The Federation Tribune - January 2008
Chief Editor Frontier Fleet
chiefeditor at frontierfleet.com
Tue Jan 15 00:01:37 CET 2008
==== The Federation Tribune ====
==== January 2008====
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Chief Editor's Notes:
By Rob Verlinden
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Hello and welcome to another issue of the only official Frontier Fleet
newsletter! We've got the information of all dutystations plots, last month's
posting statistics, the answers to the Christmas quiz for you. Additionally the
first newspaper reader of the year award will be given and the Federation
Tribune's correspondent has interviewed Captain Djidonou of the USS Calhoun.
Enjoy this issue and recommend it to your crewmates if you like it.
This time in the Tribune:
USS Calhoun Status Report, December 2007. By Adrien Rodd.
USS Odyssey Status Report, December 2007. By Rob Versteegt.
USS Valkyrie Status Report, December 2007. By Rick Clogston.
USS Atlantis Status Report, December 2007. By Ben Versteegt.
SF Academy Status Report, December 2007. By Rick Clogston.
Posting Statistics December 2007. By Rob Verlinden.
Christmas Quiz; the Answers. By Guido Dorssers & Rob Verlinden.
Newspaper Reader of the Year 2007. By Rob Verlinden.
Les Interviews, Part Un. By Rick Clogston.
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USS Calhoun Status Report
December 2007
By Adrien Rodd
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STARDATE: 2393.08.28
EPISODE: #30, "And a Star to Steer Her By" (2.04)
LOCATION: conducting routine patrols
Are the crew trapped on the holodeck finally close to reaching the end of the
holo-scenario, and thus the key to ending the programme? Meanwhile, outside, the
rest of the ship has been mysteriously deprived of life support. . .
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USS Odyssey Status Report
December 2007
By Rob Versteegt
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Stardate: 2443.09.03, fifty years in the future.
Location: Earth.
Three ships had dropped out of Transwarp. . . and they were quickly
identified as Transwarp Alien Ships. This was a major threat, since in the
future, the Federation was at war with the Transwarp Aliens. . . and on the
losing side. The Odyssey *needed* to be protected, but nevertheless, the
remaining Starfleet ships couldn't prevent the Odyssey getting attacked by
one of those alien vessels. Luckily, the Odyssey managed to escape, and the
remaining Transwarp Alien Ships were destroyed. The danger was over. . .
for now. But with a fleet of Transwarp Alien Ships on their way, the
Odyssey would have to go back to their own time within the hour.
In the meantime, the future Commodore Denebris and Captain Velden decided
that it was necessary to convince present day Starfleet to stop the
Transwarp program, by destroying the Odyssey. So they started rigging the
Time Travel device on the Telemachos: it would destroy the Odyssey, and
send the debris back to its own time. That, according to the two officers,
would most certainly convince Starfleet of that time to give up Transwarp...
If they succeed, the entire Odyssey crew will perish. But if they do not... will
Captain Jalando and his crew be able to convince Starfleet? Find
out next time...
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USS Valkyrie Status Report
December 2007
By Rick Clogston
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A new, extremely large and powerful Rah'kari warship has gone rogue and is
headed for Pandora Station. There's only one Federation warship in the
immediate area; the Valkyrie.
Captain Denebris has briefed the senior staff, and made preparations for
tri-vector assault mode. The three sections will be commanded by himself, First
Officer PaRel, and Lt. Fox - instead of Second Officer Leeson.
One member of the crew who will be missing will be the Chief Medical Officer,
Lt. Brigit MacKenzie. At the last minute she received word that her father had
passed away, and she will be getting off the ship at Pandora Station to return
to Earth. She has also announced her intention to accept a position she's been
offered at Starfleet Medical.
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USS Atlantis Status Report
December 2007
By Ben Versteegt
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Locations of the (crew of the) USS Atlantis:
- Pandora Station.
- Near and in orbit of planet Tui Malila, in the Gamma Quadrant.
- 2393.05.24:
Captain Torn and his team managed to take back the Atlantis, allowing the
Birnam to stand down. The Lysians had been saved from the Satarrans once
again.
- 2393.05.25:
Together, the Birnam and the Atlantis left the Lysian system and set
course for Pandora Station. It would take them two weeks to reach the
station.
- 2393.05.26:
Only days after the Atlantis and the Birnam saved the Lysian Central
Command, Lieutenant Rofellian, former STC of the Atlantis, found himself
serving on board the USS Indiana, where he was informed that he would be
transferred back to the Atlantis again.
- 2393.06.08:
Having arrived at Pandora Station, Captain Torn and Commander Velden were
called to Captain Kane's office. Kane told them that the Satarrans, who had
tried to take over the Atlantis and the Birnam, had tried again: this time
they had taken over a Romulan ship... And this time they did succeed in
destroying the Lysian Central Command.
- 2393.12.06:
While on a survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant, the Atlantis received
orders to mediate in a dispute taking place on Tui Malila, a nearby,
recently formed Federation colony. The world is populated by
environmentalist colonists, who wish to preserve the planet's beautiful,
untouched landscapes, while a group of miners wish to start extracting
Bakrinium from an area of wetlands. The environmentalists wouldn't allow
the miners to drain the swamp, but the miners didn't want to run behind
schedule. And so the Atlantis was called in.
Sol Dreckman, the leader of the miners, turned out to be under the
impression that the Atlantis was there to remove the environmentalists. He
wasn't exactly friendly, but at least the Atlantis got to contact him. The
colonists were a little harder to contact. To prevent being beamed out of
the wetlands by the miners, they had erected a scattering field which made
it impossible to communicate with them. Atlantis officers are now working
on a way to allow a subspace signal to penetrate the field, using either a
modified probe or a shuttlecraft to act as a relay station for the
Atlantis' signal to the colonists.
The colonists, meanwhile, had detected the Atlantis in orbit and were not
happy about it. They believed Starfleet to side with the miners. It seems
that even before the Atlantis is able to contact both parties, the
situation is already growing rapidly out of hand. Captain Torn, Ambassador
Von Klinkerhoffen and the entire Atlantis crew will have to try their best
to prevent the dispute from escalating... But with two diametrically
opposed and very stubborn groups, is that even possible?
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Starfleet Academy Status Report
December 2007
By Rick Clogston
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There have been so many new signups this month that it's been hard to keep up
with it all, on top of the usual Christmas season activities. With a lot of
help from our fine instructors, it has all gone pretty smoothly.
As usual, there are some cadets who are coming along quicker than others, and
some who may even drop away. Each brings its own set of challenges, and our
instructors are to be commended for answering those challenges time and time
again.
Two of these instructors, Adrian and Ann, are temporarily unavailable,
although Adrian will be back shortly. I put out a call to the Command list, and
the three mentioned above very graciously agreed to help out on a temporary
basis. Thanks again, David, Kelley, and Dennis.
INSTRUCTORS: 7 (2 on LOA, 3 temporary)
Cmdr. Sedaq, Chief Instructor, played by Adrian Rodd
Lt. Dorvan Lar, played by Rick Clogston
Lt. Joran Moore, played by David Susman
LtJG Joseph Thatcher, played by Blayne Welsh
LtJG Tamlyn Marilus Nakamura-Gordon, played by Ann Montague
- Kelley MacKinnon and Dennis Church have also agreed to temporarily assume
instructor roles. Many thanks to them and to David for responding so generously
to the Academy's needs.
CADETS: 11
(Cadet - played by - instructor)
Aalina Juliette Sumner (Terran) - Sandi Richardson - Ann
Keiri Rojineko (Human) - Allen Jackson - Ann
Brek (Ferengi) - Mark Wh - Blayne
Killian Thanatos Malachi (Betazed) - Robert Bolton - Blayne
V'toth (Vulcan) - Maximillion Orion - Blayne
Skan Kvar (Mevavarian) - Daniel Junkin - Adrian
Polean Drenden (Human) - Polean Drenden - Adrian
Hidek Dukala'i (Valakian) - M. Planck - David
Elijah Parker (Human) - Vinnie Raposa - Rick
Donald Gee (Human) - James Yee - unassigned
T'Aka Sheng (Vulcan 75% / Human 25 %) - Acrylle Rees - unassigned
NEW SIGNUPS: 11
Accepted: 4
Graduates: 1
Cadet Nathaniel Quinn (Kelly Weldon) to Ensign Nathaniel Quinn, ASTC, Calhoun
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Posting Statistics, November 2007
By Rob Verlinden
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Calhoun players (7, active 6):
Adrian Rodd 19 (Cal 15, Ody 4)
Kelley MacKinnon 11 (Cal 6, Ody 4, Panda 1)
Laura Elliot 2
Mark O'Bannon 5
Benjamin Ditch 25
Jonathan Healey 3
USS Odyssey players (7, active 4):
Rob Versteegt 14 (Ody 9, Valk 2, Atly 3)
Martin Miller 1
James Jackson 1
Rob Verlinden 5
USS Valkyrie players (11, active 8):
Dennis Church 4 (Valk 3, Ody 1)
Rick Clogston 10 (Valk 6, Ody 1, Panda 3)
Blayne Welsh 3
Ann Montague 6
Ruben Hilbers 25 (Valk 8, Cal 17)
Kelly Power 5
Melissa McIntire 1
Don Draper 1
USS Atlantis players (10, active 7):
David Susman 19 (Atly 15, Ody 3, Panda 1)
Ben Versteegt 9 (Atly 7, Ody 2)
Bram Peeters 5
Sasa Gerbus 5 (Alty 4, Valk 1)
Dawn Johnson 2
Merijn Donders 2
Chantal Sellers 2
Top posters December 2007:
1. Ruben Hilbers 25
1. Benjamin Ditch 25
2. David Susman 19
2. Adrian Rodd 19
Dutystations:
1. Calhoun 73
2. Atlantis 50
3. Valkyrie 36
4. Odyssey 26
5. Pandora 5
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Christmas Quiz; the Answers
By Guido Dorssers & Rob Verlinden
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During the holiday season there was this quiz to entertain you. Here are the
answers:
1) The Santa Claus is derived from the legend of Saint Nicolas. Where does he
originally come from?
B) Turkey
He was the bishop of Myra, which is in modern-day Turkey.
2) If you see Santa Claus as Saint Nicolas, what age would he have become this
year?
C)1764
Saint Nicolas was born around 246 AD. This is only an estimation.
3) What's the difference between snowmen and snowwomen?
B) Snowballs
Snowflakes is what they have for breakfast.
4) Who is the real original Saint?
A) Roger Moore
It's a good series.
5) Which animals stood at Jesus' crib?
C) Ox & Donkey
No, neither Puss nor Shrek were present.
6) What is symbolised by the star on top of the Christmas tree?
A) The Star of Bethlehem
7) When was Jesus born?
B) October 4 BC
Most theories say that Jesus was born in the autumn and I the Vatican's calander
is approximately four years off.
8) In what year did Santa Claus first drink Coca Cola?
B) 1931
It's when Coca Cola first made an advertisement with a depiction of Santa as we
know him today.
9) What does Santa have to say before his sleigh will take off?
Please give the full phrase! (it's not "Engage!" :-)
It's from the song "The night before Christmas", by Henry Livingston, 1808:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen!
On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
Only ONE contestant, so he is directly a winner: Rick Clogston. He had 7 correct
answers. Congratulations!
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Newspaper Reader of the Year 2007
By Rob Verlinden
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In my first quiz (November 2007) I promised a "Reader of the Year Award". Then I
only received 2 sets of answers (from Rick Clogston and Rob Versteegt). Since
the above quiz had also low interest, I will cut down on quizzes.
Anyhow, the award "Newspaper Reader of the Year 2007" goes to Richard Clogston.
He does every quiz and had most answers right. And he also came up with a great
idea for a contribution to the newspaper. Rick is going to do a series of
interviews, both in character and out of character. Be prepared, because
correspondent Tevist B'lyr or Rick himself might turn up to interview you or
your character!
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Les Interviews, Part Un.
By Rick Clogston.
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As part of a (hopefully) continuing series, the Federation Tribune has sent
its correspondent, Tevist B'lyr out into the fleet to speak to one of
Starfleet's great leaders, Captain Kemoko Siaka Djidonou, the Commanding
Officer of the USS Calhoun. The Calhoun is the oldest and most honored of
the group of vessels known far and wide as the Frontier Fleet.
Good morning, Captain Djidonou. Thank you for spending this time with me.
Djidonou: Good morning. My pleasure.
First, to basics; how long have you been Captain of the Calhoun?
Djidonou: Since April. So, I'm starting to feel settled in now. (smiles)
As with any Starfleet officer, there is a brief biography of you available
to the general public, but these never really tell the whole story. Yours
tells of a boy who grew up in an agricultural community on Earth, who later
trained to become a physician. What was it that drew you into Starfleet,
and into a command position?
Djidonou: When I first joined Starfleet, I never thought about being a
captain. I was training to be a doctor. Starfleet provides excellent
training, and the opportunity to put your training into practice
immediately, to make yourself useful. There's no such thing as having too
many doctors, of course. I began my career as a medical officer on the USS
Pacific, and that ship was a medical ship, designed to respond to
humanitarian emergencies. So I knew I was going to be able to make myself
useful, help people as a doctor. Save lives. Climbing the rank chart came
later. It just happened, really. I was promoted several times, my confidence
as an officer grew, and I got used to that. I still see myself as a doctor,
though.
Do you ever have times that you miss your old life on Earth?
Djidonou: Yes, of course. (smiles) I have all my family on Earth. My wife,
my daughter, my parents, my brother. . . And Earth is an incredible planet.
Where I grew up, in Mali. . . I have fantastic memories of that. And Burma,
where my wife grew up, where we have our home, it's a beautiful place. But
then, I can't say I'm sorry to be working in space. The universe is more
amazing than I could ever have imagined.
What do you like, and dislike, about being a starship Captain?
Djidonou: You mean there's something to dislike? No, it's a huge
responsibility, but it's a great honour too. Of course, a captain is nothing
without his crew, and I have a fantastic crew. So I feel very privileged
about that. To answer your question, a starship captain's main role is
exploration and diplomacy, and I like that very much. Any dislikes. . . Let's
just say that, on a starship, we sometimes find ourselves in situations that
may lead to grief and sorrow.
Are there any starship Captains, past or present, that you look to for
inspiration and guidance?
Djidonou: I prefer to be myself. I think I have my own personality and way
of doing things.
Is there anyone on the Calhoun's crew that you think may one day make a good
Captain?
Djidonou: (laughs) Is that a trick question? Well, I'm sure there are many
officers aboard the Calhoun who have great potential. We'll have to see how
that potential develops, and of course there are few positions open for
captaincy. But my first officer, Commander Summers. . . I have great
confidence in her. She's an excellent first officer, with a great many
qualities, and I'm sure she would be a good captain.
What would you say has been your most memorable mission in Starfleet?
Djidonou: My first mission as captain of the Calhoun was memorable enough.
We were negotiating Telmhad II's status within the Federation, and things
got a little complicated. Other than that, my first participation in a
humanitarian mission, as a junior medical officer, was something I won't
forget. Fortunately, it went. . . I was going to say it went well. Let's say
comparatively speaking it did.
Any amusing memories of Starfleet? Or times of discouragement?
Djidonou: (laughs) You can't get discouraged when you're a captain. Not
ever. That doesn't solve anything, and obviously it wouldn't encourage the
crew. Before I became a captain, yes, as a doctor I sometimes faced stress
and discouragement. Most of all, though, that's what taught me to persevere.
As for amusing anecdotes, I'm afraid humour isn't one of my strongest
qualities. Even as a cadet I never pulled pranks on people. (smiles)
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