Sounds good. If you need any clarification about what's supposed to be going on, grab me on IRC. I'm almost always around.

Wow, well since Ryn got an epic possible death. *Don't believe it for a minute myself, she will be back eventually* It's time to reform, everyone who is still alive form up with the squadron. We've got a couple wounded birds who need to land so they can switch back into fully working fighters.

Now before you go off on this idea, this practice is actually pretty smart. Specially for a ship the size of the Atrus carrying more fighters than pilots is wise. We will call the hangar so they can ready a few birds for those who need them, remember you have been fighting for long hours. Your fuel and energy reserves are probably shot. So even if you are not damaged think about switching out ships for the end game.

Let's end Invisible with a really big bang boys and girls of Tuk'ata.


Ok, that's it. I'm removing Joa from the combined names dohicky.

Yea, I'm rather dumb.

That's because once a pilot has sat in that smelly little cockpit for long enough they forget how rancid they smell. And I won't be having that stench in any of my barracks.

/me ingores Eli

But seriously... To my understanding, the VE forces captured the Dominion's Super Star Destroyer, so the remaining Dominion ships are pulling a final assault before retreating. Within the squadron, we've been taking NPC casualties and our SC has pretty much wandered off to do her own thing. Scral came back after being in the brig for shooting our NPC XO earlier in the battle, and then assumed temporary command. Tuk'ata's currently regrouping in order to punch through the enemy fighters to the Atrus to repair and refuel. Also, Ryn killed herself off.

Any questions?

Quote:Also a reminder: the old "no more bullshit in official stories" regulation is still in effect - see that you follow it!

Great words of wisdom imparted to the members of Tuk'ata squadron by yours truly way back on March 11th...

First of all: how the blazes could all of this have happened in but a single day? Not even sure if it was a full day either since last I checked around to make sure people were still alive, the barracks and my office were still not a pile of burnt rubble and my booze was still safely tucked away as well... Let it be known that I am twice disappointed: once for this having happened at all, and twice for it having happened so fast.

Scral, you drop off the face of the Comnet without any warning - as well as no reports, no posts, no IRC activity in the official channels - and return only to apparently cause all, or at least most of this crap? I admire the fact you returned with a story post, which shows zeal, motivation and dedication (even if possibly just short term) but that's about the only thing I admire about this.

I'm not sure whether you kept reading the story or not and given the fact you decided to start things off with a portion of CD and nothing else I tend to think that's not the case - nor is that really important either truth be told. What is important however is the actual contents of your post...

1. One post you're in the fray, killing fighters and dodging laser bolts and in the next you're in a brightly lit room? I'm honestly not even certain how I should start pointing out that this is wrong in so many ways, on so many different levels. IC for instance this makes no sense whatsoever. Nobody would ever pull back their soldiers whilst they're fighting a supposedly vital fight only to have them go through another psych eval. Defending others vs answering questions about whether you saw your mother naked and whether daddy gave you enough love when you were a kid and whatnot... hardly a contest between the two choices.

Besides, in the field of battle it doesn't matter what the brass decides - it's what your immediate superior tells you to do that matters. The latter is mostly the OOC issue as well - when everyone else in the squadron has various orders, be them explicit or implicit as one can fairly easily deduce from Drac's AARs... why the blazes do you go off on your own and do something else without notifying anyone about these plans?

2. Another thing I already pointed out in the past but feel I should mention yet again as apparently the message did not fully get across - the Navy, the Army, the military (any military really) would not keep around insane people. Not talking about those that have insane moments or can pull off insane maneuvers, but those that qualified specialists actually state are insane. Thus one would raise the obvious question - why would the Navy keep Sral around seeing how you constantly point out that he's not apparently "all there" as noticed by actual doctors as well...

3. A simple fact about hierarchy, and I'm talking about IC hierarchy here. A squadron has 3, or as of late 4 flights. Each flight is led by a flight leader. Two of these leaders double as the squadron's CO, respectively the XO. Should the CO die, the XO would take over. Should the XO die then it would not be his wingman taking over. It would be another flight leader instead. If that one would die as well then the final one would take the role. If tragedy after tragedy would strike then still it would not be B2 suddenly taking leadership role. It would rather be A2. Only then would B2, C2, D2, A3, B3, C3, D3, A4, B4, C4 and D4 follow - though it would hardly matter in the end. That said it is however true that without B1 leading his flight, B2 would take over as temporary flight leader. It's not quite the same thing however as SXO. The above should be known by all SFC members and if you didn't know it by now, congratulations you just found out something new and useful.

4. This bit isn't in the story but rather right here, a few posts above. I'm talking about this feeling I'm getting from you that there are apparently a lot of empty fighters just waiting to be taken out for a spin. I agree a few of them may be found and I also agree refueling and recharging might not be a bad idea either but I sort of stop agreeing with you when you make it sound as if everyone can just waltz in there, leave their deathtrap behind and hop in a shiny new one only to start again. IC this sort of thing would need to be coordinated from higher up and would definitely not be the XOs, SCOs or possibly even the WCs decision. The latter are after all merely flyboys at the end of the day, whilst the fighters themselves still belong to the Vast Empire in general and a ship's captain in a more technical sense.

Ryn, I enjoyed your near death experience with the nerf and somewhat enjoyed your blowing up bit as well. Also interesting direction you're taking with the NPC SCO - hadn't planned on it myself but am liking and am intrigued by where it's headed (feel free to continue experimenting with her). Unless you die... and given what you described there - turbolaser hitting your ship - that would be the outcome 99% certain. So if you at least consider not making this a final post, my suggestion is twisting this around a bit - ejecting upon realizing you're alone or having something else hit you instead (something that would not instantly incinerate both you and the fighter you're in).

Eli, normally I'd have said the reasons presented are enough and go for it. In light of this tiny shitstorm however I'll decide differently however - unless you can show me some good reason for this or some really interesting story arc or whatnot, neither you nor anyone else interested can't kill any of the remaining FLs. Whilst I would appreciate the extra activity and interest I believe at this point in time that some normal, less dramatic and general not-megalomaniac sounding writing will be a positive thing for the squadron as a whole. Like I said, prove to me that you actually need and deserve this and you're not doing it on a whim and I will likely reconsider.

Like many months ago, I provide the squadron with a choice to amiably solve this situation.

1. Modify your existing posts so as to make them realistic and in the general spirit of the current story. Do this and the whole thing can at least be attempted to be swept under the rug.

2. Wait and see a possibly not so happy resolution to this, likely involving an IC post in which certain members will get shot down and become incapacitated for the rest of the story.

Unless things change by that time, the above mentioned post will occur sometime Saturday evening. To any and all that would post in the story earlier than that time - be careful what you write. If you're not sure about something then ask. I do not believe there was ever a case when someone asked a question and was not eventually provided an answer...

PS - I personally don't mind Army peops posting on Navy threads but I should warn everyone that pokes and jabs are only fun when both parties consider them as such... or when they generally don't make it seem like they could start something ugly as a result.

Sorry for not posting, family event I wasn't informed of popped up, and my laptop shut down. And a question; What day do we report on and to who. (I feel this has been said but I can't seem to remember)

OH! And on a last thought thank you Deep for the wall of text that I actually read.

It's on the wiki... The reason I'm not telling you up front is because I don't exactly know either.

Thanks, Hades.

1. Most pilots would not outlive their crafts in space battles. Even if you would manage to eject in time and not get blown up by enemy fire or debris, you'd still be stranded in the middle of nowhere and still be in danger of getting hit by enemy and friendly fire as well as debris. That being mentioned, it is possible to manage it though. Another note however would be that the S&R shuttles would not be in great supply to start with and would likely become prime targets for enemy fire seeing how they're big and slow, thus rescuing might end up taking a while. Assuming you do get picked up and end up on a friendly vessel (enemy S&R teams would be out there too after all) then after a relatively brief medical exam you may be deemed fit to return.

Whether you do return or not however depends on whether there are available fighters on that ship or not - and I should probably stress out that fighters are not in limitless supply, especially considering most cap ships carry reserve pilots and/or trainees that would logically get those ships long before you do as well as the specifics of this mission - where the VE knew an attack was coming and as such had time to manipulate all its forces into a state of readiness...

So to answer your question - yes you may rejoin the fray or you may end up watching the ending from the sidelines... just use common sense really. So long as you don't try forcing unlikely outcomes to occur things should be fine.

2. Your choice.

3. Talking about Scral's post that started this and possibly any posts since - you know, ripple effect and all.

Dawn, report to the infirmary at once and check if you are still fit and able to carry my booze around

And happy birthday DR, looking forward to a pleasant surprise for a change

As much as I hate to agree with Deep /me shudders.

I do agree with him in that if you were mentally unstable out of the cockpit it doesn't matter how you do in the cockpit - a doctor who said you were mentally unstable would generally  determine you unfit for duty flying high-speed starfighters in what could be seen as a highly stressful job. My recommendation - a suggestion, nothing more - would be to flesh out that part. IE, what did the doctors say PRECISELY, why was he allowed back in the cockpit and what treatment he may or may not be getting - maybe even turn it into a backstory, of sorts.

I also agree that it would go to the next flight leader - while you did the right thing IMO to kick the squadron 'up the arse' so to speak, you should have separated the IC and OOC meanings. ICly you would be rallying the squadron maybe through example, but, like Deep said, you would not be in charge. OOCly, you might be an example for us as well and indeed, a leader, as we had no SC/SXO, in fact our main leadership stemmed from the occasional appearance of Deep or Drac to tell us what to do..

So OOC, you did the right thing (in the humble opinion of a Petty Officer) but IC you disregarded the chain of command.. Though not out of disrepect or some such..

I think that made sense, No offence was meant by the post. And again, I hate agreeing with Deep.

If you'll excuse an interruption from someone outside the squadron, I wanted to chime in.

From my perspective, Hades's observation is spot on.  Scral, your actions have spurred a lot of activity, both in-story and out, and that's fantastic!  But at the same time, the IC content doesn't make a lot of sense...  I don't think we need to focus too much more on picking apart the whys and wherefores: this looks like another case of mixing up OOC and IC considerations, which happens sometimes.

DeepSix is Wing Commander, and he asked for some judicious editing; I agree with him that you should go through your post, and revise with an eye for verisimilitude.  But I don't want us to get bogged down, here, begrudgingly"fixing" instead of moving forward and bringing this story to a close.  Scral, follow Deep's orders, and add to your post: flesh out exactly how you made it back into the cockpit, and then deal with the given circumstances of the scene (where you are a rank-and-file pilot, not XO).  Maroy, you may want to alter you post as well to reflect that change.  But, Tuk'atans, please: DON'T let the hiccup interrupt your flow!    Keep posting!

I know things have not been ideal.  Yes, there has been a leadership vacuum.  Yes, this particular story has bogged down a couple times.  But at the end of this tale, shinies and promotions will be handed out, and OOC leadership positions will be assigned, and I want to see all of you moving up in the command hierarchy, and functioning better as a unit!  You're all wonderful additions to the Navy - each and every one of you brings something needed to the table - which I know for a fact, since if it weren't true, I wouldn't have passed you through training!    Show off your strengths!  Post often and well!  Let's close out this story with a bang, and OOC turn up the heat on this competition!

Scral, you have a char design and are trying to implement it - great, I can respect that and have absolutely no qualms about it. What I'm asking is not to give up on this concept but rather to properly implement it in the already existing world around it rather than change the world so as to accept the new char.

For instance if he is deemed unstable on the ground, or rather when not piloting (thus including capital ships and space stations as well) then how is the brass supposed to relax knowing that at any given time you could snap and start shooting up crewmen, blowing up critical systems or if really lucky just cause a big mess by killing yourself after finally deciding life truly is no longer worth living?

Furthermore the VE military, thus including the Navy as well, is somewhat flexible - moving people around ("transferring" them IC) to wherever they're needed. Why then should Command complicate its existence by applying special treatment to you - by either not moving you around or by only moving you alongside other members that are the only ones capable of keeping you in check? Wanting to make it extra clear that I'm considering these things mostly from an IC point of view and less, if at all from an OOC one.

Although there is no rule stating this, big stories involving multiple members should focus on the action and dynamics between each other first and personal agendas second. In personal stories this no longer applies obviously. So when you come and make a post considering your own char development first, leaving the same post confusing at best for everyone else this sort of thing happens...

I already said it in my previous post but will mention it again so as to spare you having to read through it again - when engaged in combat you're supposed to follow the chain of command. This works both ways, meaning that not only runts would need to pay attention to their flight leaders, deck supervisors and low ranking corporals, but that hotshots such as admirals and generals would need to send their orders down the chain of command, going through the proper channels unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. For clarification - there was no special circumstance in this case.

In short you would not have been called back on the Atrus - not while the fight still raged on outside... and if you tried leaving on your own then chances are you'd have been charged with mutiny/treason or whatever similar offense there may be. Combine that with the questionable sanity issue and it'd have been a definite career ender.

So by all means, come to terms with your issues and make whatever choice you want to make - but do all of it whilst following the constraints of your surroundings, paying attention to both location, time and maybe other involved factors.

I do appreciate your post stirring some people from their deathly slumber and making them return to the story and I can honestly state that had you first consulted with everyone else about the acting XO position I'd not have minded in the slightest provided the majority would've agreed to it. That was not the case though as it becomes apparent by the "why the heck did he suddenly become my boss" comments and messages I received. In the future, if anyone wants to try his hand at temporarily leading a flight or even a whole squadron - either get permission from your SCO or WC or at least talk things through with the other members and if they agree go for it, ideally not before still getting an approval from the above mentioned individuals... just to be on the safe side.

Hades, I agree with you too Your future nightmares because of this fact aside, I do not deny that this scenario had some somewhat positive OOC ramifications - heck, the squadron channel had been dead for a fairly loooong time before it. I also do not condemn the reasons and motivations, only the outcome.

Trykon, thanks for the input - and you know you're always welcome here. Particularly thankful for mentioning that this little thing should not hinder everyone's final posts on the story. Although it was what I wished for myself, I apparently only mentioned that the situation would be resolved one way or another by Saturday - a compromise between enough time to fix things and only a little while of possible stalling.

Eli, chances are very high for you to be picked up by a shuttle should you be destroyed in its proximity. That said the chances of there being a cluster of shuttles somewhere is a lot smaller as such groups would provide great targets of opportunity. I don't deny occasionally being a hardass, particularly when it comes to logic and realism, but I don't really consider myself a fanatic quite just yet either. If you absolutely want to get your fighter destroyed then do so. If you want to be picked up by a salvage shuttle then do that too.

So long as inconsistencies and lucky breaks are kept minor and to a generally acceptable level then I won't likely complain. And if you or anyone else is wondering just what "minor" represents - drop me or your SC a line asking about just what exactly you had in mind. Or you can also just talk things through with your other colleagues and get an idea about what might work... and what might not.

Hope this helped!

Let all bear witness to DR's promise of providing me with limitless amounts of booze on Sunday. May I forever torment him should he break this promise

One note for Eli - evacuating shuttles, although possibly the exact same models as salvaging shuttles, would not really work in the same manner due to their very nature. To clarify, when a ship is about to blow up people just scurry off to the nearest shuttle and cramp inside, hoping they will make it out in time. Given the urgency of the situation they would not really stop to get dressed in flight suits or any other types of suits providing protection against both oxygen deprivation as well as the vacuum of space.

You've probably figured out where I'm going with this from my previous sentence, but salvage shuttles would be depressurized, the crew wearing flight suits or similar and quite possibly (though admittedly not necessary as well) they'd be equipped with tractor beams to pull in stranded pilots or pricy salvage. I'm only mentioning this for future reference as it is technically a minor inconsistency, one that would not really hurt anyone on its own. Plus I already said I wouldn't complain about it...

A couple of extra clarifications regarding my latest post on the story - the lack of IC orders is intentional by this point and is meant to allow you all to pursue individual goals (if you have any), or to just go with the flow otherwise (visit the Atrus and get refueled/recharged, continue fighting ID fighters or help out Trykon's evacuating ship). By this point in time there's not really any wrong decision unless it really makes no sense. This whole experience should help provide you with some more ideas and beliefs regarding the VE as a whole, the Navy, the ones in power, as well as those fighting alongside you.

Everyone's still free to edit their latest posts in light of all this. Scral, contact me if you're interested in this as you'd require major edits. Maroy, your post is fine for the most part and would only require minor edits to smooth things over basically - whether you go ahead with this or not is your choice. If you have questions about specifics drop me a line. Ryn, you also don't technically need to edit your post but given these changes you might consider doing this all the same - maybe make that final outcome a tad less final? Again, this is entirely optional...

That might work for boarding shuttles or even some of the larger troop transports but regular shuttles, especially the Imperial models, would just have a reinforced door that (might double as a ramp) separating the passenger area from the outside. This is the case for models such as the Lambda, JV-7 and Sentinel shuttles for instance. Usually the cockpit area itself however is separated from the rest of the ship so depressurizing that part would be possible - though lethal if carrying live and unprotected organics.

So whilst the idea itself is more than feasible, the established canon (through the movies, animated series as well as a few comics and games) does not, to my knowledge, show regular Imperial shuttles being protected in this manner. At least not in their default role - that of transporting people from one destination to another.

My suggestion to you would thus be not to complicate yourself with details that might not really work without somewhat stretching things for a bit. You've already gotten on the shuttle in question and neither I nor anyone else complained about the means through which this was achieved so just continue with your own story arc, whatever this may be. I'm pretty certain that will be more interesting than stalling on account of a technicality anyway so go forth and make things exciting!

PS - Yay, more booze!

Yeah, I've made a revision based somewhat on what you said. I kept the barrel roll, but changed the last encounter entirely, and tweaked with the Bomber encounter. I do have a plan to get a VE starfighter for myself, based on the fighting going on in the Loyalty.