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Welcome to the final 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 have a chance to be recognised for the valuable contributions that can be made to our stories by those who prefer the path less worn. Each of these awards recognises a player for excellence in simming their duty post. Since only one award per duty post is given each year, only the very best are chosen and they are highly coveted awards. You’ll see from our spread of winners — who range in rank from Ensign to Captain — that every player has a chance to be considered 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 true gift for the healing arts in the context of 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 life to save the lives of others. Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “What makes a good medical officer is, I think, more than just a medical tricorder and a dermal regenerator. For good or ill, every good medical officer needs to have an established bedside manner. It can be supportive, like Dr. Crusher, or irascible, like Dr. McCoy or The Doctor, but it's something that's so necessary to a character. Matt, who I had the pleasure of getting to know when he first entered the fleet with Doctor Addison MacKenzie, who began as a medical officer under my character, the Veritas's CMO at the time, has crafted Addison with a delicious point of view. Simply put, she knew she wanted to be the best, and she knew she could be the best, and that's how she approaches every interaction. Another nominator noted that her demeanor is "mature, professional but wryly funny" — a tall and nuanced order, but one that Matt pulls off extremely well for Addison. I don't think I've encountered a medical officer with so much personality, and that combined with MacKenzie's extremely competent approach to medicine makes her, and Matt, a shoo-in for this year's Prantares Ribbon.” 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. Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “The character of Samira Neathler is written as one of the best examples of a security officer I have ever had the pleasure of reading and simming alongside. Sami has created a shrewd, intelligent and meticulous young woman who carries out her responsibilities with professionalism and restraint, always understanding that in Starfleet, violence is a last resort. We've seen her shine in protecting her fellow crew from dangerous situations while never stealing the spotlight from her fellow writers, shielding them from harm in character while encouraging their creativity and contributions out of character. It's a difficult balance to master and yet Sami achieves it time and time again. As chief, she runs the department with a light touch and a deft hand, meeting and greeting new additions with a wry sense of humour and an invitation to help improve and develop the role of security aboard the ship. She's an exemplar of how to write Security, following in the finest traditions of the on-screen officers and I'm so pleased to present her with the Natasha Yar Pin. Congratulations, Sami!” 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. Jona ch’Ranni, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “There's something a little bit marvellous about the way Josh (Jona ch'Ranni) approaches the role of Operations Officer. It's a wonder to watch him take relatively mundane scenes of his character's day-to-day duties — PADDwork, inventory and more — that not just flesh out the department, but draw other writers into unexpected and delightful moments of character development. He crafts his sims in a way that really underscores and reminds us how important Operations to the smooth running of a ship, as integral to its fabric as the bulkheads and warp core. He writes his character with engaging, gentle humour and his attention to detail is reflected in his sims. It can't be overstated how much another simmer feels noticed and appreciated when an off-hand comment or situation they write into their sim is later reflected in one of Jona's. The events and situations that other people sim in their storylines are not just acknowledged but reflected in his own scenes with a unique Operations twist. He's a fantastic example of how to sim the Operations duty post and I'm delighted to present Jona ch'Ranni with the Voyager Medallion. 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. Melody Delri’ise, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “One of the most competent Tactical Officers I have had the pleasure to work with, Ryan's Deri'ise has a combination of attributes that makes her formidable, yet not a cliche. Far from the brooding, tough, rough Tactical Officer that could be imagined, Delri'ise is a character that is a professional - a character that gets the job done efficiently. The award is well deserved for a player who helps sim so much about what goes on outside the ship, how those things affect the ship, and ways the ship and other crewmen can work to solve the problems at hand. Congratulations again Ryan, very well deserved!” The Phoenix Award - Engineering The Phoenix Award is a duty post award that recognizes 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 the field of engineering. By performing their tasks with enthusiasm, imagination and diligence, by managing to make 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. Romyana Casparian, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: “Rebecca, who plays Romyana Casparian was posted to StarBase 118 Ops and hit the ground running. From the moment Casparian stepped onboard Starbase 118 Ops, right in the thick of a deadly mission, she has brought her skills and quick thinking to the table. She is consistently able to bring her quick thinking skills and creativity in engineering to her writing, balanced by a truly compassionate viewpoint of a young person struggling in a crazy galaxy. She punctuates action such as holding a ship together in a tense battle with small moments that let her character shine. Furthermore, she goes above and beyond for her fellow crewmates both in and out of character. One example is when Romyana's fellow crewmate, Lt Bailey, was in much need of her expertise. Because Bailey is an Elaysian, she had crutches and leg braces that did her few favors on away missions. Rebecca could immediately see possibilities for improved design and overall mobility. She jumped around the chance to help right away, running with the idea of improved braces and even making the crutches Lt Bailey’s favorite color - hot pink. All of this is bolstered by Casparian's energetic and positive presence on Discord where she is frequently inspiring her crew with new ideas, connecting with others on joint posts and bringing a fun voice to our downtime conversations. She is a friendly, and wonderful person to talk to and has brought an ongoing excitement to StarBase 118 Ops, which we all love! I am so happy to see Romyana recognized with this year's Phoenix award! Congratulations Rebecca, you have done a fantastic job and I am so proud of you!” The Cochrane Award - Science The Cochrane Award is a duty post award and is awarded to those science officers who have contributed greatly to the advance of science in the midst of their Starfleet career, by staying knowledgeable about their field, participating in the community of science, but most importantly, by placing their knowledge at the service of their ship and its mission. Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “For the second year in the row, I have the pleasure of presenting the Cochrane Award. Quentin, Justin, has consistently been the go-to source for all things science - whether telling me why it's why a particular piece of a mission needs to be changed because the science doesn't work, or coming up with a bit of techno-babble to solve an issue realistically, or using regular science to deal with a mission detail like filling out why an antagonist would e searching out a particular area of a newly discovered region of space. Justin is a seemingly endless well of knowledge dealing with all things Science related and seems to be able to apply it to the story at hand in a way that is relatable and not overwhelming. He has a quiet but joyous competence writing for science that the entire ship - and fleet - benefits from. It is my pleasure to present the Cochrane Award for these reasons and more.” The Pilot's Sextant - Helm The Pilot's Sextant is a duty post award that recognizes 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 maneuvers at the service of their ship and its mission. Ben Garcia, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “Wes, who plays Ben García, is in the tricky but rewarding position of playing both the Thor's second officer and another duty post on top of that, in his case that of HCO (helm, communication, and operations). Both roles are very much open to interpretation, each perhaps more so than any other duty posts, and together? Well, let's just say that there are lots of possibilities! But Wes has taken a wholly fresh approach to García's duty posts, playing from strength to strength depending upon what the situation calls for. Need an away team leader? He can do that. Need an audit of the senior staff's crew quarters? He can do that. But this award recognizes the strongest helm officer of the year, and so I want to particularly laud Wes for the way he tackles that particular challenge. Helm is a notoriously difficult post to play well since helm's role in the story often boils down to pointing the ship and pressing the warp buttons. Wes, however, allows García to seamlessly meld his command experience with his piloting skills, as most recently evidenced by his recent turn as an away team commander and ace mission pilot for the Thor's first independent mission. However, I also have to draw attention to his excellent work in simming the Thor's final departure from Duronis II following the completion of the embassy's mission. Great work all around, Wes!” The Order of the Valiant Heart - Counseling This award is given to those ship's Counselor who have shown great skill in protecting the mental health of their crewmates, clearly demonstrating 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. Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “What a wonderful example of a Counsellor Corliss Fortune is! From the very first time she wrote a counselling session with one of the Gorkon's writers, it struck me with how well she approaches the role, bringing a remarkable authenticity to her sims. The research she's done into psychology shows through, with Corliss' patients being guided through their struggles with kindness and patience, backed up by genuine counselling techniques. We've seen her guide members of the crew through marriage counselling, the fallout of a father betraying his son, regressing a mother and daughter through past traumas to heal together, aid a recently joined Trill in understanding and exploring their new identity and support a member of the crew in coming to terms with life-altering injuries. She helps the ship's writers delve into their characters' psyches, crafting sims that inspire, wrench hearts, and begin journeys of lasting character development that we see reflected in sims months and sometimes years down the line. I'm delighted to present Corliss Fortune with the Order of the Valiant Heart. Well done, Corliss!” 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 UFoP in times of crisis. Wes Greaves, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: “Now, what you have to understand first about Jacob, who writes for Wes Greaves, is that he is a marine officer. When he speaks about and sims for Greaves in particular, and marines in Trek in general, he carries real-world authority and experience with him. He's easily been the strongest, most thoughtful marine player I've ever encountered, but I'm very pleased to see him win the Semper Fidelis Award this year for more than the quality of his sims. He's recently embarked upon a complete redraft of the Thor's marine detachment, which anyone can now read on the wiki (https://wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Thor_Marine_Detachment). He also began a conversation on the Thor's OOC list about the place and status of marines, both on the Thor, and in the Trek universe, and it's been one of the most in-depth and thoughtful OOC conversations I've ever participated in as a member of SB118. As a result of that conversation and of his own experience and drive, Jacob created a guide to both simming for and the role of marines in our game, which I'm excited to share with the fleet as a resource for future marine players and anyone curious about what marines are doing in SB118's universe — so, consider this award very well deserved, but also a teaser for what this extremely talented simmer has in store for us!” The Black Cross - Intelligence This award is given to a member of the Intelligence community that strives to accomplish the goals of Starfleet Intelligence, while simultaneously upholding the ideals and structure of Starfleet command. This person has the cunning to gather intelligence by means of deceptive dialogue or espionage, as opposed to force drawn confessions. While matters of intelligence are often game changers, this person strives to attain those goals within the boundaries of their Commanding Officer, and the regulations of Starfleet. Ash MacKenna, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: “Marissa, the writer for MacKenna, is an experienced simmer and nowhere does this show more than when she is writing for an intelligence officer. Instead of going the obvious route and writing a character that is rogue or living in the shadows, Marissa writes a character collecting information from both conventional and unconventional sources. Using her position she contributes to both the lore and the action of a mission, the ship, and the region of space she finds herself in. Not only does she contribute to ships in meaningful ways - she does so in a way that is believable to the situation. The information comes to her character through hard work and manner befitting her position and in a way that allows other players a sense of wonder and inclusion in the story - encouraging them to contribute and to play along more. Marissa is one of the best writers I have written with, and I look forward to writing with her for a long time to come.” 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, this award is given to those who perform above the call of duty in the position of First Officer. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: “It is hard to do justice to exactly how good Em (Jo Marshall) is as a First Officer, but I'll do my best! Every role aboard the ship she's involved with is attended to with enthusiasm, meticulous care and a generous dose of good fun. She's a constant force for improvement and positivity aboard the Gorkon; she handles the mentoring program with a kind and supportive hand, encouraging the other staff members to do their check-ins and offer advice on how to handle difficult situations. Her own interactions with her mentees and other members of the crew are all that could be asked for, offering solid guidance with humour and inspiration, always striving to encourage people to be the very best simmers that they can. She guides the plot with aplomb, consistently throwing in delightful twists that keep people on their toes, all the while providing plenty of opportunities for other members of the crew to shine. The efforts of others are always recognised and respected, with Em ensuring that her sims are beautifully written, acknowledging and including all the small details that other writers have introduced and building upon them. Her writing is some of the best I've seen, with evocative descriptions and characters that just beg to be interacted with. She fundamentally understands that this is a collaborative game, celebrating the contributions of our writers with every sim she sends and ensuring that everyone gets to feel like the star of the show and never a supporting character in someone else's story. More than that, her dedication and love for the fleet is shown in how she participates beyond the Gorkon itself. In the academy, she trains new cadets with care and enthusiasm, with other trainers and newly-graduated cadets talking of how much they enjoy working with her. She's also active with the Federation News Team, Poll of the Week, the Image Collective — each task attended to with the same dedication and care that we see in her efforts aboard ship. Em also takes her observer role on the Captain's Council seriously, actively participating in the discussions that take place there and helping to steer the fleet forward. She is, simply put, one of the best simmers and finest first officers that I have ever had the pleasure of serving with. Congratulations, Em! I am so proud and delighted to be able to present you with the Strange Medallion” Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Valued members of our community, I hope you've enjoyed reading through this year's awards ceremony. I know it's a lot of text, a lot of recognition, just a lot to read overall! But, in particular, I hope what you take away from this ceremony is the full feeling of gratitude and appreciation that pours out from what we're doing. I'd imagine it's hard to understand, before you reach the command levels of our community, just how much work is going on behind the scenes to pull off everything we do. But let me pull back the curtain and point out just how much this exercise is choreographed: Our process begins in April by reviewing the past year's ceremony, the suggestions we got from the community, and the list of awards to decide if we need to retire or add any. The Captains Council discusses these things at length – considering what's working and what's not – before we have to refresh the nominations form, check all of our award pages, begin preparing our news posts and fleetwide emails, and then launch the process. From there it's a sprint to the end of the nominations process, pushing everyone in the fleet to participate – uncovering memories from weeks and months ago of ways that people impressed us, reviewing each of our peers and trying to understand the impact they've made on our community. All the while, our staff is ensuring that every angle is covered in nominations and that each person who has earned an award gets nominated. Things really get hectic once nominations close as our Awards Facilitator – Jo Marshall, this year – picks an Awards Committee and starts collating the nominations. There are at least 100 tasks that must be done in a line before we actually get to the ceremony, involving every member of the command staff, with some folks being buried in the work, like Kirk opening an overhead compartment to reveal thousands of tribbles. At the end of the day, we are all exhausted, but filled with gratitude for the opportunity to make entirely clear how much we appreciate everyone's contributions. Although we go to great lengths throughout the year to try and help each of you understand how much we value the time and effort you expend to write the perfect sims, we also know the magic of coming together for this recognition – to write down in the annals of our history that "this person was amazing, and we want to thank them for that." It's no trivial effort – as much as we want you to think that it is! – and I hope that those of you who earned awards can take some time to look back over the history of the award you won, maybe read some of the presentation from those past ceremonies, and know that someday someone else will be doing the same with your name. Welcome to the Hall of Honor, you've earned it. Before we close, I'd like to mention some commendations and "credits" where they're due: First and foremost, to Jo Marshall, who stage managed this process – collating, coordinating, logisticating, pontificating, and memeing every step. She brought a whole new character to the role and upped the ante for all those who come after her. I have deep empathy for the person in this position, and even deeper thanks for all of the hard work put in to make sure that every detail is perfect and correct. Thank you, Jo Marshall, for everything you've done to make this "show" go off without a hitch! To our Awards Committee, that read through 22 awards worth of nominations and carefully voted to award the Duty Post and Special awards. You've done a great service puting in this time and consideration, and helping our community come to the best decision. To our Deputy Awards Facilitators, who helped Jo Marshall with the incredible lift of bringing this ceremony to fruition, making sure that all the nominations were properly collated and checked against our rules, and that everything was where it needed to be! To our Commanding Officers, who have been tireless and extremely gracious throughout the whole thing. Your efforts are priceless in how much care and time you've put in. Thank you for everything you've done here, and everything you do to maintain this thing we've all built. This is an amazing thing we have and I hope you know how rare and precious it is to have a "round table" like we're experiencing right now. To our First Officers, who judged the Staff Awards and every other day of the year help make what we do possible. Thank you for being our cheerleaders, our assistants, our defenses, our collators, and our partners in this. I look forward to the day when you sit in the captain's chair and look in gratitude at the person in your seat. And finally, my last thanks is to you, dear members! You make it all worthwhile. The joy you bring, and the joy you experience fuels every moment of this. I look forward to many more years in service to this community. Until next year… 🖖 - Jordan, FltAdml. Tristan Wolf

I'm delighted to present the badges for this years award ceremony! See below for the full badge list. If you believe you should have earned the badge but are not listed, contact your CO. Learn more about badges and how to display them on your wiki pages here. And don't forget: Make sure you take our survey about the awards ceremony to let us how you think it went. The full ceremony has been posted on the wiki now, as with all previous ceremonies. Awards Chairperson Presented to a staff member that has held the position of Awards Chairperson for an Awards Ceremony. If more than one staff member holds the title, or is appointed an assistant or deputy, all receive the badge. Sky Blake, Veritas Ishkabella Journs, Atlantis Randal Shayne, Arrow Jo Marshall, Gorkon Awards Committee Presented to any staff member that participates in the yearly Awards Committee to select Duty Post and Special Awards. Nugra, Constitution-B Ash MacKenna, Juneau Jarred Thoran, Atlantis Awards Ceremony Nominator (Standard) A player must submit at least 1 nomination for a fellow player during an awards ceremony, in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Elite) A player must submit at least 5 nominations for fellow players in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year. Awards Ceremony Nominator (Legendary) A player must submit at least 10 nominations for players on more than 2 vessels in any category. This badge can be earned multiple times, but is only awarded once per year. A player earning an elite or legendary badge will not also earn the lower levels in the same year.

This year we had two sets of special commendations we wanted to give out alongside our awards: Written by Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim: Jalana Rajel - for incredible dedication year after year to The (Image) Collective. She's consistently helpful with graphics of all kinds: New awards, character portraits, and more! And, she's consistently a friendly and helpful staff member for StarBase 118. German Galven and Nijil from StarBase 118 Ops: Who took the lead in cheerleading the awards and nominations process, and assisted in writing up the shipwide awards ceremony for Ops. Alex Blair from the USS Constitution: Who assisted Jalana in cheerleading the awards and nomination process on the USS Constitution and also assisted her in writing up the Constitution's shipwide awards. Also, German Galven for his work on the News Team: He has been an integral part of meeting our goals every month and uplifting others through an unending series of interviews! Written by Commander Randal Shayne, new CO of the USS Arrow: LtCmdr. Quentin Collins: Justin has been nothing short of an exemplary first officer from the beginning. He has had a hand in everything from award cheer leading to mentoring to discussing command decisions and making suggestions for our new region. And, on top of it, he stepped up without hesitation when the launch of the Arrow was moved up. All around fantastic. LtCmdr. Kim Chin-sun: James has been similarly helpful in the launch process. Specifically, his input and work in terms of mentoring cannot be overstated. Because of him, we can help guide newer officers effectively from the beginning. On a more personal note, I'd like to extend my personal gratitude to Marissa (Cmdr. Ash MacKenna) who has been spiritually supportive to me, and, from what I understand, functionally essential to the Juneau.

Welcome to day one of the annual Awards Ceremony! We’re very excited to present the General Awards. The General (Ship) Awards have been presented by each captain to their crew. The winners this year, as in previous years, were chosen by the fleet’s commanding officers (or in cases where the commanding officer was also nominated, the first officer was called 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. Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution Caitriona Cayne, USS Gorkon Ash MacKenna, USS Juneau German Galven, Starbase 118 Ops Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Esa Kiax, USS Atlantis The Genesis Award The Most Improved Simmer Award. For officers who show conspicuous effort in improving their simming skills. Jacob Horne, USS Constitution Joshua Sutton, USS Gorkon Artinus Serinus, USS Juneau Solaris McLaren, Starbase 118 Ops Tara Wilkins, USS Thor Charlena Vanlith, USS Veritas David Knight, USS Atlantis Scotty Cross Given to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in-character plot twist. Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Randal Shayne, USS Juneau Arturo Maxwell, Starbase 118 Ops Charlena Vanlith, 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. Edward Spears, USS Constitution Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Noa Levinson, USS Juneau Romyana Casparian, Starbase 118 Ops Wes Greaves, USS Thor Ceciri Ariadust, USS Veritas Esa Kiax, USS Atlantis 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. Edward Spears, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Randal Shayne, USS Juneau Anath G'Renn, USS Atlantis 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. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution Artinus Serinus,, USS Juneau Nijil, Starbase 118 Ops Alieth and Alexander Brodie, USS Thor Raissa Moonsong, USS Veritas Ishkabella Journs, USS Atlantis 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. Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Quentin Collins,, USS Juneau Karen Stendhal, Starbase 118 Ops Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Clik Zae'Li, USS Veritas Ishkabella Journs, USS Atlantis 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. Cade Foster, USS Constitution Genkos Adea, USS Gorkon Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Addison MacKenzie, USS Thor Roshanara Rahman, USS Veritas Serala, USS Atlantis 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. Ravenna Carter, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Melody Delri'ise, USS Juneau Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Dar Elandra, USS Thor Timothy Alentonis, USS Veritas Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis 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. Chloe Waters,, USS Juneau Sirok, USS Thor Jarred Thoran, USS Atlantis Pathfinder Award Given to those who have shown great care in the mentoring of fellow members. Yito Seja, USS Constitution Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Alexander Brodie, USS Thor Jansen Orrey, USS Veritas Kurt Logan, USS Atlantis Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution Quentin Collins, USS Juneau Sal Taybrim, Starbase 118 Ops Quen Deena, USS Thor Wil Ukinix, USS Veritas Serala, USS Atlantis Q Award Awarded for continually surprising their crew with unexpected, devious plot twists throughout the year. Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Anath G'Renn, USS Atlantis 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. And, in recognition and celebration of the achievements of Commanding Officers, we’ve introduced a new award. These are length of service awards given to those who have served as commanding officers for their ships and stations continuously for five or ten years. This year, 47 players have reached a length of service milestone. Of those 22 are celebrating their first milestone, having picked up the award for one year of active membership. Another 12 have achieved three years active membership and six more have been here for five years. Three players have reached the incredible ten-year milestone, and one has reached 15 years! Additionally, we have two players celebrating their five-year command milestones, and our Fleet Admiral is heralding in 25 years! 25-year Length of Service For those who have been members continuously for 25 years. Special congratulations to Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf for achieving his 25-year Length of Service milestone. None of this would be possible without Wolf's dedicated leadership, vision, and driving force for the past twenty-six years. Thank you, Admiral! 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 Jalana Rajel, who took command of the USS Constitution-B (NCC-9012-B) on May 5th, 2015. Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds, who took command of the USS Gorkon (NCC-82293) on July 7th, 2015. 1-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for one year. Jacob Horne, graduated from training on August 23, 2017 Ferier Kian, graduated from training on January 30, 2018 Ilana Ganarvuss, graduated from training on April 10, 2018 German Galven, graduated from training on July 29, 2018 Samira Neathler, graduated from training on August 27, 2018 Pholin Duyzer, graduated from training on September 13, 2018 Geoffrey Teller, graduated from training on September 17, 2018 Lazarus Davis, graduated from training on October 2, 2018 Corliss Fortune, graduated from training on October 3, 2018 Jona ch'Ranni, graduated from training on October 19, 2018 Chloe Waters, graduated from training on November 1, 2018 Willimina Bellweather, graduated from training on November 5, 2018 Wil Ukinix, graduated from training on November 13, 2018 Esa Darkkdust, graduated from training on November 20, 2018 Quentin Collins, graduated from training on December 1, 2018 James Colquhoun, graduated from training on December 1, 2018 Sheila Bailey, graduated from training on December 11, 2018 Ben Garcia, graduated from training on January 2, 2019 Quen Deena, graduated from training on February 6, 2019 Addison MacKenzie, graduated from training on February 19, 2019 Charlena Vanlith, graduated from training on April 15, 2019 Karen Stendhal, graduated from training on April 19, 2019 3-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for three years. Anthony Meeks, graduated from training on January 17, 2011 Yogan Yalu, graduated from training on November 13, 2011 Ket Shoba, graduated from training on August 18, 2013 Ceciri Ariadust, graduated from training on December 15, 2014 Luthas, graduated from training on June 8, 2016 Krindo Pandorn, graduated from training on August 9, 2016 Prudence Blackwell, graduated from training on August 17, 2016 Piravao sh’Qynallahr, graduated from training on November 21, 2016 Arturo Maxwell, graduated from training on November 21, 2016 Melody Delri'ise, graduated from training on January 19, 2017 Anath G'Renn, graduated from training on February 28, 2017 Jarred Thoran, graduated from training on May 8, 2017 5-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for five years. Raissa Moonsong, graduated from training on July 1, 2014 Cory Stoyer, graduated from training on November 10, 2014 Randal Shayne, graduated from training on February 2, 2015 Nijil, graduated from training on February 9, 2015 Kurt Logan, graduated from training on March 2, 2015 Arlo Thorton, graduated from training on March 23, 2015 10-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for ten years. Dassa Alexander-Dalton, graduated from training on October 1, 2004 Loxley, graduated from training on January 25, 2007 Roshanara Rahman, graduated from training on May 27, 2010 15-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for fifteen years. Nyka Wyss, graduated from training on January 22, 2004 25-Year Member For those who have been members continuously for twenty-five years. Tristan Wolf, graduated from training on… he's never been through the Academy! Enrollment time, Admiral! 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. Geoffrey Teller, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: "The folks who nominated Brian (Teller) for this award wrote a combined total of over 2500 words in support of this year's Rising Star. Many of those highlighted the responsibilities he's taken on over the past year, including as the acting XO and then CO of the USS Diligent for a mission on the Veritas, and then the masterful job he's done as the XO of the Duronis II Embassy and, currently, the Thor. It's even more appropriate that Brian was also last year's Luminary Award winner, as that award recognizes one member per year who shows extreme promise in their SB118 career, but who is ranked lieutenant or under. His dedication, support, mentorship, and involvement have been recognized by all around him, from SB118's guiding councils to the ensigns onboard the Thor. In fact, a group of ensigns approached me unsolicited to sing Brian's praises, noting, among other positive qualities, that he's cheerful, shows a strong work ethic, and is always able to engage simmers who don't know where to go next. A few of his nominators wanted to celebrate "Future Captain" Teller with this award, but I don't think they went far enough -- so please join me in celebrating "Future Admiral" Teller, this year's Rising Star!" 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. Alieth, USS Thor Presented by Aron Kells: "I also have the pleasure of recognizing Andrea, aka Lieutenant JG Alieth, this year's winner of the Luminary Award! Even if you haven't simmed with her directly, you've surely encountered Andrea before -- she sims on the Thor, but she's active all over the fleet forums and Discord, and her work as a part of the Image Collective has already become legendary. Her work with her RL husband Miguel, aka Ensign Sirok, produced the Thor's redesigned logo, and this led to a complete logo redesign for all the ships in the fleet. Her sim quality, too, is extremely high, and all of this came when she was just an ensign -- she was only promoted to lieutenant JG a couple of weeks ago! The whole SB118 fleet is lucky to count Andrea as a member, and I look forward to seeing what she does next. If this year is any guide, perhaps we'll be looking forward to Rising Star Alieth in 2021...?" 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. Sky Blake, USS Veritas Presented by Roshanara Rahman: "It seems only fitting to talk about Sky Blake's writer Deliera and her contributions to the 118Wiki in particular because it was through the wiki that we first connected. Long before we wrote together as shipmates and now CO and first officer, I stumbled upon Deliera's wiki page for her character and her behind-the-scenes pages and was in awe. I reached out to her later to help launch the Featured Bio Contest, which ran from 2012 to 2017 and highlighted great wiki bios from across the fleet. In 2014, we launched the Wiki Operations Team (now squadron), where she served as Vice Chief of Wiki Operations and eventually as team facilitator. Today, she continues her work on the wiki as an administrator, ensuring this vital resource of our fleet stays organized and up to date. Taking care of this important work doesn’t often draw attention to itself, and so I'm glad to see that this year six separate nominations were submitted for Deliera to be recognized with this award. Clearly, her dedication and hard work has not gone unnoticed. Besides her own contributions to the wiki, other players also cited how she can always be counted on to provide advice and guidance for those learning how to use it. She is a tireless champion of the power of the wiki to help people further tell their characters' stories, and she is so well-deserving of this award!" 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. Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Presented by Quinn Reynolds: "Week after week, one name that stands out in the Academy is that of Samira Neathler. She's a stalwart member of the team, volunteering her time and energy whenever she can while knowing when she needs to step back for a week or two to recharge her batteries so that she can continue giving her best — a balance that's trickier than it seems! In every position she fills, she stands out as an exemplar of that role; her sims are beautifully written and set a fantastic example for our cadets, as an XO she keeps the class running smoothly with her organisational skills, as CO she supports both the cadets and the other members of the training team by offering feedback, insight and encouragement. The nominations consistently spoke of what a fun and welcoming environment she makes for our cadets, and how much she inspired and encouraged our newer trainers in their own path through the academy. For all these reasons and more, I'm delighted to present Samira Neathler with the Boothby Award. Congratulations, Sami!!" 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. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Tristan Wolf: "The Captain's Council debated, this year, how to handle the rise of our Discord chat room when it comes to the Awards Ceremony. The end result was to wait until we had a better sense of what was to come in the next year. But it's clear, nonetheless, that many people in the fleet felt like Quark's Bar, created for the forums, as applying to the chat room as well – we had seven different nominees, many of which mentioned Discord. Everyone who was nominated was a vital and enthusiastic voice in our community. They're all people who've contributed to making the vibe fun in the last year – a place where people want to congregate. But one person, Jo Marshall, had the clear endorsement of the Awards Committee. Marshall has been tireless in helping to develop the OOC vibe, particularly on Discord. Between assisting in setting up the bot, to creating fun and interactive commands, and even helping to edit our staff guide to managing Discord, she's been proactive every step of the way. How can we forget that she also led the project to expand our custom emoji, including adding a number of Black actors into the mix. Our Discord is more fun because of everything she's brought to the table. She also led the charge in planning and executing this year's Writing Challenge revival, which saw the largest ever amount of participation in a challenge – all on the forums. Between the theme and rules she put in place, writers from every ship in the fleet demonstrated an incredible level of creativity that put our judges panel to the test in deciding who would win. I've so much appreciated Marshall's quick wit, friendly and helpful personality, and willingness to go the extra mile to try new things. She absolutely deserves this award!" 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. Karen Stendhal, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Stefania, the writer behind Lieutenant JG Karen Stendhal, has proved her strength and determination since the moment she joined SB118. From Italy, English is her second language, which is a true struggle in and of itself. But she constantly works to overcome this challenge, upholding a fantastic personal standard of writing as well as a willingness to add as much as she can to each mission. Her writing improves with each and every sim and she brings a wonderful sense of humor and charm to her character and her narrative. Simming with Lieutenant Stendhal is a joy and will bring a smile to the face of any of her fellow crew. During recent events known globally (COVID19), her world has been turned upside down. Italy was one of the first countries quarantined after China. She let us know that she was in a very tense lockdown and dangerous situation. Still, she wrote on, never letting the craziness of the real-world affect her enthusiastic and lively writing. She even maintained an MSNPC throughout the crisis, assisting with our last mission as a leader as well as a player. Stefania, you are truly an amazing and enduring writer. Thank you so much for all your enthusiasm, humor and wonderful simming. I am so proud to be able to honor you in this year’s fleetwide awards! " Toryn Raga, USS Atlantis Presented by Jarred Thoran: "The past year has not been kind to Toryn. Living in Florida he has been at the mercy of numerous storms and tornadoes that have at times prevented him from simming.. Additionally, with the spread of COVID-19, Toryn has been deeply affected, both in a professional and personal capacity. Lesser people would no doubt have thrown in the towel, but Toryn has persevered through it all and is an inspiration to his crewmates. It is my honour to present him with the Xalor Clan Xifilis Award. " Sheila Bailey, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "Aly, the player behind Lieutenant JG Sheila Bailey, is an incredibly strong player who is passionate about disability awareness and portraying characters that are not disabled, but differently-abled, showing a true depth of characterization and an honest willingness to explore these characters and allow others to learn more about those characters through writing. In the tradition of all the best characters in fiction, Aly’s characters are in part a reflection of herself and some of her real-life struggles. Some days she does not have the energy to write and Aly communicates well with her fellow crew on days when she needs to rest or take a break, and still maintains a full time posting and excellent writing. We can see in her love for her characters, a passion for this awareness in real life, as well as an overwhelming strength to shine through difficult times and bring something truly creative and meaningful to out simming on StarBase 118 Ops. Aly, you have grown to be a brilliant and respected simmer on StarBase 118 and this shines through all the effort and passion you put into your writing. I am so proud to be able to recognize all your hard work and honor you in this year’s fleetwide awards!" Noa T’Nessa Levinson, USS Juneau Presented by Oddas Aria: "Since coming aboard Ensign Levinson has made herself an invaluable member of the crew by being a source of unending positivity, friendliness, and willingness to lend a hand where needed. In addition to her steadfast devotion to maintaining a positive atmosphere, she has honed a set of simming skills that is hard to rival - using extended prose and commentary in a way that moves the story purposefully and realistically. These are all great qualities for a player to have, something grateful COs love to find in a player that has only been with us a short time, and qualities we are astounded to find in players that are not playing in their native language. The amount of time she puts into each sim, and other interactions with the group, in a language, not her own is an example to all of us and makes the entire group better." 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. Tristan Wolf, Starbase 118 Ops Presented by Sal Taybrim: "At first, this award may seem like a no-brainer. Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf founded this community and remains on as its head administrative officer. Many players only see Fleet Admiral Wolf as the overarching admin that helps run the game. But what does running the game actually mean? What does it all entail? What does Fleet Admiral Wolf do behind the scenes? Let me take you through just a portion of everything Fleet Admiral Wolf does to support this community. First, he’s the driving force behind our publicity efforts, which reaches out to Star Trek fans across the globe and helps bring new players into the game. If you came here through a link, advertisement, Facebook or Google search, you had contact with Wolf’s work. If you’ve made a new friend in the past year you have certainly been facilitated by Fleet Admiral Wolf’s work. Going along with this Fleet Admiral Wolf runs our News Team which is not only a major factor in publicity but keeps our members constantly informed and entertained. He helps organize every major taskforce from the Chat team to the Academy and makes sure all members are informed of everything from forum outages to fun events on Discord. If you’ve been able to participate in something entertaining on the forums or a fun event on Discord, again Fleet Admiral Wolf helped make that happen and made sure you got the news. Moreover, Jordan, the person behind Fleet Admiral Wolf is a champion for creating a stable, long-term, inclusive, and safe community for writers of every background. He is passionate about making sure this community stays supportive of all players and Star Trek ideals. He guides the game’s staff in timely discussions about how to continually improve our community for all members. Jordan is also consistently focused on fleetwide unity and supportive of all our ships and crews. No one is more concerned about the fleet as a whole and making sure every ship is successful and every player has a good place to sim than Fleet Admiral Wolf. Everyone from newly posted Ensigns to seasoned veterans matters to this game and they matter to our Admiral. All of this has created an unprecedented run of 26 years and counting of a stable, complex and well-crafted game run by volunteers, founded on a dream that Fleet Admiral Wolf had of having a place where people could write about a better future full of fantastic adventures and strong friendships. We are all here today, celebrating awards and enjoying wonderful stories because of Fleet Admiral Wolf’s constant dedication to this community. I would like to personally thank you, Jordan, for creating this wonderful game and I hope that every player will join me in congratulating you as this year’s Community Champion!" Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

Welcome to the fleetwide awards ceremony for 2020, or, in world, 2397! I'm filling in for some hefty boots here, so I'll try to make it quick and lively so we can jump into the deep end and kick the awards off! There are five categories of awards: General Awards (which some ships have presented to their crews already!), Duty Post, Special and Staff Awards recognise players across the rank spectrum for all sorts of IC or OOC achievements. The member Length of Service Awards continue to grow, recognizing membership lengths of one, three, five, 10, 15 and even 25 years! A remarkable number of simmers have been around for such extended periods, and they count among our numbers. This year we’re celebrating our 26th year as a vibrant and incredible community of players coming together. A massive thank you to everyone who submitted nominations this year, and to everyone who had the heart there but not the energy for it. It's been a rough time all around the world and that you're choosing to spend your free time and creative energy here is honestly heartwarming. I've really loved seeing how we celebrate one another, keeping us propped up through the trials and tribulations of a turbulent time, and how every single nomination is a note of love, respect and gratitude for our fellow writers. It's a huge reminder that everyone is appreciated and valued for our imaginative contributions to our collective. Keeping all of this running behind the scenes is no small task — more like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill only for it to keep rolling back down — and yet, it runs smoothly; the welcome is warm and generous, and we have a fantastic fleet to show for it. To that end, I’d like to extend a special thanks to our tireless leader Fleet Admiral Wolf and our wonderful leadership team who continuously drive forward to make the fleet better and better with every passing year. No request for help is too much, nor too silly, and I know everyone in the fleet has benefited from the guidance you all have given over the years. With the addition of the new length of service awards celebrating those in command for five and ten continuous years of commanding a ship or installation, the fleet is in a fantastic position of stable leadership and the ripple effect is felt at all levels. So, on behalf of the entire fleet, thank you for doing everything you do! Stay weird. Stay unique. The future's here, let's take it for a ride. Happy 26th anniversary everybody! -- Em (Jo Marshall) p.s. Can I have the champagne now?