COM/AD Proton reporting for the SSSD Sovereign, flagship of the Emperor's Hammer Strike Fleet.
SOVEREIGN AND FLEET NEWS AND NOTES
-- Wooo, there is a lot of news this week. Plus, the quotemeisters have woken from their summer slumbers and the Cantina Comments are on a binge! Strap in and prepare for launch -- this is going to be a long but hopefully informative flight.
-- The Sovereign Squadron League is about to enter its final phase, the championship matches! It has been a fantastic season, and I would like to congratulate all participants on a wonderful competition. I also want to thank the tireless, dedicated and dependable judges, LC Todbringer, MAJ Artyis and LC Gidda. The comp simply would not have happened without these officers' fabulous efforts. The judges will announce the battles to be used for the finals in a couple of days. Meantime, here are the second-round playoff results and pairings:
***TIE Fighter Division***
**Semi-finals results**
Omega Squadron (1st) 1,589,202 + 5% bonus = 1,668,662 points
vs.
Yod Squadron (4th) 0 points
Omega advances to the finals!
***
Praetorian Squadron (2nd) 1,058,555 + 5% bonus = 1,111,482 points
vs.
Kappa Squadron (3rd) 854,370 points
Praetorian advances to the finals!
**Finals pairings**
For gold medals:
Omega Squadron (1st) vs. Praetorian Squadron (2nd)
Omega Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
For bronze medals:
Kappa Squadron (3rd) vs. Yod Squadron (4th)
Kappa Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
**Semi-Finals Top Ten pilots**
1. MAJ Artyis, Omega 304,001
2. LC Todbringer, Omega 297,186
3. MAJ Shae Kitane, Praetorian 277,338
4. LC Brandon, Omega 260,367
5. COL Ixion Deathbringer, Omega 247,697
6. CPT Night Grue, Omega 246,433
7. GN Sasquatch, Omega 233,518
8. COL Astarosta, Kappa 231,135
9. MAJ Tempest, Kappa 228,522
10. COL Andrzej Mezynski, Praetorian 227,764
***X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter Division***
**Semi-finals results**
Diamondback Squadron (1st) 861,496 + 5% bonus = 904,570 points
Vs
Odin Squadron (4th) 413,088 points
Diamondback advances to the finals!
***
ASF Squadron (2nd) 390,228 + 5% bonus = 409,739 points
Vs
Psi Squadron (6th) 313,322 points
ASF advances to the finals!
**Finals pairings**
For gold medals:
Diamondback Squadron (1st) vs. ASF Squadron (2nd)
Diamondback Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
For bronze medals:
Odin Squadron (4th) vs. Psi Squadron (6th)
Odin Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
**Semi-Finals Top Ten pilots**
1. LC Gidda, Diamondback 187,090
2. CPT Drako, Diamondback 152,226
3 RA Frodo, ASF 140,421
4. COL Jon Doyle, Psi 134,144
5. MAJ Michael, Diamondback 134,000
6. LCM Zhaim Jifarr, Diamondback 131,780
7. CPT Tvan'Oris, Diamondback 129,020
8. CPT Derek Dan, Diamondback 127,380
9. LCM Dvader, Mem 124,856
10. CPT Psyko, Psi 103,248
***X-Wing Alliance Division***
**Semi-finals results**
Vampire Squadron (1st) 101,369 + 5% bonus = 106,437 points
vs.
Gamma Squadron (5th) 17,201 points
Vampire advances to the finals!
***
Diamondback Squadron (2nd) 82,081 + 5% bonus = 86,185 points
vs.
Omega Squadron (6th) 112,245 points
Omega advances to the finals!
**Finals pairings**
For gold medals:
Vampire Squadron (1st) vs. Omega Squadron (6th)
Vampire Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
For bronze medals:
Diamondback Squadron (2nd) vs. Gamma Squadron (5th)
Diamondback Squadron has +5% score bonus in this duel.
**Semi-Finals Top Ten pilots**
1. LC Gidda, Diamondback 24,417
2. CM CrimsonFury, Krayt 23,856
3. CM Deimos, Vampire 23,529
4. MAJ Artyis, Omega 23,082
5. CPT Tvan'Oris, Diamondback 21,580
6. MAJ VinDoros, Vampire 20,708
7. COL Arso Slyth, Vampire 20,450
8. GN Sasquatch, Omega 20,016
9. CPT Derek Dan, Diamondback 19,832
10. COL Ixion Deathbringer, Omega 19,434
Finally, the Operations Office has agreed that I will be able to award second- and third-place awards to participating members of squadrons (IS-GW and IS-SW). When the competition was set up, we contemplated only awarding IS-PW to members of the championship squadrons, but the judges recently felt it would be appropriate to award the additional medals for the Nos. 2 and 3 squadrons for their season of excellence.
-- GN Stele Pellaeon's General's Summer Patrol comp is into its seventh week. Details at:
http://users.pandora.be/dweezil/patrol/
-- Commendations of Loyalty. WCs, please get me your recommendations no later than the first or second week of August, so we can beat the deadline. I already have recommendations from GN Sasquatch, LC Wolverine and COL Es'mith, but nothing from LC Mike, GN Stele or LC Thorn.
-- HA Priyum has taken the lid off the Flight Office's long-planned revisions in the TC training system. Essentially, the training units will be dissolved, and pilots will be assigned directly to line squadrons after they pass IWATS basic. But this is not effective yet because Priyum is waiting on the XO to act on it. Here is the thread with all of the info:
http://theholo.net/mb/viewtopic.php?t=8056
-- LC Mike is running a Wing I battle construction comp running to Aug. 13.
-- I passed the TIE Mission Creation course this week and am going to build a TIE battle featuring all of the Sovereign squadrons plus Omega.
-- Courtesy of LC Freelancer, a CRV and FRT collision in TIE:
http://www.nakatomitower.com/ramming.gif
-- From LT Willis: Hey all you battlefield 1942er's there is a star wars mod out, yes thats right a star wars mod out! its the battle of hoth, you can get it at this address http://www.swbattlefield.jolt.co.uk/. its fairly big mind you and it might be only MP. but from what im hearing its awesome! it is released August 1st 7:00 GMT. so have fun.
-- It's time to remind all -- WCs, CMDRs and all pilots -- that promotions and merit medals normally should be recommended in the month-end MSE/MWE process. Some CMDRs and WCs have been coming out of left field with medal and promotion recommendations, and act offended when I tell them to wait for the month-end process. The reason is simple: So I can even-handedly consider medal and promotion requests once a month on a shipwide basis. It helps me ensure fairness and consistency. And if WCs and CMDRs are on their toes, in their evaluations they will look ahead so that a pilot who might be eligible for promotion on, say, Aug. 10, would not have to wait for the end of the month to be considered -- the CMDR recomends it in advance in the evaluation.
-- To top off all of the above activity, there are some awesome ship competitions coming up over the next few months! I have on my desk at least three flight comps that have my preliminary approval.
PLANETARY OPERATIONS
-- Welcome to a new category of the Sov report in which I will try to pass on interesting news from planetside, as Sovereign pilots take some R&R and raise some he// on Tatooine, Naboo, Corellia, Yavin4, Hoth, etc.
-- The biggest news in my opinion this week is that the SSSD Sovereign Retreat House is soon to be in place on the dusty landscapes of Tatooine! That's right, the flagship will have its own recreation center / cantina in the EH's Star Wars Players Association in the Galaxies game! Generals Sasquatch and Compton have been leading this effort (after I told them I wanted to set up a retreat house, but lacked the funds or the engineering expertise to build one myself). Sas and Compy are great real estate agents, I tell you! I'll let everyone know when the house is open for business. We plan to allow fairly wide administrative rights (Compy, Sas, myself, General Devin and possibly others) so several people will be able to stock the place with booze (of course that's the No. 1 priority) and purchase and build enhancements to the complex. Once the Sov retreat is in operation, we will not only use it as party central, but also as a staging base for team assault operations on the various criminals, vermin and monsters threatening EH interests!
FORCE STRENGTH
-- Give a big Sovereign welcome to these new or returning pilots:
FM/LCM Tacky/Kaph 1-3
FM/SL Jules Vega/Kappa 3-2
FM/LT Brin Chaser/Delta 2-3
FM/LT Bhaal/Sadhe 1-2
SSSD Sovereign [150]
Wing I [26]
Wing II [34]
Wing III [29]
Wing IV [41]
Wing V [19]
Omega [10]
SHIP COMPETITIONS
-- Sovereign Squadron League, second round of the playoffs is over. The finals begin Aug. 8!
-- Sovereign League Graphics Grab. Deadline is Aug. 31. See Sov MB for comp details. So far there are *no* submissions.
-- Sovereign Summer Caption Contest. It is over but the judging has not yet been done. Details:
http://www.minos.net/~proton/caption.html
SHIP COMMUNICATIONS
IRC channel: #SSSD_Sovereign
Message board:
http://boards.minos.net
The SSSD Sovereign Cantina Song:
http://www.minos.net/~proton/drink.html
COMBAT DEBRIEFINGS OF THE WEEK
"I was cursing loudly with each new wave of CORTs ..." -GN Sasquatch
"I see the tie file but where is the battle file? If there is no battle file, how do you fly? I really need to know...for the love of God...would someone please tell me." -LCM Kahooli
TRASH TALK OF THE WEEK
""Bah, just bite the bullet and get over it. You'll just have to use a wheelchair like all the fogies over in Omega." -LC Mike "still only 5" Chistu
"Spoken like a true pilot that has yet to get his butt kicked by Omega ... >:) " -GN Sasquatch
"I really shouldn't talk about Omega as being old anymore. Turns out most of them aren't even as old as I am. :P Except the man that was there the day the erath was found, also known as Compton." -LC Mike Chistu
"It's the new Omega Squadron, baby ... age and experience plus youth and
vigor; add some alcohol and shake for about 30 seconds, then serve chilled.
You get the idea. ;-)" -GN Sasquatch
CANTINA COMMENTS
"Fly straight and die with a smile"?? What kind of seditious words
are these??! Are you a REBEL PATRONIZER??! Pshaw! Dyin's for
amateurs! :P
As everyone knows, the EH and the TC is an elite group.. just the
lowest rank in the TC is better than the highest skilled TIE Pilot of
the Empire!
So leave that death comment for the rebels, because, to quote Disco
Stu (or is that mis-quote?)
"Disco Stu doesn't *DO* death..." -LC Freelancer
"PILOT OF THE WEEK:
Well It would have been LC Astin, but since he called me a 'FOO......" -MAJ Evo Sarnok
"*Freelancer chucks a crate of allegedly stolen Bourbon and watches as
it shatters across Argon's back and shoulders, spilling and
shattering all over him*" -LC Freelancer
"And remember, the point of being a pilot isn't to die...the object is to watch rebels die with a smile on your face." -LCM Kahooli
"OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!!! I *DID* Drink the second one!!!
Sorry, Proton, really! I'm sorry! I hung around a certain pilot who
liked to throw drinks too much! Please! Lemme up! Lemme out!!!!
AAAARRRGH ARGON LEFT HIS LAUNDRY DOWN HERE FOR THE LOVE OF SITH LEMME
OUT!!!" -LC "How long can he hold his breath?" Freelancer
"A voice echoes full of pity and utter horror from out the pit, as if
the slime trail left by the hutts...
"But what abooooouuut meeeeeeee-eeeeee-......." -LC Freelancer
"Hmm, do we have a replacement for the HGB? THe ALB, Argon's Laundry Bin..." -LC Mike Chistu
"Okay.. That does it!
Since *clearly* nobody's gonna let me out here I'm gonna have to do
something DRASTIC.....
*Freelancer proceeds to take off shoes, lay his socks out, then
remove his pants...*
Ahh.. smells like home now!" -LC Freelancer
" /me pokes his head out of his private room in the HGBs. Hey, that's my laundry! Geez, can't even get decent room service in here... ;P " -MAJ Argon Viper
"Heh, heh, he's whining about room service. OK, let's give him some room
service ... >:)
**Dude and Leroy unload a dump truck full of fresh hutt guano into
Argon's bin**" -AD Proton
"Damnit, life would be much easier if I could commute via my TIE Guardian. I
could live in my current apartment and not have to worry about my brand-new
35 mile commute taking 3 hours because of some idiot on the roads causing
an accident and snarling traffic... $*)@(4^*#)#^$(@#%)!!" -COL Brian
"Gigantor vs. Voltron ... who would win that one?
I am now taking bets ... ;-) " -GN Sasquatch
"Get well soon, Grue! The Rebel population is getting out of control with you on medical leave ;-) " -GN Sasquatch
"Whoa ... we got a Code 5 here, people. An Omegan speaking in symbols.
Ras, Brandon ... help me get Brian down to sickbay. I don't think we've got
time for the cantina, he needs an injection of alcohol directly into his
heart. Let's move it, people!
(*Somewhere, a doctor attaches a foot-long needle to a syringe, then
fills it with Jack Daniels*) " -GN Sasquatch
"I have to admit, flying alongside myself was... disconcerting. For a
moment I thought Jennif was swearing at ME! lol! She was! The other
me!" -LC Freelancer
"Yeah, we want them to suffer. But your socks? We're trying to teach them
a lesson, not kill them." -LC Mike Chistu
"You mean we'll have an actual Cantina? I've never been so happy in my
life.
"I should have made this a competition. Best Booze Based Battle competition." -LC Mike Chistu
"Colon Wars. Hands down :P
Anything that has a battle going on while Inkwolf is transporting
Harkonnen to the medical ship so Mike (the doc at the time) can
transplant a stolen rebel colon back into Harks, kicks ass in my book
:P " -LC Freelancer
"MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! When they broke up Wing VI, they sent us everywhere. We've infested the ship, nay, the entire fleet ;) " -MAJ Argon Viper
"I have only one plauer too:
s..t , I mean player :P " -LCM Michal Herok
"Okay, I really don't like wrestling, but some of the women on the other hand are quite good. :P " -LC Nurel Turr
"Excellent ... everything is proceeding exactly as I have foreseen.
(*evil cackle*) (*cough, cough, hack*)" -GN Sasquatch
"Put down that beer and start drinking sprite! (Hey, it worked for CCK!)" -LC Freelancer
"Oh, and Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy was OK, too, she managed very well to take up all the lose ends. But she had to bring cats in of course, plus a super-cheap cat-wedding, for which she deserves a thousand deaths. :P " -MAJ Tempest
"Unfortunately I didn't get the next line, which goes something like "OOOOH THE HUMAAAAANNIITTYYY!!!!" -LC Freelancer
"I'd use, OOOH ALL THAT BOOOOOOOZE!!!!!!!! ;-)" -CPT Roger
"Anything that compares itself to the craptacular Hindenburg is funny in my book." -LC Mike Chistu
"hahahahahahhaa
Poor Minkus, play by/with (deleted as apporiate) himself again :P
thats what you get for obtaining a game the rest of the ppl outside the US cannot get ;P" -COL Reaper
"No no no, Sas, that's no way to protect secret documents!
(*Folds up the [classified] rues, puts them inside his right shoe, the one with the 2-year old unwashed sock*)" -LC Freelancer
"The rebels would never have gotten the plans to the Death Star if they had to go through that for them. I'm not sure when that foot saw the light of day last. I believe it was when suede was still in." -LC Mike Chistu
"Although I refuse to be stuck in a car with the pantsless Free ;P" -Argon
""Bah, he's taken off his socks. There's only one way to stop this. Come
here!" At that, the three socktroopers entered the room. "I've gotta
fight fire with even more fire, I suppose. Go help Freelancer get his
clothing back on, please. Oh, and please escourt him out of the HGB and
into Argon's room. If they're going to fight, let them tear Delta's
barracks apart. Other people have to use the HGB. I don't want them to
suffer." -LC Mike CHistu
"Don't you WANT the people going to the HGB to suffer???" -LC Freelancer
"I have quarters in the Delta barracks? Man, I need to get out of the HGBs more often ;P" -Argon
"Hell, even I got that from Mini's email Reaper...Hiccy, where are the brain pills that you've been giving him? Or have you stopped his prescription?" -Turry
"Hmm, that sounds tempting but what do you mean I don't make sense? All that booze destroyed, it's enough to cause serious trauma just by contemplating such horrific alcohol abuse.
Now I really must get that TIE game working, if only to see how the perpetrators of this crime against the Empire are punished. **Takes another swig of Corellian Whiskey from the last bottle of Wollys old stash** Ah! thats better, restored the balance. To much blod in the alcohol system. ;-)" -CPT Roger
"Thorn is back, which means we are no longer under the control of a crazy LT" -MAJ Evo Sarnok
"I think I need to stop taking those afternoon swims in the Lake o' Beer...." -GN Devin
"We're trying to hide the rules, Free ... not disintegrate them! ;-)" -GN Sasquatch
"No, I wear my hat on my head. But when you said "sit on the rules", I
decided not to take that order literally. After all, someone might want them
back, and Free has already destroyed at least one copy ... !" -GN Sasquatch
"Suede *IS* still in, you fashion fool!!!" -LC Freelancer
"I'd like to remind the group that my feet have NOT been declared weapons of the "disintegration" class. At least as far as I remember." -LC Freelancer
"I can't wait for Proton's next war speech. "It appears we have found the
weapons of mass destruction we were looking for. Unfortnatly, they
weren't in the hands of the rebels. In fact, they weren't really in
anybody's hands, as they would disintegrate on contact. The weapons of
mass destruction are none other than the feet of Freelancer. They will be
disarmed...strike that...disfooted later today." -LC Mike Chistu
"(*Said like a wounded Civil War soldier*) "Don't take mah legs, Doc!
Don't take mah legs!!!!" -LC Freelancer
"*Freelancer sits behind a desk wearing a turban, touching an envelope
to his forhead*
"Okay, let's see... LC Mike gets an OV-5E, LC Mike takes QotW, LC
Mike "liberates" SovCOM Proton of his booze..."
*Rips open the end of the envelope, pulls out the single sheet of
paper and reads from it*
"Something old, something new, and something borrowed!" -LC Freelancer
" *snaps his fingers and the g00ns starts breaking stuff starting with Free's crystal ball* " -CM Ras Kronar
"I'll see you in the HCI, or the cantina, whichever comes first, and I expect you to PAY for that stuff you broke! Crystal balls MAY be a gimmick, but they're EXPENSIVE! Sheesh!" -LC "Get my lawyer on the phone!" Freelancer
"/me gets Freelancer's lawyer on the phone. Wait a second, your lawyer is Lionel Hutts? You've got to be joking... ;P" -MAJ Argon Viper
"No, if I were joking, I would have said, "A horse walks into a bar, and the bartender says, 'Why the long face?'" Anyway, Free, we have Lionel Hutts sitting on the phone now. What next? Wing I is here to help you fight the system. Let your dreads and Jamacian accent live on!" -LC Mike Chistu
"Anyway, I've been up for over two days now and I'm not totally sure what's going on. I keep thinking I'm seeing things, but nothing is moving in my room except my fans and my hamster in his cage." -MAJ Zekk terrik
"Where I come from lawyers lived short lives... and their clients even shorter... and the client's booze supply never lived long enough to wet anyone's whistle.
*tries to look menacing* " -CM Ras Kronar
"Hey Free, you need a goon to get his goons? I know this 500 kilo Whiphid who might be willing at the right price... ;)" -MAJ Argon Viper
"But don't worry, AD Proton is planning to take it easy on the rest of the fleet, only destroying those ships that fail to get out of the Sov's way before she runs them down ... ;-) " -GN Sasquatch
"So until next time ... don't take credits from a Rebel, beware of any socks that are embroidered with the name "Freelancer", and fly high and watch your six!" -GN Sasquatch
"No, I think I'm intellectually unsound enough to have Hutz as my attorney and Dr. Nick as my physician. I did have Marvin Monroe as my HCI-commanded shrink, but he passed on and has been since replaced by nameless shrink after shrink (that is, until the HCI gave up and just locked me in Wing I with the rest of ya loonies!)" -LC Freelancer
" Hey, I resent the implication that Wing I is a place they use to lock up mentally unstable... /me pauses as a psychiatrist walks up to him. "And how are we doing today Mr. Viper?" "Good, thanks Doc. Just some slight twitching, but don't worry, Mulder will be fine." "Hmmm, perhaps you need some more Shaznakatrine." Psychiatrist injects said substance into Argon. "Ah, thanks Doc, feels a lot better." Argon turns back to Free as the psychiatrist continues. "Now, as I was saying, I resent..." ;P" -MAJ Argon Viper
"have fun and say hello to all swedish girls you meet ;)" -LC Thorn
"Mike walks by the cantina. He stops when he hears the crashing inside. He peers inside, where he finds Freelancer doubled over in pain while Kronar laughs maniacly. He shakes his head and continues down the corridor.
"Milk drinkers..." -LC Mike Chistu
"Buttercup come 'ere!
*a c0w runs into the cantina*
This is Buttercup.. A gift from the guys over in
Omega.
Buttercup. Trample Free's booze.
*the c0w proceeds to gnaw on Free's sleeve*
Hmph.. Well she needs a bit of training... Buttercup
come here.
*drags the c0w which managed to tear of a part of
Free's sleeve out of the cantina*
You haven't heard the last of me!
*muffled cries of "stupid c0w" and stuff breaking are
heard echoing through the Corridors of Wing I* " -CM Ras Kronar
"NEVER... NEVER... NEVER... Bribe Argon Viper. It's just bad voodoo." -LC Freelancer
"OooooOOOoooh Buttercup! C'mere Buttercup! Good stupid cow! Good!" -LC Freelancer
"Are you kidding me? You wanted me to save that booze? *Vector quickly runs to the airlock and dumps box after box of empty bottles* I plead the fifth!" -CPT Vector
"/me looks blankly at the hole in the wall behind his bunk. Free, I don't own any fine china, it must have been Kronar's, he was CMDR before me ;P " -MAJ Argon Viper
"/me looks at Kronar's cow and thinks of steak. >:) " -Argon
"Your fault, not mine...
Kronar and china... Who'd'a thunkit?" -LC Freelancer
"Strange... I don't recall ever owning any china.
Only pansies collect china.. and girls.. *ponders*
oh well...
*Drags the c0w out of the compartment and makes sure
that it steps on Argon's foot on it's way out*
Don't make a miSTEAK Argon... *glares* " -CM Ras Kronar
"Legend has it that on long, cold nights, a deep lowing can be heard
from the phantom cow that supposedly haunts the Delta barracks. To
this day nobody knows where it comes from or what causes it...
(*scary noises*)
MUA-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaa!!! " -LC "Stories by the fire" Freelancer
"Yummy! Cameron Diaz!" -LC Mayk Wolverine
"What is this IS IV you talk about? Is there killing to be done or do I need to get with Free for some steaks while this goes on." -LCM Kahooli
"::takes it:: Thanks!! Last time Leroy was this close to me, he was trying to cut off some part of my anatomy.. ah how times change.." -AD Joe
"Well, take a tip from ole Freelancer here.. Back when I was Rho CMDR, it didn't matter that I was lacking the intelligence of a bantha's parasite. So do what I do! When in doubt, make stuff up!" -LC "Still remembers something about Ricaud's arse" Freelancer
"Hell yes. Yes I want to know. And if you don't tell me I'll cry" -LT Derek Klivan
" have about 14 to go on mine. I might beat be able to beat your time, but that would involve me failing my exams :p" -LT Chaser
"You might notice one other speciality of this wing: we are thirsty. We'll drink nearly everything...as long as it got some alcohole...and some wingmembers even disregard the "nearly"... -COL Jan Wemmel
"Welcome to Kappa. get yourself a colon removal and have fun with the Dragons!" -COL Jan Wemmel
"I hope none of you were planning on getting Jim Bean bourbon, because yesterday a warehouse containing 800,000 gallons of it went up in flames." -LT Colin Graves
"*Vector pulls the bottle of Beam closer to his chest. "It's ok, the fire is not gonna hurt you." Vector twists off the top and takes a drink. "I am!"*" -CPT Vector
"CH3COOH ?!? What are you drinking there? Vinegar? And now I know why the
drinks were so sour:)" -LCM Granite
'actually, there's a AV (anonymous vinegarholics) group in the wing...
"Hi, my name is Jan Wemmel and I'm a vinegarholic" :p" -COl Astarosta
"alright cut the chatter :P" -CM Drak
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COM/AD Proton/SSSD Sovereign
IC/SSx4/BS/PC/ISMx2/IS-1BW-1SW/CoL/OV-3E [CTRN] {IWATS-FLA-RT-SM/2-TM}