Loving the intros!  I'll start work on my next post today, which will most likely take place while we're in transit to Absit.

Since I appear to be awake, I at least get to be the first to congratulate you on a singularly successful run as the Chief of Naval Intelligence, Serpent.  As Captain Grey you took the embryonic set of ideas, themes, and goals that you inherited from my time in the role, and you really developed them to their full potential.  And by now coming out as the Second Captain Grey - especially with such a spectacularly well-crafted post as that one - you've further proven to everyone here why you were named the new Chief of Naval Warfare.  Really, really wonderful post.  I loved the conceit of the band practicing their music, and the links back to your major triumphs in story as VENI leader were a great way to wrap up your tenure.  Well done indeed.

Serpeeeeeent! You make me feel unbelievably sad to see the job getting passed on. D: Why is it everything you write just makes me feel so much? I would favorite all of your posts if I could.

Also on the Jexxel front of things... our roster just got weird again. Maroy, Hades, and I are going to have to figure out what we want to move forward with.

Okay, my latest post is up!  Just some CD, as I explore the curious mindset of someone who has read of aliens in books but never had much a chance to meet them.

Let's keep them coming, folks!  The Army is catching up!

Finally found a hook for my next post.  It'll introduce the major battlefield antagonists we're facing off against: two rather high-up Corellian officers (of the Corellian Defense Forces, or CDF), and the human officer (of the New Republic Defense Fleet, or NRDF) who commands the New Republic Third Battle Group (the NR's fleet in the Corellian Sector).  The post should also clarify a number of points about the political situation in the Corellian League, and its relationship to the New Republic.

Don't wait on me, though, folks! 

I'll be working on my post tomorrow, and it should be up by the end of the day, my time.  But of course then there will be a post AFTER that one, which actually moves us to Absit.  So we're looking at a couple days irl before we get to the soon-to-be-battlefield in-story.

I'd love to see a little more CD in the mean time, and let's make sure we've set up any IC interpersonal drama, before the shooting starts!    And don't forget to make clear: how does your character feel about the possibility of war with Corellia?!

Can't wait, Serpent!

So, a few OOC clarifications and notes for you all, in light of my most recent post:

1.) I did NOT name the commanding officer of the Corellian fleet, Commodore Wil Tavere.    That was a pre-existing NPC Fury designed for Chapter 9, who just happens to have the same rank and initials as my PC, and basically the same first name.  Not confusing at all... 

2.) Speaking of confusing, the two enemy fleets that are coming to Absit share a similar name as well.  The Third Corellian Defense Fleet (which Commodore Wil Tavere of the Corellian Defense Forces commands) is composed of fifty smaller ships, mostly frigates and corvettes, all of Corellian design.  That's in addition to the second enemy force coming to Absit, the Third New Republic Battle Group (which Admiral Rao Gaeth of the New Republic Defense Fleet commands), which is composed of thirty ships of various sizes and designs, from many New Republic worlds (including Kuat, Dac, and Bothawui).

Or, in table form:

name of Government	name of Armed Forces	name of Navy	name(s) of Fleet(s)	name(s) of Fleet commander(s)	present for Battle of Absit?
Corellian League (CL)	Corellian Defense Forces (CDF)	ground and naval forces under unified command	Third Corellian Defense Fleet (CL 3rd Fleet)	Commodore Wil Tavere	yes
Corellian League (CL)	Corellian Defense Forces (CDF)	ground and naval forces under unified command	First Corellian Defense Fleet (CL 1st Fleet), or "Corellian Home Fleet"	Admiral Hiram Wingate	no
New Republic (NR)	Combined Defense Forces of the New Republic (NRCDF)	New Republic Defense Fleet (NRDF)	Third New Republic Battle Group (NR 3rd BG), or "Corellian Sector Fleet"	Admiral Rao Gaeth	yes
Vast Empire (VE)	Vast Imperial Military (VEM)	Vast Imperial Navy (VEN)	Second Vast Imperial Fleet (VE 2nd Fleet), or "Offensive Fleet"	Commodore Wyl Trykon	yes
Vast Empire (VE)	Vast Imperial Military (VEM)	Vast Imperial Navy (VEN)	Fourteenth Vast Imperial Fleet (VE 14th Fleet), or "Frontier Fleet"	Commodore Gregor Hanf	yes

3.) Although Corellian Commodore Wil Tavere suspects New Republic Chief of State Mon Mothma had a hand in planning the attack on Absit, this shouldn't be taken literally.  It's almost certainly the case that the New Republic would rather the Corellian League be fighting Imperials than attacking NR member worlds, but it's unclear who - if anyone - in their government is working to pit the Corellians and Imperials against each other.

Great as always, Serpent. 

And as for Mon Mothma, I was going by the canon timeline, and just inferring that nothing in VE history would have unseated her early.  i'll get confirmation on that from the powers that be, but yeah, should be okay.

Yay!  Nothing says "Chapter" like seeing a new ship-type we don't normally get to play with.  Welcome to the party, boss!

Okay, people: I'm going to be moving us to Absit in the next couple days, and my post should give a better sense of what the place looks like, and offer some other hooks for you to develop as you see fit.  Hopefully, we won't all be waiting on me, after this next one. 

Finally caught up on reading posts! Great job all around.

I know I am currently the sole active Jexxel member, but I have an exam coming up in a couple days that I need to focus on so I can't promise a post before then. Either way, it'll be easy to play catch up if needed.

Well said, Trick!  Just ease yourselves back into it.  And remember, the best cure for writers block is writing!  Go for it, don't overthink, and see what happens!

Congratulations, Serpent.  You have a lot to be proud of, and I know I speak for everyone when I say I'm proud to be serving with you. 

Everyone, my post is coming... slowly.  Keep trying to post CD stuff, and I promise, after this next post of mine you'll have much freer reign to improvise and develop the story.

Nice post there, Fishhead!  I love the story you are developing with Docker, and am quite curious to see what comes next!

Keep them coming folks!

Okay, finally managed to finish my NPC POV post.  But unfortunately, it was getting really long, and still hadn't covered the details you guys need to move on to the next stage of this battle.  I apologize for that, and those details are just going to have to be here, in OOC form.

So, without further adieu:

Who:
1.) Commander Joshua Redd, senior communications officer in the Operations Center (Ops) of Nusiuu Control, the central station in the Nusiuu Docks facility.
2.) Captain Demhoff, commanding officer of Nusiuu Contol, and by extension the entirety of the Docks facility.
3.) Administrator Yarl.  Unspecified.  Probably civilian.  Maybe a member of the Imperial Maritime and Stellar Trade Administration.  Maybe a liaison from the civilian government on Absit, or even the Yatir species on Absit.
Note: you'll notice they're all males.  Traditional Imperial prejudices can be expected within the Nusiuu community to a great extent, although obviously they've forged a mutually-beneficial arrangment with the Yatir of Absit (who are, in a word, aliens).

What:
1.) Nusiuu Control is a big space station at the center of the Nusiuu Docks facility.  Its shape divides the facility into 4 rough "quadrants" in three-dimensional space.
2.) Most of the 30 uncrewed ships that make up the Reserve Fleet are in quadrants Aurek, Besh, and Cresh.  Dorn Quadrant is a little-used area of the facility, with very few resources, defensive emplacements, or personnel on duty (Strill is deploying to Dorn, although nobody else really knows that.  The official line is that Dorn is "not a defense priority," and will be protected enough by the encircling minefield).
3.) The Reserve Fleet is protected by: several stations, including 2 Golan II Space Defense SpaceGuns; and by a mobile defense force consisting of several Lancer-class frigates, a couple Carrack-class Cruisers, and various small armed craft, in addition to two full wings of starfighters (though these are older models, including regular TIEs); and, of course, by the aforementioned minefield.  I've left the details of the minefield unspecified, but let's just say it's a hodgepodge assortment of random munitions and sensors equipment and small weapons emplacements, scrounged over the course of the civil war.  There are big mines, small ones, different triggering mechanisms... in short, a very nasty layer of static defense, that completely envelopes the facility.  There are a few select routes through the field, known to the Nusiuu Imperials (and any spies among their ranks).  But the only other way through the field (without losing a LOT of ships) is a very slow sweeping operation, painstakingly identifying and then detonating every individual mine in a large area.

Where:
1.) The Docks facility and Reserve Fleet are about one full light year away from the Absit System.  That's a short hyperspace hop away, and easily reached by communications, but its beyond sensor range.
2.) See the Galaxy Map for the Absit System's location: it's about halfway between Tilsec Prime and Belgaroth, in grid square J-13.  We're not JUST here to help the Nusiuu Imperials out of solidarity... the Docks facility is in the heart of the Vast Empire's sphere of influence.

When:
1.) The end of my post is within an hour of the arrival of the Corellian/New Republic armada.  So you have about two hours of IC time to play with, before the battle is joined.  That is to say: about an hour between our initial arrival and the departure of the 14th and TF Besh, and then an hour between that and the arrival of the Corellians.
2.) I'd like us to get through this Prelude story as quickly as possible, while still keeping our quality up.  There's way more Chapter to come, and I'm sure we're all eager to take the fight to the enemy.  This first story is mostly a test of our capabilities, OOC: let's keep up the excellent work, and thereby show the VEHC that the Navy knows how to tell one heck of a tale! 

Well, it appears as though I'm the only Strill around at the moment, so I have quite a lot to catch up on writing wise.

Before I do post anything, is there anything I should include/not include/know?

I have poked him a fair amount, but it feels like poking something to see if it's dead .....

Sorry, Joamer, but I had to use that analogy.