Reporter Issue 40

Reporter Issue #40
Issue Number: 40 Issue Date: 237902.02 Editor: Fleet Captain Hollis Caley Reporter Archive Index

Editorial Communique

Fleet Captain Hollis Caley

It has finally happened; The Reporter has returned from its long hibernation. I remember how impressed I was with the newsletter when I joined UFOP, as I read every article. Then I read the back issues. Later, when Randor took the Reporter over, I loved its clean polished professional look. This newsletter is an essential part of what makes UFOP a community. It is proof that outside the hulls of our respective ships, there is an entire community of simmers who all call UFOP home.

The Reporter will be an evolving work. As time passes we will refine it’s look, and trim articles that don’t work or better yet add more articles that capture one’s interest. The plan now is to focus on a different ship of the SB118 Fleet every issue, and to publish every other month. This month we will be focusing on the USS Constitution.

Lastly, this newsletter will rise or sink based on the readership’s input. One individual does not create The Reporter. It takes the membership wanting to share their creativity and skills to make the Newsletter work. Many of our features invite the participation of YOU! On the UFOP message board there is a new category for The Reporter. (You can find it here.) This is a place to learn what articles the Editorial Staff is looking for, and then respond. In addition, The Reporter now has it’s own e-mail address. Feel free to send questions, ideas, and submissions to ufop-reporter@starbase118.net.

Special thanks this issue to all those who assisted with this first publication of 2379.

Touching any one of the silver and blue dividers will return you to the top of this page.

OOC - From the Admiral's Desk

1. EUROCHAT: The first OOC Chat of the year will take place on February 3rd. Here's the information you need -

SERVER: irc.dal.net

PORTS: 6660-6667

CHANNEL: #ufop-sb118

TIMES: 8:00 pm - Greenwich Mean; 3:00 pm - Eastern; 2:00 pm - Central; 1:00 pm - Mountain; 12:00 pm (noon) - Pacific

NOTE: Don't forget to register your nickname with Dalnet's nickserver. Just type: "/nickserv help register" (without the quotes) when you sign on.

To get IRC go to: http://www.mirc.com/

2. UFOP BROADCASTING CO.: A few SIMmers in UFOP have started a group called "UFOP-TV", to role-play their characters in a different setting than their ships. They'll be doing all kinds of fun satire. If you're interested, you can check out their website at: http://www.starbase118.net/tv. They especially need representatives from all the ships of the fleet, to help in compiling plot summaries. You can also express interest by contacting the group at: ufop-ubc@yahoogroups.com.

3. STATE OF THE FEDERATION ADDRESS: If you haven't read the SOTFA yet, you can find it at the message board (URL above), in the "News & Updates" forum.

4. RPG "EMERGENCY": A Star Wars RPG was shut down on Monday, January 28th, by Lucasfilms Ltd antipiracy division. The reasons for the closure are unclear, but apparently Lucasfilms considered the group a competitor to the product that they will be releasing later this year (ie- the next Star Wars movie). This is a tragedy for the SIMming community, especially on the Star Trek side, because this isn't the first time an RPG was shut down by a film company! We must protest this unfair closure of a group, in the hopes that further attempts to stop the harassment of law-abiding groups like ours, and others. Please visit this group's website at: http://swcombine.com/ and sign the petition. (You can find the link to the petition on that page.)

5. GOOD WORK EVERYONE!!: I just want to take a moment to acknowledge the great work everyone has done in the past year. We had our rocky moments, as we always do, but UFOP is doing better than ever. As mentioned in the SOTFA, we currently have more ships in our fleet than we've ever had. And we've got more on the way!! We have a number of officers in line for captaincy over the next 8 months, which will guarantee us a steady expansion rate.

Look out for an upcoming membership drive, that will help us crew all of these new ships, in the next month. You'll receive a special update from the EC about it when plans have solidified.

All in all, SIMming is going great, and from the administration end, we're hoping that 2002 will be our best year yet. Keep up the great work!

Featured Ship

This month's featured ship, as mentioned above, is the USS Constitution.

The Constitution (or Con, for short) is new to the fleet, but carries an old and noble name. The first Constitution, a Frigate, was built in 1794. Today it is docked in Boston, Massachusetts and open for tours. For more information on the historic vessel go to the Old Ironsides History Site.

StarBase 118 Ops Crew

Table with crew to come

Name	Rank	Position	Species	Sex

USS Constitution Crew

Table with crew to come

The Galaxy Class:

A canon description - Provided by the Daystrom Institute Technical Library. Edited by Ensign Charles Kernot:

Table with ship notes to be added

Interview

Interview with Captain Xan Hebron

Mellisa Nyce settles into one of the big chairs across from Captain Hebron. Her editor’s latest brainstorm had been to interview the captains of the StarBase 118 fleet for The Reporter. Knowing better than to try and argue with an Editor, Mellisa had scheduled an appointment with the nearest and biggest ship available: the Galaxy class USS Constitution, which just returned from her first mission.

NYCE: oO ... and apparently the fleet's biggest captain. Oo

Across from her the 2.5 meter red Brikar rested calmly waiting for her to begin.

Hebron sat there in his chair. He had informed her to come to his Ready Room on the Constitution. He had his personal belongings here with him. The one most prized was his Claymore, which was located behind him on the wall. His late father gave it to him. Hebron was dressed in civilian outfit. He was preparing to go out in the Star Base with T'Lara, his wife.

NYCE: "Hello Captain Hebron, thank-you for making time for the interview. You’re known in the fleet as the only Brikar in Star Fleet. But can you tell us a bit about your self. What made you want to join Star Fleet."

HEBRON: “Well, I am the only Brikar in this fleet, but there are a couple of others. I have never really focused a lot on myself. I grew up during the war with the Romulans. Most people know that Brikar is a warrior race. We have had fall outs with several races. Romulans, Klingons, and even had a scrape with the Federation. I guess the main thing that affected me was the war with the Romulans. I was a commander then. I had just turned 14 and took over for my father who had been killed in a Romulan death camp. I battled with my group until we were able to drive them away from our homeworld. They destroyed a lot of what I held dear. My mother is the only one left alive from my family. She turned into a diplomat and served our world well. It is through her that I met Captain Benjamin Sisko. He was the one who wanted me to join the Fleet and he talked me into it. I was almost kicked out of the academy my Freshmen year due to a fight with some Romulans. He came and defended me and I was accepted the following year, but I had to repeat everything. I learned a lot through that.”

He paused a little.

HEBRON: “If it was not for the fleet, I would not have what I have now. I am the first Brikar captain, and I am married to a Betazoid. I have a human sister. Due to Star Fleet the list goes on and on. I feel as if my life took a definite upscale that would never have occurred on Brikar.”

NYCE: "Do you think those early experiences with the Romulans help or hurt you as a Captain?"

HEBRON: “You know any I can kill?” ::Laughs.:: “No seriously, I have tended to be a little more quick to pull a phaser on a Romulan. I am getting better at this. The first time I met a Romulan officer as a Captain, we both left the area without firing a shot. I believe that I may be a little bit more military in the way I run a ship, but it works for my crew. I have several officers who are working towards command and they are all great at doing their jobs. I tend to have security measures that are a lot higher and more security officers can be seen on the ship. I just do not want to be caught with my pants down.”

NYCE: “What do you think your life would have been like without Starfleet?”

HEBRON: “I am not sure. Things have happened here that just seem impossible. I have several people who have made me the person I am today. I served under two captains. Captain Vedoc and Captain Hollis. Both men were entirely different. Vedoc was… how should I put this? Vedoc was Vedoc, and for those out there who know him, you know what I am talking about. He was the shoot first ask questions later type. Then I served under Captain Hollis, who in nature is very peace-loving individual. He taught me that in all matters: think. Both helped shape me into the captain I am now. I have no doubt that on Brikar I would be a Krakkem. That is a military leader and planner. I would have served, and sooner or later I would have retired. There is no satisfaction in that for me now. I respect those on the home world who have gone that route, but I would not be happy. This is my life. T'Lara has also been a big influence on my life. She has really given me the love that I never had. I would not have met her had it not been for the fleet. I cannot express how much I have grown or how much I have received.”

Nyce sat back, amazed at how much he was revealing. Interviews like this did not come along very often. After a slight silence, she smiles asking her next question.

NYCE: "The Constitution just finished her 'First' mission. What is it like being Captain?"

HEBRON: “Decisions, decisions, decisions. It seems like since becoming a captain, my day is loaded down with meetings, and every decision I make is going to effect the lives of all that serve under me. The one thing you need to have as a captain is a really good first officer. A captain is only as good as the people who serve under him. It seems that every time you send someone out, you know that there is a possibility that they will not be coming back. You know that people will eventually die under your command, but when it happens, it always seems like the first time. It never gets easier having to file the report that a crewman has died. But there is a major plus. You are the one that gets to do the First Contacts. You get to meet leaders. There is a different type of respect that is given to a Star Fleet captain. It is as if everyone wants to be your friend, or say that they have met you. Our first mission was a First Contact.”

NYCE: "Can you tell us a little about that mission?"

HEBRON: “The Constitution was ordered to the sector 573 in order to make First Contact with the planet Onash. While in route to Onash, the Constitution discovered a fleet of, what was thought at the time, Romulan craft. Upon further investigation we discovered it was Ferengi towing the ships. We had a small surprise with the Romulans, and they ended up showing up later at Onash. We also discovered on Onash that the Romulans were mining Dilithium and Latinum on the planet. We helped the Onashians out a little and they discovered the Romulans treachery and asked to join the Federation. “

NYCE: "Where do you see the Federation and Romulan relationship going?"

HEBRON: “I eventually see a trust forming, but that will have to be long after people like me are gone.“

NYCE: "Why do you say that?"

HEBRON: “I am from the old school. I cannot change who and what I am. I can change my circumstances, but to trust a Romulan would go against everything that I am. They killed my father while I watched. It would be like taking a resistance Bajoran fighter and telling him that he had to go save Cardassia. If ordered he would go, but where would the heart be? That is how I feel. I will follow my orders given to me, but with Romulans, there is to much bad blood.“

Nyce nods in understanding and smiles. She glances at the recording PADD to make sure it was recording everything, and then continues.

NYCE: "Your first mission was a ‘First Contact.’ Is that the mission profile you hope for, or are you more militarily inclined?"

HEBRON: “I am not really sure about that. It appears that we, Starfleet as a whole, need to be prepared for anything. I am more militarily inclined, but I am also willing to do whatever I am asked by command.”

NYCE: "Captain, there are those that are concerned the Federation has lost its way after the Dominion war. Become too militaristic. What do you think?"

HEBRON: “I think that Starfleet is beginning to see a new dawn. After what happened in that war, we had to begin watching everyone. I believe that there was still an anxiety left after that and a little mistrust. If we are going to move on, we have to get over that. We also have to remember that our goals are to seek out new life and new civilization. If we get confused about that, then we need to rethink why we are even out here. Starfleet has been and will always be about exploration.”

NYCE: "There are rumors the admiralty are impressed with your first mission; that you might find yourself with more responsibility very soon. How do you feel about that?"

HEBRON: “I am and have always been a man of honor. The things I do and the way I do them are about bringing honor to my family and now to the Federation. If people are pleased with my actions, then that is just an added bonus. I do not act simply to win favor with admiralty. “

NYCE: "I know you need to go… any advice for an Ensign just joining their first ship?"

HEBRON: “Always remember why you joined the fleet. Most join because they want to make a difference. After they are in for a while, they tend to forget about that. If you hold on to your beginning, you will always be able to find your reason for serving.”

The recorder pans in on the rugged red face of the Brikar, and then fades to black.

Only one ship has ever been named the "Constitution" in the US Navy.

Promotions

USS CONSTITUTION

• Lieutenant Michael Rourke – Lieutenant Commander
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Gaden Davis – Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Jelani Firewind – Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Kare'an m'Hapron m'Adrina – Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Au – Lieutenant
• Ensign Zanisa Trean – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Daker Erunianr – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Day-Van Pel Nekkar – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Eric Fletcher – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Rei Garrett – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Marc Torrence – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Steve McCall – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Katriana Yavannah – Lieutenant Junior Grade

USS KODIAK

• Lieutenant Commander Jordan Hurne – Commander
• Lieutenant Commander Jessa Anassasi – Commander
• Lieutenant Chris Hutton – Lieutenant Commander
• Ensign Slishdakk Ssa’Rukk – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Heath Story – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Taffazel – Lieutenant Junior Grade

USS RANGER-A

• Lieutenant Junior Grade Arissa Young – Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Theodore Draigon – Lieutenant
• Commander Jim Terra has passed the captain's written exam.
• Lieutenant Commander Kell Perrim has passed the commander's written exam.
• Lieutenant Commander Flash Nova has passed the commander's written exam.
• Lieutenant Commander K'Tar has passed the commander's written exam.

USS RONIN

• Lieutenant Brandon Toullis – Lieutenant Commander
• Ensign Arwen Skycloud – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Robert Taylor – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Demetri Rumanov – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Keeve – Lieutenant Junior Grade

USS WALLACE

• Lieutenant Commander Trix – Commander
• Lieutenant Junior Grade Atarip – Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Collim Denari – Lieutenant Commander
• Ensign Westwood – Lieutenant Junior Grade
• Ensign Steinberg – Lieutenant Junior Grade

STARBASE 118 OPS

• Lieutenant Commander T’lara – Commander

Mission Reports

You can help your captain with the OOC operations of his or her vessel by volunteering to write the monthly plot-summaries for this newsletter. Just e-mail your captain and ask s/he would like the assistance!

USS Constitution

Submitted by: Captain Xan Hebron

Constitution Site

The Constitution was ordered to the sector 573 in order to make First Contact with the planet Onash. While in route to Onash, the Constitution discovered a fleet of, what was thought at the time, Romulan craft. Upon further investigation, the Constitution discovered that the Romulan vessels were more or less floating barges being towed by a group of Ferengi. Captain Hebron felt that this needed further investigation, so he ordered a team to go to the lead vessel in get as much information that they could. While they were there, a Romulan Dderix class vessel de-cloaked in the sector. They immediately entered into hostile actions towards the Ferengi. The Constitution attempted to intervene on behalf of the Ferengi, but by the time the vessel was in a position to do something, the Romulans began firing. The away way team barely escaped off one of the ships before it blew.

Along with the away team several Ferengi were beamed back who were placed in confinement and observed by security. Upon further investigation with the Ferengi, it was discovered that they were working with the Romulans in helping the Onashian achieve warp. It should be that the Ferengi delegation has full freedom to bring charges against the Romulan Empire. A complete report has been filed by Captain Hebron to command on the subject.

After arriving at the planet, Captain Hebron made First Contact with the government head, Governor Tarkin. Tarkin seemed to be interested in a face to face visit. On attempting to beam down to the planet with my team, the team was by an act of espionage diverted to an alternate location, in a barren wasteland.

Upon realizing they were stranded the away team sought refuge in a cave and later set out to discover where we were. While scouting the area, it was discovered the that Romulans had a hidden base on Onash that was used to mine Latinum and other minerals that the galaxy holds ear. This planet was rich with dilithium and Latinum plus other rare materials. After being rescued by another team led by Lt.Commander T'Lara-Hebron, we assisted the Onashians in the discovery of what the Romulans were doing.

It was also discovered while on the planet that a group of Romulans, claiming to be from the Federation, attempted to assassinate Governor Tarkin. Dr. Firewind operated immediately, and the governor’s life was saved. If not for the doctor’s great skill, the governor would be dead.

Upon the Onashian discovering what the Romulans were doing, they asked the Federation for assistance and also for membership into the Federation. We helped them discover the plant on the surface and then the same Romulan War Bird, that attacked the Ferengi, appeared in the area.

Throughout the confusion of all of this, the saboteur who infiltrated the transporter systems abducted Lt. Commander T'Lara and was later traded for a Romulan officer taken from the surface of Onash. Even though this was not a by the book First Contact, the mission was over-all a success.

USS Galileo

Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy, in 1564.

Report Courtesy of Mars Tribune

Galileo Site

The evacuation of DS72, caused by the stations power core fluctuating between nominal and the danger-zone, was aided by a science vessel, the USS Galileo. An aging Ambassador Class, the Galileo had just completed a complete hull refit and warp core replacement; as such, she was experiencing minor technical difficulties which were being worked on by her crew. These repairs were not made any easier by the relocation of an additional one thousand civilians to her cargo bays, shuttle bays, and anywhere else they could be accomodated - there was, apparently, some discussion of placing us in Jefferies Tubes, but that option was never put into practise.

Several members of the DS72 manifest were reassigned to Galileo's staff upon arrival, in order to fill several open positions on the science vessel, not least of which the post of Executive Officer, assumed by Commander Alan Keldor, almost immediately after he boarded.

Shortly after Galileo had left the area, the human members of the crew began feeling sickly - most of all the Captain, one Martin Healey.

It was discovered, shortly after the first cases were reported, that these seeingly causeless symptoms were not those of a disease, and instead were caused by an exceedingly subtle poison. The poison originated from fleas that a member of the ship's civilian population appears to have carried.

This matter was relatively swiftly handled due to the tireless efforts of the Galileo's gallant crew - this reporter owes his very life to those efforts, as does the Captain, since we were both one of the 1% of Humanity that are fatally allergic to the insect's poison.

And then the ship was underway again, this time in hot pursuit of a wanted criminal, who happened to have last been seen in the area of a planet from which Galileo was to collect her Chief Medical Officer and Counselor, Lieutenant Commanders Tala Jess and Jade Xavier, respectively.

Though the name of the criminal has not been divulged to the civilian population; indeed the mission itself was barely mentioned save to those who pointedly asked; this reporter has managed to ascertain that it may indeed be one Professor Hamlet of Dane, a noted cyberneticist and recluse. It's always the quiet ones.

Galileo soon entered orbit around our destination (now known to be the planet Mydjya). The criminal was quickly arrested and placed under heavy guard in Galileo's sickbay while wounds he apparently received on-planet were tended. Galileo has since departed for Starbase 13 to offload her passengers. Though the crew have been no less than courteous and pleasent despite this awkward situation, the signs of wear are beginning to show, and it's just a matter of time before somebody, either civilian or 'Fleeter, blows a gasket...

Richard Melbourne, Mars Tribune, Aboard the USS Galileo, Signing Off...

-- Report Ends --

Supplementary Note: All contact, since the dispatch of this report, has been lost with USS Galileo - cause, unknown. Ships have been dispatched to investigate. The criminal mentioned in the report may indeed be responsible - all vessels should remain on high alert while travelling through Mydjyan Space until further notice.

USS Kodiak

Submitted by: Commander Hurne & Lieutenant Commander Cyrce

Kodiak Site

Following an incursion by Starfleet forces lead by Captains David Mikos and Arthur Rendari deep into the heart of Breen space, the status of the relationship between the Breen Confederacy and the United Federation of Planets was left in a very stressed state. The task force, eventually under the command of Lt. Commander Medai Cyrce surrendered to the Breen in exchange for safe passage back to Federation space. Three months later a Breen vessel under the command of their venerated war hero, General Gidax met with the USS Kodiak in the Kismet system, the primary Federation base on the Breen border. The reason for the meeting was to discuss the ramifications of the end of the Dominion War, the recent Starfleet incursion, known as "The Breen Bungle", and the future of relations between the two powers. The Bandi, a nomadic race, interested in increasing their clout throughout the quadrant, brokered the peace exchange.

Before the arrival of the Breen at Kismet a small Breen shuttle was found in the Northern Hemisphere. Aboard was the unconscious body of Lt. Commander Hartwick a senior operative of Intelligence (Section 31). The commander was transferred from the surface to the Kodiak.

It was decided that further information on what a Starfleet officer was doing in a Breen shuttle was required. However time was against the crew as a Breen party was due to arrive to discuss peace in the Kismit system. To that end an away team was sent to gather evidence. While on the planet the away team is hit by bad weather front and forced to stay on the surface to ride the storm out.

The peace talks themselves progressed slowly at first, but steadily, until interrupted by apparent Federation treachery. General Gidax was badly injured in an attack, and the Bandi pod was hit by torpedoes launched, by persons unknown from the USS Kodiak. Captain Hollis, Lt. Jg. Cicero and ensign Mendi were trapped aboard the badly damaged pod.

Meanwhile back on the planet, the away team's situation deteriorates when a large snow worm attacks them. A joint rescue mission with the Breen delegation is sent to the planet. The rescue team managed to make contact with the original team and once the injured were stabilized beamed back to the Kodiak.

The Breen sub-commander on the surface had a device that blocked the lock on the Kodiak's XO stranding him on the planet. The Breen officer then murdered the rest of his crew. Before the Breen can kill the XO and put the blame on him for the death of the Breen members attached to the rescue, the Breen sub-commander himself is attacked and killed by the snow worm’s mate. Before he dies he reveals part of the plot to disrupt the peace plans and throw the Federation and the Breen Confederation into a state of war again

Meanwhile in sickbay, the medical teams under Dr. Andar worked laboriously to keep Gidax alive, and were almost stopped by an unknown assailant, later tied to Starfleet Intelligence. She was captured by Kodiak security, but not before killing one of the Kodiak's longest serving crewmembers, Nurse Helen Paul. The Bandi also turned out to be traitors, attempting to manipulate both sides against each other, but were in truth themselves puppets of another faction, rumored to be a secret wing of Starfleet Intelligence.

In the end all teams are rescued, and the Breen agree to a continuing truce.

USS Ranger-A

Submitted by: Rear Admiral Brian Kelly

Ranger Site

RANGER was assigned to convoy escort of KERIUM ore ships running from mining facilities in sector 019 to cracking facilities in sector 024. This took the convoy through Orion controlled territory. A pirate frigate attacked RANGER and the ore ships. Normally, the frigate would not have been able to threaten RANGER, but the pirate captain, it turned out, had Cardassians from the Obsidian Order aboard who also had a weapon derived by the Order from Breen weapons to which the Cardassians were exposed during the Dominion War. This weapon was the Breen CRM weapon, this version being the CRM-200. It was a series of warp capable missiles with armor penetrating, spatially charged warheads; very dangerous.

The weapon left RANGER badly damaged but swift attacks from her assault wing and marines enabled destruction of the frigate, though the Cardassians escaped. RANGER then delivered the ore and made her way to Starbase 28 for repairs. During that time, it was learned to where the Cardassians had escaped, to a base maintained on the border of former Cardassian space. RANGER attacked the base and the escort ships guarding it. Although again the leaders of the now clearly terrorist organization (though goals are unclear) escaped once more, most of the base was emptied, and many prisoners taken.

Starfleet intelligence is going over the data now. RANGER has just completed a several day layover at Starbase 28 and is now about to depart for the "Deneb Subspace Highway" to make for sector 905, a journey of several weeks at warp 9.8. Our mission will be to explore a hitherto unexplored sector with mostly brown dwarf stars and gas giants where two system survey probes have been lost over the last year.

USS Ronin

Submitted by: Captain Mike James

The USS Ronin has only recently completed it's last "mission": discovering the whereabouts of the crew of Star Base 33. When the base was approached, an automatic defense system caused a temporal device to be re-activated, sending many of the senior Ronin staff on differing jaunts through time. Many returned quickly, though others had more difficulty.

The Starbase crew had been caught in this temporal wave at an earlier date, but they returned onboard the Ronin with no knowledge of their time-slip, as theirs was only for a short duration. With the Ronin crew working diligently, Captain James was plucked from the hands of the Gore, a bear-like race that desired the device for unknown reasons.

Captain James gave the Captain of the Gore ship the device, moments before a destruct weapon was discharged on the device, causing untold problems for the Gore ship. The Ronin rescued Captain James and they are now on their way to Starase 9 for a short period of R & R.

USS Wallace

Submitted by: Captain Jay Ross

Wallace Site

After returning from a mission in a parallel universe where the Federation had been overrun by the dominion, the crew of the Wallace look forward to some much deserved shore leave at StarBase 118. It is announced there, that Captain Ross will marry his fiancée Lieutenant Commander Brown. The entire crew is invited with Captain Mcgregor giving the happy couple away.

StarBase 118 Ops

Submitted by: Lt. Commander Tracey Townson

Presently no mission to report.

The crew are presently on shore-leave. Several crewmembers of the Constitution have been reassigned to the StarBase. Commander T'Lara Hebron along with her husband, Captain Xan Hebron, have temporarily left for their honeymoon on Pacifica. After reading several reports, it has been brought to my attention that several holosuites have been put to use by some crewmembers, myself included. The StarBase's various shops and restaurants (particularly one such restaurant called the Twilight's Edge) have already been frequented by several crewmembers. The Constitution is presently undergoing upgrades in one of the docking bays and many of those crewmembers have also taken time from their duties to partake in shore leave here as well.

I am pleased to report that the StarBase 118 crew is settling into their new surroundings and beginning to get to know each other.

New Frontiers

This section will feature a new UFOP discovery every newsletter. To have your ship's unique plot developments included, e-mail the Reporter staff.

A brief cultural outline: The Cahalari

Written by: Lieutenant Ryan Larinson

Race: Cahalari

Home Planet: None

Physical Attributes: The average Cahalarian male stands at 7', and the average female at 6'8. Despite being considerably taller than humans, they are far more slight. Their entire bodies are very thin, and it appears as if the slightest blow would crush them. They are humanoid in shape, though with longer arms and legs than humans. Their appearance is wisp-like, and their visual frailty leads other races to consider them as harmless. Hair of any kind is very rare among them, and those that do possess hair are considered to be special, and given considerable rank and praise. Their eyes are larger than those of humans and they are various colors rather than the three that Terrans possess. The outside is black, but gets gradually lighter, until the middle is white. Telepathic Cahalaris have golden, instead of white pupils. Little is known about the internal biology of the Cahalari.

Information: The Cahalari do not talk about where they originally came from; it is possible that some of them do not know. They travel in huge city ships, which house tens of thousands of them. It is rare, but not unknown, for a Cahalari to travel outside the city ships, though when they do they travel alone, and are either exiled Cahalari, or have been sent on fact finding missions. The Cahalari are a secretive race, but not inhospitable. They will aid ships they find damaged, and do not shun visitors, they just do not advertise their presence. They have a hierarchical system based upon religious and philosophical system. Their religion and philosophy ties in together, and the leader of the people, the Omnic, is the leader of both the Religious faction and the Philosophical faction. It is told that many centuries ago wars, both military and political, were fought between the two factions for control of the people until their God appeared to them and anointed the first Omnic with his power, giving him supernatural powers. This still goes on now; upon the death of an Omnic his power flows in a spectacular display to the Gods next chosen one.

The Omnic sits at the head of the ruling council, The Eleven, which consists of 5 of the religious orders and 5 of the philosophical orders, and the Omnic. The council has legislative, but not executive power – that lies with the Omnic. There is a strong hierarchical system within both the religious and philosophical orders. Not everyone is a member of these two prominent groups – in fact a majority aren't, and they concern themselves with research and construction. The Cahalari are an intellectual people and many believe that they are the most knowledgeable known race.

Among the Cahalari there is a group of telepaths who are part of a separate body from The Eleven. The telepaths form a judicial group who are involved in counter-intelligence and policing the Cahalari- whilst the Cahalari are a peaceful race, they are not naïve about the dangers of the galaxy. The CTDF (Cahalarian Telepathic Defence Force) comes under the jurisdiction of an Omnic, but is controlled by the Cronic whenever the Omnic is not a telepath.

The Cahalari have strong defensive, and indeed offensive, capabilities on their ships. They constantly upgrade their ships with their new research, and it would be a foolish Admiral that even attempted to attack one of these juggernauts.

SIMming Tips

Format, Style, & Feel

Written and submitted by: Rear Admiral Brian Kelly

While sim 'style' is certainly a personal choice, and varied styles can successfully co-exist on the same ship, there are several unavoidable truths about simming generally.

FORMAT

First, while sim 'style' is to a degree a matter of choice, form should not be. When a captain requires form to be relatively consistent on her ship, she is not curtailing freedom or creativity, she is trying to prevent confusion. One can be as creative as one likes using one format as he can with another. With that in mind...

You should remember that not all email programs organize bytes the same way, and what looks visually good on your screen might not on other screens. So I like to separate portions of sim text with a blank line for purposes of visual organization. For example, I place that space between the portion of the sim which is my private thought and that portion where I speak, and also between different expressions of speech as well:

::Kelly realized the prisoner was lying to him. He turned to the brig officer and signalled for him to restore the force field. Kelly left the cell, then turned back to the prisoner...::

KELLY: Are you sure you can't remember what happened?

CLARK: That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...

You can also see that when I am thinking to myself, or relating what is happening in the omnipotent third person (narration), I present that in very traditional text format. In the past tense (for we are telling a story, and the 'recent past tense' is the traditional tool for that format), and place it between two sets of colons at either end to make clear what it is.

I have seen "Oo" or "oO" used to delineate thoughts from actual narration but for my money that's confusing, because those 'thought bubbles' are also then used to capture action as well as private rumination. So I simply use the double colon for both, and things are cleaner.

Also, when someone is speaking, I like to place their name in CAPS to draw attention to the fact that speech is coming and who will be speaking. Again, anything that visually separates and organizes is a good thing. I also use caps whenever I refer to a PLANET, a STARSHIP or a BASE OR OUTPOST. Too, this draws attention to these important proper nouns in sims.

This is not something most captains require, but they'll appreciate it. If they use a different format, change yours to suit; it's not brown nosing, it's consistency, and that's never a bad thing. On RANGER, I prefer everyone use that format, though not all do, and I wait for them to rise in rank before I ask them to mold, because I want them to get used first to the more important aspects of simming, namely, style.

STYLE

As I said, this is the deeper part of the ocean, as the saying goes. I have seen so many great simmers use different styles that the very idea of a uniform style is an impossible one when creative endeavor is our goal. On the other hand, some general observations about style, I hope, will help you develop one of your own if you haven't got one yet, or help you refine it if you have. The polish and veneer of your sims are part, in the end, of the over all evaluations that take place when the big promotions are looming, and given that we're all human and make perforce subjective judgements, polish can only help, and its absence can only hurt.

First, I know some of you are not from English speaking lands. Ok. But in this I am not politically correct: If you are joining our group, which sims in English, and you expect to be well regarded, you must master the language as best you can, and that means spelling and grammar as much as word usage. I had a commander on RANGER who was from the Netherlands, and for whom English was not a first language, and most of the time, you would never know it. Even more importantly, he improved his command of English over time so that it was clear he was putting in real effort, and that counted for a lot with me, as well as with others.

Of course, not mastering these elements of style is an especially grievous sin if you ARE from an English speaking land. Neither age nor being pressed for time is a valid excuse here, not with me. If your command officers claim it is less important to them, be aware that it is only LESS important. If you consistently present sloppy sims, it won’t help you in the long run; not in getting taken seriously by your fellow simmers, and not when it comes time for high rank.

Do mistakes happen? Absolutely. I make them, every captain does, and every member of the EC does. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are a few typos or grammar errors in this article -- the UFOP is not, after all, a Pulitzer competition or a master's thesis. But my own rate of error is not high, and I always proof my submissions once at least. Of course, by taking the time to discuss this topic, I don't need to point out that the rate is sometimes higher for others, too much so for it not to become on occasion irritating.

And the cure for it is so simple -- READ YOUR POSTS BEFORE YOU HIT "SEND." Even the longest sims, if they were worth writing, are worth another two to three minutes to check; and that's all it EVER takes for the longer ones. So if you don’t have the time do make that minimal investment, you don’t have the time to sim right then. In other words, if you don’t have time to do it right, don’t do it till you do.

Youth is also not an excuse. If you're in High School, you're learning -- or should be -- how to write well and organize thought, as well as grammar. And no matter your age, everyone has a spell checker. If you make lots of spelling mistakes, use it.

Is all of this "required" by the UFOP either by way of the group as a whole or by a captain in the sense that if you dont adhere, you're let go? Of course not. This isn't military school and you're not being punished -- this is supposed to be fun. But in the end, many of you come to aspire to higher office. So I suggest you do all you can to make sure what you display looks and feels right so it gets taken seriously -- otherwise you wasted your time, or at best, you're saddling yourself with a disadvantage which is easily avoided.

THE FEEL

I have always felt, and continue to feel, that the best sims are those which delve deeply inside the character -- and thus the best simmers are those who add layers and dimensions to their character. Some of the best sims I have seen from others (and those I myself do and enjoy the most) are the sims in which little or no "action" takes place -- or even dialog, sometimes -- and in which the person mulls over a problem, a memory, or an issue. Sometimes that mulling involves memories, and one ex first officer of RANGER who went on to command used to make masterful use of the "flashback" to the great enjoyment of all who read his sims. Another current captain about to start her own ship does a great deal of work with friends and family visits and calls. When she served with Fleet Captain Hollis, I know he enjoyed reading about this simmer's friend from her marine days.

The consistent thread here -- which Gene Roddenberry always held was the soul of Star Trek -- is that the best stories are about people, not new weapons, or spies, or fights or battles. Those, like magic in a good fantasy novel, are merely backdrops to tell a good story about people; they are not characters themselves, nor should they ever be what drives a story.

This isn't easy for everyone at first blush, especially if UFOP is your first shot at acting, or role-playing. But remember that you can only have so many fights, so many new weapons, so many "unusual plot developments" before things get boring. When that happens, I commend to your attention looking inside your character, revealing their hurts, their dark places, their fears, their motivations; start with family and friends to flesh yourself out. You'll find your sims richer, your enjoyment of this deeper, and your investment in UFOP more likely to reap rewards.

Sloppy (adj.)

1. Marked by a lack of neatness or order; untidy "a sloppy room."

2. Marked by a lack of

care or precision; slipshod "sloppy use of language."

You can find more SIMming tips in old Reporter issues.

Final Episode

Submissions for this section of short fiction or SIMs that you believe are excellent are always welcome!

Renaming of USS Defiance to USS Nemesis-B

Submitted by: Captain Alder Wong-Aquiss

((SB118, Viewing Lounge))

::I looked down at the huge white and dominating vessel that was now secure in docking bay 4. Sheseemed to shine through the half-light and I could almost smell her and the force that she came with.

I followed her line to her cannons, phaser shaft and torpedo bays, a totally awesome weapon of war that could send the shivers down the spine of any foe with just a single finger raised from her Commanding Officer. There was also another side to her which many saw to their pleasure, a true peace keeper through and through but only as the situation dictated.

A sovereign classed ship, the cream of the crop and secret envy to any office in a fleet who didn't have the total privilege to serve with her. "Those who sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind" a whirlwind that one could and would get carried away with, totally.

My mind went back to the days of war in a field. The limited firing power of what was in your hand and battling with what the enemy had in their hand at the time but nothing could compare to this. Nothing, and to think that this ship was 6 years old, but only 6 years old. It was a tiny tear in an ocean of a millions upon millions.

I then smiled the widest I had in quite some time as I looked at the location of the bridge. It wasn't the ship that made a crew, no, it was the crew that made the ship - if the heart and mind was weak so was the body.

The crew (happy sigh) the interagency of relationships that were displayed between each of them, more complex than any marriage to the most loving of couples. They worked together and made Nemesis what she really was; a force to be reckoned with and it was time to get back with them all.::

Captain Alder Wong-Aquiss

USS Nemesis-B

Reader's Corner

Star Trek Starship Spotter

Review by: FltCapt. Hollis Caley

Before Christmas wandering the aisles of the bookstore, I treated myself to a new Star Trek source book. My old copies of STNG Technical Manual, The Federation, and The Federation Ship Recognition books either out of date, or coming apart in the binding. I sought a new book to keep by the computer to provide those little details that improve a sim.

Sadly the selection was rather limited compared to the racks of Star Wars information. I quickly picked up Star Trek Starship Spotter. A thin, square book of 128 pages it features 30 vessels with full glossy color pictures of each. The write-ups for each vessel include a section on Mission, Features, and Background. The Feature and Background often see to repeat the same information. The real gem of each write up is the specifications for each vessel including armaments and crew compliment. The Federation Ships covered include classic vessels like the Constitution Class, and the newer ships such as the Nova and Prometheus Classes. There are also unexpected but enjoyable write-ups on shuttles like the Worker Bee. The key war ships for the Klingons, Romulans, and Dominion Allies are also presented.

Disappointingly, within the vessels featured are some from the Delta Quadrant that were only seen in one episode. I would have left out the Arena Ship, and included the Breen. Also some of the pictures are dark. Still I would suggest it to anyone looking for a good source book on the key vessels of the Star Trek Universe.

Star Trek Starship Spotter by Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz and Robert Bonchune. Published by Pocket Books, copy right 2001. 16.00 US – 24.50 Canadian – 9.99 UK

Read a good Sci-Fi book lately? Played an awesome game? Contact the Reporter staff to contribute a report on it!

Classifieds

WANTED

Graphics designers: We need anyone who can create or edit basic graphics such as banners. If you're interested, and you have an hour or two a week (at most), please e-mail Admiral Wolf.

End Notes

Interested in Helping?

UFOP is a fairly busy group, with plenty going on behind the surface. If you've been around for a while, and feel like helping out, drop us a note and let us know... if we don't have anything for you at the moment, we'll let you know and keep your name in mind, if we need someone later.

UFOP Message Boards

As mentioned numerous times above, UFOP has a very active message board area. There are forums on Star Trek (The Shows, The Movies, Ships, and Treknology), UFOP (Academy - for recent graduates, Politics - of the RPG kind, Future Plans, and UFOP Ships), In Character Interactions (StarBase 118 Lounge, Ship Logs, and Character Logs), as well as some general chatting areas (Politics - of the real world kind, and "Another Universe" - for topics on Star Wars, Middle Earth, etc.). If you haven't been to the boards lately, you're definitely missing out!

You can find the boards at: http://pub55.ezboard.com/bufopsb118. Be sure to say hello to the friendly moderators: Jim Terra and Kell Perrim!

Fantasy Branch

There's a great deal of variety amongst the ships of UFOP, but the FSS Charybdis is quite different from the rest of them. It stands apart from all the others. How so?

It's made out of wood.

UFOP has had an extended alliance with "Faerin" a fantasy SIM organization. It takes place on a nearly desolate world, with unpredicatable magic and strange creatures. If you enjoy Fantasy as well as StarTrek, sail over to their website at http://www.faerin.com/.

Comments?

Please write and tell us what you like or don't like about the The Reporter. We would also appreciate suggestions regarding what you would like to see in this newsletter -- you can submit ideas on the message board, in the "UFOP Reporter" forum.

Please note that submissions are welcome from all UFOP members of any rank.

Contacts

UFOP Executive Council: ufop-ec@yahoogroups.com

• Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf: twolf@starbase118.net

Fleet Placement Officer (to transfer ships):

• Commander Pamela T'Laine: Cmdr_Tlaine@yahoo.com

UFOP Reporter: ufop-reporter@starbase118.net

UFOP Broadcasting Co. (UFOP-TV): ufop-ubc@yahoogroups.com

As always, remember: the UFOP website can be found at: http://www.starbase118.net/.