SSSD SOVEREIGN NEWS, 2-6-03

**Leroy, Dude and Snippy rapidly work through the ship's cantinas, spiking all kegs and casks with high doses of caffeine, ensuring that all or at least most of the Sovereign's pilots will wake up and ACTUALLY READ this week's unusually important ship report**

COM/AD Proton reporting for the SSSD Sovereign, flagship of the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet.

SOVEREIGN AND FLEET NEWS AND NOTES

-- The big announcement from the flagship this week is that the SSSD Sovereign League 2003 will begin March 15! That's right -- one of the best competitions in the history of the Emperor's Hammer is being reborn. And this time it will not only include the usual TIE competition, but we're introducing XWA and XvT single-player divisions too! I have appointed LC Todbringer, a longtime Sovereign pilot and veteran of the previous Sovereign League seasons, to head up the competition. He will be assisted by MAJ Artys, another top veteran, and perhaps other pilots. They will handle the day-to-day operations and record keeping, and I will be on hand throughout to assist them and help resolve any problems or disputes.

As in its previous incarnations, the Sovereign League will run through a regular season, with squadrons fighting for post-season playoff positions. Each round will last two weeks, with pilots flying assigned free missions. The surviving playoff teams will fly full battles in several rounds of elimination. The winning squadrons will receive many honors, and the winners of the individual top-gun contests will receive medals and much recognition.

I'm also excited to announce that the Sovereign League will be open to all squadrons in the TIE Corps! The squadrons of the flagship will be proud to host fellow squadrons from throughout the corps that also desire to participate.

Watch for the SSSD Sovereign League 2003 "Season Primer" memorandum within the next week or two. In the meantime, you all know what to do: Get ready to fly your flightsuits off!! :)

-- Operation Outrageous Fortune advances, and opposing forces have approached within attack range of one another. Let the carnage begin! :) ... Here is the pre-battle report from WO/AD Pel:

Well, it seems that both sides have forces in 0405, so we'll have to have a battle....first I'll announce the Free missions that the TIE and XvT people will play, they will have from NOW until the date/time of the battle to get them in.  Remember, each person who flies will contribute points to your side, so quantity counts as well as  quality.  I have selected Free TIE 145 and Free XvT 57.  As for the XWA skirmish, I am free around 1pm on Sat or Sunday, or Monday night around 10pm (all times Eastern).  Let me know by Friday (when I expect to see your Skirmishes done) what time would be best for you and your pilots (2 per side will fly, try to get an extra 1 or two to show up to ensure we can get a good connect somewhere).
Forces involved are:

Red Side
VSDII - Mortal
12XGUN Wyvern
12xGUN Gryphon
12xGUN Midguard
12xGUN Skulls
12xTorps
A/FRG Dark Pheonix
12xGUN Skelleton
12xGUN Sandstorm
A/FRG Dark Talon
12xGUN Magnet
12xGUN Emperors Touch
CRL Warlord
12xGUN Gladus
12xGUN Pilum
INT Dark Sentinal
12xGUN Scream
12xGUN Nightmare
M/FRG Silent Hunter
3xLanding Craft Deamon

Blue Side
Ships: VSD II Silencer        1 T/I Squadron, 1 T/B Squadron
       VSD II Das Boat        1 GUN Squadron,    TRNx12
       CRL Wrath        1 IRD Squadron
       DREAD Blade Runner    1 GUN Squadron
      
-- From IO assistant Thorin Oakenshield: I'm offering basic websites to squadrons who need them to get up to par with the new TC site guidelines.  The full post is at http://www.ehnet.org/mb/viewtopic.php?t=4390
 
-- Yod destroys Demon Squadron in an XWA SP match. Well done!!

-- Wing IV vs. Wing VIII, flying TIE-DB 11. Wing IV has received explicit orders from me to BLOW WING VIII TO HELL!! ;)

-- Wing V WC/LC Frodo on leave Feb 5-8, A-WC is CM Zexipher Van Taelyan.

-- The Rat Pack flies again. First, we are flying against the Wing I CMDRs in a TIE contest. The Sov's support tugs are standing by to retrieve all the debris soon to be generated by the destruction of the Wing I CMDRs' craft >:)

-- FO/FA Priyum has been Flight Officer for two years! Congrats to him!

-- The Sov Web page will soon be undergoing a makeover, for three reasons: to comply with the new TC minimum requirements; to make it easier to maintain; and because I am sick of the existing site.

-- I have resigned command positions in three other subgroups and clubs over the past few weeks so I can concentrate my remaining EH energies on Sovereign operations.

FORCE STRENGTH

-- Give a big Sovereign welcome to these new or returning pilots:
FM/SL Zeth Durron/Daleth 2-3
FM/LT Strahl/Cheth 2-2
FM/SL Delarius/Daleth 1-3

SSSD Sovereign [168]

Wing I [30]
Wing II [35]
Wing III [32]
Wing IV [39]
Wing V [31]

Omega Squadron [9]

SHIP COMPETITIONS

-- Sovereign Nighthawk Multiplayer Competition, each Friday night in
#ehcoc on IRC, 3 to 6 p.m. eastern time.

-- SBOTM for February:
TIE-TC 183 (Defection of Kusanagi)
XvT-TC 31 (Pirate Scouts)
XWA-TC 24 (The History of the SSSD Sovereign)
Send pilot files to LC Philo at cnwilde@pacbell.net (the February
coordinator) and me. Deadline is Feb. 28. Good luck to all pilots!

SHIP COMMUNICATIONS
IRC channel: #SSSD_Sovereign
Message board:
http://boards.minos.net
The SSSD Sovereign Cantina Song:
http://www.minos.net/~proton/drink.html

COMMAND RANT OF THE WEEK

"Still no website submissions.  Don't make me pull Word and do one on it.
It wouldn't be pretty.  Literally." -LC Mike

"Pilots who fail to fly at least one mission this week will be stripped down to their undergarments, then blindfolded and deposited in the Wing I barracks ... hopefully they will be able to make it back to Omega's quarters but ... may God have mercy on your soul, because I don't think it will work out that way. Freaky things happen in Wing I. Pilots from other wings / squadrons who wander over there have a tendency to never come back. And we've all heard the rumors about giant socks and people with no pants." -COL Sasquatch

"For those that have done nothing, I want at least 4 pilot files by the end
of this month lest ye be evicted via the airlock without the convenience of
a space suit... " -MAJ Talons Pryde

(COM's note: A "fly damn you" or "fly damn you all" no longer qualifies for CROTW because they've been used so often. It was really funny the first couple of times.)

TRASH TALK OF THE WEEK

"Actually, I haven't heard anything from Wing I lately. Think we scared
them off?" -COL Sasquatch

"Oh ... good ... phew
::wipes slime from brow::
Scared Grue there for a moment.
As Grue hears that Wing I runs around without pants, it was looking like Omega was trying to go one better being naked ... frightening thought!" -CPT Night Grue

"Rat pack, goin' down!!  ;) " -MAJ Argon Viper

CANTINA COMMENTS

"I'm sure I can find you...something...nice...
/me goes to the "WC-strength Brain Pill case"
These should sort you out...:) " -LCM HicRic

"Woo, good job Turry!  You can be our Wing IV Bumbling Misunderstood Author
:p " -COL Ricardo

"Argh, Your ID line is so .. red that it burned uot my eyes :P" -MAj Mayk Wolverine

"Yeah, well I may be the host of the Wing IV WC Wasting Disease but at least
I... wait, what were we talking about again?  Err....
::Doctor HicRic wipes the drool from Ricardo's chin and leads the
slack-jawed former WC over to the windows to look at the shiny, pretty
stars:: " -COL Ricardo

"...who were puzzled at my lack of senselessness (if that's an actual word I'll paint my arse black) " -COL Astarosta

" This acting wing commander business is not so bad i must admit , The drinks in the cantina have become cheaper for one and that's never a bad thing . Of course when LC Aeishline returns and see the size of her Tab , I am sure i will be cleaning toilets and not flying fighters for a while . But hey lets enjoy it while we have it ." -CPT Adren Silvori

"has someone lost his mind??? :-P making him an admiral... what kind of stuff will we be wearing... things are getting scary..." -MAJ Eugene

"Yes, fly, or you will have no sleep options left, because of the pain and
psychological "attention" you will receive from Team L.S.D. ... >;) " -AD Proton

"Hahahaaaa!  Pain is my friend!  Muhahaha*Cough,cough*haha!
Damn, must be the cigarettes.  :P " -MAJ Nurel Turr

"Eff that.  We're elite, and trying very hard not to look like Christmas trees.  I say submit the template to Khaine with the patch on the sleeve, and if he doesn't like it, we kidnap him and put him through the n00b CS ritual." -GN Compton

"That's just what I'm thinking.  Never underestimate the power and beauty of having a former XO in the squad. -GN Compton ...who hopes he isn't OVERestimating the power and beauty of having a former XO in the squad...

"Oh yeah, firebird....
Wow after Wolly left we were really hard on the WC weren't we?" -MAJ Nebular

" I think the good GA should add another position to the Fleet's Advisors and award me with it: Emperor's Rock Star of Doom.  After all, I AM the biggest rock star in the Fleet, and I bring nothing but DOOM to all who oppose me." -GN Compton

"I've always been fond of doing "paperwork" and speeches.. Just look at my previous
squadron reports.. I always gave a long rant that no one bothered reading :P" -CM Ras Kronar

OFF-TOPIC DEPARTMENT

North Korean men are conscripted at age 16 and serve in the country’s regular 1.1 million-member armed forces for seven to 10 years.

"If we go down, we all go down in a ball of flames." -Marvin Lewis, new coach of the NFL's worst franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals.

COM/AD Proton/SSSD Sovereign