Christmas Break Commences

With Christmas now fast approaching, Shadow Fleet prepares to hunker down for 2012's Christmas break. This years 13 day break begins tomorrow, 21 December through 2 January. During this low key time, all missions will be put on hold, and there will be no need to file an LOA for any absences that will occur during this time. I'm sure that everyone is looking forward to the awards cermonies that will take place after we all return from a well deserved break.

With that said, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Stay safe during the break and enjoy your time with family and friends!

Post of the Month--December 2012

It's time for the final post of the month before we break for the Christmas period and we're delighted to say it's a good one.

This month's award goes to Lieutenant Kirok for his brilliantly constructed post that describes in great emotional detail the search for his pet cat following a red alert situation. Commanding Officer Lance Krol commented, "I've never had my heart broken so hard on this site before. The mother of all kudos to Kirok."

"Aye, Sir" Kirok replied.  He tapped away at his duty station.   The Red Alert Klaxon stopped sounding and the monitors returned to their normal state.  "Red Alert status has been disabled" he called out.

As he spoke, another chime sounded at his duty station.  It was a reminder that he was overdue in checking in on Bubba.  Kirok looked up from his station, determined that the ship was no longer in danger, and asked a Crewman to take over his station after gaining permission to leave the Bridge.

Kirok quickly crossed the Bridge and called the turbo lift.  It only took seconds to arrive, but it seemed like the longest seconds of his life.  Once it arrived, he stepped into the lift and took to directly to Deck 3.

When the turbo lift doors swished open, Kirok walked quickly and purposefully to the door of his crew quarters.  He stopped momentarily outside the door, just long enough to give the command to unlock the door.  The moment told his sensitive Vulcan ears that there was on sound coming from inside.  No "meow" or scratching at the door.

Kirok's heart rate increased as the door to his crew quarters swished open.  His eyes quickly scanned the room for his sick cat, but his feline friend was no where to be found.  Bubba's food dish had not been touched, the water lever in his bowl was unchanged, the blankets on the bed were free of wrinkles, and nothing seemed to be out of place, with the exception of his sick cat.

"Bubba" Kirok called out as his heart rate accelerated a bit more, a physical sign of anxiety and near panic.   =/\= Computer increase lights by 25% =/\= he called out, probably more loudly than necessary, as he ran to the bathroom.  The computer complied with the order, but the additional light failed to reveal the Betazoid cat.

Kirok looked behind every corner of the bathroom, inside the shower, and then checked the corners again.   "Bubba, where are you?" he called out again as a trickle of sweat formed on his forehead and then ran down his face.  He ran back into the main room and pulled back the curtain that covered his closet, an old hiding place of Bubba's.    

Kirok looked high and low inside the closet, quickly searching the area with his eyes.  He grimaced and audibly blew air out of his nose on frustration.  Thinking that the cat may have possibly crawled under some of the clothing, Kirok started pulling shirts and pants out of the closet and trowing them on the floor.   He didn't stop until the closet was empty.

Kirok swallowed hard when he finished the task of emptying the closet.  Disappointment was starting to set in, despite his advanced training it the ritual of Kolinahr.  ~Where are you, Bubba~ Kirok called out with his mind and his mental senses, but feeling nothing inside the room.

Kirok turned back to the main room of his quarters and saw the chaos it had become.  His respiration increased rapidly and he felt like his world was spinning out of control.  ~Think, Kirok, think~ he though to himself as he did not trust his voice to speak the words between his erratic breathing.

Then Kirok's eyes landed on his bed.  He rushed over to it and threw the unruffled blankets and pillow onto the floor.  Still no Bubba!!!

Kirok dropped to his knees and looked at the last possible place his cat could have been, under the bed.  The space under the bad was too dark even for his Vulcan eyes.  =/\= Computer...increase...light...by...50% =/\= he called out been raspy breaths.

As the light became brighter, Kirok could see Bubba crumpled up in a corner.  The cat's body looked un-natural, like it was squeezed together like an accordion.  "Bubba?!?" Kirok uttered quietly as he reached out a hand and placed it on the cold, lifeless body of his feline friend.

Kirok dipped his head and swallowed hard.  Deep, deep down in his very being, his heart broke into a million pieces as the realization set upon him that Bubba had passed away.  "I was too late" he admitted regretfully, his voice cracking in the process.

Kirok pulled Bubba's body from the corner and cradled it in his lap.  He leaned his head down toward the lifeless body of his pet, touching his head to Bubba's head.  "I should have been here for you" Kirok whispered "I'm so, so sorry."

Commissioned Offiecer Recruiting Period 02/12

We are pleased to announce the launch of this year's second and final Commissioned Officer Recruiting Period, or CORP for short.

The CORP is the opportunity for all eligible crewmen to apply for a place on a Commissioned Officer Training Course (COTC) at Shadow Fleet Academy.

During period 02/12, we are looking to recruit into the following fields:

• Flight Control
• Security/Tactical
• Science/Medical
• Operations
• Counseling

If you are an enlisted player holding the rate of Petty Officer Third Class or above and wish to apply for the Officer Training Course in any of the above fields, send a request to your Commanding Officer via private message explaining the field in which you are applying and why you wish to become a commissioned officer in Shadow Fleet.

The deadline for all applications is December 31st, 2012.

Good luck!

Note: Not all applicants will be successful. If you are not accepted onto an Officer Training Course, there will be another opportunity through CORP 01/13 to be announced early next year. Successful graduates may be required to transfer ship to satisfy officer personnel requirements across the fleet. Maximum graduating rank in this CORP is Ensign.

Star Trek: Into Darkness

What are your thoughts on the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness? Are you as excited as we are? Tell us on our Facebook page or discuss it on the official fleet forum discussion topic!

Christmas Break 2012

Well, it's that time of year already! The time when we hang up our stockings and tuck into our delicious Christmas dinner with all the family. It's also the time of year when Shadow Fleet stands down for its annual Christmas Break, a period when all official missions and announcements are temporarily suspended to allow us some well deserved time off.

This years Christmas Break will run from Friday 21 December through to Wednesday 2 January, after which time we'll be delving right back into the action with our bi-annual awards ceremonies.

With just 2 weeks left of our year, I encourage you all to post well and post often so we can end our year with a bang!

Miracle on Starbase 83 (Christmas Event)

Well, laddies and gents... this year's Christmas event has begun at last! Miracle on Starbase 83 is sure to be light hearted and full of fun! Head over to Shadow Fleet Now to join in on the festive fun. We look forward to seeing you there!

Task Group Alpha is given time off for the hard work they have put in recently. Conveniently, the time off coincides with Christmas back on Earth. With all three ships docked safely at Starbase 83 - the home of Shadow Fleet & Task Group Alpha - the crew takes the time to get to know their other ship counterparts, share a story or two, and celebrate the winter holiday.

The relaxing time is quickly overshadowed by some peculiar goings on. It isn't long before Q (played by Tobias Masters) appears, checking up on 'his humans', but he's confounded by what he sees. It's up to the fleet to either teach Q about Christmas, or send him on his merry.

Post of the Month--November 2012

It's time to award this year's penultimate Post of the Month.

Please congratulate Lieutenant Commander Reece Thompson on his post, which Commanding Officer Riley T. Munro called "lighthearted and detailed with good use of written NPCs."

To all players, keep up the great standard of posting and remember, if you see a post submission you believe is worthy of our next Post of the Month Award (and the final one of 2012), send your nomination to your Commanding Officer.

Reece stopped the diagnostic and gripped the console as the ship shook.

"What the heck..."

He looked around all the other engineering personnel, seeing them all look as blank as he did.

After hearing the call about Munro stuck in the turbolift, he suppressed a laugh.

"Zelenka, grab a Engineering kit and come with me. We're on lift duty." He yelled out, heading towards the door.

Crewmen Zelenka grabbed a case of tools and ran and caught up to Reece. As they walked Zelenka turned to a Turbolift.

"No." Reece announced. "Then who's gunna rescue us?"

The two Engineering crewmen jogged through the ship and climbed various jeffries tubes until they reached the door closest to Munro.

"Commander!!! You hiding in there?" He joked loudly, seeing if he got a response.

Recent Promotion

Please congratulate Crewman Sukal on his recent promotion to Senior Crewman! Mr. Sukal has been with us since September and he's already gotten to a booming start. He works hard, has come up with a lot of great ideas, and is always willing to lend a hand. 

Are you a hard worker and have a love for Star Trek? With a little hard work, you too can make Senior Crewman! And from there you can continue to go up in rank if you keep up the hard work. Visit the Help Files for more information on How to Get Promoted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy turkey day, everyone! On this special day we spend time with our families, blood relatives or close friends. Here at Shadow Fleet, we have a lot to be thankful for. We have a warm, loving community where anyone is welcome. There are also a lot of great posts to read and many who are willing to lend a hand to those that need it. Sound like the kind of thing you want to be a part of? Then head over to Shadow Fleet now if you haven't done so already! We'd love to have you. And above all else, have a happy Thanksgiving!

Do you like to write? Do you like Star Trek? If you answered yes to either of those questions, than you should head over to Shadow Fleet if you haven't done so already.

Did you know that Shadow Fleet has an articles section where members can submit pieces of writing ranging from episode reviews to poetry? You can submit articles to the following categories:

•  Special Articles and Essays
   (A collection of articles examining various themes and moralities throughout Star Trek, and their relation to the real-world)
•  Episode and Movie Reviews
   (Got a favorite episode of Star Trek? Share your thoughts on it here by writing a review and see if the Shadow Fleet community agrees)
•  Mission Reviews
   (Did you enjoy participating in - or even simply reading - a Shadow Fleet mission? Let everyone know what you thought of your favorites by posting a review here)
•  Mission Stories
   (Feel like crafting a previous mission into a piece of prose? Submit your write-up of a Shadow Fleet mission here)
•  Fan Fiction
   (Do you like writing original stories based on characters from your favorite tv shows? If the answer is 'yes,' submit yours here today)
•  Original Writing
   (If you've written an original story that you want to share with the fleet, then post it here for all to see, read, rate, and comment on)
•  Poetry
   (Are you an author of the rhyming type? If you enjoy writing poetry, why not submit your creation to our dedicated poetry section for all to see!)

Also, if you feel there is a missing category, please let us know.

Facebook Update

If you like Shadow Fleet and enjoy reading our posts on Facebook, we urge you to do this. Just hover of the "Liked" button and click on "Add to Interest Lists" from the drop-down menu. Thanks for your support!

Santa Who?

With the Halloween special mission now over, members of Shadow Fleet have already begun to plot and scheme about what to do over the winter holidays. Instead of having a full blown mission the plan is for characters to mingle on a station. It's also intended to be more light hearted and merry. One of the more interesting ideas thus far would be to have Q play the part of Santa, passing out presents. What do you think? Head over to the Christmas Special Event topic to let us know. I'm sure you'll want to be part of this festive fantastic fun.

I Want You for Shadow Fleet!!!

Shadow Fleet is looking to recruit some new members. For those who don't know, Shadow Fleet is an amazing Star Trek RPG where people get to build a career for their character, write really fun/cool posts, and interact with a lot of really nice people who happen to love Star Trek. So head over to http://www.shadowfleet.org/forum because we would love for you to join us! But if you don't, that's ok too. Could you still give us a hand by spreading the word?

Already a member? Great! Help us about by telling all your friends what a great place Shadow Fleet is. Thank you, everyone.

Special Mission Draws to a Close

We started our Halloween Special Mission nearly three weeks ago, but now that the spookiest time of the year is over, it's time for the Special Mission to wrap up. However, it's not over just yet...

In the meantime, thanks go out to to those who participated in the mission, making it enjoyable and the spookiest celebration to date. The following people are awarded the "Supernatural" Participation medal: Adolph Klein, Raymundo Salas, Safefta Pardek, Jonathan Sanchez, Archangel T'Koris, Kirok, Lance Krol, Shelaf Greegy, Saffir G'Tollikos, T'Ra Jones, John Harriman, Tobias Masters, Alyssa Meadows, John Brown, Sukal, Rennan Protheus, TLaina Mandlin, Grace Masters.

Reece Thompson Returns

Shadow Fleet would like to welcome back an old member, Lieutenant Commander Reece Thompson, who will be taking up position as Chief Engineer on the USS Gibson. Please give him a warm welcome!

Special Mission Continues

Having you been keeping up with our current special mission, Supernatural? Computers are offline and life support isn't functioning. What's going to happen next??? Tune into Shadow Fleet now to find out!

Post of the Month--October 2012

Please congratulate Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Adolph Klein for writing October's Post of the Month! A well written and "very detailed post that sets the scene for our Halloween Special mission."

Captain's Log:

Stardate 66666.6

USS Dante, Adolph Klein commanding

We are on an exploratory mission in Beta Quadrant cataloging and mapping various planetary systems. Though it's been a long, tedious mission, I am proud to say that ship and crew have performed well. We are on course to system Hydra Epsilon 11, time of arrival expected to be early tomorrow morning during the night shift. Probes have indicated possible signs of life in the system and I am looking forward to us being the first Federation vessel to explore the system.

[Bridge, 1800 hours]

Having finished his customary daily log entry, Captain Adolph Klein exited his ready room and surveyed the bridge. The night shift would be taking over soon and already the levels of activity seemed to be subdued. Klein smiled softly as he made his way to the captain's chair, sitting down. The science and operations departments had been working overtime with all the sensor data they had collected in the past month. They already had enough new information to keep Starfleet Command happy for months as they digested it all.

The medical department had the chance to collect several new samples on a previous away mission, but there had been precious little for the engineering and security departments to do. The ship was working perfectly and the [i]Dante[/i] seemed to be the only vessel in the region at present.

"All stations, report." Klein called the customary command.

As he waited for the various departments to report what they were doing, in a fairly routine day as they were en route, he leaned over towards the Vulcan counselor sitting next to him.

"Counselor Kirok, how's crew morale?" Klein inquired, "I'm hoping we won't lose our edge and get complacent as routine as our assignments have been of late."

Halloween... Almost Here

Ladies and gents, the spookiest day of the year is almost here. Not sure what to do on Wednesday? Here are some ideas:

• Read and/or post in Shadow Fleet's current special mission, "Supernatural," a mission that's sure to send shivers down your spine.
• Go trick or treat. Or pass out candy. Are you going to be decked out in a super cool Trek themed costume? We want to see them! Share your pics with us and we'll feature them all day October 31st.
• Watch a creepy Star Trek episode like "Empok Nor," "Schisms," or "Wolf in the Fold" Go here for the list of top ten scariest Star Trek episodes.
• Carve a pumpkin with a cool Star Trek design.
• Whatever makes you happy (that's a good idea too).

Halloween Special Mission Commences

Ladies and gents, our spooktacular special mission is finally underway!!! Look below for ranks and positions. 

Starring:

Captain Adolph Klein as Commanding Officer
Commander Raymundo Salas as First Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer Safefta Pardek as Chief of the Boat

With:

Commander Jonathan Sanchez as Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Archangel T'Koris as Chief Security/Tactical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Kirok as Ship's Counselor
Lieutenant Commander Lance Krol as Chief Engineer
Lieutenant Shelaf Greegy as Chief Flight Control Officer
Lieutenant Saffir G'Tollikos as Chief Operations Officer

And:

Lieutenant T'Ra Jones as Engineering Officer
Ensign John Harriman as Security/Tactical Officer
Ensign Tobias Masters as Medical Officer

Senior Chief Communications Specialist Alyssa Meadows as Operations Crewman
Chief Tactical Systems Technician John Brown as Security/Tactical Crewman
Chief Counseling Assistant Sukal as Assistant to the Ship's Counselor
Flight Controller First Class Rennan Protheus as Flight Control Crewman
Warp Core Specialist Third Class TLaina Mandlin as Engineering Crewman
Impulse Engines Specialist Apprentice Grace Masters as Engineering Crewman

It's the graveyard shift on the USS Dante. Having left starbase on its next mission of exploration, it's not long before a strange influence begins to take hold of the ship's systems. Shields fail, sensors go offline and the life support systems begin to fluctuate. As the senior staff jumps into action, it quickly becomes apparent that this new influence is in fact alive...and wants nothing less than to possess each and every person on the entire ship.

Star Trek London--October 2012

Shadow Fleet is at Star Trek London all day today!

Follow the event on our official Facebook and Twitter pages now!!!

We'll be posting updates throughout the day. See you there!

Special Mission Sign Ups

Last week, you all voted for the idea you'd like to see become our next Special Mission. With less than one week left before launch, it's now time to sign yourself up for our Halloween Special!

 
It's the graveyard shift on the USS Dante. Having left starbase on its next mission of exploration, it's not long before a strange influence begins to take hold of the ship's systems. Shields fail, sensors go offline and the life support systems begin to fluctuate. As the senior staff jumps into action, it quickly becomes apparent that this new influence is in fact alive...and wants nothing less than to possess each and every person on the entire ship.

We've had Klingons. We've had Tribbles. Now, are you ready to take part in our scariest fleet mission yet? We're on the lookout to fill the following positions:

• Chief of the Boat
• Flight Control Officers
• Security/Tactical Officers
• Operations Officers
• Engineering Officers
• Science Officers
• Medical Officers
• Additional Star Fleet crewmen (all departments)

Sign up in the discussion topic on Shadow Fleet with your preferred and second preferred positions before this Friday, October 19th, when we'll also announce the two officers who have been selected to run this fleet-wide event as the Commanding Officer and First Officer respectively.

With only seven days left, are you ready for our next Special Mission?

New Academy Instructors!

We are delighted to announce that Shadow Fleet Academy has taken on two new instructors as a result of the latest recruitment drive.

Lieutenant Commander Tobias Masters and Lieutenant Kirok will be managing the Engineering and Security/Tactical courses respectively. Both of these officers have shown considerable dedication to Shadow Fleet during their times here and are sure to make an excellent addition to the ever-increasing staff pool at Shadow Fleet Academy.

Please congratulate both officers on the success of their applications and if you weren't so lucky this time, keep your eyes open for further recruiting periods in the near future.

Halloween Special Mission-- The Votes Are In!!!

 
In late September, we asked you to conjure up some spooky ideas for our upcoming special mission later this month. Your ideas were given, your voice was heard, and you voted on which you thought was the most sinister. Well, ladies and gents, the votes are now in!

In descending order, the top three winning ideas as voted for by the Shadow Fleet community were Possessed By Demons (27%), Horizon Station (18%) and View Into Hell (14%).

Thanks go out to all those who put forward ideas with particular congratulations for Alyssa Meadows whose idea, Possessed By Demons, will be used for our next Special Mission.

Stay tuned for further updates as we get closer to the October 22nd launch date.

Academy Instructors Required - Apply Within

Shadow Fleet Academy is once again on the lookout for qualified players to take on roles teaching the next generation of Shadow Fleet officers.

Reporting directly to the Academy Commandant, Instructors oversee and administer a commissioned officer candidate's course, coaching and developing them throughout. All instructors are briefed and detailed resources provided to assist them in their role.

We are looking for Academy instructors to be in place for CORP 02/12, due to launch later this year. To apply, all applicants must:

• Have been a member of the fleet for at least 3 months
• Hold the minimum rank of Lieutenant and no higher than Commander
• Preferably hold no other secondary duty within the fleet
• Be willing to commit fully for the duration of a candidate's course
• Be able to demonstrate an excellent standard of spelling & grammar

If you meet all of the above requirements and think you have what it takes to be an Academy instructor in your field, send your application to Admiral Kawolsky with a brief explanation of why you would be a good choice for the role, by Monday 8th October. Late applications will not be considered.

Good luck!

Post of the Month--September 2012

Please congratulate Lieutenant Archangel T'Koris for writing September's post of the month!! A post of high quality, her Commanding Officer, Captain Scott Bradley, remarked that "Lieutenant T'Koris makes a post that really captures the feel of Trek and sets an appropriate atmosphere for the situation. One I definitely enjoyed reading!" Don't forget to keep an eye out for fantastic posts over the coming month, especially during our Halloween themed special mission.

[Engineering]

"Whoa!" Archangel exclaimed as the ship shook briefly.  She wobbled on the narrow ledge she was standing on, losing her balance.  She grabbed onto the edge, panting heavily as she realised that she wasn't going to fall yet.  She took a moment, simply dangling there, to rethink her strategy for fixing the warp core.  Standing several metres in the air on a bit of metal less than a metre wide, was perhaps not the best thing to do.
"I've got to remember to use a safety harness next time," she muttered to herself. 

Scrabbling with her boots to try to get a purchase on the edge of the warp core, the attempted to heave herself back up onto the ledge.  She had managed to get her torso back up when she paused.  A thought had occurred to her.  Every time the ship encountered glitches, it was when they were on an important mission.  So far, they had had to send out a distress call about as many times as they had gone back to a starbase without needing to go into dry dock for major repair.  So, half hanging on to the ledge, she started to put the pieces into place.  These glitches were far too focalised.  They nearly always took out the warp core, (which was starting to get really annoying), and other major systems, taking a few of the minor ones with it, (speaking of which, she really should figure out what to do about those Tribbles in the Captain's ready room).  They couldn't possibly be random and affect the same systems every time.  That was just too convenient as far as she was concerned.  It had to either be a program, or some sort of intelligent being.  Then again, what kind of intelligent being would try to sabotage the ship they were on? 

Realising that she was still clinging on to the service ledge and that her thoughts were going round in circles, Archangel pulled herself the rest of the way up to the ledge, sitting with her back against the core.  Her shoulder muscles were burning from the effort.  Sighing heavily, she went back to work, pulling out her tricorder and scanning the core again.  Offline, she couldn't detect what was wrong.  It didn't seem as if there were any glitches at all, which suggested that what ever was causing them was in the power grids.  She cursed under her breath.  That was going to be a pain in the backside to fix.  It meant a lot of crawling through the jefferies tubes, which she hated. 

Slipping the tricorder back into its place on her toolbelt, she started to climb back down the ladder to the main Engineering deck.  A few rungs from the bottom, the lights went out.  Archangel yelped with surprise, letting go of the ladder and falling the last metre to land on her backside on the metal floor. 
"What happened?" she called out, peering into the darkness to where she was sure a group of crewmen had been standing.
"I don't know, lieutenant," a voice called back, echoing strangely in the silence.  "Everything just went off!  The main power's out!"
"I can tell that for myself, thanks," Archangel muttered, picking herself off the floor and moving towards one of the consoles.  She cursed again a few steps later.  No power.  Of course.

The emergency backup lights came on, filling the department with harsh shadows.  Archangel leant against one of the consoles, rubbing the ridges on her forehead.  She tapped her commbadge, intending to give the Captain her report, but there was no connection.  Growling in frustration, she slammed her fist into the console screen, cracks splintering out from the impact.  No power, no communications, no engines. 

Halloween Special

Earlier, we asked for your ideas for our upcoming Halloween Special Mission. Well, the ideas are in and now it's time to put them to the vote!

From a possessed crew to the walking dead, there's a huge selection of mission ideas for you to choose from. Simply choose your favorite from the list above and be sure to pass your vote before Monday, October 8th for it to count.

With a projected start date of October 22nd, our Halloween Special Mission is not far away. Which idea will you vote for? Head to Shadow Fleet now to vote and let your voice be heard!

September Competition Comes To An End

Ladies and gents, September has come to and an end and with it, so has the September competition. Are you excited to find out who won? Do you think it was you? Head over the forum discussion topic to find out!

Last Week of September Competition

Ladies and gents, this is the last week you can enter for a chance to win an AI wizard that contains content from Star Trek movies, tv shows, characters, and more. Test your knowledge against the 20 Questions Star Trek edition! All you have to do for a chance to win is head over to our Facebook page and share our posts. Competition ends October 1st.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Competition is open to any registered member of Shadow Fleet who does not have admin privileges (moderators are allowed).
• Players from all countries are welcome to participate as long as they can provide a valid postal address to which the prize can be sent.
• Multiple submissions in the form of Facebook "shares" are permitted.
• The winner will be selected from all those Facebook "fans" who have "shared" at least one post between September 1st and September 30th, 2012.
• If you win, you will be required to give your name and address. This will remain confidential - it will not be shared with anyone else and will be deleted from all records once the prize has been posted. 
• Shadow Fleet reserves the right to retract or change the prize at any time.
• The winner will be announced on or around October 1st, 2012.

Halloween Special Mission

As we enter the second half of the month of September, it's time to decide on what the topic will be for our Halloween Fleet Special Mission!!!

From now until the first of October, we'll be taking ideas and suggestions for the style and setting of our next Special mission, which is due to start on Monday October 22nd (the week prior to the spookiest time of the year!).

If you have any ideas, please let us know on the Halloween Special Mission discussion topic. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Competition Midpoint

We are now halfway through Shadow Fleet's current competition. Have you been to our Facebook page yet? Have you shared any of our posts? If not, it's not too late. Go and share one today. At the end of the month, you may just end up being our lucky winner. Coincidentally, it is also the halfway point of Show a Friend Weekend. Sharing a post is just one of the many great ways you can show Shadow Fleet to a friend.

For a reminder of competition rules, see the original post below or see the discussion topic on  Shadow Fleet.

New Recruitment Video

Check out the latest recruitment video, made by our very own Zuriel Sokrea. It is a spectacular video that is definitely worth watching more than once.

Show A Friend Weekend

Ladies and gents, it is September once again. Do you know what my favorite part of September is? Other than the fresh start of a brand new school year, it is Show A Friend Weekend!!!  This next weekend, we'd like you to invite a friend to check us out whether this is through our Facebook or Twitter pages, through YouTube, the official blog (which you have already been clever enough to find), or even by word of mouth. Remember the current competition? You could even share one of Shadow Fleet's many cool links (preferably one specific to Shadow Fleet itself) on a friend's Facebook page. Not only would you enter yourself for a chance to win, you'd be inviting a friend to check us out, killing two birds with one stone.

Shadow Fleet's Next Book

Are you of the creative sorts? Does fiction suit your fancy? Perhaps you'd enjoy helping Shadow Fleet write/make their next book. Head on down to the SF discussion topic for further details and to aid in the planning process. We can't wait to see you there!!!

Alternative Opening Ceremony

If you're planning on venturing down to Destination Star Trek London this October, make sure you get yourself to the alternative opening ceremony hosted by Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating. Do you want to know the best part??? It's completely FREE!!!

Fleet Competition--September 2012

It's competition time again and this time we have a rather fun prize up for grabs for all your Star Trek trivia geeks in the fleet!

Think you know all there is to know about Star Trek? You'll find out with this AI (artificial intelligence) wizard that contains content from Star Trek movies, television shows, characters, and more. Test your Trek knowledge and be amazed when the 20 Questions Star Trek Edition guesses what you're thinking! The game features a classic shape, built-in light, and an "undo" button that allows you to change your mind... all adding to the excitement and challenge.

To be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize, all you have to do is head along to our official Facebook page and "share" our competition post. Simple, right? And if you keep on sharing our status updates throughout the month of September, you could increase your chances even more!

So what are you waiting for? Head along to our Facebook page and starting "sharing" today!

TERMS & CONDITIONS

• Competition is open to any registered member of Shadow Fleet who does not have admin privileges (moderators are allowed).
• Players from all countries are welcome to participate as long as they can provide a valid postal address to which the prize can be sent.
• Multiple submissions in the form of Facebook "shares" are permitted.
• The winner will be selected from all those Facebook "fans" who have "shared" at least one post between September 1st and September 30th, 2012.
• If you win, you will be required to give your name and address. This will remain confidential - it will not be shared with anyone else and will be deleted from all records once the prize has been posted. 
• Shadow Fleet reserves the right to retract or change the prize at any time.
• The winner will be announced on or around October 1st, 2012.

Star Trek TNG Cast in Chicago

Star Trek TNG cast is due for an exclusive reunion in Chicago, May 2013! Visit www.startrek.com for more details!

Shadow Fleet Academy Wants You!

Shadow Fleet is looking for Academy instructors to be in place for the next CORP drive, which is scheduled to launch later this year. Do you have a burning desire to give back to Shadow Fleet? Do you think you have what it takes to be an instructor? Maybe this is for you.

To apply, you must:

• Have been a member of the fleet for at least 6 months
• Hold the minimum rank of Lieutenant and no higher than Commander
• Hold no other secondary duty within the fleet
• Be willing to commit fully for the duration of a candidate's course
• Be able to demonstrate an excellent standard of spelling and grammar

If you meet all of the above requirements and think you have what it takes, please send your application to rear Admiral John Kawolsky by September 7th, 2012. Good luck!

Post of the Month--August 2012

Please congratulate Crewman Jacoby Hawkins for writing this month's Post of the Month! A most enjoyable post, his Commanding Officer commented, "This is epic! Hawkins has really found his place in Engineering. Well written, descriptive, fun, lighthearted and overall enjoyable read. I am very proud of my engineering department!" If you come across what you think is a stellar post, don't forget to nominate it for next month's post of the month.

:: Main Engineering | USS Gibson ::

Having been sequestered inside a cramped Poer relay for the better part of the past few hours, and having been tasked with repairing said relay's coolant matrix, Jacoby looked the part. Coolant fluid adorned the crimson haired Crewman's face and uniform, and his trousers were torn in a few different places. There was even coolant in his hair. But he was happy to have been tasked with the job. Since they's gotten the new Chief Petty Officer in engineering, it really wasn't the place to be for him. He'd had a few run ins with the new NCO's ire, and the prospect didn't exactly excite him. It excited his new room mate, Crewman Apprentice Silas Wentworth even less.

"HAWKINS!" the non-com's voice carried down from the gangway overlooking main engineering. "Get to the Cargo Bay. Ensign Thompson's been looking for you."

"What's he want Chief? There's half a power conduit on Deck Five looking for me too." Jacoby called up, squinting to see the burly Tellarite leaning over the railing."

"Who cares what he wants WITH you. He want's YOU is the point. Get moving." Gren called out, his nasally baritone blanketing the Gibson's nerve center. "And send Wentworth to deck five."

"Aye Chief." Jacoby yelled back. "Also, you look thin today. Chef cooked bacon and eggs in the mess."

Gren's subsequent reply, loud and thunderous as it came, was preceded by a padd exploding against the bulkhead next to him. "GET MOVING."

Hawkins was already out the doors when the pieces hit the deck.

=/\= Hawkins to Wentworth =/\=

A moment went by before the excitable young engineer's voice crackled over the com link.

=/\= Wentworth. =/\=

=/\= Yes. Boss Hog wants to to finish up the power conduit on deck five. I gotta go see the factory about something in the cargo bay. =/\=

=/\= Ok. I'm going there now. did you leave the tools? =/\=

=/\= Yup. they're all still there. Hawkins out. =/\=

With the connection closed, Jacoby was free to wonder just what the Gibson's chief engineer wanted with him. Might have been about his nickname. In fact, Jacoby pondered as he approached the cargo bay, that's probably what it was. In Hawkins' brief experience in Starfleet, hard truths weren't something officers liked to hear. Especially when that truth was in regards to them. Oh well... more replicator cleaning duty. Apparently Boss Hog wasn't fond of his nickname either. And Jacoby hadn't even thought that one up. The guy from Earth did... the cowboy. Oh well.

The doors to the Gibson's cargo bay swooshed open before him, revealing Ensign Thompton, a science crewman, and some sort of alien looking contraption.

"Chief Thompson, Bo... Chief Petty Officer Gren said you wanted to see me?"

Destination Star Trek London--October

Desperate to go to Destination Star Trek London this October? Find out on Shadow Fleet's Facebook page how you can win an all expenses paid trip to London, courtesy of StarTrek.com! Stay tuned on Facebook for further updates and you can add yourself to the event.

Or you can go here to enter.

Official Star Trek Convention--Las Vegas

Shadow Fleet  will be reporting live from the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is now here and you can be a part of it too!

Throughout August 12 (today), Shadow Fleet  will be bringing you news, updates, and fun pictures directly from the convention. Head over to our Facebook and Twitter pages to keep up on the action.

And if you really want to get involved, we'd like to see what you like to do to celebrate Star Trek. Maybe you dress up, create signs or banners, or maybe you just like to talk about your favorite shows? Send us your "likes," comments, and pictures either through our social networking sites or by posting in the discussion topic directly on Shadow Fleet.

Post of the Month--July 2012

Please congratulate Ensign Saffir G'Tollikos of the USS Gibson for writing this month's post of the month! An excellent post, his Commanding Officer had this to say: I really enjoyed reading this short but excellent post from Tolly. A really good effort." If you read a post that you think is spectacular, don't forget to nominate it for the Post of the Month.

"Red alert," called Tolly from the center chair. His mind reeled. What had they stumbled across? Why would a Klingon engine be hidden on a planet, and why were they willing to shoot at a Federation starship? And what was the away team flying into? "Shields up. Lt. Sanchez, track where the incoming fire came from. Tachyons and metaphasics as before. Tactical, target phasers on the energy signature below and open a channel."

Seconds later came the reply, "Phasers locked, channel open, but there's no response."

"Unknown vessel, this is acting Captain Saffir G'Tollikos of the Federation science vessel Gibson. We're here on a a mission of peaceful exploration. However, you should know that I have trained ship's phasers on whatever the energy source is below. If you continue hostilities, I will order this ship to fire on it until it is destroyed. Respond."

YouTube Account Manager Needed

Laddies and gents, Shadow Fleet is looking for a new YouTube Account Manager. Do you enjoy working with videos and social media? If so, then this just might be the job for you.

Responsibilities will include:
- Creating and uploading YouTube videos to the official YouTube channel, at least one every 2 weeks
- Posting player-submitted videos to the fleet YouTube channel
- Taking instructions from the Head of Media & Recruitment
- Promoting the fleet where necessary
- Working with fleet social media heads to promote and market YouTube videos
- Working under pressure during times of high recruitment

In addition to these points, all applicants must:
- Have been a member of Shadow Fleet for no less than 3 months
- Hold no other secondary position within the fleet
- Have a good standard of spelling & grammar

Not only will you be able work with videos, you will get to play a great part in helping to promote Shadow Fleet across the web. I don't know about anybody else, but that sounds like fun.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a PM directly to Rear Admiral (Lower Half) John Kawolsky explaining why you are applying for the position, what experience you have in advertising & social media, and what you can bring to the role and the team as a whole.

Submission for applications is open until July 31st but may close sooner if a suitable candidate is found so if you're interested, be sure to get your applications in without delay.

Newest Member-Yinhi Yagura

Please welcome our newest member, Yinhi Yagura! Mr Yagura is a Vulcan male who will be joining the crew of the Churchill as a Science Crewman. Please give him a warm welcome in the discussion topic or on his profile page. Also feel free check out his character application, which includes a short character bio. All in all, make sure to give him a warm hello.

Task Group Alpha Award Ceremony with Admiral Kawolsky

TASK GROUP ALPHA

Awards Ceremony - July, 2012

Looking at all of your individual awards ceremonies, I am very pleased to see you all contributing effectively towards the running of your SIMMs. I am especially proud of those who joined relatively recently and have received awards so please accept my congratulations on that front.

Getting into the Task Group awards, I'd like to begin by recognizing the efforts of one of our Command Officers.

The Recruitment Ribbon is given out in recognition of a player's efforts in recruiting new members to the fleet. There is only Command Officer I can think of who is deserving of this award and that is Commander Riley T. Munro for her astounding recruitment efforts on the internet and through the Star Trek: Online MMORPG. Through engaging with potential recruits, she has not only spread the word about Shadow Fleet through new mediums, but has also managed to recruit new players to join our fantastic community. A very well done to her.

Moving, into some of the more regular Task Group awards, I'll begin with the Unit Citation.

The Unit Citation is awarded to all players of a SIMM deemed to be the most active over the last six month period. It has been extremely difficult in deciding which SIMM should be presented with this, but after careful deliberation I have decided that the USS Churchill has proven themselves against the USS Discovery for the second time running. However, I feel I must note that the USS Gibson has gotten off to a flying start, having already completed their second mission so I am sure it will be a close call at the next awards ceremony. Congratulations to Lieutenant Commander Krol and the rest of the Churchill crew.

The Crew Efficiency Ribbon is presented to the officers and crew of the most organized SIMM. I'm afraid I have to say that there is only one real contender for this award and even though it has only been around for a matter of weeks, the USS Gibson has definitely come out on top. With extremely well-thought out missions, a high activity rating and all round excellent organization, the Gibson has really set the standard for the other SIMMs in the Task Group. A very well done to Commander Munro and the rest of the crew.

This leads me nicely onto the Distinguished Command Award. Based on my previous comments, I am so impressed with Commander Munro's efforts in launching the Gibson and keeping activity levels high that I have to present her with this award in recognition of that fact. I would hope that those people wishing to one day command a SIMM of their own pay close attention to Commander Munro. A very well done, indeed.

The final presentation I would like to make today is in recognition of one person's efforts within our Task Group. Crewman Adolph Klein has only been with us a short period of time but already he has made a considerably impact on our community. Having suggest numerous ways in which Shadow Fleet can improve (some of which have already been implemented), Crewman Klein is always among the first to welcome new players and help with their integration into the fleet. I am positive that because of his actions, many new players have found their experience interesting and enjoyable, and I am sure that moving forward he can only be an excellent addition to our fleet.


With that concludes the Task Group awards for July, 2012.

I would like to congratulate all who won awards and thank all of you who didn't for what has been a spectacular six months. The Task Group (and indeed the fleet as a whole) has gone from strength to strength which could not have happened without the dedication and commitment to posting you all display on a daily basis. I would like to extend particular thanks to all of our Command Officers who keep the SIMMs running day in, day out as without the time and effort you put into the work you do, we wouldn't have any SIMMs to speak of.

Finally, I feel I must make one last special mention and that is for Lieutenant Commander Krol and the crew of the [i]Churchill[/i]. I realize it has been a difficult past couple of months for you all, especially Commander Krol, but you have all stuck together and battled through to produce some great posts. It was not my intention to thrust Lieutenant Commander Krol into position so quickly, but he has taken to the role with professionalism and managed the [i]Churchill[/i] adequately while I look for a replacement Commanding Officer. To the crew of the [i]Churchill[/i], thank you for supporting him and please bear with me while preparations are made to appoint a more permanent Commanding Officer in the near future.

Thank you, and congratulations to you all!

Please congratulate everyone on their awards and feel free to check out the award ceremonies of the Discovery, Churchill, and the Gibson.

Star Trek Online

Shadow Fleet is now on Star Trek: Online!!! Come join us.

Post of the Month--June 2012

Ladies and gents, please congratulate Ensign Ash Thompson on wining the post of the month for June 2012. His post was brilliantly written and was very enjoyable to read.

Ash sat in the engineer's office trawling through report after report. Newly commissioned ships were always a nuisance. Requisitions, requests, evaluations, projections, the all-important sodding conversion figures everybody seemed to prize so highly...

Not to say he wasn't going to make The Gibson the pride of the fleet and her Captain along with it. God knows she'd pulled enough strings to get him here.

For the Nth time today the monitor went off, pulling his attention from the PADD in his hand. He let fly a few soto voce curses before activating it.

"Oh, we'll isn't that just fu...." he pulled himself up when he noticed one of his staff in the doorway. He kept a strict open-door policy... An open door is easier to shoot and throw things through...

"Yeah?", he flicked the PADD to the desk painfully aware that what followed would be a 10 minute tsunami of inane drivel about how proud he was to blah blah blah waffle waffle waffle.

He let the kid wax lyrical for a little before gleaning what he needed from the conversation, congratulating the kid on his posting and putting him back to work.

He stepped into main engineering...
"Ok ladies," he announced to the assembled morass of young faces, " I'm gonna lay something on you and I'd like you to take it on board. I am very proud to be serving with all of you regardless of your experience, species, gender or lack thereof or sexual orientation. But this heartfelt admission of pride stuff has to stop! Now I don't know if many of you know this but Cap'n pulled a lot of favors to get us all here and if you're here it's because she selected you herself. This is a new ship and something WILL go wrong in the soon'n'now. What do you think will impress her more? That when it does, you're all doing an admirable job at your station or that you're in my office blowing smoke up my backside about dreams come true and how momma's gonna be so damned thrilled?!"

After a few more light hearted jibes at some of the younger guys he dismissed himself with the promise of after hours drinks and returned to his office.

"Well... That could have gone worse"

Official Las Vegas Convention 2012

Do you remember all the chatter last month about Shadow Fleet going the Star Trek Convention in London? Well, we are now delighted to announce that we will be attending the Official Las Vegas convention in August. Running from August 9-12, it is one of the largest Star Trek conventions in the world. The convention will be an action packed weekend that includes replica sets, costumes, actors, and numerous other events.

Have you bought tickets yet? If not you can head to the official convention website. We hope to see you there. If you cannot make it, you can tune in on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

USS Gibson Launches

Our newest SIMM, the USS Gibson, has officially launched! Please join us in wishing her crew the best of luck in their maiden voyage.

New Facebook Page

As of June 17, Shadow Fleet will be closing its Facebook group. They are now switching to a community page instead. The new page will function like the group but with a few minor changes. Come and "like" our page at http://www.facebook.com/ShadowFleet.

The USS Gibson

Ladies and gents, all the waiting and suspense is finally over! The crew roster for the USS Gibson has finally been released. Commanded by Commander Riley T. Munro and with Lieutenant Tobias Masters for a first officer, the Gibson is manned by a mix of new and experienced members. The crew of the Gibson begin their first mission "Size of the Dog" on June 18. Here is the official roster:

Commanding Officer: Commander Riley T. Munro
First Officer: Lieutenant Commander Tobias Masters
Chief Flight Control Officer: Ensign Zuriel Soreka
Flight Control Crewman: Flight Controller Apprentice Joseph Taylor
Security/Tactical Crewman: Weapons Technician Apprentice John Harriman
Engineering Officer: Ensign Ash Thompson
Chief Operations Officer: Lieutenant Justin Conwell
Operations Crewman: Power Distribution Technician Apprentice Lewis Henson
Science Officer: Ensign Saffir G'Tollikos
Science Crewman: Botanist Apprentice Dustin Guidry
Medical Crewman: Crewman Recruit Rennan Protheus\

New YouTube Video: A Night Off Duty

Check out this cool video put together by Riley T. Munro featuring dance moves by Shelaf Greegy, Reece Thompson, Riley T. Munro, and John Kawolsky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khylA99L5tM

Post of the Month--May 2012

Well, laddies and gents, after some deliberation, Lt. Tobias Masters has been awarded the PotM for May. Please congratulate him for his brilliantly written post.

Masters sat in the center seat reading the tactical data streaming to the small console. He was getting ready to test a new firing system, and he wanted to make sure that everything was in order. He liked to check and recheck things to make sure once the time came to use the system in combat, that there was little chance of it failing.

"Ops, alert the Type 9 Shuttle it is clear for launch."

=/Masters to engineering, status on modifications\=

=/Things are stable so far\= Came the reply, which was what he wanted to hear.

"Sir, the Shuttle has launched, they will be at there destination in four minutes" the ops officer reported.

=/Engineering, bring the new systems online, bring main power online and prepare to cycle the weapon power relays\=

He could almost feel the crews eagerness at seeing if the new systems would work, but he ignored it. He needed to keep an eye on the data. He didn't want to see anything malfunction and cause damage. If the new systems worked, there Type X phasers would increase proficiency by close to twenty percent, a huge jump in already powerful weapons.

=/Churchill, this is the Shuttlecraft, we are in position, and have launched the target probes. Sensors are set and we are awaiting the test\=

"Tactical, yellow alert, bring weapons on full, put the target probes onscreen" He said, eyes switching back and forth from the large screen and the readout he had been focusing on. "Report"

"Sir, all systems green, I am not detecting any anomalies in the power flow." the Tactical officer reported.

"Fire at will" he said and sat back in the chair to watch and see. two blasts pulsed from the ship, not the standard long stream, but something that appeared to be between that and a torpedo launch. It was incredible to see such a modification. The two blasts hit there targets with precision, but it was obvious something wasn't right. They could almost hear a whining sound come from deep in the ship. "SHUT IT DOWN!" he yelled, he didn't know what was happening, but it was clear that it wasn't good.

"Sir controls aren't responding" the Tactical officer reported

=/Engineering, cut power to weap....\= was all he got out before a thunderous boom could be heard through out the ship and everyone was tossed from their present location as the ship shook violently.

Things began to settle, but the power was clearly on reserves. The red lights flashed, and all sorts of alarms were sounding. The darkened bridge began to reek of an acrid odor, so it was clear life support was not able to compensate with the mess that had become of the normally clean and orderly bridge. Masters picked himself up from the ground and made his way to the tactical board, seeing that the stand in that he had been talking to a moment ago was clearly dead. "Report" he croaked out, coughing a bit as his lungs took in a plume of smoke. The tactical board was a mess.

"Sir, life support functioning at minimal capacity. Deck four has several hull breaches, centered around the Phaser Maintenance section and the aft torpedo launchers housed on that deck are gone. We have lost contact with engineering, and main power is offline." came the weak reply of the operations officer, it was clear she had sustained heavy injury.

====/Computer, safe program, analyze where things went wrong and save report under Masterstestalpha2; end program\====

Masters was curious how long it would take him to get this to work, if he ever would. At least this time the entire ship didn't explode, it had taken he some time to get it to the point only massive damage occurred, so there was at least some progress.

Masters spent a couple hours pouring over the data, until it was time for his duty shift, then he closed the systems and went to the bridge.

End of "Spread the Word 2012"

As the glorious month of May comes to a close, so does "Spread the Word 2012". Everyone put forth a great effort, and as a result we gained many new players. In total, throughout the whole month of May, we have gained nine (yes, nine!) and a returning player. 

• Joesph Taylor (joined 5/6/12)
• Flight Control Crewman of the USS Churchill
• T'Manda Vallon (joined 5/8/12)
• Flight Control Crewman of the USS Discovery
• Lewis Henson (joined 5/11/12)
• Operations Crewman of the USS Discovery
• Ash Thompson (returned 5/11/12)
• Flight Control Ensign of the USS Discovery
• Crewman T'Madh (joined 5/11/12)
• Science Crewman of the USS Churchill
• Rennan Protheus (joined 5/15/12)
• Medical Crewman (Nursing Technician) of the USS Discovery
• Benjamin Bradley (joined 5/17/12)
• Engineering Crewman of the USS Churchill
• Adolph Klein (joined 5/19/12)
• Flight Control Crewman of the USS Discovery
• Kiork (joined 5/27/12)
• Security Crewman of the USS Churchill
• Kyle Briggs (joined 5/27/12)
• Engineering Crewman of the USS Discovery

Don't forget to give all new and returning players a warm hello. And remember to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

New Youtube Video: The Nations, The People

Check out the latest video made by the talented Shelaf Greegy. It is all about Shadow Fleet members and where they hail from.

One More Week

We are now entering the last week of "Spread the Word 2012." Let's give it was last big push to end the month with a bang. We have done a great job so far, so let's keep the momentum going strong. Don't forget that we also have a Facebook page, a Twitter account, and a YouTube account. Don't forget to refer any new members to these fantastic sites and ask if they'd like to join or follow these groups. If you are currently not doing so yourself, get in there. It's a great way to keep up on Shadow Fleet news.

Shadow Fleet's Newest SIMM!!

Ladies and gents, it's official!!! The USS Gibson is coming to town! It will be the first Nova-class starship since the first USS Discovery was destroyed. Commanded by the magnificent Commander Riley T. Munro, the USS Gibson will be a science vessel, focusing primarily on scientific exploration. The full crew roster and further details surrounding the launch of the Gibson will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, check out the Shadow Fleet discussion topic.

New Youtube Video

Our very own Shelaf Greegy has created yet another creative YouTube video to promote the new Poem Anthology. Check it out, and while you're at it, why not get the book? Anyway, enjoy this short but epic video.

"New video! Shiny! So is what it's advertising!"

-Shelaf Greegy