2025 Address

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State of the Federation Address StarBase 118 Group History 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2009 2008 2004 2003 2002 2001 Edit this nav 2025 State of the Federation Address Hello everyone, and welcome to the 2025 State of the Federation Address! Every year around this time we look back at the previous year, and look ahead to what is yet to come. In 2024, Star Trek welcomed the second season of Prodigy, and the fifth and final season of Lower Decks, each bittersweet to much of our community, representing the finales to those popular series. As in previous years, we've kept this report brief to ensure we give you a concentrated blend of the most important and exciting developments in the Starbase 118 community. Keep reading to learn and revisit the biggest events of 2024, from our hard-working taskforces, to our Fleetwide Blockbuster: “Frontier Day,” first glimpsed in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, reimagined and expanded across most of our crews from around the Galaxy. We hope you enjoy this “highlights reel!” This year's SOTFA Committee wishes you happiness and health, and a welcome to this writing community. Isaac, aka Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart Deliera, aka Commander Sky Blake Gina, aka Lt. Commander Lael Rosek-Skyfire Jared, aka Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock Amanda, aka Lt. Commander Alora DeVeau with thanks to our Fleet Taskforce Coordinator, Jim, aka Commander Serala Looking Back At 2024 2024 Council Reports Executive Council Report Admiral Quinn Reynolds Commodore Lia Rouiancet Commodore Sal Taybrim Rear Admiral Rivi Vataix (Roshanara Rahman), Executive Council Magistrate Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie, Captains Council Member-at-Large Notable EC measures voted on in 2024: EC2401-01: Commissioning of USS Octavia E Butler under the command of Commodore Lia Rouiancet EC2401-02: Nomination of Commander Wil Ukinix to begin the Captaincy process EC2401-05: Promotion of Commander Karrod Niac to Captain EC2401-08: Commissioning of USS Chin'toka under the command of Commander Serala EC2401-12: Promotion of Addison MacKenzie to Fleet Captain EC2401-13: Promotion of Mei'konda to Commodore EC2401-14: Nomination of Gogigobo Fairhug to begin the Captaincy process EC2401-15: Commissioning of USS Eagle under the command of Commodore Kali Nicholotti The USS Khitomer was approved last year with EC2400-10, but the crew of the USS Arrow officially transferred to their new home in April 2024. With the retirement of Commodore Oddas Aria, the EC appointed Commodore Kalianna Nicholotti to lead the Denali crew in its transition while also working to prepare Commander Tomas Falt for eventual command. A new team was created to assume maintenance of Project Aria, our sim stats tracking tool used by COs and fleet staff. The EC thanks Commodore Oddas for his years of dedication to the fleet, reflected in his leadership of his crew, his service on the councils, including as a previous CC Member at Large, and the Project Aria tool he created for the wider fleet. The EC approved the transfer of command of StarBase 118 Ops from Commodore Sal Taybrim to Commander Gogigobo Fairhug. The EC expanded placement duties for new cadets beyond Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf with the creation of a new Personnel Team. Captain’s Council Report Captain's Council Captain Diz'mim Ch'Nilmani (Nugra), First Officer of USS Constitution Commander Gogigobo Fairhug, Commanding Officer of Starbase 118 Ops Fleet Captain Addison MacKenzie, Commanding Officer of USS Artemis-A Commodore Mei'konda, Commanding Officer of USS Astraeus Captain Karrod Niac, Captains Council Magistrate, Commanding Officer of USS Ronin Commodore Kali Nicholotti Commanding Officer of USS Eagle Commodore Jalana Rajel, Commanding Officer of USS Constitution-B Admiral Quinn Reynolds, Commanding Officer of USS Gorkon Commodore Lia Rouiancet, Commanding Officer of USS Octavia E Butler Commander Serala, Commanding Officer of USS Chin'toka Captain Randal Shayne, Commanding Officer of the USS Khitomer Commodore Sal Taybrim, First Officer of Starbase 118 Ops Rear Admiral Rivi Vataix (Roshanara Rahman), Commanding Officer of Amity Outpost Captain Theo Whittaker Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf Commanders Commander Genkos Adea Commander Alora DeVeau Commander Tomas Falt, First Officer of Denali Station Commander Jocelyn Marshall Commander Eleanor Park Commander Avander Promontory, First Officer of USS Octavia E Butler Commander Toryn Raga, First Officer of USS Ronin Commander Wil Ukinix, First Officer of Amity Outpost First Officers Lt. Commander. Talos Dakora, First Officer of USS Artemis-A Lt. Commander. Nolen Hobart, First Officer of USS Khitomer Lt. Commander. Samira Neathler, First Officer of USS Gorkon Lt. Commander. Aine Sherlock, First Officer of USS Chin'toka Lt. Commander. Lael Rosek-Skyfire, First Officer of USS Astraeus As of 24 February 2025, our legendary Starbase 118 Forums have officially been retired. That means anything you would normally have found there can now be found on our Discord server. So long, forums.starbase118.net, and thanks for the memories! In the meantime, we hope to see you in Discord. Promotions CC2401-03: Gogigobo Fairhug promoted to Commander. CC2401-05: Toryn Raga promoted to Commander. CC2401-06: Tomas Falt promoted to Commander. CC2401-10: Avander Promontory promoted to Commander. Species votes CC2401-02: Augments have been classified as Restricted. Vau N'Akat were discussed. Ferengi update was brought up. Byzallian wiki page updated to reflect its correct classification. Pennants By a majority vote (CC2402-04), it was decided to discontinue Pennants. The Captain’s Council cited that the work required to compile information for the pennants exceeded the visibility or recognition they provide. Alternative ship awards have been proposed and will be discussed in the future. Stay tuned! 2024 Installation Reports Starbase 118 Ops Fairhug Foster In 2024, StarBase 118 Ops focused not only on the support and promotion of a young core of up-and-coming officers but the public and positive transition of command from Commodore Sal Taybrim to Commander Gogigobo Fairhug. This was a focused and intentional effort to provide excellent support for a new commanding officer and change the unfortunate historical perception that stepping away from command is a negative experience typically due to decommissioning, failure, retirement or burnout. We wanted to focus on the positive aspects of transition: mentoring, new opportunities, fresh ideas, and the continued support of all crew members. Commander Fairhug has also really benefitted from this type of transition that Ops managed to manufacture, and also from the great team spirit fostered by great up-and-coming players who all graduated from the academy around the same time and mixed well with the existing crew. It's been great to have the support of not only a familiar crew but also from an experienced CO and Fairhug believes this could be a good blueprint for similar situations in the future. Ops joined the FWPA, building out the transition storyline to a crescendo in the Frontier Day battle, which provided a completely plausible command transition story in the mission’s aftermath. We continue to build up our young core of staff and have maintained an excellent player retention rate with a high degree of player investment. One benefit to the command transition is that our younger players are actively planning future missions based on the aftermath of Frontier Day. Amity Outpost Vataix Ukinix After two missions involving the Delta Quadrant classic species, Malon and Talaxians, the crew of Amity Outpost was thrust headfirst into the events of Frontier Day, with a crucial Borg component being stolen from the station. Some of the crew were transported to the USS Artemis to sim out a prelude involving the Borg cube while others were aboard the USS Kitty Hawk dealing with a changeling doppelgänger of Captain Rahman. The year finished with the start of Ambassador Rivi Vataix’s final mission as chief of mission and station CO. Out of character, the players for Niev Galanis and Samantha Richards launched the Amity Newsletter while Jansen Orrey led question of the week discussions in Discord. Looking ahead, a new chapter for Amity Outpost awaits in 2025, with Commander Wil Ukinix set to take command, with Lt. Commander Robin Hopper as his first officer and Lt. Commander Nathan Richards as his second officer. Denali Station/USS Eagle Nicholotti Falt 2024 was Denali Station's second full year in service. The year began with some serious "world-building" as the crew investigated new areas of Ring 42 and came to grips with the significant social and political changes that occurred in the Aavaro Wilds since Starfleet established a permanent base of operations. This on-screen development enhanced the setting and provided a rich background for the Eagle’s sims. It was also a whole lot of fun to write! The latter part of the year was dominated by off-screen events, including the unexpected announcement that the crew's long-standing CO, Commodore Oddas Aria, was to retire from the fleet at the end of the year. This significant change did impact morale for a short time and led to some uncertainty amongst the players. Addressing these issues was a focus for staff, but the crew did an amazing job of recovering and by the end of the year had really bounced back. The players all did themselves proud, and the Denali’s command crew is truly excited to see what they do next as we move forward with a new(ish) ship and a new CO. Denali would like to offer heartfelt thanks to Commander Alora DeVeau for everything she did for the crew in 2024. Not only is she an amazing writer and role model IC, but she's been the glue that held us all together OOC. She is an excellent mentor and ship cheerleader (she seems to have more energy than the Duracell bunny), but most importantly she has been a true friend to many of us when times have been tough OOC this last year. Thank you, Amanda. USS Artemis-A MacKenzie Adea 2024 was the second year of operation for the USS Artemis-A and its continuing mission to explore the Borderlands. These missions brought Artemis face to face with new races like the Meirashi, and old enemies, including a menacing member of the Q Continuum hellbent on making the lives of the Artemis crew miserable. Additionally, Artemis participated in the Fleet Blockbuster centred around the Frontier Day celebration and attempted assimilation of Starfleet as featured in the third season of Star Trek: Picard. For its participation in the blockbuster's first two acts, Artemis welcomed several writers from throughout the fleet in an incredible display of creativity of collaboration. Off-screen, Artemis experienced a period of incredible crew retention. Several junior officers have earned promotions (multiple, in some cases), assuming greater roles and responsibilities both on the Artemis and throughout the fleet, and many members received ship- and fleet-wide recognition during our annual awards ceremony. USS Astraeus Mei'konda Rosek-Skyfire The USS Astraeus participated in the Frontier Day mission in 2024, participating in the hunt for the Titan while growing increasingly troubled with the tone of orders coming from Starfleet Command. This culminated in the Frontier Day battle, during which the Astraeus lost over one hundred officers and crew and sustained serious damage that saw her drydocked for six months. Aside from Frontier Day, the Astraeus took part in several other missions in 2024, including the discovery of aliens who had been hibernating on a rogue planet for 100 million years as it hurtled through space to a new star system, and a diplomatic mission nearly gone awry at the planet Tinall, during which time elements in the region attempted to frame the Federation for the near destruction of a neutral space station. The Astraeus welcomed several new members to the fleet, a full six of which continue to serve on board to this day, a remarkable addition of talent and writing enthusiasm to our ship. New ship members are always a delight to see grow in the fleet, as their very presence changes the tone of every mission we play out. Flt. Captain Mei'konda would like to emphatically thank them, his staff, and everyone else on board the Astraeus for making her the ship she is. USS Chin’toka Serala Sherlock The USS Chin'toka made its comeback in July 2401 (2024) during our Frontier Day event when Commander Serala led a crew to hijack the ship from drydock to assist with the Borg-Changeling threat. Since then, the ship returned to drydock to finish its repairs and refits while the crew was exonerated for their acts during the crisis. The Chin’toka has now assumed its permanent posting in the Par'tha Expanse, with the home port at the Paldor II Lunar Base and the former location of Deep Space 26 where it is tasked with monitoring the threats posed by the Valcarian Empire’s Civil War and the political infighting of the various Caraadian Great Houses. With the crew only in operation for 7 months, several members are already standing out and we look forward to seeing what each member of the crew brings in 2402 (2025), however, one special note should be given to our First Officer, Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock who is already proving to be an amazing First Officer. USS Constitution Rajel Ch'Nilmani Nothing to report. USS Gorkon Reynolds Neathler 2024 marked the USS Gorkon's ninth year of simming. We experimented with a long-form "year of hell" mission, involving a changed history where the Borg have conquered much of the galaxy. The crew have really dug in and explored this alternate timeline; epic battles with the Collective, scientific analysis of this timeline's Borg, and introspective moments among the survivors of this timeline. Gorkon’s kept things fresh by using different genres in each section of the mission: criminal investigation; high-stakes combat; exploration; stealth, sabotage, and theft; and so on. It's been a lot of fun! Off-screen, the Gorkon has maintained a strong group of veteran simmers, and has been delighted to welcome several new ensigns who've settled in nicely and become an integral part of the crew. Gorkon continues to see robust participation in fleetwide activities, including the Training Team, the News Team, the FNS, and the Image Collective, contributing to various fleet events and other essentials such as our websites and fleet administration. USS Khitomer Shayne Hobart As the USS Khitomer approaches its first anniversary (wow, time flies!), the ship has continued to explore strange new worlds in and out of character. The Siege of Deep Space 33, alongside the USS Ronin, was a seminal event, bringing writers and characters together in unexpected but meaningful ways, and laying the groundwork for a new kind of joint adventure. With the Alpha Isles in a constant state of change, the Khitomer continues its primary mission to seek out new life, while answering old questions and embracing challenges head-on. Relationships have blossomed (the ship is simming the marriage of their counselor and chief engineer at the time this SOTFA is published!), friendships have been tested, and the best aspects of Starfleet have been embraced as new discoveries challenge preconceptions of the Isles and our characters' resolve. The Khitomer’s first officer is undergoing his commander's practical soon, and others are preparing for a similar advancement challenge. All in all, 2024 brought enormous opportunity, and the Khitomer has seized it proudly. USS Octavia E. Butler Rouiancet Promontory The Octavia E. Butler launched just about this time last year, and by the end of the year we completed three full missions, including a first contact with a former Dominion thrall species, a "ghost ship" mission, and a time-travel romp that also served as the practical exam for Brent (first officer Avandar Promotory), who was then promoted to full commander. We continued to strengthen our core of simmers and added multiple new staff members, including Mark (chief engineer Josh Herrick) as second officer and the third member of the CO/XO/2O command trio. We welcomed back several simmers from LOA, from elsewhere in the fleet, and from the Academy, as well as sending off some talented simmers -- including Jared (Chin'toka first officer Aine Sherlock) -- to help launch Chin'toka. Our sim rates remained very high, to the point that we've discussed how to slow things down -- a good and unexpected problem to have! USS Ronin Niac Raga The USS Ronin's first full year back in the fleet has been full of action and adventure as they clashed with enemies new and old across the Alpha Isles and beyond, culminating in a big joint mission with the USS Khitomer: 'The Siege of DS33!' From our early evacuation efforts on Grus Beta 3 they put the ship’s epigram, "For Their Tomorrows, We Gave Our Todays," into practical action, serving as a bulwark against the encroaching Lattice Alliance and the opportunistic, sadistic criminal enterprise The Consortium. As the shadow of Frontier Day fell across the Federation the Ronin and Khitomer stood as sentinels on the wall, holding the line against a vastly superior Alliance strikeforce determined to exploit Starfleet in their weakest moment. Through the heroism and sacrifice of both crews, the line against the night held firm and they go into our second year of service full of hope for the days ahead! After an impressive and incredibly dramatic mission built on the foundation of his character's history aboard the USS Atlantis, Lt. Commander Toryn Raga was promoted to Commander and continues in his role as the Ronin's first officer! Fleet Simming Rates Again, thanks to Project Aria and the tireless tracking by fleet staff, we can better see patterns in our fleet’s simming rates, which help us strategize for growth. Looking at the charts and graphs below, note that our fleet average increased slightly from 185 in 2021 to 189 in 2024. Though this is an increase of only four sims, it brings us closer to our average of 208 sims in 2020, which was likely in large part due to the pandemic at the time. Additionally, average fleet rates in January are consistently high and average fleet sim rates in November are consistently the lowest, due to the holidays with the decline representing the beginning of the holidays and the increase representing the end of the holidays, or the return to business as usual. As noted from the above chart, the average sims per month by ship ranges from 161 to 239 with the trendline in orange indicating steady mean monthly sim rates across the board. Taskforce Contacts Fleetwide Taskforce Coordinator: Commander Serala As well as our taskforces, you may be interested in the activities undertaken by our Squadrons and Guilds! Training Team Commandant: Admiral Quinn Reynolds Deputy Commandants: Fleet Captain Kalianna Nicholotti, Commander Jo Marshall Statisticians: Captain Addison MacKenzie, Commander Serala, Lt. Commander Samira Neathler Member Count: 28 including Commandants and Statisticians How to contact: Through your CO Federation News Service (FNS) Facilitator, News Editor: Commander Jo Marshall Co-Facilitator: Lt. Commander Samira Neathler Member Count: 8 including facilitators How to contact: Join here Image Collective Facilitators: Commander Serala, Lt. Commander Aine Sherlock Creative Director of Website and Branding: Commander Jo Marshall Member Count: 11 including facilitators How to contact: Contact facilitators (links can be found on the wiki), or via your CO. Chat Team Facilitator: Commander Serala Deputy Facilitator: Lieutenant Ikaia Wong Member Count: 6, including facilitators How to contact: Contact the facilitator directly, or via your CO Special Note: You must have a Discord account to join this team. Personnel Team Member Count: 5 How to contact: Captains Council membership required. Poll of the Week Team Facilitator: Commander Genkos Adea Member Count: 7, including facilitator How to contact: Contact facilitator, or via your CO Advanced Starship Design Bureau Facilitators: Rear Admiral Roshanara Rahman & Lt. Commander Nathan Richards Member Count: 10, including facilitators How to contact: Contact facilitator, or via your CO Newsies Facilitators: Commander Alora DeVeau & Lieutenant JG Alix Harford Member Count: 10, including facilitators How to contact: Contact facilitator, or via your CO Census Team Facilitator: Rear Admiral Roshanara Rahman Member Count: 9, including the facilitator Special Note: The Census Team is currently inactive but will be getting to work later this year.

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