Happy 23rd anniversary, Independence Fleet! For anyone new and not aware or simply not wanting to do the math, this club was founded all the way back on July 4, 2001. Continuing a tradition we began a few years ago, here is a message from a special guest:
What else do we have for this year? You might remember the 20th Anniversary Almanac that we published three years ago. Well, we got the cover page signed by none other than Star Trek legend William Shatner:
In case you were wondering, the cover photo at the top is indeed based on the greatest Star Trek selfie ever taken by LeVar Burton. Thank you to Captain Misaki for creating our header image two years in a row.
I almost forgot, we have a second message this year too:
Typical of a Commander Officer of the Chuck Norris, a great start to a new chapter. No bias here at all……. dismissed!
MVP
Commander Michael Murphy Executive Officer USS Montana
Getting high commendations from the CO about how well you can work independently of them is one of the highest praises you can receive and is well deserved in this case.
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Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance Executive Officer USS Chuck Norris
15 posts leads the way with the fleet.
Most Improved
Lieutenant JG Kate Kono Support Craft Pilot USS Washington
A good writer is always trying to improve as they go, and being able to be fun and entertaining is a great mix.
Rookie of the Month
2nd Lieutenant Connor McQueen Marine Executive Officer USS Sunfire
New to the sim and Discord, and improving with every new post, excited to see where their career continues to grow.
Recruitment
None this month.
Rear Admiral Aurther Winters Director of Personnel Independence Fleet
Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Capt. Akeno Misaki & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Lt. Rania Bhatti & Lt. JG Patra Rommel XO / CO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO / CC / CES USS Wayfarer
The Chuck Norris’s XO continues to set the pace for the ship, even stepping up as the current CO is due to stand down. She expertly leads the ship both in and out of character and is slated to become the full-time CO next month.
Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla’ren Chief Engineering Officer USS Sunfire
The Gunfire’s CEO made outstanding contributions during the month during the CD mini-mission that not only developed her own character but set up great opportunities for others to use as well.
Rookie of the Month
Lieutenant Commander Kataxes Chief Medical Officer USS Firebird
The Firebird’s new CMO jumped into simming with a radically different and unique character, and is not only pulling it off, but crushing it.
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Lt. Vrax tr’Keirianh & Ens. Robert Lee Jr. CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO / CSO / TO USS Wayfarer
Described by her Captain as “a simming machine,” and who are we to argue? With her second consecutive month with at least 30 posts, she continues to display superior leadership in the XO role and engages other crewmembers with joint posts.
Well written post from the bad guys’ point of view! It really moves the plot forward and gives the rest of the crew ample opportunity to write. Nice work!
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / Y / CFCO USS Wayfarer
Not your typical mirror universe mission. Great opportunities here!
MVP
Lieutenant Steve Ryan Chief Communications and Operations Officer USS Montana
Lt. Ryan continued his Most Improved performance last month into an MVP this month. Great posting and great collaboration. But perhaps most importantly, he is always willing to fill in where needed.
Nice work! A carefully crafted and meticulously written post resulting in a great read for anyone interested in flight mechanics.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Cmdr. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Cmdr. Mark Johnson & Lt. Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok & Ens. Robert Lee CO / XO / CSTO / CMO / CFCO / TO USS Wayfarer
Following up a stellar rookie performance, Ens. Kono has been writing like crazy this month, showcasing excellent solo and group posting.
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Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
For writing 10 posts.
Most Improved
Lieutenant Steve Ryan Chief Communications and Operations Officer USS Montana
Lt. Ryan has come back with everything he has, not only being one of the most active posters but also defining what this sim is becoming. He went from simply posting here to becoming an outstanding writer.
And yet another year of IDF is in the books with our 22nd Anniversary today. To remind you of how old we really are, here’s a quote from last year’s anniversary post:
“On our 22nd Anniversary, we will be further removed from the premiere of the 2009 Star Trek film (May 8, 2009) than IDF’s launch was from the premiere of The Next Generation (September 28, 1987): 14 years, 1 month, 26 days vs. 13 years, 9 months, 6 days.”
Well, here we are! For this year’s celebration, each of our 12 sims created a movie poster to capture their unique essence and feel. We are also very fortunate to have Amanda Rose from RPG Writing, NX-1701-G from Zodiac Fleet, and Beth from Sim Central to judge the entries in three categories: overall image quality, how much does it look like an actual movie poster, and general creativity/originality. Before we get to the posters themselves, we first have an announcement from a special guest:
“I’m impressed by the technical skill and originality that went into this poster.”
“If you’re familiar with Anime movie posters, this is spot on.”
“Having anime Trek characters in the mirror universe with the crack showing the Federation and Terran emblems on different sides was brilliant.”
“Of all the posters shared this was the one that actually made me want to join the game in question.”
“Image expertly merged the dinosaur imagery with clear Trek imagery without making them appear distinct.”
“This poster screamed movie poster. I would expect to see this on the wall in some theater. A starship with dinosaurs and big lettering. Well done!”
“I’m not typically a fan of the starship and character posters, but this one spoke to me.”
“I kept wanting to rate this poster higher in my rankings. There’s a lot to like with the faded facial imagery and ship…
…[including] ‘Coming Never,’ which was mildly amusing.”
Congratulations to all three winners, and a special thanks to our judges! However, to quote Kirk from Star Trek III, we’re not finished yet! Here are superlative awards for our other nine games:
Best poster for Seinfeld/Trek crossover USS Albion CO: Captain Dick Sprague Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Some bold judges not to pick this one! USS Chuck Norris CO: Captain Aurther Winters Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
Best poster for past meeting the future USS Churchill CO: Captain James Stewart Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster if you actually watch Picard USS Eminence CO: Captain Alex Shepard Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for a random trailing light USS Ganymede CO: Captain Dyllon McMahon Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for a low Earth orbit view USS Liberty CO: Captain Kaylia Strenvale Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster for the IMAX experience USS Montana CO: Captain Jackson Adams Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
Best poster for “Aft torpedoes, fire!!!” USS Washington CO: Captain Shran dh’Klar Poster by: Akeno Misaki
Best poster that could double for Dune Starbase 80 CO: Captain Kathleen O’Shea Poster by: Bonnie Durnell
While we’re on the topic of movies, we are now further removed from our July 4, 2001 founding than it was from the premiere of the first Star Trek film Star Trek: The Motion Picture (December 6, 1979): 22 years vs. 21 years, 6 months, 28 days. Feel old yet?
Continuing last year’s tradition, we again have a second video message:
Favorite Star Trek episode? This is a toss up between three shows. 1) TOS: “Mirror, Mirror” 2) ENT: “Broken Bow” 3) DSC: “Such Sweet Sorrow”
Why? In my opinion, all three of these episodes embodied the idealism that Gene Rodenberry desired to impart on Star Trek Fans (and really the world).
Favorite Star Trek series? This is also a toss up between The Original Series and Enterprise.
Why: The original series was Gene’s original vision, and I grew up watching them repeatedly. Today, I own a particular Blu-ray set that is just great. On the other hand, Enterprise took us to a place we never thought possible at the time: the beginnings of the Federation. Enterprise reminded us that the start of something grand, rather it be a country or an ideal, is not always clean. There are messes and growing pains.
Along this line of thinking, Captain Archer learned that not everything was clear cut and the world was not as he thought. We, as humans, tend to think we are usually correct, and this series reminds us that (at times) we must expand our thinking to grow and accept the changes around us. I am not good with change, but–as crazy as it seems—sometimes I think, “If Captain Archer could change, so can I.” That is the beauty of Star Trek; it challenges OUR outlooks on life and causes us, at times, to question it. This is what, in my opinion, Gene Roddenberry wanted for the fans of this beautiful show.
Favorite Star Trek film? Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Why? Put simply, I think Star Trek II challenged the world view on growing older and, of course, death. It reminds us, as Spock said in Star Trek VI, that everything changes and ends. While Star Trek found away to save Spock, Kirk had to deal with his own ideals on life, death, and even family. This movie was, in my humble opinion, Star Trek at its best. That is why this film will always live in my heart.
Favorite Star Trek Captain? Again, a toss up between Captain Archer and Kirk.
What year did you start simming? I have been simming off and on since about 1992.
What sim was it? Starships of the Third Fleet. The people which ran that club have since passed on and, if I had it my way, I would purchase it from their son. There is a site for them now, and they even have some of the old missions posted but the club is mostly gone. It is sad because I had a lot of fun there.
What keeps you simming today? I enjoy the vision of Star Trek and the ideal of escaping life in the real world, even for just a few minutes at a time, has an appeal to me.
Favorite non-simming hobby? Running. I do a lot of this today and I seem to be increasing as time goes along. Staying health became a mission of mine about a year ago and I have lost a lot of weight. I plan to keep moving down that path.
Favorite non-Trek series? There are really three of them: (1) Quantum Leap, (2) the Original Law and Order, and (3) Knight Rider.
Favorite non-Trek film? The Beverly Hills Cop Series. I have owned those movies for years, and I even went to the expense of purchasing them in 4K this year. Not many non-science fiction shows are worth purchasing in 4K but these series of movies are beautiful in this new format.
Favorite book (fiction or non)? Fiction: The Rise of the Federation Series (if you have not read them, you are truly missing out).
Favorite video game? I do not have one as gamming is not really my thing.
Favorite musician or band? 80’s music. I was born in the 70s and raised in the 80s. To me, the 80’s was a special time that is forever gone.
Favorite superhero? Batman.
If you could have any super power, what would it be? The ability to read minds. I hate it when I walk up on people and they stop talking. I would love to saying something like, “Yeah, I agree with you about….”
Favorite sport? Football, although I have not kept up with it the last few years.
Favorite team? GO RAIDERS.
Favorite food? Mexican Food.
Coke or Pepsi? Of course, Diet Pepsi….
Lennon or McCartney? Hmmm….Lennon
Favorite Bond actor? Roger Moore
Star Trek or Star Wars? Star Trek
Rank the Trek TV shows from best to worst. TOS ENT TNG VOY DSN DSC PIC
Rank the Trek movies from best to worst. TWOK TSFS TVH TMP TUC TFF G FC I N ID B ST (2009)
The overly flirty doctor works in a Funniest Post or a Best Post.
Best Post (Joint Post)
Capt. Akeno Misaki & Cmdr. Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” & Lt. Ileah & Lt. Rosaleen O’Donnell & Lt. Raelyn Mckenzie & Lt. Mark Johnson & Lt. JG Luna Eclipse of the House of Martok CO / XO / Y / COO / CSTO / CMO / FCO USS Wayfarer
I haven’t read a good time travel post in a while. Nicely executed!
MVP
Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
What doesn’t Lt. Durnell do? Always a top poster, driving the plot, and encouraging others. It’s just one of a many recognitions to a month-in and month-out superior performer.
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Lieutenant Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell Computer Systems Specialist USS Sunfire
