Bravo Fleet
“Reinforcing the Line”
The operations center seemed quiet, much quieter than Captain Lewis had ever heard it. Tension rippled through the room as he stared at the monitor and the information scrolling in. Reports of the coup d’etat and subsequent splintering of the Romulan Star Empire had been followed by an uptick in activity from pirates and warlords eager to exploit the opportunities before them, and while none had yet set their eyes on Federation targets, the bloody chaos of vultures rarely cared for the niceties of borders and treaties.
“They won’t want to pick a fight with Starfleet.” His XO, Captain Malik, sounded like he was reciting an article of faith rather than pointing out what they both already knew.
“No,” Lewis agreed sombrely. “But it only takes one tempting target to lure a pirate with more greed than sense, and then we’ve got a raid in Federation territory on our hands.” He looked across the operations center and raised his voice. “Lieutenant Jackson, get me the latest assessment of our border defences and the most recent reports from our commanders out there.”
The young lieutenant’s gaze was apprehensive. “Are we expecting trouble, sir?”
“If trouble actually happens,” said Lewis in a low, calm tone, “then we’ve done our jobs badly. We’re to see it coming so we can nip it in the bud.”
The computer chimed to signal an incoming transmission. Moments later, the main viewscreen in the room switched from a strategic map of the area to the Starfleet Command seal briefly before displaying the face of Vice Admiral Liam Dahlgren, the Fourth Fleet’s deputy commander.
“Sorry to butt in, Mr. Malik and Mr. Lewis, but I have new orders for you: We’re putting all of our assets on the Romulan border to a defensive posture, including Task Force 86. As of now, I am declaring a fleet-wide yellow alert.”
The State of Task Force 86 In-Play
- Things are tense! We know that the Romulan Star Empire is on its last legs, and that’s causing pirates and petty warlords to become more brazen, and this makes every encounter with a third-party ship in The Triangle that much more tense.
- We’re running up to the fleet action very soon, so this situation will escalate in short order; this could be an excellent lead-in to your FA story!
Task Force Updates
It’s been quite an interesting time for the home of the Golden Trident over the past few months and it doesn’t look as though it will be slowing anytime soon. As most of you know Woozamagoo was asked to move over to another task force and so I was asked to come back and take his place. It is an honor for me to come back and help strengthen 86 even more. We have had quite a few new members join and we have had members depart to help in the expansion of our newest Task Force. These last few months were full of exciting activity, as we had the Stormbreaker Campaign and are now preparing for the next Fleet Action.
We have also seen the entry of a new Executive Officer London Malik also known as Harrington. He has already been a huge part of making the Task Force tick and I want to thank him for the work he has done and will continue to do!
With all that out of the way, I think it’s time to pass some updates your way starting with updates on the ships in Task Force 86.
Fiction Updates
- Miss Oliver has started her retaliation against the former Tesla’s crew for their interference in her plans. Transferring to the Vesta-class USS Neptune, Captain Ryder and his crew have set course for the edge of the Paulson Nebula.
- Ensign Sh’ill, having been assigned command of the Raven-class USS Liris, has been sent off on a medical task, delivering needed supplies. However, things never go as planned as Sh’ill soon learned that the Prancis nebula has some secrets.
- The USS Galileo is currently docked at Starbase 86, awaiting the arrival of her crew. Their newly promoted Captain Naris has been tasked with taking the Steamrunner-class ship into the 4th Fleet’s deep operations.
- The USS Crazy Horse was ordered back to Starbase 86 after their work during the Century Storm. With their replacement crew on board, the Crazy Horse has been tasked with resupplying the Ficus Colony
- While on a routine resupply mission to a listening post along the Federation’s border within a neutral area of space known as “The Triangle,” the USS Thomas Paine is ambushed by a Klingon raiding party.
TASK FORCE RECOGNITION
We have had a few promotions and awards, and it’s time to put those who deserve the spotlight at center stage! Here is the group of Task Force awardees and what they did to deserve center stage:
Promotion to Captain
- Aoife McKenzie, aka Jess, was promoted to Captain! Determination and participation were at the forefront of this promotion and Jess is always active. Welcome to the Captain’s club! Drinks are on you! Congratulations!
Promotion to Lieutenant Commander
- Leland Maddox, aka Maddox, was promoted to Lieutenant Commander! He has been a familiar face in the fleet and is active in many RPGs. I have no doubt more is coming soon! Well Done!
Promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade
- Mikaela Kovalev was promoted to Lieutenant JG! A new member who has made strides to move up quickly and I have no doubt from recent promotions they will continue to excel! Well Deserved!
Promotion to Ensign
- Raviran Dattek-Winters, aka Julia, is our newest officer making her way to Ensign. It is not always easy to get out of the Cadet ranks for some but Julia was determined and her determination paid off. Three Cheers!
Meritorious Service Cross
Aoife McKenzie – “Jess is an absolute powerhouse of Task Force 86 fiction. For every campaign, fleet action, and competition series she is front and centre of task force efforts, and it shows in the scale of her literary output. Recently Jess’ achievements include earning herself 35 service ribbons since receiving the Medal of Achievement award in December last year. To an ordinary human, this would seem like a job well done and worth patting oneself on the back for. But this is Jess we’re talking about here; someone who eats service ribbons for breakfast. 27 duty ribbons have been added to her Bravo Fleet writing portfolio in the same space of time, representing a formidable contribution to Bravo Fleet’s RPG activities. The icing on this activity cake comes in the form of an Action Medal with Moon Cluster, awarded for achieving 3rd place in Task Force 86’s very own LEGO build-a-starship competition. So, a continued thanks for all your contributions, Jess! This Meritorious Service Cross is extremely well deserved, and goes to show that TF86 wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Conclusion
Well, I think that wraps up this round of information regarding the Task Force. It is amazing to see what you all have done and the activity you are continuing to show. As we near the Fleet Action I believe that activity will pick up more and I can’t wait to see what happens. This will be a great way for newcomers to become more comfortable in the many activities of the fleet and also a way for our veterans to continue in their regaling tails and add to the activity monitor!
I will say there is never a dull moment in the 86 lounge and I want to thank you all for that! That’s all for now from the office of the Golden Trident!