USS Wayfarer Archives - Independence Fleet

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Awardapalooza 2025

Posted on February 2, 2026 | by Charles Star | Leave a Comment

The 2024 Tournament of Simulations (aka ToS) were finally announced last month, and continuing our long tradition of excellence, IDF took home four more awards! Congratulations to the Captains and crews of the USS Wayfarer, USS Firebird, USS Washington, and USS Sunfire. In fact, the USS Wayfarer was the #2 overall sim for the entire tournament! Well done!

Outstanding Star Trek:

Excellent Star Trek:

Banner image of the USS Firebird, registry NCC-88298, featuring a detailed Starfleet starship flying through space. The ship is shown from above at an angle, with glowing blue and red elements and a sleek, futuristic design.

Banner for the USS Washington NCC-81533-E, featuring a sleek futuristic starship with a glowing deflector dish flying through space with a purple nebula in the background.

In addition to the ToS awards themselves, Ken Gillis and Shran dh’Klar were awarded Ongoing World Community Honor (OWCH) medals for judging at three different Tournaments. We also completely missed that Kevin Riker won an OWCH after last year’s Tournament. Thank you very much to all three of you for your continued selfless service to the community. Without you and others like you, ToS simply wouldn’t be possible.

A gold medal featuring the Ongoing Worlds alien mascot holding a globe, hanging from a green and silver ribbon, representing the Ongoing Worlds Community Honor award.

It turns out that we actually have even more awards to announce from last year as the USS Wayfarer and USS Montana shared the 2025 Q2 Outstanding Post Award from the Khitomer Peace Awards, which are sponsored by the Khitomer Conference. Congratulations to both games!

But wait, there’s more! The Simming League announced just yesterday that the USS Firebird was one of five winners of the most prestigious 2025 Simming Prize! Congratulations and well done to the entire team over there on the Firebird–your excellence and commitment to our craft is apparent to us all! Here is their citation in full:

“With an amazing cast of characters and top-notch host to match, the Firebird has blazed a trail of simming excellence for multiple years in a row, including winning the top overall prize at the most recent Tournament of Simulations, in addition to receiving extensive awards from their home fleet. The players complement each other perfectly, building on their existing culture and lore with new and inventive ideas in seemingly every joint post, which are a joy to read.”

A gold medal featuring a portrait of a man, framed by a laurel wreath, hanging from a blue ribbon with four gold stars—symbolizing excellence and recognition within a creative or roleplaying community.

If I haven’t missed anything else, we’re now fully up-to-date on community awards. But please do, keep the awards coming and make me write more blog posts about them!

The bridge of a futuristic starship, designed with a circular seating arrangement. In the center, a large, command chair is surrounded by four other seats, all with ergonomic, cream-colored upholstery. The curved ceiling has a series of geometric panels with ambient lighting. Behind the seats, large control consoles with touch-screen interfaces are mounted on the walls. Two doorways and an elevator are visible on either side of the bridge.

The Most Important 24th Anniversary in the Universe

Posted on July 4, 2025 | by Charles Star | 7 Comments

Happy 24th Anniversary, Independence Fleet! These anniversaries seem to be happening quicker and quicker these days! Continuing a tradition we began a few years ago, we again have a video message from a very special guest:

As some of you are already aware, we recently acquired a prop used on Star Trek V: The Final Frontier during the shuttle crash landing scene:

See it on the right side of the screen next to the stacked barrels? Yes, that’s it!

Turns out, it’s a miniature of a highly prolific movie prop. Dubbed the “most important device in the universe” by some, it’s been used in more than 200 movies and television shows. Ex Astris Scientia notes that this full sized version appears in two Star Trek movies and six episodes, and refers to it as “blinking tubes” here.

This guy even created his own working copy of the thing. This full-size device belonged to Modern Props, which unfortunately closed back in 2020. While we don’t know the fate of Modern Props #195-290-1, we’re happy to hold a piece of history with this mini version. What did we do with it?

We asked each ship to write a post using the object in some way. Here are those submissions in alphabetical order by sim:

A Tale of Two Spragues (and Keys) by the USS Albion
What in the World? by the USS Chuck Norris
Transfer Arrival by the USS Churchill
Genesis by the USS Eminence
The Thing Is Broken by the USS Firebird
Shakedown out the window by the USS Liberty
Potential Problem by the USS Montana
Ikar’s Folly by the USS Sunfire
Brigid’s Gift by the USS Washington
Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing by the USS Wayfarer

We then asked three individuals from independent sims to serve as judges:

Christie of Gnashville
Tavey of USS Potemkin
WizardBeard of Memory Theta

And your winners are…

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1st Place: USS Chuck Norris for What in the World? CO: Captain Mira Rodale	2nd Place: USS Washington for Brigid’s Gift CO: Captain Shran dh’Klar	3rd Place: USS Sunfire for Ikar’s Folly CO: Captain Rhenora Kaylen
“Any device that knows that Raktajino is needed is awesome in my opinion. Awesome plot.” “I liked the casual subtlety that was employed here.” “The writing style here is very clean with very good grammar, which makes it easy to read. Well done!”	“This post had peak Treknobabble and it was fantastic.” “Disclosure – I have a fascination with Celtic deities, so I was immediately drawn in anyway. This was fun, and I am curious about what happens next!” “I absolutely adore the Quantum Physics take.”	“Starfleet and Snow.. Neat.” “‘Outsmarted by snow’ is definitely a new take on the ‘acts of God’ trope and I am here for it!” “I found the battle portions to be particularly engaging, especially the dialogue.”

Superlative winners:

Most integral to story use of the object: USS Firebird for The Thing Is Broken CO: Captain Malcom Llwyedd	Most creative use of the object: USS Montana for Potential Problem CO: Captain Michael Murphy	Most humorous use of the object: USS Wayfarer for Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing CO: Captain Akeno Misaki
“I will forevermore wonder what The Thing ™ does! I cared about the characters and the plot!” “This sim does a great job of rounding out all bases in a post.” “‘The thing is broken’ is now my new favorite sentence.”	“This sim does a good job of showing before telling.” “I wanted to know more about the mysterious officers.. Tell me more!” “The whole ‘Men in Black’ story line is absolutely wonderful!”	“I wasn’t sure what to expect with the cat at first but the post turned out to be a lot of fun.” “Cats In Space! I could feel how comfortable Barry the GNDN is for Isoroku!” “I’m pretty sure you’re the only sim in history who would think to use an unknown object as a cat bed and I love it.”

Great all around use: USS Eminence for Genesis CO: Captain Alex Shepard	Avant-garde: USS Liberty for Shakedown out the window CO: Captain Kaylia Strenvale	This is Trek: USS Churchill for Transfer Arrival CO: Captain James Stewart
“The cameos were surprisingly well done.” “A good way to bring in a familiar character. Hi Geordie! OK folks on the Eminence, how do you find the device??” “The writing, grammar, and punctuation are impeccable!”	“An interesting dilemma, and some equally interesting people in the middle of a time twist!” “There was a great sense of urgency in the story.” “From this post, it sounds like the object was incorporated into a larger story, which I find very creative.”	“The sim did a good job of writing the post by the numbers. Right on.” “I wondered where the device was…” “I love the detailed descriptions of the scenery.”

Yes, it is a post: USS Albion for A Tale of Two Spragues (and Keys) (CO: Captain Dick Sprague)

“This was one of the funniest things I’ve read, although I may have found it even funnier if some of the context wasn’t lost on me.”

“I liked the differentiation between the real characters and the fake ones.”

Congratulations to everyone, and a special thank you to our judges! All three judges expressed to me how much they enjoyed reading the 10 posts. They were all highly entertaining while showcasing the unique personalities of each sim. I hope the Captains and crews had as much fun writing them!

Happy 24th anniversary, Independence Fleet! Thank you for all you do to make our community what it is!

2023 Tournament of Simulations Winners Announced

Posted on June 6, 2025 | by Charles Star | 4 Comments

The 2023 Tournament of Simulations (aka ToS) were finally announced yesterday, and continuing our tradition of excellence, IDF took home three more awards! Congratulations to the Captains and crews of the USS Firebird, USS Sunfire, and USS Wayfarer. In fact, the USS Firebird was the #1 sim overall for the entire tournament Well done!

Outstanding Star Trek:

Great Star Trek:

It was another performance for the ages from all of you! Look for the 2024 tournament to be announced soon.

Monthly Awards: January 2025

Posted on February 21, 2025 | by Aurther Winters | 1 Comment

Petty Officer 1st Class Baris Demir
Quartermaster
USS Firebird

For “Thoughts In The Dark”

A great post about the struggles that one can have with their own identity and where they belong in Starfleet.

Best Post (Joint Post)

Capt. Michael Murphy & Lt. Cmdr. Steve Ryan & Lt. Kestra Ral
CO / XO / CSO
USS Montana

For “Checking In”

When the Montana shows up and asks too many questions, the mystery begins, and so does the intrigue.

Funniest Post

Cmdr. Dean House & Lt. Cmdr. Bonnie “Bon-Bon” Durnell
Second Officer / Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sunfire

For “Come On Join the Joyride”

A great back and forth, funny, but also heart-felt, and there is a great nostalgia when you add in WW2 planes.

Genesis

Capt. Malcom Llwyedd & Cmdr. Cynfor Rees & Cmdr. Siora Carberos & Lt. Cmdr. Rhiana t’Aegis & Lt. Cmdr. Jörgen Leed & Lt. Owen Woodhouse & Lt. Gale Deekros & Lt. Hank Solomon & Lt. Jackson Smith & Lt. JG Zub Enel & Ens. Emilynn Dove & Crewman Thyra Kevensdotter & Cadet Senior Grade Abigail Gordon
CO / XO / CEO / 2O / CDO / COO / SO / CSO / CIO / SIO / OO / RO / N
USS Firebird

For “Predators Aftermath”

The entire crew coming together to get the start of a mission off with a bang! Depth, intrigue, and off to the Gamma Quadrant, I can’t wait to see where it heads to!

MVP

Commander Jonathan Grayson
Executive Officer
USS Washington

It was almost a foregone conclusion that he would win something this month with his hands in nearly every Washington post. Great work, excellent overall plot, and strong character development for himself and everyone else because of him.

Most Posts

Commander Jonathan Grayson
Executive Officer
USS Washington

For writing 9 posts.

Most Improved

Ensign Emilynn Dove
Operations Officer
USS Firebird

Participated in four joint posts. She is continually seeking to become a better writer, takes advice well, and makes excellent changes. Still passionate about simming, she has seen an incredible improvement in the last few months.

Rookie of the Month

None this month.

Recruitment

Commander Mashiro Munetani “Shiro”
Executive Officer
USS Wayfarer

Hot on the recruitment trail for both the Wayfarer and the fleet, actively seeking new players.

Rear Admiral Aurther Winters
Director of Personnel
Independence Fleet

A futuristic campus scene featuring people conversing on a balcony overlooking a lush courtyard with trees, pathways, and landscaped gardens. In the distance, domed buildings and a flag bearing the emblem of the United Federation of Planets are visible near the waterfront. The Golden Gate Bridge spans the background under a partly cloudy sky.

Major Awards 2025

Posted on February 2, 2025 | by Charles Star | 4 Comments

It’s high time we recognize some of the truly amazing simming and online role playing that makes this fleet a special place–a place where people join and stick around.

Congratulations to all of our latest award winners below!

Special Commendation Medal

Awarded to Lieutenant Owen Woodhouse of the USS Firebird for outstanding role playing. A charter member of the Firebird, he has done it all from writing for a variety of characters to introducing meaningful plot twists to setting up other players to take the lead. A master recruiter, he has brought in four players new to simming and has one Recruitment award win.

Awarded to Lieutenant Commander Rhiana t’Aegis of the USS Firebird for outstanding role playing. A member of the Firebird since shortly after its founding, the detail and nuance of her writing is second to none. She has contributed to multiple post awards and has also been a key leader in managing the ship’s website and teaching and training newer players.

Awarded to Commander Dean House of the USS Sunfire for outstanding role playing. One the remaining transfers from the Sunfire-Liberty sim swap, he continues to be an integral part of the crew. An excellent all around writer, he totals 9.61 awards, good for 15th place all-time, which includes 0.92 Best Posts, 3.18 Funniest Posts, 1 MVP, and 1.5 Recruitment awards.

Awarded to Commander Samantha Howard of the USS Washington for outstanding role playing. A superior simmer in all respects, she has won 5.23 Best Posts, 3.7 Funniest Posts, two Most Posts, and two MVPs, which are part of a grand total of 14.93 total awards, good for sixth place all-time. She simultaneously leads while filling in the gaps.

Awarded to Commander Kevin Lance of the USS Chuck Norris for outstanding role playing leadership. Recently stepping up to the Executive Officer role, he has not missed a beat. Mentoring others while leading high quality collaboration, he currently ranks 9th all-time with 13.4 total awards–an impressive stat line that includes 2.2 Best Posts, two Funniest Posts, seven Most Posts, and two MVPs.

Awarded to Commander Mashiro Munetani “Shiro” of the USS Wayfarer for outstanding role playing leadership. As the Wayfarer’s longtime Executive Officer, he expertly guides both experienced and novice players in working together to creatively advance the plot. He has totaled 2.96 monthly awards across his career that has seen the Wayfarer more than make its mark.

Awarded to Commander Savar cha’Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen of the USS Sunfire for outstanding role playing leadership. As the Sunfire’s longtime Executive Officer, he always knows just what is needed–an update to the website, help to a newer player, or a witty plot twist. He currently ranks 13th all-time with 11.54 total awards, which includes five Most Posts and three MVPs.

Awarded to Captain Michael Murphy of the USS Montana for outstanding role playing leadership. Since promoted to Commanding Officer, he was the prototypical Executive Officer during his long tenure in the position. Winning a variety of awards–0.25 Best Posts, 0.5 Funniest Posts, two MVPs, and two Recruitment awards–he did all the big and little things that mattered.

Command Excellence Medal

Awarded to Captain Akeno Misaki for commanding the USS Wayfarer from 2020 through today for a remarkable 52 total months in command thus far. Known for beginning and facilitating wildly imaginative missions, she has taken home 2.24 Genesis awards and 2.81 Best Posts within her 5.17 total awards. She sets the standard for the modern Commanding Officer.