Greetings all once again - I note from my last report that 6 months has flown by which is frankly astounding and perhaps a reflection of the 2020 we're all having. Setting aside the real world for a few moments, it's been a genuinely exciting time for the EH and the SW fanbase. The release of SWS has generated a great surge in activity and while it's slowed a touch, there seems to be a steady stream of tactics, banter and discussion on Discord that is very pleasing to see. The numbers across 3 active ISDs are a reminder of happy times of multiple wings and very different ships that I know many of us didn't expect to see again.

The recent release of trailers and titles in the wider canon has been equally exciting and a timely reminder that there are a lot of projects out there. I for one am addicted to the Mandalorian at the moment and the gritty Wild West worlds of the Outer Rim. For those of you not flying, or like me awaiting those ships full of consoles to reach the West, there are a number of Discord channels to discuss the ongoing series and generally talk spoilers. Every time I check Discord it feels like a new channel or thread has started and it's great to see a platform being used by so many to chat about so much. The opposite is sadly true of the old EH Message Boards whose use is now largely nonexistent, excepting the bot accounts that are making the boards feel more like a Trade Federation control ship. The boards are still active and functional, so I'll shortly be pruning forums and inactive threads, so please flag up any format changes or issues you may be having with access. If you spot a spam account that's got past me, don't hesitate to let me know!

Some of you may have sighted the recent discussions regarding the Medal of Communication and its system of award, but following some very useful discussions with the COMs and CMDRs no changes were deemed necessary and the medal remains very much the TC Admiralty's to manage - I take as a compliment the fact my award system has lasted unchanged since 2007!

So, as we wind down towards a more festive few weeks, stay safe and stay talkative. A lot of you are going through difficult times at the moment and while the EH is a gaming club, we all know it's a community of peers and friends at heart - most of whom will be ready to talk if you need it, helpfully across multiple time zones and a fair few languages.

This section will, in future, focus on communication platforms or software in use by specific units or elements of the EH. For now I will simply signpost those that new pilots or cantankerous veterans alike may find useful;

Specific links to Discord or Telegram groups can be requested from your Squadron CMDRs or across the mailing lists, while there are always platforms out there to exploit, be it Reddit or something more left of field.

The Herald coasted gently through the fringes of the nebula, gentle coils of gaseous matter nosed aside as the ship pushed ahead with minimal thrust. In order to scatter and redirect the communications between the Avenger and Aurora Prime the Herald had been kept busy, scurrying along in the wake of the colossal warship to act as a mobile relay station. Even the New Republic would have noticed a sudden increase in military traffic bouncing across civilian hyperwave hubs and transmitters, or even what remnants remained of the previous Imperial networks. Remnants being a generous description in some cases - scavengers and the dregs of the galaxy had picked apart what had once been a technological wonder for scrap and a handful of credits. One day they would rue their greed, but La'an was a realist - the Empire would be welcomed back to take its rightful place, but the galaxy wasn't yet ready to turn on their vaunted New Republic. But it would come, such was the way of things.

Standing on the compact bridge, with a handful of officers manning key stations and the ship's Navigator monitoring their track, La'an relaxed for a moment in the air of quiet efficiency. He'd always preferred smaller vessels and the Avenger had always made him miss them more. He was content to be a cog in a much larger machine, but the scale of a Super class Star Destroyer was on another level altogether. His current flagship, if he could use so grand a term for a modified light cruiser, was a far more civilised weapon and proof that the power of the word was often greater than that of the sword. 

Since acquiring the Herald she had performed sterling service and he was pleased to note that her crew had made their role their own. It may have lacked the profile of a major capital vessel or a frontline warship, but they knew they were doing important work. They were unflustered by the presence of a senior Fleet Admiral amongst their lean crew of 400 and went about their work with confidence and a reassuring belief in their purpose. It also helped that the two TIE Interceptor pilots assigned to the cramped hangar in the vessel's bow played a mean game of cards and had plenty of time to kill taking his credits off him...