAR CORRIDOR — The USS Gorkon has attempted to render aid to a stricken science vessel while en route to the Menthar Corridor, but a seemingly coordinated system of booby traps has put the rescue teams themselves in jeopardy. Between assignments, the new crew of the USS Gorkon enjoyed leave on Starbase 118, where they attended an awards ceremony set in an idyllic holodeck simulation of an old English summer fête. Shortly afterward, Gorkon and her crew departed 118 for the Menthar Corridor, their primary theatre of operations. En route, Gorkon received a distress call from the Oberth-class science vessel USS Tharsis, a member of Astrofori One’s standing fleet Peaceforce Five. Approaching her location, Gorkon discovered Tharsis was trapped in a gravity anomaly and not responding to hails. Three away teams beamed over to the stricken ship: Commander Alucard Vess’ team to organize medical relief in sickbay, Commander Chen’s team to sound the ship and conduct repairs from engineering, and Captain Quinn Reynolds’ team to assess and prepare for evacuation on the bridge. Upon arrival, the away teams found Tharsis running on emergency power, ship-wide dispersion fields and small gravity anomalies, and the crew missing. Events swiftly descended into chaos. Communications were severed, and Tharsis’ shields were raised, trapping the away teams onboard. A deliberate overload of the electro-plasma systems forced the bridge team to escape into a powerless turbolift, and from there into the Jefferies tubes, which themselves began to flood with water. It was only through the heroics of Lieutenant Ayiana Sevo that the team was able to escape being drowned. Commander Vess’ team found sickbay damaged and in disarray. A search turned up a dead Bolian crewman, inflected with Sarpedionital gondii, a parasite known for burrowing into the skin and fusing with the nervous system, causing paranoia, irrationality and violent behavior in its hosts. Discovering Tharsis’ Chief Medical Officer in hiding, the team found out that the parasites had infected the crew as a result of his negligence. A wildfire protocol was then activated in sickbay, filling the corridors with toxic gas and forcing the team to evacuate. Commander Chen’s team also encountered a member of Tharsis’ crew, a badly injured crewman who collapsed shortly thereafter. An unexpected warp core breach drill impelled the team to evacuate engineering before the entire area was locked down. They managed to escape through the Jefferies tubes, but had to leave the dying crewman behind in order to save themselves. Back aboard Gorkon, the crew worked to support the away teams, but their rescue efforts were thwarted by the highly volatile situation on Tharsis. “It’s an impossible situation,” said Lt. Commander Kael Tam, while temporarily in command on Gorkon’s bridge. “How do you rescue a crew when that the same crew is trying their hardest to hunt and kill you?” The post USS Gorkon responds to Starfleet distress signal appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Each month, the Publicity Team posts an easy task you can do to help with our community’s publicity efforts, which are incredibly important in growing our fleet, keeping ships stocked with new members, and ensuring the longevity of our group. This month, we’re going to show you how to join us on TREKSPACE. Participating in Star Trek forums and groups like this is useful in piquing peoples’ interests and reaching the very specific audience who wants to find us. It only takes a few minutes, and can have an outsized impact on future recruiting, so let’s get started! Please follow each step below and then check in once you’ve completed the project to let us know how you got on! 1) Go to http://www.trekspace.org/ and “sign up” by clicking the link at the top right hand side of the screen. It only takes a couple of minutes and is as simple as supplying an email address (make sure its valid as you’ll have to verify it in the next stage), password, date of birth and filling in the CAPTCHA, or you can sign up through linking facebook or twitter which is even faster. 2) Go to your email and click the link in the verification email that has been sent. It will take you to a page with the following: Fill out your details as appropriate, including a link back to the fleet main website (www.starbase118.net/) where is says website then press “Join” 3) Join our Trekspace Group here: http://www.trekspace.org/group/ufopstarbase118 and post in the “Greetings Room” discussion thread. 4) Join the conversation by finding something that interests you and participating in forum discussions here: http://www.trekspace.org/forum. The more regularly you can do this, the greater the impact you’ll have on our recruitment efforts! Remember to check in here to share your success! The post Publicity Project: TREKSPACE appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

We’re already half-way through September, which means you have just two weeks to join the Autumn Graphic Contest! The theme this time around is “the dark subconscious mind.” What sends chills down your spine? Your character’s fears, skeletons in the closet, desires? What are your biggest secrets? Or maybe even your biggest regrets? Share them with us in your wonderful creative artwork! More information, like submission requirements and exact dates, you can find in the Graphic Contest announcement forum. If you have questions, you can find a discussion thread as well. Come on over to the Graphic Contest Forum and join us! The post Graphics Contest: We want your dark subconscious minds appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Don’t forget to stop by the chatroom today — Sunday, September 13th — for our regularly scheduled monthly community chat! These chats are open to any member of the fleet. Come by and see, in real time, what other folks in the fleet have been up to. The chat starts at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 5pm GMC UTC (UK) / 4am Monday UTC+11 (AUS). Always check your time zone for accuracy/DST if applicable! Click this link to head to the chat page now and connect: http://www.starbase118.net/chat/. If you have problems connecting, use the instructions listed below the chat box. The post Fleetwide chat today! appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

MENTHAR CORRIDOR — The USS Yamaguchi, destroyed at Wolf 359, has been saved from history, along with her crew, after the USS Invicta encounters the Q. The Invicta had just launched on a shakedown cruise from Astrofori One when she soon encountered two members of the Q Continuum. One of the Q, named Quana, had acquired a collection of starships from across space and time, among them the USS Yamaguchi, previously destroyed with all hands at the Battle of Wolf 359 in 2367 against the Borg. The Invicta crew were then split into two teams, one for each Q, in a twisted game of “capture the flag” that involved the teams trying to find their objective through twisted fantasies of their past memories. One team, led by the Invicta’s first officer Lt. Cmdr. Roshanara Rahman, involved trying to find a flag while surviving Dr. Raj Blueheart’s teenage torment on Luna. Another team on the Yamaguchi were brought back to the Terra Nova colony, home of the Yamaguchi’s first officer H’lill and his son Mei’konda, the Invicta’s chief of operations. Ultimately, a third Q appeared and set an ultimatum for both Q. The Invicta and the Yamaguchi were suddenly trapped within a contracting cage and told only one ship would be permitted to escape. Captain Aron Kells soon formulated a plan with his crew and the help of Bandixen, a mysterious El-Aurian, to attempt to destroy the Yamaguchi as a distraction and beam the crew to the Invicta to leave. Fortunately, it seemed this plan of action was enough for one of the Q to be declared a winner, and with her victory, she was able to free both Invicta and Yamaguchi from the collection. The Invicta returned to Astrofori One, along with the recovered Yamaguchi, for some much needed shore leave and reflection on their anything-but-routine shake down cruise. Starfleet has begun contacting families of the Yamaguchi crew, who greeted the news with tears, joy, and in some cases, disbelief. “I’m just in shock,” said Daniel Vasser, whose older sister Carmen was a helm/com/ops officer aboard the ill-fated ship. “To find out she’s still alive after all these years–along with everyone else. It’s like our family’s been given a second chance.” The post USS Yamaguchi saved from history’s fate appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Have you heard of Star Trek: Renegades? It’s an independently produced pilot for a potential new “Star Trek” online series! The premise of the film is that a problem with the distribution of dilithium has occurred and, as a result, space and time is folding in on itself. Chekov lives forever in the Star Trek universe and appears to still be alive as he asks for the help of Tuvok to carry out the mission to fix what is wrong. The film is directed by Star Trek fan, and Tuvok actor, Tim Russ. So that brings us to this week’s Poll of the Week question: Have you seen Star Trek: Renegades yet? If no, do you plan to see it? If yes, what did you think about it? Head on over to the polls and vote away and please leave your comments! Be careful though and please try to avoid spoilers for those, like I, who have yet to see the film. The post Poll of the Week: Renegades appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduate to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Devoran Saalik! The post New Academy Graduates appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

In the second week of August, the UFOP: SB118 fleet was delighted to welcome the addition of the USS Avandar to our numbers, recommissioned under the command of Captain Della Vetri. How did this affect the fleets simming for the month? Let’s take a closer look! The fleet’s total post count and average sims per month remained relatively static from July to August. Most ships maintained similar post totals to those of the previous month, with a small number of vessels having more dramatic swings in either direction. For example, after taking command of the Columbia in the very last days of July, Commander Brek’s turn in the centre chair is off to an auspicious start, with an impressive 235 sims posted this month, an increase of nearly 100 from the previous month! Our most prolific sim site this month was the Duronis II Embassy, submitting an amazing 267 sims during August. For the first time this year, the overall pattern diverges from the one seen in 2013. Instead of the increase we saw for August in 2013, this year the post count for the fleet levelled off and was almost identical to July’s. Three of our ships managed to break the feat of 200 sims for the month, and only two had post totals below 125. What will September bring? Tune in next month to find out, and in the meantime, don’t forget to keep up with our stories on the fleet’s sim archive! The post August 2015 Post Totals appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

TEDLEN SYSTEM – A request for investigative aid has lead the USS Avandar into the middle of a violent confrontation. In response to a request for Federation aid in investigating a series of strange occurrences, the USS Avandar (NCC-80203) was dispatched to the L’Heia sector, once again under the command of Captain Della Vetri. What proved to be an uneventful trip turned into something very different, however, when the USS Avandar dropped out of quantum slipstream in the Telden system – and straight into the middle of a space battle. Whilst the ship escaped damage in the crossfire, things were very tense as the crew attempted to establish what was going on, eventually managing to identify one of the engaged forces as local law, whilst the other remains completely unknown. Attempts to establish communications with either the planet or anyone in local space met with great difficulty due to EM interference in the area, but the orbital fighting died down after one of the unknown vessels, apparently composed of advanced biotechnology, released some form of electrical blast at the Avandar – causing no damage, but provoking a retaliatory shot that severely depleted its defences. Visual scans established that fighting had also been taking place on the surface, with major damage to the native capital, and whilst a tense three way stand-off developed in space, an away team under Commander Tracey Townson was dispatched to the planet to try and make contact with the locals and assess the situation. Once safely down, the away team found a great deal of damage and casualties, but no apparent sign yet of the attackers themselves. It was soon discovered that whatever had damaged the city was not alone, as there are also signs of increasingly frequent and severe seismic tremors, the cause of which is currently a mystery even to orbital scans from the Avandar’s advanced sensor systems. As attempts to make contact with the unknown attackers continue, including efforts to identify an apparently telepathic influence that affected Lieutenant JG Fenelli soon after the energy blast hit the Avandar’s shields, the crew are working hard to find some way to try and resolve the situation before more lives are lost. It is proving to be a tricky task, however, and as Capt. Vetri herself stated, “If we’re not careful, we could end up getting mired in this whole mess ourselves.” The post USS Avandar stumbles into conflict appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

The staff of UFOP: StarBase 118 would like to take a moment and recognize the officers – please be sure to congratulate these folks when you see them around the fleet! AVANDAR Tracey Townson to CommanderCOLUMBIA Nuvia Oori to Lieutenant JGEMBASSY Anora Manar to Lt. CommanderDaniel Cain to Lieutenant Junior GradeThe post Promotions for August, 2015 appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

BILA III – The USS Doyle arrived in orbit around Bila III to coordinate with another Starfleet vessel in helping the people of Bila save themselves and their planet. The crew of the USS Doyle, NC-80221-A, had orchestrated search and rescue plans with the USS Ballard, NCC-78931. The crew of the Doyle sent out two away teams, the first led by the Doyle’s First Officer was beamed down to the planet’s surface to gather data and do what they could to help the people. The second team was led by the Captain himself, much to the protest of at least one very annoyed officer, was sent to investigate a mysterious ship that hovered in orbit above the planet as well as shut down the dampening field that was interfering with communications. The planetside away team had their hands full rallying the locals. The team managed to save a pregnant woman from a burning building, take her to an evac center and meet up with the Marines and a Doctor from the Ballard. The team took their readings, stunned and captured the woman behind the planet’s destruction, and managed to deactivate the fail safe that almost destroyed the planet. The captured woman killed herself in custody not long later. Also saved, were a number of escaped slaves who were beamed into the brig and are waiting clearance to be released. When members of the crew were asked how they felt about the incident on Bila, these were their responses: “This is an exhausting career but saving just one life, let alone a planet, is the greatest reward you could ever hope to get,” said Ensign Cassandra Ezi. “Being a doctor and coming to the aid of a fellow man is quite satisfying in its self, but when you put it on a planetary level. It become almost overwhelming to comprehend,” said Ensign Brandon Craig. “My only regret is that those under my command received injury,” added Sergeant Karl Volkening. The shipside away team discovered the mystery ship was a slave ship, encountered a large bug, lowered the dampening field, and had a console explode on them wounding a good number of the Marines, the Doyle’s Captain, as well as the Doyle’s HCO Officer. They were beamed back to the Doyle for medical treatment. Shortly after the ship exploded in a sparkling display. The origin of the explosion is still unknown. With the planet saved, the Governor headed home to Bila III to begin the reconstruction and rebuilding of her planet. The crews of the USS Ballard and Doyle have wrapped things up and are taking themselves back to Deep Space 285 for a nice relaxing shore leave. The post USS Doyle concludes search, rescue, and relief effort appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Set your calendar: Our next chat is scheduled for Sunday, September 13th at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern (US) / 5pm GMC UTC (UK) / 4am Monday UTC+11 (AUS). To participate, simply head to our online chat room, at: http://www.starbase118.net/chat — if you have problems connecting, use the instructions listed below the chat box. Also, feel free to come onto the Voice Chat server – instructions are available here. Our fleetwide chats are a space for all the members of the StarBase 118 group to get together and talk in real time about everything that’s happening within the group. Find out what’s going on with fleetwide plotlines, meet new members, talk about our newest ships and forum projects and more! The post Next fleetwide chat: Sunday, Sept. 13th appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Machiavelli said, “A great leader should be feared more than loved.” Patton said, “A great leader is one willing to make the tough decisions.” Napoleon said, “A great leader is a ‘dealer in hope.'” Groucho Marx said, “Only one man in a thousand is a great leader of men – the other 999 follow women.” With that being said, which captain do you think was the greatest leader in the Star Trek franchise? The battle is between Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway and Archer. The post Poll of the Week: Leader of the Pack appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

The Top Sims Contest recognizes the best sims produced by our fleet, which are nominated by members of each ship. A panel of judges – one from each crew – then ranks the nominations. The winners from each nomination round then go to a run-off round, where the general membership choses the one they like the best. Seven sims are now competing in Run-off Round 3 for the chance to compete in the final round of the year and be crowned the “Top Sim of 2015”! Here’s the list: ​Round 14: Hannibal Parker, “Cat Food“​​Round 15: Sovak, “Taarikh“​​Round 16: Maxwell Traenor & Noros (PNPC), “Max“​​Round 17: Aron Kells, “Turn and face the strange“​​Round 18: Kalianna Nicholotti, “Unremembered Familiarity“​​Round 19: Kellan Joran & Ashley Yael, “Regularly Scheduled Support“​​Round 20: Seth Ralston (NPC), “Showtime“Click here to vote now and decide which of the nominated sims goes on to the final round of the year. Good luck to the nominees! The post Top Sims Contest Run-off Round 3: Vote now! appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

STARBASE 118 — While investigating a destroyed freighter, Starfleet teams have discovered a terrible explosive combination that threatens the entire sector. In the midst of their investigation of the wreckage of the freighter SS Annabelle’s Lament, teams from StarBase 118 Ops have uncovered a nefarious terrorist plot to create plastic explosives from two common chemicals: calcium trisulfanese, a terraforming fertilizer, and “Gold Dew,” an exotic liquor. Believing this combination spelled doom for the Annabelle’s Lament, intel teams started to investigate the sale of the chemicals in the immediate area and were able to track the source back to the civilian spaceport Miranda VII. Research uncovered a Romulan company – Emerald Dragon Enterprises – had bought the majority of these chemicals in the last few months. As the crew investigated, engineers and security were called away to investigate potential bombs planted on StarBase 118 by Romulan terrorists connected to the crash of the Cerberas. Security also dealt with an assassin sent to eliminate Zel Rohan, an independent merchant and major informant in the case. “It’s just one thing after another,” security officer Ensign Mayweather commented. “First a power drop, then an explosion, then shots were fired in the brig, and now we’ve got bombs on the lower decks. And we have to keep all this hush-hush from the civilians because if we have riots three times in a row, I’m sure someone will find a book in some vault and throw it at us. It’s maddening. This is off the record, isn’t it?” The further security and intel teams dug, the more it became clear that the terrorists who attacked the station with the SS Cerberas and attacked the USS Albion in the Jenatris cloud were connected to this attempted bombing. More worrisome was the news that criminals with previous connections to the presumed defunct Orion Syndicate were the major suppliers of the chemicals used to create the explosives. Lt. Commander Falcon gathered an away team to head to spaceport Miranda VII to apprehend these criminals and hopefully put a stop to the bombings by cutting off the supply of materials to the terrorist faction. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Taybrim coordinated teams on Ops to do a full sweep to find and remove any bombs left on the station and apprehend any potential terrorists who planted them. The post StarBase 118 uncovers terrorist plot appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Aexon Raxopa and Anastasha Broi! The post New Academy Graduates appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

The summer is officially behind us, and in many parts of our player’s worlds, things are getting cooler and back into the normal routine. While much of the year’s fun might be passed us, there’s still plenty to get into around the Starbase 118 forums. Here’s just a sampling of things that you can enjoy while the weather gets cooler and the world heads towards the darker days of winter. There’s life in the Character Guild again. Be sure to stop by and check out the different threads that make you think about your character and how deep your personal rabbit hole goes: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/forum/499-characters-guild/ We’ve all been a part of sims where things might turn a bit dark. Now you can show off your character’s darker side in the Autumn graphics contest. Head over here for more information on how to submit your entry: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/topic/12193-autumn-graphic-contest-announcement/ Get back to basics and join in our Trek centered conversation on our Trek threads. http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/forum/215-star-trek/ Or just talk with other members from around the Fleet in our general discussion threads. http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/forum/14-general-discussion/ The Featured Bio team is seeking new members. If you’re interested in joining and judging entries for the various rounds, learn more here: http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/topic/12416-the-featured-bio-contest-needs-you/ Likewise, the many teams that make Starbase 118 as great as it is are also seeking help. Stop by our Team hub and check out all that is available. http://forums.starbase118.net/index.php/forum/105-group-elements/ If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the facilitators of these teams or the Taskforce Facilitator directly for more information. Even as the world turns towards the colder months of the year for a lot of us, there is still plenty to get into around the Starbase 118 forums. Be sure to stop by and check it out. Until next month, we’ll see you around the threads! The post Forums Roundup: September 2015 appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

If you were to ask Maxwell Traenor to describe himself, he would say he was ‘wholly unremarkable’. Not so! The Chief Science Officer aboard the USS Darwin-A is anything but unremarkable. He is a baby-grand playing, bike riding, laundry shirking, camera loving guy who is known as Gordie to his friends. And, he leaves his room in the morning without making the bed! Starting his career aboard the USS Apollo, Traenor transferred to the Darwin in 2392, where he has pioneered the multi-species initiative and is currently acting as First Officer in a high stakes mission against the mysterious Sicarius organisation. Congratulations to Maxwell Traenor of the USS Darwin-A who has been selected as the Featured Bio for September 2015, and Cory Stoyer of the USS Gorkon, this round’s featured nominee! As always, you can find out more about the Featured Bio Contest at its wiki page or in its forum. Head there now to learn more about the contest and nominate bios that deserve recognition! The post Featured Bio Winner, September: Maxwell Traenor appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

I remember watching “Q Who” from The Next Generation and recall the throw away line from Guinan where she said something interesting that I never paid much attention to before, she said something like “When humans are ready, it may be possible to establish a relationship with the Borg, but for now humanity was only raw material to them.” Do you think the Borg could ever establish a relationship, even a friendship, with the Federation in the future? Perhaps there is even an alien species that is worse than the Borg as an enemy? What could be worse than the Borg? Q hinted on the same episode that there are “terrors that would freeze your soul.” The Borg may be bad, but there could be worse things out there, deeper in space that the Federation haven’t even come in contact with. Perhaps, we are lucky we just saw the Borg, because much worse things lurk farther in space. It would be interesting to see if there are beings out there that that make the Borg look like kittens. What are your thoughts? Click here to head to the forums and submit your vote. Don’t be afraid to post your thoughts on the forum thread! The post Poll of the Week: Diplomatic Relations appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

In this edition of the Lower Decks, we’re speaking of Ensign Graeme Cook, a medical officer aboard the USS Darwin-A, our Horizon class science vessel. Ensign Cook boarded his first assignment right in the thick of it, as his captain had recently been kidnapped, he’d aided a patient in a double leg amputation which earned him a lifesaving citation, and has already been chosen for various away teams and hazardous duties. Managing the medical bay has his hands full at the moment, but Graeme does take the time to unwind, and experience some things he’s not accustomed to in the holodeck. His father had introduced a strange old game that used to be played on Earth some time ago called hockey, which he enjoys quite often. His love of old whiskeys can often add to the mix too, as he frequents the crew lounge aboard the Darwin called ‘Natural Selection.’ The writer for Ensign Cook, well, Graeme Cook… hails from Aberdeen, Scotland. There he makes a home with his wife and five children, settling in after an 11-year career in the Scottish military, serving his country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Having moved onto other endeavors, Graeme hopes to one day soon become a paramedic. We can see were much of the inspiration for his character has come from here! He fancies himself a TOS sort of guy, and always appreciated the love-hate nature of Bones and Spock. Simming wasn’t always an easy thing — he described it as being strange at first, writing the thoughts and feelings of someone else down, and describing just about everything they could be doing or thinking, and then adding in OTHER people on top of that! But he soon became accustomed to it, and made a few friends along the way. Graeme applauds our community forums, finding much inspiration and friendship there, as well as his mentor for helping him along so much in his time with the community. Graeme hopes to continue on and watch his character grow, move through the ranks to hopefully complete his training as a Captain. Ensign Graeme is certainly a great addition to the Darwin, and to the community at large. The post The Lower Decks: Ensign Graeme Cook appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

It’s been a couple of months since the new Taskforce Facilitator role was created and work began. In those months, not only have we seen a lot of information flow in as we start to track team and guild related data, but I have personally be able to step in and help some teams achieve goals or find help in achieving goals that they set at the beginning of the year. Overall there is lots to learn from the overview of it all, some of which I wanted to share with you, the 118 Fleet! Since I’ve stepped into this role, it’s been a pleasure to help connect team leaders with the resources they need to complete their goals and get things done in a better and more efficient way. Time is a valuable resource here, so in connecting teams to the right people and things, we can save time for everyone while maintaining the flow of any given team. In the past couple of months, some examples of this have been connecting the Publicity and News teams so that our best stories can be shared throughout the internet, and finding additional team members for teams where only one or two people have been shouldering everything. We’re also working to make sure that everyone knows about the various opportunities that the fleet has available through our teams, guilds, contests, and more. We also have seen some officers step up to facilitate or co-facilitate teams to get them back on track. The Character Guild has two new facilitators – LtCmdrs. Holly and Traenor, who are working to build a go-to forum and wiki area that can help old and new officers design and flesh out amazing characters. Commander Chen has also stepped in to help the overworked podcast team so that we will see the awesome podcasts 118 has gotten used to again. It’s nice to see such a variety of officers from every ship in the fleet serving on the various teams we have as well. No ship is unrepresented in the mix, but there is always room for more – of course. With all of our teams on track to do great things for our fleet between now and the end of the year (and then again next year!), we’re always looking for people to volunteer for one of the many projects we have going on across our many teams. Have a few minutes to spare? Check out our teams and join up to help spread the word about 118, make 118 a better place, or even help train the next generation of 118 officers today. Still not sure what you can do? Contact the Taskforce Facilitator (me, Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti) directly with any questions you may have. The post From the desk of the Taskforce Facilitator appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Please welcome our newest Academy graduates to the UFOP: StarBase 118 fleet: Trellis Vondaryan and Braylin Winters! The post New Academy Graduates appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

BILA III – The USS Doyle has arrived in orbit around Bila III to coordinate with another Starfleet Vessel in helping the people of Bila save themselves and their planet. The crew of the USS Doyle-A, NCC-80221-A, after having a mostly relaxing shore leave, aside from the near assassination of one its intelligence officers, were called together for a senior officer banquet on Deep Space 285. At the banquet, Captain Shelther Faranster awarded earned ribbons to officers and promoted several officers, before allowing everyone to eat and talk amongst themselves. During the discussions, someone on the base forwarded a news broadcast to the banquet room, showing mass devastation on a planet known as Bila. The planet is experiencing a high number of intense earthquakes, causing dormant volcanoes to erupt, and tsunamis to hit the coastal areas. Due to this, the emergency shelters are filling up faster than they can be opened. After seeing the broadcast, the Doyle crew determined they were going to go to the planet and help, but they needed a request for aid before they could move. Using their time wisely, they stocked up on what they would need to handle such a situation. And once the planet’s Governor, Odette Mystere, arrived, they launched for the planet. “Its sad to see people this close to this much destruction,” commented Lt. Commander Sabrina Holly, the acting First Officer of the Doyle-A. “That’s why we’re here. So we can help as many people as possible and hopefully save the people and their planet.” “Our chief concern right now is obviously that we are able to help the people of Bila,” said Aigle Phos, Chief Science officer of the Doyle-A. “Although, this is a fascinating insight into the geological process of a unique world.” Now the Doyle is hovering above the planet with a dire situation before them, an unidentified ship nearby and plans to rendezvous with a fellow Starfleet Vessel. The crew of the Doyle is in the process of coming up with evacuation plans and attempting to determine how they can best help the people of Bila. This is in addition to their plans to send down a search and rescue contingent as well as an official away team to aid the relief effort. The Doyle’s end goal at this point is to determine what caused such a situation and do everything they can to save both the people and the planet from total destruction. Down on the planet the crime syndicate known as the Sisterhood of Chains orchestrates the planet’s demise. The local Chapter Leader, a native to Bila, Klova Novan has set in motion plans that are used as scare tactics to frighten the population into enslavement and destroy the planet. All that stands between the success of her plan and her demise are the two Starfleet Vessels now in orbit above the planet. “I still have hope that my daughter is out there… somewhere,” reported Tabananica Riordan. An official from StarFleet had more to say on the matter of the missing girl. “It has been over two years and StarFleet has decided to call off the search for Makayla Riordan, civilian bartender last seen on the USS Ronin,” said public affairs officer Lieutenant Takonna Qobal. “Our prayers remain with the young girl, but at this point our resources need to be used elsewhere.” The post USS Doyle leads search, rescue, and relief effort on Bila III appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

Have you come across a great character biography on the wiki? Been working on your own bio for a while now and want to show it off to the fleet? Then head on over to the Featured Bio Contest’s forum and submit a nomination! All that’s required is that the bio be of an active player character, such as Cadfael Peters of Starbase 118 Ops, who is this month’s Featured Bio. You can see a list of previous winners and featured nominees at the contest’s wiki site as well as an overview of the judging criteria the Featured Bio Contest Team uses to vote for a winner. The nomination round closes Tuesday, September 1, so don’t delay! Submit your nomination today! The post Submit your nominations for this month’s Featured Bio Contest! appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article

((The black hole bar, USS Constitution-) ::It was an unusual day for Zogi. After years as a bartender he had seen his number of captains and commanders in the bar but today was something special. The first Ferengi captain in Starfleet would pay him a visit. Not for a drink but for an interview set up by the Federation news agency. :: When the request had come Zogi accepted right away. It was a way to make a nice profit after all but when the date came closer and closer he started to wonder what he should ask the man. He spend all night thinking about some good questions but in the end he only came up with two.:: ::It wasn’t often that Brek had the opportunity to visit another ship, and, as he walked towards his destination, (a black hole, of all things) he felt curious about everything, and soon fell into a routine where he compared the prestigious Galaxy Starship with the good old Columbia.:: ::Thankfully, he managed to reach Zogi’s bar before feeling too jealous about the specs of the Constitution. He sat at the bar, took in the rich décor around him, and after a sigh of contentment, he spoke up.:: Brek: I can’t possibly answer questions on an empty stomach. That would be completely unethical. ::Thinking aloud.:: What about something light and yet tasty, like a beetroot sorbet, on the house? ::Since food and drink would be paid for by the news team Zogi had prepared all kind of dishes and quickly went to his kitchen to get a few plates with all kinds of snacks. He put them on the bar and then he fired his first question:: Zogi: So, tell me captain, how does a Ferengi end up in Starfleet? ::Brek admired the dark red dessert he had been served, and at long last, he answered.:: Brek: Same as you Zogi: by following the scent of profit. Also, joining the Fleet is pretty easy. All you’ve got to do is to sacrifice some of your youth to their Great Academy. This means spending about 4 years being everyone’s minion. But, once you get promoted to the rank of Ensign, things… well they get tentatively better. ::Here Brek ate some of his sorbet, to make sure he wouldn’t have to add anything to this subject.:: Zogi: Well its not for me… to much regulations to keep up with. I’m glad i know the rules about bars. If they ask me to learn all about plasma conduits, temporal prime directives and all that I’d go nuts.. Anyway.. I contacted some of your friends and they told me you have a special lady in your life. How did you and Alice meet? Brek: Oh Alice, she is an old lady now, and she isn’t as vivacious as she used to be. ::Grins.:: In the past, she used to go through several huge meals per day; mice usually. I met her the night she ran away from her vivarium. She was unwanted and unloved, and because Ferengi too can have a big heart, I adopted her. Many will think I am mad, but with a large spider like that in my quarters, I get zero annoying visitors. What of you, do you also keep pets? Zogi: Me? No way! Thats a waste of Latinum. You have to buy them food, drinks, a home, all kinds of vaccinations throughout the year. I’d go bankrupt in a week! And no doubt Starfleet has regulations about pets too, which brings me to my next question: was it hard to adjust to all the Federation rules and regulations? Brek: I think you already know the answer to that. The Fleet is so strict, even on a perfectly productive day, it’s capable of giving you hell. But when your life depends on their generosity, you need to adapt and to give them what they want, it’s the only way to progress. Don’t you agree? Zogi: Thats is what a good bartender does isn’t it? But even then you must miss a few things from Ferenginar? Brek: ::Chuckling.:: At the risk of sounding like a renegade, I miss nothing from Ferenginar. Do you? Don’t answer right away, Zogi. I bet you think you do, but deep in your wallet, you don’t. Because people like you and I, we know that genuinely entrepreneurial Ferengis don’t stay at home. We get out there, in the galaxy, to seek our own fortune. But I’m curious, what twist of fate brought you here, on a Federation vessel? Zogi : Me? That is a long story. I wasn’t very successful on Ferenginar so I went to Earth. They were looking for a caterer on the USS Apollo-A. A big new ship so I asked my father for a loan to get started and rented the bar. It was huge. A few hours after i opened my doors those morons from the FCA show up. Buy me out and sent me over to the Constitution! I tried to get some legal aid from Starfleet but they didn’t intervene! They still don’t like us very much do they, or the Ferengi alliance for that matter. Don’t you agree? Brek: ::Uncomfortable smile, for this was a question where a faux-pas could so easily be made.:: They are the way they have always been: tense. I think it’s the natural order between these two organizations. And natural orders are best left alone. Zogi: You think it’s possible that the Alliance will join the Federation some day? Brek: ::Another complicated question, so he ate some of his sorbet to gain time and think about his answer.:: Hmm… If it does, it would mean Ferengi have turned into Hewmons. That’s a strange concept that hurts my head. On the other hand, if you were to ask me if I think the Federation might join the Alliance one day, now, that depicts a much brighter future! Zogi: ::laughing:: I’ll drink to that! :: Zogi filled two glasses with Slug-o-Cola and took a big sip from his. Then he checked his notes and continued:: Zogi: You’re having a very promising career so far and many believe you could make it all the way to the top. What would you change if you make it that far? Brek: ::Thoughtful.:: If I make it to the top… I sincerely don’t think I’ll have the stamina to get there. But if I did, I would probably want to retire right away, and live on a remote colony somewhere, without any newsfeed. Because the higher the spheres you reach, the more you realize that changing things isn’t a solution. Changing and educating minds, that’s what the galaxy need, but that would take a length of time which I don’t have. What about you, are there any things you would love to change in your career? Zogi: Simple. Less regulations. They speak of free trade but one look at my accounts shows you they still force me to pay all kinds of taxes to get a good bottle of whisky from Earth or a barstool from Cardassia. But lets not go there… before you know it I bore you do death with numbers. Its say its time for a final question. As you know many children dream of a career in Starfleet. What you advise all the young people thinking about that kind of career? Brek: Perseverance. That is to say, never allow yourself to be defeated, and stay focused. Fleeters are actually nice and dedicated people. Be as dedicated as they are, and you might even make a few friends. For those who don’t know, a friend is someone who don’t try to take advantage of you, and who listen to you when you have a problem, and all that, for free. Do you have any friends, Mister Zogi? Zogi: I have regular customers, and I’m sure some of them would help me out in my hours of need. Does that make them friends? I think it does. Brek: I see. Well, since you too have been living among Fleeters for a while, what do you feel most proud of? Zogi: Hmmm… that is a good one. ::Now it was Zogi’s turn to fill his mouth with food to give it some more thought:: Well we had this alien presence on the ship about 9 months ago. Everyone lost their minds. Somehow my Ferengi brain protected me from it so I was asked to supervise my bar that became some sort of shelter at the time. It was scary at times with people attacking each other but we made it through. Brek: That’s impressive. It makes me wonder, what do you like to do when you are not serving food and drink behind that bar? Do you actually have time to pursue other profitable activities? Zogi: Well there is so much to do… some of my regulars always have new ideas. Take a monday night for example. It wasn’t a good day for profit. Just a cup of coffee here and a few nuts there. But then these guys from earth show up with a dart board. So now we have a monday-dart-evening with a happy hour. Then there is the dabo wheel on wednesday. So in short I’m busy all the time. Its a small bar after all so everyone day i have to rearrange the furniture to prepare for all kind of events. Brek: And you’ve never been tempted to join the Academy? Zogi: No… plain and simple. Never gonna happen. Brek: So, once you have made your fortune, where do you think you will go to spend your riches? Zogi: I’ve already asked the commander for some more space but she won’t give it to me. So when i have enough money i plan to buy my own ship and hire a crew. Then i turn the ship it into one moving bar with plenty of holodecks, race tracks, casinos, bars, you name it. Traveling through the alpha quadrant and make more money they I ever dreamed possible. Brek: It was nice meeting you, Mister Zogi. We should meet again sometime, in a more convivial environment. oO Without any prying ears. Oo. Zogi: I look forward to it sir. And ::Zogi grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him closer:: If you need a new bartender let me know. I’m sure we can work something out. Triple the size of this bar and you can have 20% of my profit. The post Interview with Commander Brek appeared first on UFOP: StarBase 118 Star Trek RPG. View the full article