Independence Fleet Newsletter
December 2003
--------------------------------------------------
=/\=INDEPENDENCE FLEET NEWSLETTER -
DECEMBER 2003=/\=
-- Opening
-- Newbits
-- IDF Academy
-- New Division/Ships
-- IDF Graphics and Design Dept.
-- Current Mission Summaries
-- Awards
-- Interview
-- Removal of Commander in Chief
-- Letter from Former Admiral Star
-- Thanks
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=OPENING=/\=
Good morning IDF officers. This month we have a lot
of material for the newsletter. There is so much
info, in fact, that no more time is needed for the
opening...let's just get right to it.
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=NEWSBITS=/\=
- Lieutenant Thomas Hallet, Chief Engineering Officer
of the USS George W. Bush was promoted to Lieutenant
Commander and also assumes the additional role as
Second Officer of the ship. Congratulations!
- Lieutenant Junior Grades Wei Lu, Venka, and Alain
Legard; Chief Medical Officer, Counselor, and Weapons
Specialist, have all been promoted to full
Lieutenants. Great job!
- Captain Dylan Anderson was relieved of command of
the USS Liberty for inactivity due to being AWOL. His
replacement is Joseph Carroll, the former XO. Carroll
was promoted to captain and now commands the Liberty.
In related news, the New Orleans Class Liberty
previously in service was destroyed not long ago. IDF
Command has commissioned the USS Liberty-A, a
Sovereign Class ship, to replace it.
- Captain Fiona Starling, formerly of the Washington,
resigned her commission. Her replacement is Nniol
N'Var, the former XO. N'Var was promoted to captain
and now commands the Washington.
- Rear Admiral James Britanicus has released command
of the Horatio Nelson into the hands of Captain James
"Rook" Mirtoh. Britanicus still directs the Defense
Response Force.
- Former Admiral Star was relieved of command by the
Admiralty. [For more info, please see article below.]
- The USS Goliad reached 600 posts on November 19th.
The post was sent in by Lieutenant Hevanovich. Keep
up the good work.
- Former Rear Admiral Rager is returning to the fleet
as Official Webmaster! The fleet is glad to have her
back in any capacity.
- The IDF Academy is scheduled to open on January 1st,
2004. [See article below for more information.]
- A new division is scheduled to be launched sometime
between January 1st and 15th, 2004. [See article below
for more details.]
- The Official IDF Graphics and Design Department is
scheduled to be opened sometime between January 1st
and 15th, 2004. [For more details, see article
below.]
- To express general interest in any future Division
Director, Commanding Officer, or Executive Officer
openings please visit the IDF homepage at
www.angelfire.com/trek/independencefleet and click on
the proper join link.
- If anyone has any personal announcements relating to
the fleet or personnel within the fleet to submit for
future editions of the newsletter, please send them to
Admiral West at
Insidr524@a.... We try to
gather
all important announcements as the month goes by but
would hate to miss anything that could be important to
someone. Thanks.
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=IDF ACADEMY=/\=
I am pleased to announce that on January 01 we will be
launching the first IDF academy. Starting then, all
new recruits will be put through the academy and all
future COs and XOs will have special classes in the
academy. There will also be many optional fun classes
for you to take if you like.
The webpage is still under construction but will be
released very shortly.
Also, we are in need of instructors, if you feel you
have legit skills to be an instructor please send me
(Vice Admiral Dragonetti
poisonwake@y...) an
email answering the following questions:
1) What would you like to teach?
2) What are your qualifications?
3) What ideas do you have?
4) What improvements do you have for future recruits?
This is very exciting time, and I'd like to extend a
very special thanks to Commander AC MacGyver of the
USS Horatio Nelson. She has very generously donated a
lot of her time to help with the academy. She will
play a very vital part in running this, alongside with
myself. Please give her a large thanks as well.
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=NEW DIVISION/SHIPS=/\=
IDF is launching a new division with two vessels
sometime between the 1st and 15th of January, 2004!
The official name of the division has not been decided
as of yet, however, we can tell you that it is going
to be some kind of medical/rescue/research themed
division.
The division director for this division is going to be
Rear Admiral Kallan Maverik! You may remember her
also as former Minerva XO Entera Danae. Stay tuned
for updates from your neighborhood Admiralty and/or
Commanding Officer. We will bring you the facts, as
they happen!
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=IDF GRAPHICS AND DESIGN DEPARTMENT=/\=
Also launching between the 1st of 15th of January
2004, the new IDFGDD will be co-directed by
Lieutenants Dunmore and Hevanovich from the GWB and
Goliad. These two artists have helped the Admiralty
before with the fleet logo (originally created by
Admiral West) and the new ship link-tabs on the IDF
homepage.
The purpose of the GGD is to create and provide high
quality images and designs to all IDF personnel to use
for individual fleet websites and crew biographies.
Examples of these designs are, but not limited to:
Personalized sim banners, logos, symbols, awards and
medals, dedication plaques, ID cards, and pictures of
celebrities or whatnot in Trek outfits for pictures in
crew bios!
Stay tuned for updates from your neighborhood
Admiralty and/or Commanding Officer. We will bring
you the facts, as they happen!
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=MISSION SUMMARIES=/\=
Here are a few of the many current missions in which
our ships/bases are involved in...
***
USS Goliad - "BIOHAZARD"
The USS Goliad has responded to a vague distress call
from the USS Yorktown and arrive to find it adrift in
a dense EM field which inhibits shields, weapons lock,
communications and transporters. An away team, led by
Captain Zhaan go over to investigate. What they find
is a nightmare. A mysterious biological agent aboard
is effecting the crew and turning them into mindless
zombies, and there an undercover Operative aboard the
Goliad is there to collect combat data.
Captain Larakizhaan sh'Harena
Commanding Officer
USS Goliad NCC-18907-A
***
USS George W. Bush
The GWB has gone back to Earth to get a long overdue
refit. While on Earth, the beloved Chief Tactical
Officer has proposed to his girlfriend and they are
supposed to get married. However, 5 days before the
wedding, The crew is contacted by Admiral Johaan of
Starfleet HQ. Apparently the son of the late Admiral
Weaver, our current ACEO Michael Weaver is the prime
suspect of the recent murder of a Klingon Ambassador.
The GWB has been assigned to find evidence against
Weaver, however, being a friend of the family, Johaan
has asked that the Bush look for evidence to help
Michael prove his innocence.
Michael has gone missing. Can the GWB crew find him?
Did he commit the crime? What about the wedding? Will
they be able to find the culprit of the crime? These
questions and many more are sure to be answered,
in............*Until Death do us Part.*
--submitted by Lt. Ryan Dunmore, CTO
***
USS Excalibur
The Excalibur is sent to Sector 221-G to replace Capt.
Calhoun's ship on patrol. While exploring the sector,
they encounter the Great Bird of the Galaxy. The Great
Bird deposits an egg in the Excalibur's Warp Core and
asks McCloud to take the egg to a system 35 light
years away. The system contains a Red Giant and
McCloud must get the Egg there in ten days or the
Excalibur will be destroyed by the growing offspring
of the Great Bird. What will they encounter along the
way? Will they get there in time to save the ship?
Read our posts to find out.
Respectively submitted by,
Capt. Steven McCloud
CO USS Excalibur NCC-2997
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=AWARD WINNERS=/\=
And now we announce the award winners for this month.
Only four sims submitted nominees before the award
voting process was started, but even so, there was
excellent and outstanding work in the fleet as always!
***
Best Character Post(s)
Lieutenant Wei Lu, USS Washington Post #2766 and #2769
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Washington11988/message/777
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Washington11988/message/783
***
Best Story Post
Dr. Paula Fredricks, USS Excalibur Post #3406
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uss-excalibur/message/4175
***
Funniest Post
Lt. Commander Natasha Cruix, USS Goliad Post #590
http://www.topica.com/lists/goliad18907/read/message.html?mid=807807798&sort=d&s\
tart=1018
***
Genesis Award
Captain Zhaan, USS Goliad #618
http://www.topica.com/lists/goliad18907/read/message.html?mid=807887022&sort=d&s\
tart=1043
***
Most Valuable Poster: Lieutenant Alain Legard, USS
Washington
Gerard has consistently worked to keep the storylines
flowing. He is always willing to help other players,
whether it is with their skills stats or a post. He
consistently comes through with plot advancing posts.
He is always willing to help out with the webpage, or
anything else that is asked of him. He does this
while juggling the responsibilities of school, college
apps, and while being a newspaper editor for his
school newspaper. He's definitely worth more than we
pay him!
***
Most Improved Poster: Dr. Winters, USS George W. Bush
Winters has been a crewmember of the George W. Bush
for about 5 months, and has usually just been a small
voice in our missions. She has begun to step it up a
notch and to become more lively in the storylines. Her
writing has improved a great deal and so has her use
of characters-- for all those reasons, I nominate her
for Most Improved.
***
Outstanding Simmer: Gabrial Barns, USS Excalibur
Jeff, who plays Gabe Barns the civilian weapons
specialist was in Kuwait and this month started his
journey home. While in transit back to the United
States, he was able to post 18.5 times and added to
the X's mission greatly. This is what I call an
Outstanding Poster.
***
Rookie of the Month: Ensign Olymbia Lymberia, USS
Goliad
Joining the ship on a short break between mission she
posted twice, both of them well written and introduced
her character well. I'm looking forward to working
with her in the future.
***
Recruitment Award: Lt.(jg) Ceras, USS Goliad, 1
recruit
***
Most Posts: Captain Steve McCloud of the USS
Excalibur had 36 posts, however, since COs are
uneligible for awards besides Genesis (at this time,
may or may not change in the near future), Commander
Ingoldo of the Excalibur wins by default with 31
posts.
***
Congratulations to all the award winners this month!
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=INTERVIEW=/\=
This is the first interview conducted by Ace Decade as
Official Fleet Interviewer! That's right folks, Ace
Decade is now the Official Fleet Interviewer. It is a
high prestige position that Ace does very well. Let's
take a look at some of his work here.
***
Today, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Lt.
Ryan Dunmore. Dunmore talks about his awards, Captain
Absecon, where he sees himself in the future and who
would win in a fight between Bill Clinton and Bill
Gates.
Decade: I am sitting here with Ryan James Dunmore of
the USS George W. Bush. Ryan first I want to thank you
for taking the time out of your future Hall of Fame
career life, and chatting with us.
Dunmore: *laughs* I'd hardly call it a hall of fame
career but thank you, anyways.
Decade: Don't argue son it makes you look bad. Would
you prefer me to say, "I am sitting here with this
piss poor simmer, Ryan Dunmore?"
Dunmore: *laughs again* Very true. I accept the first
welcome instead of the second.
Decade: Just kidding. So Ryan, what got you into this
crazy world we call simming? Where did it all begin?
How did it start?
Dunmore: Well, it was about a year ago. The now
retired Admiral Star had just handed the GWB over to
then Captain Jasson Asuka. I was on the Gamefaqs.com
message boards. While on the Star Trek board, I
noticed a cleverly placed ad for a website claiming to
have a trek ship called the "USS George W. Bush."
Being curious I went. Once I looked around, I realized
it was a simulation game, and I joined. I guess you
could say the rest is history.
Decade: Interesting. How would you compare Jason
Assuka to your current CO, Julie Absecon?
Dunmore: Oh great put me on the spot huh? *laughs*
Decade: I try.
Dunmore: *laughs again* Well, they are both very
different. I have yet to find a flaw in either one of
them during my stay on the GWB. Asuka was a very nice
guy, and he seemed to love simming with us on the GWB.
It was quite sad to have him leave us. But life moves
on. As for Abescon, I think she is a wonderful person
in and out of character. I feel sorry for her though.
She is in school still and I talk with her on AIM, all
of the time. She is always bogged down with homework.
But yet she makes enough time, to post, work on the
website, and entertain my ideas for the ship. *laughs*
I know she tries her best to do her job. Sometimes
maybe even too hard. By the way I'd like to go on
record to state that I am not sucking up to get a
promotion. *laughs again*
Decade: Of course you're not. Ryan, your current
ranking is Lt. How long did it take you to get to
where you are today and do you see yourself moving up
in the rankings anytime soon?
Dunmore: Well, I was promoted from ensign to Lt JG in
April. At that point Julie had just taken over the GWB
and asked me to become her new Second Officer. In
September she promoted me again to Lt. This past month
I had been extra busy with school and some out of
character stuff, like the new images on the website.
So unfortunately, I was not able to post as much as I
wanted to. So when awards/promotions came around for
November, she decided not to promote me. It was
warranted, in my opinion. You need to do simming to
get promoted. So, my friend Mike aka Lt Tom Hallet was
promoted to Lt. Cmdr and I gave up my position as
second officer. Which she didn't make me. Just so
everyone knows. I felt it was necessary. But as far as
me moving up, all I have to say is that I am trying to
be more active, and I am going to try and get back
with my friend so he can't order me around anymore.
*laughs* But I hope to make Lt. Cmdr. by next
newsletter and before I leave for my short
LOA/vacation.
Decade: Well, I wish you the best of luck. In April
you won your first award in IDF, the Recruitment
Award. The same award top simmers like Ashla Bogan(2),
Gorath(2), Sutak, James Mirtoh, Be'karlsa to name a
few, took home in the past. But unlike those simmers,
you had to share it with one Airika Calhoun of the USS
Excalibur. Tell me, did you sharing your first award
make it less meaningful?
Dunmore: Well, it kinda took away from the glory, but
it was just the recruitment award. I mean don't get me
wrong, it was still a great honor. But recruitment
doesn't even require a reason why the person was
nominated. Just the fact that they did bring on some
new people. Which like a lot of things I have tried,
failed. Considering they stayed onboard for about 1
month. *shrugs his shoulders* Oh well.
Decade: Well, it's the effort that counts, not how
long they stay. So just remember that. Ryan, later
this year, in September, you won your first individual
award, Most Improved. Most Improved is a very
important award. How does it feel to have your name on
a list that consists of simmers like, James
Britanicus, Jason Assuka, Talin Southbranche and the
very first MIP winner, Rebecca Dax?
Dunmore: Now that one is a true honor. When the
captain wrote up the nomination for MIP, I felt
important. Then one night I was sitting in front of my
computer and my friend, Captain N'Var of the
Washington came on. She said, "Congratulations!!" and
I was confused. Apparently, then Captain Starling had
already forwarded the newsletter to her crew and N'Var
saw my name on there as MIP. And she gave me an early
congratulations. So now I knew what was going on, so I
was forwarded the newsletter to see for myself. I was
so excited you don't even understand.
Decade: Of course, the most honorable award is the
Most Valuable Player (MVP). Do you see yourself
winning this award? If you do, you will be on a list
full of Hall of Famers. Just to name a few; Tavik,
Steve McCloud, Yarg Nolram, Ingoldo and perhaps the
greatest of all, our first MVP winner, Ace Decade.
Dunmore: You were the first one? Congrats! But
anyways, I don't think I might ever be good enough to
get that Award. I hope to someday, but I don't think I
can. Of course though, you never know whats gonna
happen next on the GWB.
Decade: Anyone can if they try. And. . .you need to
read up on your fleet's history my friend. On to
another question. What types of missions do you
prefer? Horror, suspense, action, etc? What would you
like to see more of? And thanks for the late
congratulations.
Dunmore: No problem. I will have to check out the
history sometime. As for the missions that I prefer,
I'd have to say, Action missions, with some suspense
in them. Like most people on the GWB we like a good
deal of plot twists involved. Sometimes we get so many
we don't know what's going on. At least Captain A is
able to decipher all of it and do one of our "famous"
summary posts, to try and straighten everyone out.
Decade: Action is amongst the favorites in IDF. If you
were to pick on the one simmer that has stood out in
your mind to be the best ever, in your years worth of
service, who would that simmer be?
Dunmore: Wow, just one. Hmmmm there are many I'd like
to think of as some of the best simmers. Captain A,
Captain N'var, Captain Zhaan, all stand out. I'd
probably have to say one person I'd have to say though
that really sticks out in my mind is Tom Hallet. We
started around the same time. And not only did our
characters become friends, I'd say that we are pretty
good friends too. Not only that. I have watched him
improve so much over the past 6 months it isn't even
funny. I'd have to say he has stood out the most, in
my opinion.
Decade: Ah, good 'ole Tom. Great simmer. Do you look
to finish your career with the GWB, or perhaps move
elsewhere to another ship in IDF?
Dunmore: *laughs* I've used this expression with
Captain A before, I am the Will Riker to her being
Captain Picard. If I ever get a command in IDF, it was
the GWB. It has a sentimental value to me. Of course
now, I have to go through Tom, Marko and her to
accomplish my goal.
Decade: Ryan I am going to wrap this interview up,
but before I do I am going to compare somethings and I
want you to pick what you think is best, or like the
best etc.
Dunmore: Okay.
Decade: Which do you prefer? Coke or Pepsi?
Dunmore: Pepsi all the way, favorite drink in
character and out of character
Decade: In a fight who would win? Bill Clinton or
Bill Gates?
Dunmore: Bill Clinton, Sax players can fight man.
*laughs*
Decade: Who is the better simmer of the four? Sutak,
Ace Decade, Charles Star or James West?
Dunmore: Well, now, on the spot again, eh Captain.
Well, I'd have to say West since he is the only one
that I have simmed with of the four.
Decade: Which is the better show? Seinfeld or
Friends?
Dunmore: Friends, I don't like Seinfield
Decade: Who would you marry, do and kill out of these
three woman? J-Lo, Jennifer Garner and Madonna?
Dunmore: *laughs really hard* Now that's a question.
Ok in this order Marry; Garner, Do; all three, and
Kill; none they are all cool.
Decade: And finally, which movie do you like best,
Jurassic Park or E.T.: The Extraterrestrial?
Dunmore: Jurassic Park, ET was cool when I was a kid
but I can't even watch it now.
Decade: I want to thank you for your time once again
Ryan. I wish you the best of luck in your simming
career, as you are a young one and have many great
moments a head of you.
Dunmore: Thank you, Captain, I really enjoyed this.
Decade: Thank you, and I will be looking for you at
the top one day.
Dunmore: *laughs* I hope so.
***
Ace did an extremely good job. We thank him for his
time and work. Ace is also working on a top 20 list
of great simmers from IDF. More info will come later.
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=REMOVAL OF COMMANDER IN CHIEF=/\=
On December 2nd of 2003, Former Admiral Charles Star
was relieved by the rest of the Admiralty. Former
Admiral Star was unable to fulfill his duties as
Commander in Chief, as he promised to do when
returning from being AWOL the first time, causing the
recent fleet split. Essentially, the Former Admiral
promised forward movement in the fleet, even with the
loss of those sims, but none came.
After begging and pleading with Mr. Star for some
time, trying to get things authorized and not
suceeding (as the rest of the Admiralty's hands were
tied without the order from Star), we made the
decision that the fleet could not move forward quickly
enough, waiting, hoping, for Star to respond to us.
On the night of the 2nd, the fleet was back under the
control of the Admiralty as a working unit, and now we
have the resources and authorization to expand and
launch all these wonderful things for us all. We hope
to be the internet's premier Star Trek Role Play by
E-Mail by next summer!
We have a wonderful fleet staff here including our own
Director of Fleet Development; Vice Admiral
Dragonetti, and she is very good at her job here.
She, and all of us here at IDF, will keep working to
bring to you the latest and most creative ideas to
make the fleet a great place to sim!
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=LETTER FROM FORMER ADMIRAL STAR=/\=
The Admiralty agreed to let Former Admiral Star write
a letter about his recent removal from the CinC
position to be published in the newsletter, unedited.
It seems that the Former CinC is very upset over this
and wants to hold a grudge and bash the Admiralty as
if the fleet will not survive without him.
Essentially, he does not believe in any of us,
Admiralty or Officers. Let's see what he has to say
in his own words...
***
Due to an unforseen technicality, we were unable to
publish the letter in this edition of the newsletter.
Turns out that the letter was way too long to fit in
one e-mail along with the rest of this information.
So, the Admiralty will be releasing the Former
Admiral's letter in a separate document to follow
right after the issuance of the newsletter. Stay
tuned for it!
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=THANKS=/\=
Thank you to Former Admiral Star, Vice Admiral
Dragonetti, Ace Decade, Captain Zhaan, Rear Admiral
Britanicus, and Lieutenant Dunmore.
* * * * * * * * * *
=/\=END TRANSMISSION=/\=
*************************
Admiral James West
Director of Operations
Independence Fleet
*************************
__________________________________
