SSSD SOVEREIGN NEWS, 7-22-02

***
Crew members and officers alike shielded their eyes and grabbed arm supports as the massive flagship rocked from the effects of the axial superlaser's discharge into an unfortunate planetoid.
The salute to the retiring Omega Squadron CMDR, General Devin, was complete. Work efficiently resumed on the bridge of the SSSD Sovereign, but the mood was introspective as the imminent departure of the veteran Omega commander continued to sink in.
Though, Proton smirked, this latest big-shot retirement would fuel yet another humongous party in the overworked ship's cantina. Let the spirits flow ...
***

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

Wing commanders, pass this along to your squadrons, and cc: me on those mails.

SOVEREIGN AND FLEET NEWS AND NOTES

-- Omega CMDR/GN Devin has announced his intention to retire to the Reserves once a replacement is named. Devin has been a great member of the EH for more than six years and his loss will not be easily overcome. Best wishes to Devin, and I hope he will long remember his friends aboard the flagship and come back often. In other Omega news, LC Joe has resigned to become CA:RO. Best of luck to Joe too in his new post.

-- The Sov Web site has moved to http://sov.minos.net. Everything seemed to go smoothly during the switch, but let me know if you run across any broken links. The Sov MB address might change soon, but other than that, everything's set.

-- The Sov cantina song medals finally were awarded the other day, and awards also were handed out to the winners of the Sov recruiting competition. Thanks to all participants and congratulations to the medal winners!

-- The XWA ladder signup is under way in preparation for the multiplayer portion of the Sovereign Bombing Run Blowout. Ladder matches will begin on Aug. 4. Those interested can sign up until then by mailing me at hullbreach@aol.com. The rest of the BRB -- TIE, fiction and art -- will begin on Aug. 1.

-- Wing IV is gunning for an opponent for a wing contest.

-- CPT Hello and others are working on a new Wing IV Web site.

-- Former Wing IV WC Reaper has returned to active duty, in Praetorian Squadron.

-- EH Newsletter 85 has been released: http://www.ehnet.org/nl/hammer85.zip

-- IO Code Archive up at http://www.ehnet.org/ca.

-- My EHNET: Very cool. Go to http://my.ehnet.org/ to begin using it.

-- Reminding, CPT Argon Viper is organizing a Starcraft tournament. If you want in, contact AG asap: uboat53@hotmail.com

FORCE STRENGTH

-- A big Sovereign welcome to new or returning pilots:
FM/SL Trevor Shade/Alpha 2-2
FM/SL Talon Virgilio/Sadhe 3-4

SSSD Sovereign [186]
Wing I [34]
Wing II [37]
Wing III [37]
Wing IV [37]
Wing V [40]

Omega Squadron [8]

SHIP COMPETITIONS

-- Coming Aug. 1, the Sovereign Bombing Run Blowout. The competition will run for eight weeks. Elements will include four custom TIE free missions, an XWA ladder and fiction and art categories. Also, the winning squadron and wing in this event will be awarded the titles of COM's Own.

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

SHIP COMMUNICATIONS

IRC channel: #SSSD_Sovereign
Message board:
http://www.imperialmight.com/wwwthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=cantina

The SSSD Sovereign Cantina Song:
http://sov.imperialmight.com/drink.html

CANTINA COMMENTS

"Congratulations go out to two of our very own Wing Commanders, COL Gen Es'mith and COL Jahan Kalar on their promotions to General! I'll be trying to get Proton and Pri drunk enough to get me bumped from LC to GN soon enough :P " -LC Halcyon

"Of course, the real question here should be : Is there a wing on the Sov that's NOT into getting drunk and destroying things? ;-) " -COL Sasquatch

"Oh no! Jahan in command of Aleth?! Oh, the nightmares are coming back!!! Please make them go
away!!! :P " -MAJ Nurel Turr

"I have to disagree about the IS3 victory party being the biggest ever held aboard the Sovereign. As much fun as it was (had even more fun after the Inquisitor fell asleep and I started paying the female cadets a couple hundred creds each to kiss each other), it wasn't quite as good as the party thrown when our esteemed Grand Admiral got married. Most people don't remember that one, as it was some time ago. Most of those who were there don't remember because of how much they drank. It was amazing. Not only were the hangar bays converted into one single, large banquet hall, some nutcase ended up hanging ropes from the ceiling so the more daring souls could swing through the air while drinking their swill. Several flight members were listed as MIA after the party, and the cleanup took weeks.
And all of this in full dress uniform." -GN Compton

"Go to the youth center and drink yo' milk, foo's!" -COL Sasquatch

"GN SickMan sleeps peacefully in his SSSD bed, dressed in his Wing V Imperial P.J's, a few women of ill repute also scattered around the huge bed. The door creeks open and a small figure skitters in and heads towards Sicky's Sound System. There the figure sorts through the collection of Rock and Metal and finds what he is looking for and giggles.
He turn's the volume to loud, then to Sicky level and finally to Ooo Evilll level and presses Play :) " -GN SickMan

"Well, it looks like I'll be your permanent Wing Commander. ph33r! :P Anyways, I'd just like to thank both Proton and Reaper for having faith in me to run this wing. I would also like to thank all the little people that I had to step on to get to this position. This one's for you! :P" -LC Halcyon

"Ah... yes... I have a vague memory of attending that party... not sure what happened DURING the party though...
And that was back when I had my liver. Man, if I don't remember anything from it- and if I was one of the better-off people there-- then... OH BOY... :) " -COL Brian

" I think that was the party that you LOST your liver. As I recall, it jumped out of your throat, flipped you off, then you kicked it in the nuts so hard it flew into the already-spiked punch bowl, which is what finally killed it.
No one noticed it in the punch bowl, either. Eew." -GN Compton

"Hmm... you're right, that's the most likely time as any for me to have lost my liver back then. Did someone get that part on video, or were you not totally wasted at the time? (or for many of the officers and cadets there, done puking and back for more...)" -COL Brian

"So, for all these retirement parties... no one here is going to lose their liver in the punch bowl, right?" -COL Brian

"I apologize for not getting this report out on time. I nearly forgot about it! Must be all the partying and celebrating going on. ;) If I do this again, shoot me." -MAJ Cray Mikalen

"Your hungover CMDR was promoted to Major for consistently kissing butt, buying drinks for the WC and COM, and a few other things. ;)" -MAJ Cray Mikalen

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COM/VA Proton/SSSD Sovereign

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What follows is a welcome letter from MAJ Talons Pryde to a new member of Alpha Squadron. We should all learn from this example of how to help make a new pilot feel welcome and at home. --VA Proton
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2 things:
1 do not call me sir. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO uncomfortable with it in an informal
setting....

2 Do not be intimidated by our reputation. You will be a part of the legacy
as we are in a rebuilding year. I see you have already completed an IWATS
course so a promotion is due.

Now, just tell me about yourself. What do you like to do? I see you are a
programmer also. I am working for my bachulars (I can never spell it
correctly) degree in Compute science programming at Christopher Newport
University. Which Bryant Stratton Campus are you at? CNU is in Newport News
Va.

Aside from what you like, what are your interests? What are your goals for
your carreer in the EH and TC? My goal is to become the highest ranked FCHG
in the wing. I have a long way for that... I hope to be the CMDR that brings
the best out of everyone I meet and every pilot I command.

Alpha is meant to be like a family in a manner. We communicate and support
each other even in our real lives. If you have any problems, we are hear for
you. We are the squadron that cares enough to actually help each other.
Sometimes this is hard to comprehend for new recruits and very difficult to
get new pilots on. But We stick by this feel and we have very good pilots
here. Your flight leader once ran this squadron a few years ago and Vector
(of flight 3) was CMDR of Alpha back in 99. He was succeeded by a woman
named Sarriss who was my first commander. I have been in Alpha from the
moment I stepped off the platform. I was Alpha 2-4 then. I was switched to
Alpha 3-1 2 years ago and served as its flight leader until this past April
when I became the Squadron Commander. So I have a great deal of pride in
this squadron and as a result, I am both compassionate and harsh.
Compassionate in that I understand and will protect you from your own
mistakes and others above me and harsh in the fact that I will STOMP ON YOU
for those same mistakes. Ask Captain Vector about it. He knows I will come
down very hard for things that can get you into trouble. Sometimes it is a
bit too hard...

Anyway, enough of my rambling. Here are your first orders:

Monthly battles: This month fly TC 129 & 130 --> Relentless Revenge parts 1
& 2. This is due by July 30th (20020730).

Start a flight journal. This flight journal will be your experiences and
mission log while you are in the EH. Tell of your experiences in the EH.
write down your thoughts and impressions. When you do a mission, write down
your actions and your view on the mission itself (makes for great debriefing
fiction). Get a promotion? Write it in. get a medal? write it in and say why
you did. I recently recieved a promo and wrote down my exact feelings on it
in my journal. I also posted it on the message board.

Read the message boards and post. The boards are there for info and a few
other things. Plus I have been trying to do a wing run-on or even a squadron
run-on but most do not keep it going.

Work on your Fleet Commander's Honour Guard (FCHG) points for a shiny medal.
This medal is automatically awarded when you get 30 points. Go to it.

Get to know the other pilots of the squadron.

I am sending this to our Wing Commander and our Commodore. I keep them
informed of pretty much everything I do.

Commodore Proton: Hullbreach@aol.com
Wing Commander Gen Es'mith: GRVSMITH@aol.com
Assistant Wing Commander Mike (CMDR of Lambda): suttonboy@hotmail.com
(currently over his storage limit)

We are all here to help if you need it and to listen if you just want to
rant. Proton has been a voice of reasoning and support when I have felt like
I had nothing. Gen has been a great friend to me as has Mike. They have both
been very supportive of my new command. They are true friends if I ever had
any here in the TC.

-- Anthony Jerome R. Thorn
Talons Pryde
Galaxy Commander, C.O. Jaded Hearts
Clan Jade Falcon, JFOZ, Evcilier

CMDR/MAJ Talons Pryde/Alpha/Wing I/SSSD Sovereign
PCx2/ISMx3/MoIx2/MoT-1rh/MoC-1BoC/CoB/AoL/OV [CNTR]
{IWATS-CBX-GFX-IIC/1/2-SM/2-TM-TT} reporting.
PRT Talons Pryde (Krath)/Acclivis Draco of Scholae Palatinae
Alpha Horseman
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