2020 awards Day Four: Duty Post Awards

[Jo Marshall]

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.

 

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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.”

 

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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!”

 

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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!”

 

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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!”

 

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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!”

 

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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.”

 

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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!”

 

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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!”

 

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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!”

 

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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.”

 

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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”

 

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Please join us in congratulating these talented players!

[Groznin Smith]

Congrats everyone!!

[Alieth]

Congratulations to all the winners and well-deserved prizes!

I want to especially congratulate my fellow Vikings for the stack of awards they are bringing home because they are MORE than well deserved. 

@Addison MacKenzie, boss you deserves this! our department would not be as great without you and i'm here to learn all the dirty tricks from the bossier Boss, you never dissapoint!

@Wes Greaves I'm quite GLAD you win this, you've made me enjoy deeply write with marines and you're the best representation of them in trek i've read in a long, LONG time. More than well deserved, keep like this always!

@Ben Garcia... You're still grounded without gummy bears

 

congrats!!!

[Noa T'Nessa Levinson]

Congratulations!!

Absolutely well deserved, to each and every one of you!

[Alexander Brodie]

Congratulations to all on your awards.

[+ Kamoyo Aleksandrov]

Kudos to all of you. You all do a wonderful job a playing a fun well rounded character.

[Jona ch'Ranni]

Thank you so much! I am honored.

And well done to @Corliss @Jo Marshall and @Samira Neathler. Very much deserved!

[Karrod Niac]

Congratulations to all the exceptional people from around the fleet who show us, through actions and attitude, how to be the best there is.  To my fellow vikings, @Wes Greaves, @Addison MacKenzie & @Ben Garcia I offer the heartiest congratulations - in the short time we've been a crew I have gotten to see greatness from all of you.  I cannot wait to see what the year ahead brings for all of us!  

[Oddas Aria]

Great work everyone, you all deserve it.  To say I was a little apprehensive about having an intelligence officer aboard the ship, well, that would be putting it mildly.  That said, @Kali Nicholotti you put my mind at ease with your portrayal of Ash and I appreciate it greatly, I cannot think of a better intelligence officer. 

@Melody Delri'ise is has been an absolute pleasure watching your character integrate with the crew in a very non-traditional way that still gets the job done, great work.

@Quentin Collins III well, you have been such a great science officer I almost wanted to tell your new CO he couldn't have you.  Try to make him look as good as you made me.

[Genkos Adea]

Bloody well done @Samira Neathler, @Corliss, @Jona ch'Ranni and @Jo Marshall! Really well deserved wins by fabulous simmers!

[Ben Garcia]

The geeky pride I have right now is off the charts. It's only outmatched by my gratitude to the folks that took the time out to put a nomination in

Congrats to all the other winners and to my fellow Vikings bringing the shiny trophies home to the Thor!

P.s - a huge thank you to @Tony (Kells) for kind words in the presentation too! 

Edited June 30, 2020 by Ben Garcia
P.s note

[Haukea-Willow]

@Romyana Casparian Congratulations on your award. I am truly inspired by your enthusiasm each and every day. You make a great engineer who is not only focused on fixing a ship but in all sorts of other fun projects that could be had. Congratulations once again. ❤️ 

[Corliss]

Hoorah! Counselling sessions for all!!

Wouldn't you like a delightful brain massage??? 😁

[Piweh]

Congratulations to all the winners. So proud to see so many familiar faces both oocly, and people that Artinus has had the pleasure of simming with. Not everyday you see your first in character friend on the same list as your first rival (From a totally different ship) Cheers to you all!

[Tony, aka Rouiancet]

Well done to everyone! I'm really proud of Matt, Wes, and Jacob especially because I know how talented you guys are firsthand ... but honestly, the duty post awards are my favorite category every year because it shows off how talented folks around the fleet are at bringing their specialties to life. Congratulations to you all!

[Samira Neathler]

Thank you all, and congratulations to the winners. All well deserved. 🙂 

[Kirsty L. Carpenter]

Wow, y’all I am just....completely floored. Thank you so, so much for opportunity to write here. 

[Jana Zicv]

3 minutes ago, Quentin Collins III said:

Wow, y’all I am just....completely floored. Thank you so, so much for opportunity to write here. 

Congrats, Mr. @Quentin Collins III 🤣

Congratulations to every winner and the nominees as well. Hard award to win as well. 

 

[Dizmim ChNilmani]

Congratulations to each and everyone here who want their duty post award! This is a great achievement to be recognized for. I know just from the descriptions how awesome you all are and how hard you worked throughout the year that got you nominated in the first place. 

Great job and you keep rocking!

[Wes Greaves]

Wow.  I'm very humbled.  Thanks to those who nominated me! Was not expecting a new comer such as myself to receive a duty-post award.  Thanks so much.

 

And congratulations all around.  I've been blown away each day of the awards ceremony by just how awesome this community is.  We have some stellar people here who are exceptionally dedicated to making this place great.  Bravo Zulu!

[Addison MacKenzie]

I am humbled by the presentation and by those who chose to nominate me for the award. A hearty congrats to all the other winners - they are all much deserved!!

[Sal Taybrim]

@Quentin Collins III- I remember when you were a newly posted ensign all full of energy and excitement on the Eagle and I am so proud of how much you have grown and developed as a writer!  You have done a great job and I am so excited to see you recognized for this award!  Keep up the great work!

@Addison MacKenzie - You have been such a strong writer and helpful staff person this year going through a lot of changes and always managing to still write well.  I love writing with you in the Academy and the Thor is so lucky to have you!  I'm so happy to see your recognized this year - stay awesome my friend!

@Wes Greavesand @Ben Garcia - I have seen how supportive and helpful you both are for your fellow crewmates and your ship's staff.  I'm so glad to see you both recognized.  Keep up the great work and keep on making the galaxy a bit more brilliant with your writing!  Fly high, Vikings, fly high!

And finally,

@Romyana Casparian - you are an absolute delight to write with.  I love your energy, I love the soft characterizations you place into Romyana.  I was touched as she made fast friends with Ensign Steiger only to see him injured on the mission and transferred to Starfleet medical.  I loved the little downtime conversation while we were playing out the clock on the bridge.  I loved the effort you put into improving Lt. Bailey's braces.  You connect with your fellow crew both in sim and on Discord and you deserve this recognition.  Thank you for being awesome and I look forward to so many future missions together!

To all the duty post winners: CONGRATULATIONS!  You inspire the fellow writers on your ships and across the fleet.  Stay brilliant, stay creative, stay awesome. ❤️

[+ Rune Jolara]

Congratulations everyone!!

[Toryn Raga]

A grand and mighty huzzah and congratulations to all of you!

 

@Wes Greaves As a person who has not one, but two Marine PNPCs on board Atlantis I will definitely be taking a look at your thoughts on simming for them with the fleet. 

[Jo Marshall]

It's been a hard weekend, but better late than never! 

@Samira Neathler I'm really impressed by the way you've written Samira consistently for nearly two years at the level you have; she's a shining example of everything a security and tactical officer should be — fair, balanced, intelligent and sharp. Both in our universe (and out of it, echoes of Skarbek somewhere) you are beyond measure. As a department head, Samira is constantly looking for ways to open up the narrative for your fellow security officers (because they can be many) and ensure there's always something rolling for your guys when needed. You're a wonderful staff member and a great friend. I hope this award keeps your spirits high and confirms what we know - you're awesome in doing what you do for us. 

@Jona ch'Ranni Though you've not been with us long, I've been continually impressed by the ways you've demonstrated Jona's abilities in Operations as being far beyond that of a Helm/Coms/Ops officer. You've delved into what makes Operations what it is in a ship setting, ensuring he's there for everything from greeting new officers with their orders to getting them bunked in, sorting out one thing after another, and being flexible enough to take on other roles as the Ops role requires. It's not an easy role to fill (I've been there), but you make it look effortless. Hearty congratulations on this, dude! 

 @Corliss I remember being awed the first time I read a proper session you'd written with someone a year ago (maybe even close to two now), where you counselled in a group therapy session following our first Skarbek run. It was a great session to read; back in those heady Ensign days. Since then, you've only got better; it shows that you've got a genuine interest in psychology and counselling when you write Corliss' approach to her sessions the way that you do. The way you make characters think is wonderful. I hope this award lifts you up for the next year, and gives you that oomph of encouragement to keep being excellent.