DONOVA IV — The discovery of a now-deceased imposter has shocked the crew of the USS Veritas (NCC-95035) as they investigate the potential involvement of the Cobalt Clan.
USS Arrow confronts cult of the Brotherhood, as tensions with Sheliak reach breaking point
THETA 122 — In the aftermath of a powerful attack by the Sheliak upon Theta 122, the crew of the USS Arrow (NCC-69829) contended with a multitude of threats to themselves and the civilians on the planetoid below.
USS Constitution departs to examine peculiar data in the galactic deep south
SHAHAR NEBULA — Following some unusual energy readings, the USS Constitution-B (NCC-9012-B) investigates the Shahar Nebula; a volatile region of dust clouds and star formation.
First Officer In Focus: Jansen Orrey
Each month we interview a First Officer or Commanding Officer of the fleet as part of our “First Officer in Focus” and “Captain’s Corner” columns to get to know them better, and learn more about what their positions entail.
This month, we’re interviewing the First Officer of the USS Juneau, Lieutenant Commander Jansen Orrey, a human male.
DeVeau: Would you be willing to share a bit about yourself? Where you’re from, hobbies, that sort of thing?
Orrey: I am from Tennessee in the United States. I have all sorts of hobbies and interests but the things that either always hold my focus or that I always keep in circulation are history and painting. Reading and writing feel like mentions that have to be made as well of course.
You’ve been in Starbase 118 for some time now. Will you tell us a bit about how you came to the group?
In short, my grandfather died. I was raised by my grandparents and my grandfather and I would sit down every day to watch TNG when it was first airing. About part way through season 3 he introduced me to The Original Series as well. It was something we shared together. When he died I missed a lot of that connection, if not all of it just outright. I have been Roleplaying in some form or fashion since I was very young as well. He even picked up some of the Last Unicorn Games Star Trek books for me just because he knew I would like them. Same as a production guide about the Original Series. So to me it seemed like it would make sense to combine those two things. One of my favorite shows, and all the memories of watching it with him, as well as roleplaying. So I started looking, and even back then this was one of the best realized places a person could go for Star Trek storytelling.
Part of that is what keeps me coming back, I think as well, I have had periods of not being able to afford connection, my health, or even pure burnout over time. The group, though, has always been a place of friends and welcoming to me that I have always appreciated.
What ships have you served on and what duty posts have you played so far in your Starfleet career?
As long as you have the time for it all, haha. I started on Ops way back in the Rocar years. I served as a science officer there as well as the CMO for a short time. After that I spent some time on the Constitution-B as a medical officer and then a helmsman for a short period of time. After that I had to take a break for a little while before I came to the Vigilant to take over the post of Counselor when Grier moved to XO. As Reinard got his own ship I followed along to the Darwin-A continuing as Counselor before shifting to Assistant Chief Science Officer. The Gorkon was my most active ship as I bounced from Medical to Counselor to Diplomatic Attache. After that I landed back at Counselor on the Veritas where I stayed for my entire time there before the Juneau picked me up as First Officer.
How does being a First Officer compare to those other positions? How does it compare with your expectations of the office?
Being a First Officer is something of an amalgam of different jobs, so I think in a way all those different ships and posts helped to prepare me for the job of interacting with all the different sections of the ship’s crew to interact with.
As far as my expectations of the post go they played out as I expected. I enjoy interacting with all the different people across the ship and so being in a leadership role to do that is just more of a joy for the position.
What’s your favorite, and least favorite, parts about playing a First Officer?
Of course my favorite part of being a first officer is interacting with all the different members of the crew. Really being able to help all the different officers find their place and reach their highest potential. There are some amazingly talented people on the Juneau and across the Fleet it is an exciting time to be a part of everything going on here.
The struggle is the least favorite part, but if I had to pick something I would have to say the paperwork XD. Even that though is a needed and necessary part of the upkeep you need to run a ship and a Fleet as unique as this one.
What has been the greatest challenge, in character and out of character, with the command experience?
Out of character there is of course a learning curve to go from being even a ship’s staff member to the XO of a ship. It takes time to get used to those things but it is a wonderful learning experience.
In Character it was a big change for Jansen personally to get moved to a new posting. Just having gotten married and starting a family, likewise the difference from the Shoals to the Aavaro Wilds was a big change.
However in both situations it is all about hitting the ground running. Learn everything you can and tackle the problems you encounter head first. The great thing is that within the Fleet you will always have people there to help you out and guide you on your path no matter the goal you have in our group.
What are your hopes for the future for your character and for you as a member of this community?
Well Jansen’s goal has always been to become a Captain just like his father was so that continues to be a goal for him. For myself, I hope that I can continue to help the Fleet as a whole continue on the magnificent journey it has been on for all these years.
Thanks for your time, Lt. Commander Orrey!
You can read more about Lt. Commander Jansen Orrey on the wiki.
Missing Rear Admiral Returns to the Gorkon, New Mystery to Solve
BORDERLANDS — With the crew back on USS Gorkon (NCC-82293), more details became available of the recent visit of the senior staff to the pirate asteroid Nassau as the crew heads to Deep Space 224.
Dear Kr’Abby: Ponderous Questions
Dear Kr’Abby,
A Betazoid in a bar told me that the Intrepid-class fly through space by flapping their nacelles. It doesn’t sound right, but he was very insistent and I’m embarrassed to ask anyone else. Is it true that, at warp, the nacelles of the Intrepid-class flap like wings? Is that how they move?
~Confused About Flight
Dear Confused,
While I do not have the space in this column to go through the finer points of subspace displacement fields and how to ride them for fun and profit, I can assure you that most everything you are told in a bar should be something you question. An Intrepid class ship uses the same warp technology that every other Starfleet ship with warp nacelles uses. It also has variable geometry pylons to increase its operating efficiency at various speeds. In this way the nacelles can move and could be said to flap. However that flapping does not produce movement, it merely enhances movement.
Next time tell your Betazoid companion, with as straight of a face as you can manage, that they are wrong; only Klingon B’Rel class birds of prey travel through subspace by flapping.
Taskforce in Focus – Podcast Team
The Podcast Team is responsible for The PADDcast, an in-universe podcast that gets real-world, wide release. The release schedule for The PADDcast is monthly, making the Podcast Team one of our most active teams. Today we meet with the Podcast Team Facilitator Lieutenant Lazarus Davis so we can learn more about this important part of our community!
TAYBRIM: Thank you for joining us. Can you please start by giving us a short overview on the Podcast Team and how it supports our StarBase 118 community?
DAVIS: You’re quite welcome. Thank you for having us! Our primary value to the community is giving us a space to address ourselves as a group. The diversity and breadth of Starbase 118 can make each ship feel somewhat disconnected from the rest of the fleet. Things like the PADDcast, our podcast, help us create a group identity.
What is your favorite thing about working on this taskforce?
For me, it’s the complimentary continental breakfast. That, and the chance to work on a creative media project in a group setting. Something about remotely working on a podcast is very enticing to me.
Who can join this taskforce?
Any active member of the fleet is not only welcome, but encouraged to reach out to us. I think one of the misconceptions about the podcast team is that you need some kind of special technology or training to be a member of our team. While the most visible members of the team are people on mic, there’s so much more that goes on behind the scenes.
How would a new member join this taskforce?
It’s easy! You can message us on Discord (I’m Lt. Lazarus Davis and my co-facilitator is Teller), posting in the podcast forum or talking to your commanding officer.
What is the most fun thing about working on this taskforce?
To me, one of the most fun aspects to our taskforce is that that PADDcast is new, and we’re in the process of developing it and defining it as we go along. We get to actively work together to create something new!
Thank you so much for your insights on the Podcast Team!
You can read more about the Podcast Team on the wiki.
Taybrim promoted to commodore, Klingon cult threat persists
STARBASE 118 Ops — As word of the promotion of Fleet Captain Sal Taybrim spread, the crew members of Starbase 118 Ops planned a special celebration to honour their commanding officer and the Gratitude Festival.
Poll of the Week: All the Time in the World
A common trope in Star Trek is time travel. Securely in the realm of science fiction, this process is achieved several times through the series and movies. Whether it is an anti-time anomaly, the interference of powerful aliens, or an unexpected accident, time travel features prominently in the storylines we’ve come to love.
Why is time travel such a popular subject?
Each of us wishes we could jump to a new time, “putting things right that once went wrong and hoping each time that the next leap will be…” (wait, wrong show). The truth is that the past (and the future) fascinate us. So often we are taught that the past is immutable, and the future is untouchable except abstractly by our present actions.
But what if we could directly effect the past or future? What if our decisions could ripple out to change the present instead of the other way around?
One of the most popular episodes of TOS was “City on Edge of Forever” which found Kirk and Spock chasing McCoy through an alien time vortex to 1930s Earth. The captain is forced to choose between preserving the timeline and letting a woman he has fallen in love with die.
It is these kinds of heavyweight moral decisions that make for great storytelling and time travel is one way to increase the stakes. But time travel adds another layer of complexity because it is a way that we could make the familiar – like Earth – more alien. Imagine being able to visit the Middle Ages, the time of Caesar, or the 60s. Time travel could also allow us to see events that are only mentioned in passing within the Star Trek universe but that could be explored and expanded upon to make the “history” more real.
The possibilities are endless.
So, this week, we want to know…
When and where would you like your ship to go for a time-bending mission?
Announcing the 25th Annual Awards Attendee Badge
The awards, beginning two years after the group’s founding, have become a celebration of longevity and dedication. It is an occasion to honor all of the fleet members who work so tirelessly in character and behind the scenes to provide an unparalleled collaborative roleplaying experience.
In commemoration of this, we are pleased to announce a new badge—the 25th Annual Awards Attendee badge.
This Legendary badge recognizes members who are active during the 25th annual Awards Ceremony. To be awarded, members must be active and in good standing on the date of June 30, 2021. This is a one-time-only award.
Nominations for our fleet awards ceremonies are now open year-round! Take this opportunity to show that deserving crewmate or another member of the fleet just how valuable their contributions are. Nominations for this year’s awards can be submitted here until June 10th.
