Genkos Adea

@Jo Marshall

Attribution: Yogan Yalu March is Reading Awareness Month, a perfect opportunity to load up the e-book reader or visit a local library or bookshop to find an exciting new book to read. Why not make it a Star Trek book? With over 850 original novels, short story collections, episode and film novelizations, graphic novels, and omnibus editions published since 1967, Star Trek has made an indisputable impact on 20th- and 21st-century popular literature. As most Trek novels exist outside of the franchise’s official canon, they often place our heroes in unconventional and unexpected situations. Trek novels are also known for expanding minor onscreen references into major plot points. A prime example of this is a scene from the DS9 episode “Rapture,” where Sisko tells a Bajoran militia officer, “You don't belong here. Go home.” This nameless extra became Yevir Linjarin, a central character in the DS9 Relaunch book series. The first original Trek novel was 1970’s Spock Must Die!, in which a transporter accident duplicates the Enterprise first officer just as the diplomatic situation between the Klingons and the Organians begins to deteriorate. Weaving together threads from classic TOS episodes “Errand of Mercy” and “The Enemy Within,” author James Bish explores the question, “What happens to your soul in the transporter?” Although TNG fans got hints at the relationship between Will Riker and Deanna Troi during the series’ run, it was 1992’s Imzadi that delved deep into one of Star Trek’s most enduring romances. This novel tells the love story of Riker and Troi across decades, from their first meeting on Betazed to an alternate future where a bitter, aged Riker mourns his long lost love. Bonus points: Jonathan Frakes narrates the audiobook version. Una McCormack’s The Never-Ending Sacrifice is a classic coming-of-age story and recounts the events of Deep Space Nine, but from the perspective of a Cardassion boy. Christie Golden’s Homecoming picks up almost literally where the VOY finale leaves off, but instead of a “happily ever after,” the Voyager crew returns home to a weakened, post-Dominion War Federation that has little place for them. The state of the franchise in the mid-2000s means that there are fewer Enterprise novels to choose from, but J. M. Dillard’s Surak’s Soul is consistently ranked amongst the best Trek novels. In Surak’s Soul, T’Pol is forced to choose between her Vulcan ideals and her Human captain’s orders. With fewer episodes per season and a shift to more plot-driven storytelling, readers devour the newer series’ novels for the backstories of our heroes and to fill in the gaps between what is shown on screen. Una McCormack’s The Way to the Stars tells the origin story of one of Trek’s most relatable and endearing characters, Sylvia Tilly, while McCormack’s The Last Best Hope shows Picard’s evolution from admiral to vintner in the lead-up to the new series premiere. Finally, Trek novels can place our favourite characters in situations that might be impractical or unpopular for television. Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens’ Federation appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List in 1994, and has been described as a stronger Kirk/Picard crossover story than Star Trek: Generations. The Lives of Dax, edited by Marco Palmieri, isn’t even a novel at all; rather a collection of short stories about each of the Dax symbiont’s humanoid hosts.

Also, thanks. I know can't shoot anyone a smile for risk of getting put here.... I'M DOUBLE THINKING EVERYTHING

Happy Valentine's Day StarBase 118! Today is a day to celebrate love in all its forms and what better way to do that than by taking a look at some of the most popular fan fiction pairings in the Star Trek universe. The Star Trek franchise has given us countless characters that we love, and sometimes that love extends beyond just friendship. Whether it's the classic Kirk and Spock or the unlikely Chakotay and Seven of Nine, these pairings have captured the hearts of fans everywhere. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, snuggle up with your sweetheart, and get ready to boldly go where no romance has gone before! We want to know which of these fictional love connections is your favourite. Will it be the steady and supportive Chakotay and Janeway or the electric Picard and the Borg Queen? The decision is yours! So, without further ado, let's dive into these iconic Star Trek pairings. Janeway and Chakotay take viewers on a compelling journey from enemies, to allies, to friends, to perhaps something more? Their relationship transcends space and time, and contains episodes rife with romantic tropes and subtext (“Resolutions,” anyone?) that can’t help but leave us questioning just how close they are, exactly. Garak and Bashir have palpable tension, from their very first scene through their debates of Cardassian literature and holodeck hijinks. Both were given other romantic interests throughout the series, but all lacked the chemistry the pair had together (sorry, Ezri). Whether bromance or romance, Garak and Bashir is one of the most popular pairings in the fandom. Of course, we can't leave out Kirk and Spock, possibly the oldest pairing in Star Trek. The exact nature of their relationship has been the subject of endless debates and speculation since the Original Series was on air, and prompted the creation of fandom as we know it with hand-bound fan-zines. No other pairing on this list can claim that! While the previous pairing built on a compelling history and chemistry between characters, Chakotay and Seven of Nine almost came out of nowhere. Both were complex, interesting characters who developed more complex, interesting relationships with basically everyone else on the show than with each other, only to be paired off in the series finale. Still, despite this pairing’s limited build-up, it is interesting to watch Seven learn about romance, first through holo-Chakotay and then through a relationship with the real Chakotay. And speaking of new love connections, we can't forget about the latest addition to the Star Trek universe - Star Trek Lower Decks! In this animated comedy, we have the pairing of Mariner and Boimler. These two lower deck officers may have started off as just friends, but their love story is one that has captivated audiences everywhere. With Mariner's mischievous streak and Boimler's by-the-book approach, these two complement each other in the most unexpected ways. Last but certainly not least, we have Picard and the Borg Queen. Love may be the last thing on the minds of a Starfleet captain and a Borg drone, but their interactions were electric. From enemies to... well, still enemies, but with a touch of respect and a hint of attraction. Who knows, maybe love really can conquer all. Of course, this list barely scratches the surface of all of Star Trek’s couples. Did we leave out your favourite pairing? Let us hear it in the comments!

Well well well, if it isn't a glorious JP from our resident lovelys @Hiro Jones and @Trovek and Sydin - a great example of counselling on leave

Justin / @Yalu reasserts himself as a tugger of heartstrings with this beautiful slice of family life.

@Yalu - this is understated comedy gold

Welcome, congrats and thanks for being a pleasure to acadamise!

Happy New Year! Have you made your resolutions yet? I have; to do better at the poll of the month! How am I going to do this? By considering which duty post I would like to do, if I wasn’t already a doctor… and I’m going to urge you to do the same! New year, new me and all that. So, let’s start off with the red-shirts! Helm/Com/Ops offers a chance to explore the galaxy as a pilot, whilst also being the first to hear the goings on at the bridge, and keep in touch with the life of the ship at Ops. It’s really the catch-all role; one to suit all your variable needs! Security and Tactical is more than just going pew-pew; it’s also about preventing the need to go pew-pew on in the first place. You’ll also be the first to lead investigations, defend away teams and make sure that everyone is up to date on their training; there’s more to firing a phaser than just pointing and shooting (not much, but still!) Engineering is critical to making sure the ship doesn’t fall apart (literally), and perhaps crawling around in Jefferies’ tubes, getting down and dirty in the bowels of the ship could be your new jam! Science; the final frontier (that’s the saying, right?) - do you look good in blue? Or do you just really like tricorders? Science is a great place to discover new things about the galaxy, and about yourself. I may be biased, but everyone should be a doctor - then nobody would get injured, and if they do; at least we are sorted! We also get cooler tricorders than Science, with removable doohickeys, and cool teal coats. Want to make sure the ship doesn’t fall apart (metaphorically) - join the ranks of Starfleet’s counsellors. Are you a friendly ear; a good listener; do you give good advice? Then perhaps you can avoid the dangers of the front lines (well, sometimes) and listen to those that do’s problems? Now there’s a few roles that I can’t go into as much detail for; Intelligence, the Marines, civilians, but if you are thinking of doing a new character, or swapping your existing character, into one of those, or any of the above; we want to hear about it in the comments below!

This was supremely cool and @Talos Dakora is too

@Hiro Jonesthis is my new favourite metaphor

Gnaxac, yes!

It’s November, which means that no man is allowed to shave. Well, actually, Movember is a men’s health awareness campaign; designed to raise awareness (and sweet latinum) for men’s health issues and causes. But it did raise a conversation in the Poll of the Month Discord chat - who has the best beard in all of Star Trek? There are plenty of options - the first, and most obvious, is that of Captain Sisko - for not only does the beard make Sisko look like an absolute bad-ass, but it also marks the point at which Deep Space Nine becomes a top tier show, instead of a weird TNG spin off. Speaking of TNG, the other famous beard is that of William Riker; a beard that Frakes still sports to this day (and still looks fabulous in, might I add!). Again, TNG’s greatness can be tracked alongside the development of Riker’s beard, a bizarre metric, but a metric nonetheless. Then we have some more oblique beards - the less obvious or less permanent ones. The beard that O’Brien grows in Hard Time (the one where he spends twenty years in a prison despite only being in there a few hours) is arguably the hardest won beard, but it is very unkempt. But perhaps that floats your boat. The scruff that Tom Paris grew in the Voyager episode Alice deserves an honourable mention (but is nothing compared to Robert Duncan McNeil’s current face fungus). My personal favourite beard, and the image below, is the one Leonard McCoy sports after he leaves Starfleet (but before he comes back). Affectionately known as Disco Bones, the whole ensemble is tied together by a magnificent beard of thick hair. Finally, because we have to have a joke answer on these things (it’s my stipulation for doing them), there is always Bashir’s beard. Ezri Dax was her name. Ay-o! Or perhaps you have another favourite follicle (perhaps from the Mirror Universe) - let us know in the comments!

Jo makes a typo and makes up some kind of Dr Moreau-type hybrid - the doe snake!

Schooooooool's out for Genkos

There's almost certainly a likeness to a certain someone, yes...

As we make our way through the third season of Lower Decks, we thought we'd look back at the first two series and ask you all who your favourite of the main characters is. Obviously, there an absolute plethora of characters to choose from if we expanded the choice (although the correct answer is obviously T'Ana) so we're limiting ourselves to the main four Lower Deckers. First up, Brad Boimler (or Boims to his friends); arguably the POV character for the first season, Boimler is the _ "the laziest, most corner-cutting officer in Starfleet history" _... or is he? Certainly that's how he's remembered in the far far future, but in the show we're shown an incredibly eager and ambitious young man who is also very cautious and only does things to further his career. Secondly, Beckett Mariner. What can we say about Mariner that hasn't been said before? She's a hard-working officer who never cuts corners, always obeys authority and has never deserved any of her promotions. We can say that because it's not true. An incredibly hot mess, Mariner is a fantastic officer with an amazing intuition and drive, but possibly without ambition. Thirdly, D'Vana Tendi, the endlessly optimistic science officer. Someone with boundless optimism, Tendi is "not one of those Orions" and is fiercely devoted to the rest of the group. She adores Rutherford most of all, and their friendship is one of the most wholesome relationships in all of Trek. Arguably the most knowledgeable of the group, she is also the most naïve; refusing to see the corruption of Dog when it's blatantly opposite to everyone else. Finally we have Sam Rutherford - the officer who has flitted from department to department (and settled back at Engineering again). He is a brilliant officer, and his implants give him extraordinary powers (and also dangerous side effects). Like Tendi, he is full of enthusiasm and a massive Trek nerd (building his own Deep Space Nine model) - hence their glorious friendship. Which is your favourite, and why? Let us know in the comments.

We all know that Captain Picard is a lovelorn captain - he manages to find romance in most missions, whether he wants to or not. But which one is your favourite? There's only one correct answer, but I'd like to hear your opinions anyway! Let's start with the problematic one - Kamala. There was a very odd power dynamic with this one, and it's aged like an episode of Friends. Kamala was built to be "the perfect mate" (ew) and fell in love with Picard purely out of him being there and spending time with her. Vash was an archaeologist with her eye on the prize - the Captain of the EnterPrize, as well as all the black market treasure she could sell. Vash was a great character in her own right, turning up in several episodes of TNG and even a DS9. She and JL had a fabulously antagonistic relationship when it came to their conflicting opinions on what to do old relics, until Q came and tempted her away. Q - whilst I don't think it's necessarily a "romantic" relationship, I'm going to include it anyway - Q was _obsessed_ with Picard, and that smacks to me of love - plus the finale of season two of Picard - if that's not love, what is?! Finally, the correct answer is Beverly Crusher. The CMO of the Enterprise, Bev had a will-they-won't-they relationship with our beloved captain. The chemistry between the two was palpable, and if they don't kiss in season 3 of Picard, I will riot. What do you think? Who did I forget? Drop us a line in the comments

MAGNIFICENT

"Yalu: I’m okay. You know where Hallia, Genkos and I ended up during the CloQ debacle. ::beat:: What I didn’t put in my report was that the heir to the throne of France became rather– ::beat:: enamored of me. As far as I can tell, the timeline played out exactly as history recorded it, but there’s now a triptych of me and the Duke of Orléans hanging in a museum of European history in Toulouse." A bloody promotion to the first person who draws this

Welcome to Day Three of the Annual Awards Ceremony 2022! The Staff awards are only for those members who have achieved the rank of Commander or higher. Just like last year, we asked the first officers of the fleet to vote on the nominations for each staff award, providing recommendations to the EC about who should receive each award. We’re so happy to have this valuable feedback and guidance for our staff awards! These awards recognise the hard work of our community members who go above and beyond to ensure that everyone has a glorious experience here. There's so much behind-the-scenes work required to keep the engine of our community running, and these folks are a central part of that. Honor of the Admiralty Awarded to Staff Members who have served for a minimum of five years in a multitude of disciplines. From facilitating our task forces, engaging with the Captains Council, and leading with the utmost dedication, these writers volunteer their time, effort, and skill to building our game and community and have comprehensively earned the respect and loyalty of members. This is the highest award that can be conferred upon a StarBase 118 PBEM RPG staff member under the rank of Rear Admiral. Sal Taybrim, StarBase 118 Ops Presented by Roshanara Rahman: One of those strange quirks in life is that despite the years I have known Jamie, the writer behind Sal Taybrim, we’ve actually never simmed together (or if so, just barely during someone else’s IC promotion ceremony). And yet because of many parallels in our “simming career” here at StarBase 118 PBEM RPG and shared milestones, I’ve always felt a kinship with her. Jamie joined StarBase 118 in 2013 and was posted to the USS Excalibur-A under then-Fleet Captain Kali Nicholotti. Over the next year, she rose up the ranks and moved to science officer and then chief diplomatic officer before being named First Officer of our namesake installation, StarBase118 Ops in late December 2014. This meteoric rise was due in no small part to the extensive wealth of knowledge and expertise that Jamie brought to her ships and our community from her roleplaying experience beyond StarBase 118. While I had begun to notice this new rising star as her character was highlighted in quotes and highlighted sims, it was when Jamie joined the Captains Council as Ops’s First Officer that I had the pleasure of seeing just what a skilled roleplayer and gamemaster could bring to our game and community. Jamie is indisputably a die-hard Trekkie like the rest of us, but through the conversations that were had on the Captains Council and then later on the Executive Council when she became a commanding officer, one could easily see that Jamie always approached a topic from the viewpoint of, “What does this mean for the game and us as players?” The 2010s saw our community begin to shift its focus and emphasis towards higher writing quality, and that’s not a bad thing. The sims written today and expected of players of even lower ranks are more developed, have fuller narration, and just generally read more like the kind of writing that you would find in a novel or fleshed-out fan fiction work compared to our earlier script-style writing that mirrored screenplays (indeed that’s where our dialogue formatting for instance originates). Yet we all owe enormous gratitude that Jamie has made sure the group recognizes that there is a distinction between good writing ability and good simming ability, and that they are not replacements for one or the other but complements that fundamentally require different skillsets and training. During her interview with the Executive Council for her captaincy, then-Commander Taybrim wrote some of the most in-depth and thoughtful answers and reflections on both her time in StarBase 118 and on simming and roleplaying. It is not an understatement to say that in some ways, that interview was much like Jamie presenting a PhD dissertation-level of analysis on simming and what we as a group and as COs do well, what we could work on, what we should always remember, and what possibilities lie ahead. Jamie was promoted to Captain on April 23, 2016, several months before my own promotion to that rank later. Because of that, I’ve told her many times I consider her my fellow “Class of 2016” alumna. I must also admit that part of the fondness I feel for her is that we both were a bit of the “troublemakers” as Jordan aka Fleet Admiral Wolf might say during our “lower decks” years. As Jamie herself noted in her captaincy interview, “Because I wasn't married to the game yet, I wasn't afraid of poking the bear - or my mentor, and calling things out.” And yet we both recognized as we continued to advance that having good ideas or questions is not enough; you have to be able to communicate effectively with others and approach your mentors, COs, and the administrators with that same collaborative attitude and collegial spirit that we ask for in the game itself. I’m sure Jamie finds it just as ironic now as I do that today we are on the “other side” of the equation, now faced with finding ways to take and respond to feedback from the next cohort of simmers while upholding our responsibilities as the community’s stewards, tasked with ensuring that we continue the work done by the fleet’s previous leaders who carefully guided its growth over nearly three decades. I want to end this presentation by highlighting one goal of Jamie’s that she has always been particularly passionate about and continues to push for: finding ways to engage and reward good players who have no interest or are not able to command. Just as Jamie reminded us of the difference between good writing and good simming, she has helped broaden the fleet’s view of what it means to contribute at a fleet-wide level. Previously, the group’s main emphasis was on developing command candidates, and while COs and future captains are certainly vital for our fleet to grow and function, Jamie has worked tirelessly to ensure that strong Lt. Commanders who do not enter the command pathway yet are just as vital to their ships’ health feel validated and nourished by great stories and OOC opportunities to help our fleet function. When I see Jamie’s passion on this and other topics during our discussions in the Executive Council, I can still see that rambunctious ensign from all those years ago. I am delighted to consider her a friend and colleague and to present her with the Honor of the Admiralty. Thank you, Commodore Taybrim for all you have done for the fleet! Staff Member of the Year Award Awarded to Staff Members who have contributed tirelessly to the organization through any number of Out of Character channels, while maintaining excellence in simming on their vessel. This is an award granted to any staff member, regardless of rank. Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B Presented by Sal Taybrim: In her ten-year tenure on StarBase 118, Jalana Rajel - who started as Jalana Laxyn, and was joined as Trill often do, was recognized as an experienced simmer and steadfast staff member even early on. She had experience moderating a German-language Star Trek sim before she dove into StarBase 118. Oh yes, did you know that Jess, the writer behind Jalana Rajel is not only an incredible writer (and published author!), but that English is her second language? She’s so profound at writing in English that she has excelled in simming with many of her fellow players only learning that she lives in Germany as they made friends with her! She has maneuvered through many difficult situations in her path towards command, including stepping up as the acting commanding officer of the USS Apollo-A when her CO went AWOL after her Commander’s exam. Shortly afterwards she moved to her one true love in a ship, the USS Constitution-B From there she has commanded the Constitution-B for over seven years, creating a most remarkable place to play. There is a stability and familiarity to the Constitution’s game (lovingly called the ‘Conny’ by its players), enhanced by Jalana’s love of her favorite series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, which perfectly matches the ship. You would expect a Galaxy class ship like the Conny to feel like the Next Generation, and for over seven years that is exactly what it has felt like. Congratulations, Jalana, you’re on your eighth season now and going strong! There is a warm nostalgia and welcoming feeling to Jalana’s game, matched by her calm and wise leadership and her compassionate portrayal of her character. Her crew lovingly calls her ‘Mama Bear’ and sometimes “Commodore Hugs-a-Lot” and she embodies both of these aspects in and out of character. As a Commanding officer and member of the staff on StarBase 118, Jalana has always been patient and considerate. She is a joy to work with out of character and always presents a calm, considered viewpoint. She’s unfailingly honest, hardworking and balanced. She can mediate heated discussions with a calm and level head and approaches players new and old with an open friendliness that is unmatched. She is also a wonderful mentor, helping her staff members grow and develop into taskforce leaders, and her newer players grow into staff members. Furthermore, she’s one of the longest taskforce leaders in the Fleet - directing the Image Collective for almost her entire ten years on StarBase 118. She’s a strong graphics artist who has helped with character portraiture for years, and she was a driving force behind many of our badges, award images and fleet graphics. She’s incredibly dependable in her role on the Image Team, and looking back at the amount of graphics she has created, especially the badges and other templates that we use so often and don’t think about much, is overwhelming. Jalana is always quick to get requests done and always puts care and effort into every creation. Consistency, warmth, openness, friendliness, dependability. All of these perfectly describe Jess as a Commanding Officer and as a staff member of StarBase 118. While she may not be a brash voice, or a big personality, her steady contributions over time have grown into an incredible body of work. She has improved the simming experience for countless players and is a wonderful person to work with as a staff member and an incredible friend. I am so utterly ecstatic to be able to present Jalana Rajel with 2399’s Staff Member of the Year Award! Strange Medallion Awarded to First Officers in the fleet who are consistently dependable, perform above the call of duty in their position, and excel not only in simming, but also in their dedicated Out of Character activities. Those awarded are regarded as leaders who excel in their facilitation of their crew, raising the bar and lifting up simmers to the podium. Named after Commander Sally Strange, widely known as one of the most creative and dedicated First Officers in the fleet's early years. Wes Greaves, USS ‘Oumuamua Presented by Ossa V’Airu: It’s my genuine delight to recognize Jacob, aka Major Wes Greaves, with this year’s Strange Medallion for his stellar simming as XO of the Thor and, now, the ‘Oumuamua. He’s far from the first XO I’ve had the privilege of working with, but he’s easily one of the kindest, most capable, most responsible, and, well, one of the best! I was excited to see that his nominations for this award came not only from his fellow simmers on ‘Oumuamua, but from friends and colleagues across the Starbase 118 fleet. That, to me, is one of the marks of a great XO, because they need to take those steps into becoming one of the staff members for the Starbase 118 fleet as a whole, and in so doing shift their perspective from a single ship to the whole fleet. Jacob has done so strikingly well, while at the same time showcasing his skills and realizing the responsibilities that make him this year’s Strange Medallion winner. In addition to coming from around the fleet, Jacob’s nominators include a cross-section of the fleet’s newest simmers and its most experienced. “Minutes after I first logged onto Discord, he had set me up with my roles and welcomed me to the Thor channel,” wrote one of our newest simmers in their nomination. From a more experienced simmer: “He has raised the bar for simmers on the Thor and does it all with a smile, a joke, and a staunch leadership that can't be denied.” High praise indeed! Jacob’s leadership is something that nearly all his nominators commented on, and it’s something that I value a great deal in him as an XO. Some noted his leadership skills as a part of ‘Oumuamua, while others highlighted what a joy he’s been for cadets and trainers alike in the Academy. Still others noted how present he is around the fleet, whether on the forums, on Discord, or in another venue. As one nominator concluded, “Jacob has written his role with care and tact and acknowledges the character's faults, uncertainties and imperfections which serves as a fantastic example to other writers. I firmly believe that Wes Greaves will one day be a name we associate with command.” I do as well, and I can’t say enough good things about Jacob, this year’s Strange Medallion winner! Chief’s Citation Awarded to essential Staff Members whose determined work has benefitted the group In Character, and/or Out Of Character, even while their primary service was not as the Commanding Officer of a simming installation. Inspired by the non-commissioned and enlisted personnel who are the backbone of any starship but were rarely recognized in Star Trek lore in favor of the officers. Jo Marshall, USS Gorkon Presented by Ossa V’Airu: My goodness, what *doesn't* Em do around here?! From handling these awards to running the writing challenge, from actively contributing to everything that comes up in the Captains Council to volunteering to be the temporary magistrate, it often feels to me like Em is the glue that holds so much of what we do together. I can't imagine what this last year would've been like without her at so many different helms! I wrote most of the above in my nomination for Em for this year’s Chief’s Citation, and I was thrilled but not surprised to see that she was similarly nominated by many other members of the fleet – and while those nominations were similar, I learned a little more about how much Em does and how well she does it with every one. “In many ways,” wrote one nominator, “Jo Marshall is and has become the face of this fleet. She's got a hand in damn near everything that goes on, and her energy, leadership and enthusiasm is matched only by her infectious desire to make things run as smoothly and as ‘fun’-ly as they can.” Another nominator wrote “I'm not sure that words can really define everything that Jo does for us collectively,” and still another wrote that there’s “no doubt about the amount of contributions Jo makes to the community.” Beyond what I mentioned above, Em is an active and enthusiastic participant around the fleet – the Image Collective, the FNS, the Training Team, regular contests, including the Writing Challenge – and I wrote above that I can’t imagine what the last year would’ve been like without her, but honestly, I can’t imagine what the fleet would be like without her now, in the past, or in the future, and every time I see her name on the forums or on Discord, I thank our collective lucky stars that we have the gift of Em’s kindness, ethic, and service. She not only earned the Chief’s Citation, she defined it with all she did. Thank you, Em, and congratulations! The Sarek Star Awarded to Commanding Officers who show great diplomatic ability in working with members and staff, related to conduct Out of Character. Organisation, collaboration, mentorship, and ultimately making our game tick can be challenges in every respect, but those Staff Members awarded with this have a clear ability to walk those lines. Oddas Aria, Denali Station Presented by Quinn Reynolds: The ability to communicate with a variety of people is an essential skill for any of the staff in our fleet, but there are those who can elevate that skill to heights we all would like to emulate. This year, it’s my very great pleasure to present this award to someone who has worked tirelessly to improve communications throughout the fleet. As Captain-At-Large, Nick has kept the CC updated on the EC’s activities each month. He also holds office hours, giving our captains the chance to share their experiences, discuss any topics of the day (from campaign settings to how we each handle the OOC administration of the ship), and take advice on how to tackle difficult situations. Nick facilitates these discussions with a dab hand, ensuring that everyone walks away having learned something new. Beyond his role as CAL, he mentors and guides members of the training team as one of our Deputy Commandants, on hand to help them navigate through difficult situations, setting a fantastic example to our aspiring community leaders. Likewise, his crew talk about how much they appreciate his feedback; clear, helpful, and leaving no doubt that his aim is to support and encourage better simming. When dealing with difficult situations, he’s fair, compassionate, but firm when needed. We appreciate everything he does, and so I’d like to offer my thanks and congratulations as I present Nick with the Sarek Star! Christopher Pike Pendant Awarded to Commanding Officers who command their ship with honor and dedication, and help to provide a creative atmosphere which fosters outstanding simming. Not only do they lead by significant and exceptional example, but they engineer their vessels to be inspirational and creative powerhouses for all who sim on board. Kali Nicholotti, USS Excalibur-A Presented by Tristan Wolf: This award is reserved for Commanding Officers who have reached the pinnacle of their role – being able to deftly manage a plot, mentor their crew, and lead a ship "the StarBase 118 way." You can almost think of it as the "experienced captain of the year" award – in contrast to the Kirk award, for new captains – and it's really so lovely to award this in recognition of someone's focus and determination to be the best game leader they can be. Nicholotti – Marissa – has really earned this award over her tenure of more than five years in command spanning more than 10 years as a member of our community! She started in 2009, and first earned the rank of captain in 2012. Since then, she has simmed as the CO of StarBase 118 Ops, followed by four separate commands. It might be a little hard to imagine that now – when six of our nine COs (including Nicholloti) hold the rank of Commodore, which denotes more than five cumulative years in command – when our leadership team feels so stable and long-lived! But Marissa earned her stripes in a more volatile period when there was more turnover in staff ranks. Through all that, she has been a dedicated, loyal, and creative member of the staff who's focused on growing the community and running the best ship she can. All that hard work shows in the nominations she received for this award: "Phenomenal, inclusive, inspirational, fantastically imaginative," were just some of the words that people used to describe her leadership. I get the sense from reading the nominations that many of her crew feel deeply seen and cared for under her command, where their creativity is fostered and the game is exciting and welcoming for everyone. And if it's not the nominations telling that story, it's definitely the sim rates! Excalibur is consistently at or near the top of that leaderboard every month. It's not easy to spin all those plates at once. Until you've been a CO, it's really hard to imagine just how much skill it takes to not only DO it but BE REALLY GOOD AT IT; to maintain that creativity that keeps people engaged while also leading people in a way that doesn't feel punitive or fake. But Marissa's authenticity and love of Star Trek shines through, making command look a lot easier than it is! And so I speak for us all when I say "many thanks, Marissa," for the time, effort, and joy you put into the game. It's a wonder to behold, and your participation is a treasure for our community. You very much deserve this long-awaited award. Please join us in congratulating these members of the staff!

Welcome to Day One of the annual Awards Ceremony! Each captain has presented the General (Ship) Awards to their crew. The fleet’s commanding officers choose the winners, (or where the commanding officer was also nominated, we called the first officer in to decide) from the nominations made by you! This is your chance to see how each of the other ships did and see who picked up what award. The Order of Starfleet Merit and Achievement (TOSMA) Awarded to members who show great dedication in their behavior and simming abilities. A candidate for TOSMA gives strong, solid ideas to the storyline and character development on a regular basis. They also take the time to edit and proofread their sims to guarantee that their writing is of high quality. Bryce Tagren-Quinn, USS Gorkon Cade Foster, USS Constitution-B Connor Dewitt, USS Arrow Ikaia Wong, Amity Outpost Jack Kessler, USS Oumuamua Kettick, Denali Station Noa T'Nessa Levinson, USS Chintoka Talos Dakora, USS Excalibur-A Trovek Arys, StarBase 118 Ops The Genesis Award Awarded to officers who show conspicuous effort in notably improving their simming skills. Jacin Ayemet, USS Arrow John Carter, Amity Outpost Kettick, Denali Station Meidra Sirin, USS Gorkon Noa T'Nessa Levinson, USS Chintoka Rachel Flores, USS Constitution-B Ulasso, USS Oumuamua Vitor Silveira, USS Excalibur-A Scotty Cross Awarded to an officer who shows extreme creativity while solving a plot dilemma or in character plot twist. Ayiana Sevo, USS Gorkon Chloe Waters, USS Arrow Karrod Niac, USS Excalibur-A Kettick, Denali Station Neelix Award Awarded to officers who go above and beyond the call of duty by displaying additional, Out of Character commitment. This includes assisting fellow officers in need of simming assistance, facilitating Out of Character discussions with the crew, maintaining wiki articles, and more.. Addison MacKenzie, USS Excalibur-A Alora DeVeau, USS Oumuamua Artinus Serinus, USS Arrow Dekas, Denali Station Edward Spears, USS Constitution-B Samira Neathler, USS Gorkon Scotty Reade, Amity Outpost Nebula Bar Awarded to a simmer who has demonstrated great imagination in 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 improves the flow of a given plot. Etan Iljor, USS Excalibur-A Jacin Ayemet, USS Arrow Tahna Meru, USS Gorkon Toryn Raga, USS Chintoka Wil Ukinix, Amity Outpost Laudean Commendation Awarded to those who have shown great creativity in many facets of species creation or expansion, including physiological, psychological, cultural, social, and more, their creativity will inspire their fellow simmers. The Laudean Commendation can cover many aspects of species development, such as an expansion of the species on the wiki and documenting their history, but should primarily be based on In Character simming. Alieth, USS Gorkon Ar'Gorvalei, USS Arrow Dekas, Denali Station Hallia Yellir, USS Excalibur-A Kivik, Amity Outpost Shedet, USS Constitution-B V’Len Kel, USS Oumuamua Silver Palm Awarded to individuals who are renowned to offer that spark to a plot when it is lagging, or for consistently bringing fun or a touch of humour to the sim, while keeping such sims current and realistic. They constantly raise their crew's morale in a variety of methods, including Out of Character. Anton Richards, USS Oumuamua Keneth Nakada, USS Arrow Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Sleepy Tiberius, USS Excalibur-A Talia Ohnari, USS Constitution-B Tomas Falt, Denali Station Wil Ukinix, Amity Outpost Sheathed Sword Awarded to individuals who choose to inflict mental and/or physical suffering on their character, then dig into the following feelings and decisions in a realistic manner. The term is derived from a passage in a Robert Jordan novel in which a warrior must be prepared to 'sheath the sword' in their own body, i.e. incur a painful wound to attain one's objective (in this case, more realistic simming) rather than a genuine aim of the character. Aine Sherlock, StarBase 118 Ops Ceciri Ariadust, Amity Outpost Cory Stoyer, USS Gorkon Dekas, Denali Station Elizabeth Snow, USS Chintoka Lystra, USS Constitution-B R'Ariel, USS Arrow V’Len Kel, USS Oumuamua Vitor Silveira, USS Excalibur-A B-Plot Award Awarded to simmers who, despite the demands of the core storyline, illustrate a substantial portion of the character's life. Their sims convey the journey of their character while bringing their fellow crew members along for the ride, allowing for collaboration and making their world feel as though their fellow writers are a part of it. Amuro McKnight, USS Chintoka Atan T'Seva, USS Constitution-B Corliss Fortune, USS Gorkon Hallia Yellir, USS Excalibur-A Kalia Qinn, Denali Station Quentin Collins, USS Arrow Rebecca Iko, Amity Outpost Vitor Tito, StarBase 118 Ops The Russ Bar Awarded to a writer who possesses an exceptional grasp of Trek mythology. Named after Tim Russ, the actor who portrayed Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager and was a huge Star Trek fan before landing the part. Addison MacKenzie, USS Excalibur-A Cassandra Mason, USS Arrow Kammus Corelli, USS Oumuamua Rivi Vataix, Amity Outpost Sera, Denali Station Tahna Meru, USS Gorkon Trovek Arys, StarBase 118 Ops Pathfinder Award Awarded to individuals who have taken great care in mentoring other members during their early stages of simming and beyond. They are great communicators who continuously find ways to motivate and inspire their mentees. Alieth, USS Gorkon Alora DeVeau, USS Oumuamua Jaelyne Isa, USS Chintoka Lazarus Davis, USS Constitution-B Quentin Collins, USS Arrow Genkos Adea, USS Excalibur-A Khan Award Awarded to a simmer who thoughtfully develops a three-dimensional villain over the course of a mission or more. They create well-rounded and grounded villains, who may be moustache-twirling murderous maniacs or the hero of their own story. A superb villain should be a formidable and deserving foe to your heroes. They should neither be so weak that they are easily defeated nor should they be so powerful that they can only be defeated by chance. Genkos Adea, USS Excalibur-A Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Maz Rodan, USS Arrow Toryn Raga, USS Chintoka Q Award Awarded to a simmer who keeps their team guessing with unexpected, clever plot twists throughout the year. Though they may be sudden, unexpected, and even dramatic changes in direction, the twists must be realistic and sensible. The twists should never happen in such a way that people feel misled, fooled, or embarrassed. Great narrative twists always increase, not decrease, other simmer’s participation in the story. Karrod Niac, USS Excalibur-A Loxley, USS Gorkon Quentin Collins, USS Arrow T'Lea, Denali Station O'Brien Award Awarded to individuals with the rank of Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander who assist the ship's command staff by mentoring crew, arranging missions, updating the wiki, and performing other activities critical to the successful operation of our sims. These officers serve as the backbone of their ships and stations, assisting in making simming enjoyable for everyone on board. Named after one of Trek's most devoted and tenacious support personnel. Alieth, USS Gorkon Alora DeVeau, USS Oumuamua Cadfael Peters, USS Chintoka Edward Spears, USS Constitution-B Yogan Yalu, USS Excalibur-A Ikaia Wong, Amity Outpost John Kendrick, Denali Station Maz Rodan, USS Arrow Vega Award Awarded to individuals who bring the worlds of their crews to life with art, videos, and all kinds of artistic endeavours. Named for one of the Federation's earliest colonies. Aine Sherlock, StarBase 118 Ops Artinus Serinus, USS Arrow Jocelyn Marshall, USS Gorkon Rebecca Iko, Amity Outpost Talos Dakora, USS Excalibur-A Combs Cross Awarded to individuals who bring their ships to life with well-rounded PNPCs, enhancing plots and character development, without detracting from the main story and characters of the sim. They add depth and colour to the universe, and make the journey the experience. Named for Jeffrey Combs, guest star of a thousand faces. Alora DeVeau, StarBase 118 Ops Jaelyne Isa, USS Chintoka Jalana Rajel, USS Constitution-B Karise Indobri, Denali Station Kivik, Amity Outpost Maz Rodan, USS Arrow Quinn Reynolds, USS Gorkon Wes Greaves, USS Oumuamua Yogan Yalu, USS Excalibur-A Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

With over 800 television episodes and films, an objective ranking of on-screen Star Trek content would be impossible. However, within each series, a consensus has coalesced around a handful of episodes that are often regarded as the finest. "The Measure of a Man," "Improbable Cause/The Die is Cast," and "Deadlock" are particularly good episodes from their respective series' earlier seasons, and symbolise each series coming into its own. Even so, admiration for each series' so-called "best episodes" isn't always universal, and fans' rankings of a series' finest episodes might range as much as their selections for the worst. For ardent Trek fans, evaluating episodes on their merits can be challenging since what we appreciate most about our favourite episodes is frequently impossible to measure. The nostalgia of having grown up with these programmes raises the question of their most acclaimed episodes: “Do we love them because they’re good, or are they good because we love them?” For this month's poll, we chose two episodes from each of the first five series, as well as one TOS feature and one TNG film that are widely regarded as the best of the best. Only series with completed original runs are represented; we'll have to wait for history to weigh in on the series that are currently in production. Choose the episode or film you believe is the worst and tell us why. Is there an episode we missed you believe deserves to be the worst "best" episode? Don’t see what all the fuss was about “The Inner Light,” “The Visitor,” or “Equinox”? Tell us what and why!

Well deserved