Action Stations - First Qtr 2016

RELEASE 16 0 1
FEBRUARY 2016
ACTION STATIONS
THE NEWSLETTER FOR THE COLONIAL MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
Bringing You to the Universe...
...One Vacation at a Time
Service Resuming Soon
ACTION STATIONS
EDITOR
COL Michael Dugas, Chief of Communications
RELEASE 1601
1ST QUARTER 2016
ABOUT THE COVER
The Battlestar Reprisal
(BS 55) breaks orbit of an
ACTION STATIONS is a publication of the Colo- unknown planet in this
nial Ministry of Defense, a Battlestar Galactica rendition.
fan organization, and is published electronically
each quarter. The newsletter is free to members 3D Model rendered by
of the Colonial Ministry of Defense.
Christopher Cardwell.
Battlestar Galactica and related visual elements You can find more of
are © of their respective rights holders.
Christopher’s work on his
facebook page:
© 2016 The Colonial Ministry of Defense
http://facebook.com/chriscardwellmodels
2
THE ADMIRAL’S WIRELESS
FADM LIAM BOOTZIN - COMMANDER IN CHIEF
Greetings Colonials,
This year has been an exciting one for the Ministry with
many changes in our Executive Council, CIC, and even
new chapters!
In order to grow, and get on track as a leadership, the
EC has been very active. We have installed Col Michael
Dugas as Chief of Communications and CDR Kenneth
Green as our Webmaster so our page will be up to date.
The council has been in near constant communication
and we are seeing projects like this newsletter as the
result.
This energy is being reflected in activity within the chapters. There have been lost chapters who have re-started reporting in, and we even launched our latest craft,
the Gunstar Hydra. This brings us up to 12 chapters!
As organizing the elections has been my primary goal,
I am pleased that 9 of those 12 chapters have already
gotten involved in nominations for our next CIC. As a
reminder, nominations close on the 20th of February.
Voting to the general population will begin on March
1st, so be sure to check the CMoD facebook page for
the latest updates.
My secondary goal has been to keep the Recruiting
and Retention division organized. We currently have
approximately 230 members, and with increased chapter activity plus rumors about a new Battlestar Galactica movie I foresee us growing in the next year. A
good way to help expand our club is by hosting panels
at local conventions. A simple “Introduction to the Colonial Ministry of Defense” panel where a chapter can
describe our organization and answer questions can
lead to many new members. The Ministry can provide
a banner with our logo for you to borrow, and we have
printable fliers available on our website at www.colonialministryofdefense.org These panels do not have to
be elaborate or expensive either – one of the panels
Stormbringer is hosting is playing the BSG board game
that several members already have. The key is to get
your club noticed, let the public know that it is your
chapter that is hosting the event.
It’s been both an honor and privilege to serve as the
second Commander in Chief of the Colonial Ministry
of Defense, thank you. I believe we have a club to be
proud of, and it gets better every day.
So Say We All!
DRADIS CONTACT
COL MICHAEL DUGAS - CHIEF OF COMMUNCIATIONS
Welcome to the first issue of Action Stations - I’m very
happy to get this out of my hands and into yours.
I wish I could share with you what to expect in future
issues. I have some ideas... but really, in the end, it is up
to you guys, the members.
This is, after all, your newsletter. My job as Editor-in-Chief is to be more a curator - to help guide the
content into place. Your job is to help me find the content and to let me know where you’d like me to focus.
Would you like more fiction? More art? An episode-by-episode viewing guide? Comics? Event briefings? Scale Model information and tips? I’m open to
nearly any concepts and story ideas.
We’ll be doing these quarterly, with the next issue coming out in mid May. If you have anything you’d like to
share (or suggest) please let me know by the end of
April.
To contact the Communications Department - please
either drop a me a line on Facebook or send an e-mail
over to me at:
cmod-comms@whitestar.org
Thank you for this opportunity to share - I’m looking
forward to your feedback, and the stories you will to
share with us all.
3
FROM THE DANT’S DESK
RADM LES RICKARD - COMMANDANT, COLONIAL WARRIOR ACADEMY
Greetings from the Colonial Warrior Academy!
Before we get into the meat of this report, allow me to
introduce myself and my staff. I am RADM Les Rickard,
Commandant of the Academy. I’ve been a member
of the CMoD since July of 2011 and a member of the
CWA since February of 2014. I am a long time member
of fandom and have been involved in many organizations. Commander Michael W. Malotte, another veteran of multiple organizations, has also been a member
of the CMoD since July of 2011. I brought him on as
the Deputy Commandant of the Academy in June of
2014. It is a great honor to be able to serve the membership and we hope to make all your interactions with
the CWA enjoyable ones. For my first article, I thought
I’d share the history of the Academy.
Academy History
VADM Joe Linden was the CWA’s first Commandant
and took on the position as the Academy was created
in June of 2011. In April of 2012, VADM Mark Hanford
took the reins and started working on courses to release to the membership. The CWA released those first
three courses on September 9, 2013. Deputy Commandant Colonel Danny Richards, with assistance from
Admirals Westfall and Hanford, deployed the Intro to
the Colonial Ministry of Defense exam and the Command Preparation exam. Not only do these core courses give members a great understanding of all aspects
of the organization, they also give potential chapter
commanders the information they will need to successfully lead a chapter in the CMoD. In addition to the
CMoD specific courses, the Battlestar Reference Course
addressed the Battlestar Galactica fan side of the organization, paying homage to the show that was the
CMoD’s inspiration.
February of 2013 saw Colonel Becky Eckhart take over
the reins as she continued to integrate the Academy
into the CMoD structure. In March of 2014, RADM
Les Rickard, Colonel Eckhart’s Deputy Commandant,
stepped up and took on the Commandant’s mantle.
During my tenure, the Academy has almost tripled in
size, releasing eight new courses to date and breaking into three academies with schools under each.
The Promotions exam and Awards exam joined
the Intro exam, continuing the introductory
4
courses and creating the Initial Orientation Training
School in the Basic Training Academy. Building upon
the Battlestar Reference course, the two Viper exams,
along with the Shuttle exam and Raptor exam, provided a strong start to the Flight School in the Tactical
Academy. And finally, continuing the efforts to foster a
strong leadership, the Fleet Commander exam and Executive Council course rounded out the newly formed
Command School in the Command Academy.
In the future, we’re looking to add an Operations School
under the Tactical Academy that includes courses covering subjects such as navigations, communications,
the flight deck, and DRADIS systems; flight courses under the Flight School; and a history section covering
Colony-specific information.
Obviously, for all this, we’re looking for some folks who
want to get involved. If you’re good at research, like
to write, and looking for a challenge, we’d love to talk
to you. We know there’s lots of talent out there just
waiting to be tapped – come join our team!
While we continue to build upon the course selection,
we both invite and encourage you to take advantage
of what the CWA currently offers. There are lots of opportunities to both learn and grow within the CMoD.
As with any discussion about our courses and the history of the Colonial Warrior Academy, we’d be remiss
if we didn’t give a Warrior’s shout out to Mark Hanford, Joe Linden, Robert Mulvey, and Robert Westfall. If
it weren’t for their dedication to the beginnings of our
organization and subsequent authorship of our manuals, we’d have virtually nothing to base our courses on.
Thanks to all of you!
In the end, the CWA is only as good as the courses we
offer. We are open to any and all feedback about our
curriculum and welcome your input. We look forward
to continuing to bringing you the best courses possible, now and into the future, and thank you for your
support.
So say we all!
COLONIAL WARRIOR ACADEMY COURSE LIST
Basic Training Academy
Initial Orientation Training
CWAO101 Introduction to the Colonial Ministry of Defense
Prerequisite: None
CWAO102 Colonial Ministry of Defense Promotions
Prerequisite: CWAO101
Colonial Ministry of Defense Awards
Prerequisite: CWAO101
CWAO103 Tactical Academy
Flight School
CWAT201 Capital Ship Reference Manual
Prerequisite: CWAO101
CWAT202 Small Craft Recognition 1 (Viper MKI-MKIV)
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAT201
CWAT203 Small Craft Recognition 2 (Viper MKV-MKIVIIS)
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAT201, CWAT202
CWAT204 Small Craft Recognition 3 (Raptors)
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAT201, CWAT202, CWAT203
CWAT205 Small Craft Recognition 4 (Shuttes)
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAT201, CWAT202, CWAT203, CWAT204
Command Academy
Command School
CWAC301 Command Preparation
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAT201
CWAC302 Flag Officer Command Preparation - Fleet Commander
Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAO102, CWAO103, CWAT201, CWAC301
Flag Officer Command Preparation - Executive Council Course
CWAC303 Prerequisites: CWAO101, CWAO102, CWAO103, CWAT201, CWAC301, CWAC302
5
COLONIAL WARRIOR ACADEMY GRADUATES
Greetings from the Colonial Warrior Academy!
This is a complete list of graduates from the CWA as of 1/27/2016. If you don’t see your name listed
under a course you have taken, please contact the Academy and let us know
CWAO101 - Introduction to the Colonial Ministry of Defense
Allen, TJ
Anderson, Scott
Austin, James
Chappell, Brian
DeBaer, Ivan
Dugas, Mike
French, Larry
Hanford, Mark
Hinson, Brandi
Levine, Craig
Malotte, Mike
Miller, Anne
Morgan, Mark
Neigut, Larry
Patch, Heather
Patch, Matthew
Reagan, Douglas
Rickard, Les
Robinson, Derek
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Michelle
Westfall, Robert
CWAO102 - Colonial Ministry of Defense Promotions
Allen, TJ
Chappell, Brian
French, Larry
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Robinson, Derek
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAO103 - Colonial Ministry of Defense Awards
Allen, TJ
Chappell, Brian
French, Larry
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Robinson, Derek
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAT201 - Capital Ship Reference Manual
Allen, TJ
Austin, James
Chappell, Brian
DeBaer, Ivan
French, Larry
Hanford, Mark
Hinson, Brandi
Levine, Craig
Malotte, Mike
Miller, Anne
Morgan, Mark
Patch, Heather
Patch, Matthew
Reagan, Douglas
Rickard, Les
Robinson, Derek
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Michelle
Westfall, Robert
CWAT202 - Small Craft Recognition 1 (Viper MKI - MKIV)
Chappell, Brian
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
6
COLONIAL WARRIOR ACADEMY GRADUATES
CWAT203 - Small Craft Recognition 2 (Viper MKV - MKIVIIS)
Chappell, Brian
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAT204 - Small Craft Recognition 3 (Raptors)
Chappell, Brian
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAT205 - Small Craft Recognition 4 (Shuttles)
Chappell, Brian
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAC301 - Command Preparation
Austin, James
French, Larry
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Miller, Anne
Morgan, Mark
Patch, Heather
Reagan, Douglas
Rickard, Les
Robinson, Derek
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Michelle
Westfall, Robert
CWAC302 - Flag Officer Command Preparation - Fleet Commander
French, Larry
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
CWAC303 - Flag Officer Command Preparation - Executive Council Course
French, Larry
Hinson, Brandi
Malotte, Mike
Rickard, Les
Walker, Daniel
Westfall, Robert
7
COMBAT AIR WINGS
COLONIAL MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
12TH AIR WING
12TH AIR GROUP (200 VIPERS, 40 RAPTORS)
VFA-101 “Screaming Eagles”
VFA-1003
VFA-587
VFA-1027
VFA-671
VFA-1118
VFA-693
VFA-1304
VFA-815
VQ-102 “Pathfinders”
VFA-889
VQ-108
55TH AIR GROUP (200 VIPERS, 25 RAPTORS)
VFA-73 “Crusaders”
VFA-633 “Golden Sabers”
VFA-214 “Black Sheep”
VFA-975
VFA-444 “Fire Angels”
VFA-1023
VFA-482 “Silver Comets”
VFA-1424 “The Waifs”
VFA-568 “Wrecking Crew”
VQ-71 “Tyr’s Sword”
VFA-601 “Malotte’s Mustangs”
VQ-693
F
O
69TH AIR WING
69TH AIR GROUP (90 VIPERS, 18 RAPTORS)
VFA-54 “Thunderbolts”
VFA-57 “Caprica Classics”
VFA-55 “Double Nickels”
VFA-58 “Jolly Rogers”
VFA-56 “Ghost Riders”
VFA-59 “Morning Stars”
63RD AIR GROUP (200 VIPERS, 40 RAPTORS)
VFA-69 “Fighting Wolves”
DE F E
OTHER ATTACHED UNITS (10 RAPTORS)
VQ-369 “Arc Angels”
VQ-557
8
VQ-112 “Grim Raptors”
VQ-294
VQ-361
VQ-1009
VQ-1037
VQ-1119
VQ-1302
VQ-1393
VQA-42 “Red Ryders”
VQA-841 “Rogues”
AES-408 “Nighthawks”
E
COL
O
18TH AIR GROUP (200 VIPERS, 25 RAPTORS)
VFA-112 “Hydra”
VFA-1163
VFA-526
VFA-1202
VFA-896
VFA-1407
VFA-904
VFA-1488
VFA-1000
VFA-1605
RY
ST
MIN
L
A
I
I
N
18TH AIR WING
55TH AIR WING
VQ-278
VQ-734
VQ-978
VQ-1125
VQ-1390
VQ-1407
NS
VFA-510 “Frak Fighters”
VFA-513 “Wild Cards”
VFA-516 “Raging Bulls”
COMBAT AIR WINGS
COLONIAL MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
77TH AIR WING
77TH AIR GROUP (80 VIPERS, 10 RAPTORS)
VFA-712 “Rampagers”
VFAS-2014 “Black Watch”
VFA-713 “Furies”
VQ-796 “Hammerheads”
VFA-1174 “The Berzerke”
VQ-1078 “Condors”
17RD AIR GROUP (200 VIPERS, 40 RAPTORS)
VFA-257
VFA-1333
VFA-511
VFA-1482
VFA-943
VFA-1506
VFA-1137
VFA-1701
VFA-1184
VQ-97
VFA-1289
VQ-462
99TH AIR GROUP (360 VIPERS, 50 RAPTORS, 10 BOMBERS)
VA-3 “Black Knights”
VFA-738 “Rough Riders”
VA-4 “Jackals”
VFA-777 “Lucky Sevens”
VFA-99 “Silver Samurai”
VFA-801 “Gladiators”
VFA-222 “Deadly Deuces”
VFA-853 “Cobras”
VFA-364 “Hi-Ryuu”
VFA-918 “Griffins”
VFA-413 “Manticores”
VFA-999 “Dragon Riders”
VFA-524 “Dragonslayers”
VFA-1057 “Thestrals”
VFA-525 “Pillagers”
VFA-1103 “Lupis Nocturnus”
VFA-638 “Toaster Hunters”
VFA-1249 “War Daggits”
VFA-673 “Death Dealers”
VFAS-2012 “Wraiths”
O
F
E
COL
O
99TH AIR WING
VQ-1723
VQ-1724
RY
ST
OTHER ATTACHED UNITS (20 RAPTORS)
VQ-984
VQ-1004
MIN
L
A
I
I
N
DE F E NS
51ST AIR GROUP (120 VIPERS, 60 RAPTORS)
VFA-155
VQ-89
VFA-256
VQ-157
VFA-557
VQ-381
VFA-831
VQ-657
VFA-890
VQ-984
VFA-933
AES-579
OTHER ATTACHED UNITS (10 RAPTORS)
VQ-928
VQ-1218
9
VQ-657
VQ-867
VQ-1023
VQ-1179
VQ-1204
VQ-1510
VQ-542 “Wizards”
VQ-548 “Sentinels”
VQ-703 “Marauders”
VQ-768 “Firebirds”
VQ-972 “Razorbacks”
VQ-1010 “Binary Bandits”
VQ-1085 “Scorpions”
VQA-349 “Ghost Dancers”
VQA-1162 “Shadows”
AES-573 “Nightingales”
AES-723
AES-776
AES-801
AES-835
AES-921
AES-955
SECOND CHANCES
FICTION BY VADM ROBERT WESTFALL
1420; 7 March 2040 (16mos before The Fall)
Location: Avayna Sector; Battlestar Minotaur
“Lieutenant Westfall, report to CIC. Lieutenant Westfall,
report to CIC,” the voice over the PA system repeated.
With a depressed sigh, Robert set down the rifle he
was cleaning and walked over to the intercom and informed the CIC duty officer that he was acknowledging
the page and would be in the CIC shortly. Returning to
the table, he finished wiping down and reassembling
the rifle before returning it to the locker and then putting his tools away. He then departed the armory and
headed to the CIC, stopping at a washroom along the
way to clean off his hands and face, and wondering
what the old man was going to chew his ass about now.
Tomorrow was the last day of this punishment detail,
given to him by Commander Mundt for arguing with a
senior officer. Robert hadn’t even attempted to explain
his side of the story, knowing it wouldn’t matter one bit
to the commander, who already had his mind made up
with regards to anything involving LT Westfall. Robert
also wasn’t going to give CDR Mundt the satisfaction
of knowing that he didn’t actually mind the current
punishment, cleaning every rifle and pistol in the ship’s
small arms lockers, as he found the activity to be relaxing. Taking pride in his work on the weapons, he also
knew that the Master-at-Arms and Marine Commander
shouldn’t be able to find anything to complain to commander about.
Arriving at the CIC, the marine sentry checked his ID
before allowing him access. Stepping through the open
door, Robert approached the command station and
came to attention and saluted, “Lieutenant Westfall reporting as ordered, Commander.”
Mundt glared disdainfully at the lieutenant before returning the salute. “Couldn’t be bothered to put on a
clean uniform, I see, Lieutenant. Not surprising, given
your attitude and disdain for regulations,” Mundt said.
Robert remained at attention and didn’t say a word;
none was expected and wouldn’t have done him any
good if he had.
Seeing he wasn’t going to get a rise out of his favorite
whipping boy, the commander thrust a folded piece
of paper at the lieutenant. “Your transfer has been
approved; here are your orders. A transport will
10
be here at 0800 on the tenth to pick you up; you miss it,
and your ass is mine for as long as either of us remains
in the Colonial fleet,” the commander nearly snarled at
the young pilot. His disdain for the man and the fact
that his transfer was not with the commander’s liking
was clearly evident in his tone and demeanor.
LT Westfall took the piece of paper from the commander as he replied, “Yes, sir; thank you, sir.”
“Dismissed!”
Robert saluted again before turning on his heel and
departing the CIC, he could feel Mundt’s eyes boring
into his back until he turned the corner. He waited until
he got back to his quarters before even looking at the
piece of paper clutched tightly in his now-sweaty hand.
Just because his transfer request had been approved,
didn’t mean it was to someplace better than here. His
heart thudding in his chest, Robert sat on the edge of
his bunk and carefully unfolded the piece of paper and
read his orders.
“COUGAR, you all right?” CPT Barbara Starr asked, seeing the other pilot suddenly pale and seem to stop
breathing. Starr was about 8 years older than Westfall, and tended to act as mother-hen to many of the
younger pilots. She was also COUGAR’s squadron commander… at least once he was restored to flying status
the day after tomorrow.
Snapped out of his surprise by KITTY’s voice, Robert
stammered out, “Yeah… uh, sorry, was… was just surprised by my orders.”
“Please tell me you’re finally getting out of here before Mundt ruins your life and not just your career,”
she asked. Starr was one of the few officers aboard the
Minotaur that didn’t ignore LT Westfall just because he
was on CDR Mundt’s shit list.
Robert nodded, still not believing what he had read.
“I’m being transferred to the Katana as a squadron
commander and getting a promotion back to captain.”
“Woo-hoo, baby, just who do you know at HQ?” KITTY
teased. “I hear that’s the new battlestar they’ve been
testing all the new tech on for the Nova II class… not
to mention being designated as Admiral Crouse’s flagship. I tried to get transferred to her, but got turned
down. I am so jealous…”
COUGAR turned red, embarrassed that he may have
taken KITTY’s spot on the Katana. “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t you be sorry about anything, COUGAR. I think
it’s wonderful that you’re finally getting out of here and
getting a chance to start over,” KITTY told him, coming over sit on his bunk with him. “Just promise me
that you’ll keep your nose clean and that temper and
mouth of yours in check. Not everybody gets a second
chance, so don’t frak this up… you may not get another
one.”
Robert nodded, “I’ll do my best not to mess it up, KITTY. I promise.”
She nodded. “That’s all I can hope for. Now, while you’re
sitting there smelling all sexy with that au d’ Hoppes on
your BDUs, must I remind you that you’re too young
for me and I have a CAP rotation to fly.” That got COUGAR to blush, which elicited a laugh from Starr. She truly hoped this would turn out well for COUGAR, he was
miserable here and had no one to turn to: no family; no
girl, at least that she had ever heard about. “Get yourself some rest before you have to be in the galley for
the rest of your punishment detail… you look like shit.”
“I’ll try, KITTY,” he promised. While he knew he needed
to try and get some sleep, especially before he had to
spend 10 hours washing dishes by hand in the ship’s
galley beginning at 1730, he wasn’t sure if rest would
come… especially with the news of his transfer.
CPT Starr merely nodded, knowing that it was probably
hopeless to believe that he would actually sleep, before
grabbing her helmet and departing the room. Once
she had left, COUGAR re-read his orders before tucking them under his mattress and stretching out on his
bunk, thinking about the second chance he had been
given… by his old commander.
*****
0755; 10 March 2040 (16mos before The Fall)
Location: Avayna Sector; Battlestar Minotaur
COUGAR stood in an out-of-the-way spot in the hangar bay, next to his duffel bag, waiting for his ride. He
had managed to avoid getting into trouble for the
past few days… which had been easier said than done.
KITTY had found out that CDR Mundt had apparently
informed a few of his more ‘devout’ officers about
what would happen if COUGAR missed his flight. Being his squadron commander, she had ensured he was
kept flying or otherwise kept busy and thus out of the
line of fire, lest anyone find a way to make Westfall miss
his ride and end up being stuck here.
He hadn’t been standing there long when a recently-landed raptor was pulled into the hangar. Robert
didn’t recognize the markings on the craft, but watched
as the pilot exited the craft and conferred with the deck
chief. He realized it was his ride when the deck chief
indicated COUGAR by pointing at him, and the pilot
walked over to him.
COUGAR subconsciously straightened his blue uniform
top as the pilot approached. He came to attention and
saluted when he saw the pilot was a major. The major
saluted back while looking at his uniform quizzically.
“Are you Captain Westfall?” she asked, clearly confused
as the saluting officer was wearing the rank insignia of
a lieutenant.
Robert blushed with embarrassment, he wasn’t getting
off on the right foot already… damn CDR Mundt. He
had been unable to obtain a set of captain’s insignia
from the ship’s quartermaster, who’d claimed they were
out of them. KITTY had offered him a set of hers, but
he had turned her down, not wanted her to be short a
set if Mundt surprised them with an inspection. So he’d
settled for wearing his lieutenant’s insignia, figuring he
would be able to get a couple of sets from the Katana’s
quartermaster.
“I’m sorry, major, the ship’s stores were out of the appropriate insignia,” he replied.
For her part, Major Fracul found that hard to believe
but couldn’t understand why the other pilot would lie
about it, so she chose to let it slide. She merely nodded
her head and told him, “Get your gear, and yourself,
stowed in the back. I’m making a quick run to the facilities and then we’re outta here.”
Robert nodded as MAJ Fracul headed off. He then
picked up his duffel bag and the swords laying on top,
before heading over to the raptor and climbing inside.
As he secured his gear, he noticed that the raptor had
that ‘new car’ smell and feel about it and deduced it
must have only recently come off the assembly line and
been turned over to the Colonial Fleet.
The co-pilot nodded at him as COUGAR sat
11
down and strapped himself in. A couple of minutes
later MAJ Fracul returned and climbed into the craft.
“All secure?” she asked him.
“Yes, major,” Robert replied. Nodding at him, Fracul
checked to ensure his gear was stowed properly before
entering the cockpit.
Once the craft had cleared the Minotaur’s flight deck,
MAJ Fracul, who Robert had learned went by the callsign STEAMY, informed him that per security protocols,
she was going to have to seal the cockpit. He merely
nodded, not understanding why he wasn’t allowed to
see where he was going, before she sealed the cockpit.
He thought about using the trick LT Tatham had taught
him about hot-wiring the RIOs console if/when it was
shut down, but decided against it, having promised
KITTY that he wouldn’t go out of his way to get into
trouble.
The trip lasted about ninety minutes and involved 8
FTL jumps. COUGAR wondered if they had been that
far away, or if was part of the security protocols MAJ
Fracul had mentioned… though he hadn’t thought it
was possible to follow or track an FTL jump. Though
maybe it was…
“Welcome to your new home, COUGAR,” STEAMY told
him as she opened the cockpit door, allowing Robert
his first glimpse of the massive new battlestar sitting
in its berth.
“Wow…” he muttered, eliciting a chuckle from STEAMY
before she told him that that was pretty much the stan-
12
dard response from everyone the first time they saw
the ship.
Once the raptor had landed and been transferred to
the hangar bay, they were met by a Colonial Marine
captain who indicated that COUGAR’s presence had
been requested. Swallowing nervously, Robert grabbed
his things and followed the marine into the belly of the
ship.
*****
0947; 10 March 2040 (16mos before The Fall)
Location: Caesarea Anchorage; Battlestar Katana
“Enter,” came the voice on the other side of the doorway after the marine captain had hit the buzzer indicating their presence. As the door slid open, the captain
had turned to COUGAR and took his bag and swords
before gesturing for him to enter.
Stepping into his new commanding officer’s quarters,
Robert stepped quickly over to the table where the
only other people in the room were located. Stopping
and coming to attention, he saluted and blurted out,
“Captain Robert Westfall reporting as ordered, sir!”
“At ease, Captain,” said the trim, gray-haired man
standing on the other side of the table. Robert assumed
a parade-rest position, noticing the vice admiral’s rank
insignia on the other man’s uniform, as the figure
picked up a pair of glasses from the table and leafed
through some papers in front of him. The other figure
in the room was standing to the right of the admiral,
back in the corner and was hidden in the shadows.
After a couple of moments of silence the older man
spoke again, “So, Captain, are you really as good as
what part of your record tells me you are… or are you
the frak-up the rest of it says you are?”
Robert remained silent, presuming it was a rhetorical
question. CDR Mundt never wanted to hear anything
Robert had to say, and when he did it was only after he
had given him permission to speak. While Robert had
heard about how good a commander Crouse was to
work for, he was also tough and presumed that his new
boss would tell him when he wanted an actual answer
from him.
Crouse noticed the young officer tense up, and guessed
as to why no answer was forthcoming, “You don’t have
to wait for permission to answer unless I specifically
tell you so, Captain. I like intelligent officers who have
an opinion… it doesn’t mean that we will agree, but it
helps keep us all honest.”
Relaxing slightly, COUGAR replied, “Well then, Admiral,
I would have to say a bit of both.”
Crouse laughed, “Good. I value honesty in my crew,
especially those who can be honest with and about
themselves. Now, why are you out of uniform?”
“I ummm… I was unable to procure the suitable rank insignia before departing the Minotaur, sir,” Westfall replied, stumbling over his answer at first as he was torn
between telling a variation of the truth and making his
old CO look bad.
“Interesting… CHARGER, didn’t you tell me that you cut
his orders almost a week ago?” Crouse inquired.
The figure in the shadowy corner replied, “That would
be correct, Ed. The Minotaur acknowledged receipt of
them approximately six days ago.” COUGAR thought
for sure he recognized the voice from somewhere.
As he was speaking, the figure emerged from the shadows and Robert was able to see who it was. His heart did
a double-take as he saw that it was his old commander,
the one who had approved his transfer request: RADM
Foskett, currently the Chief of Personnel.
“Hmmm, sounds like Tyree is having some supply
problems. Perhaps you should pass that along to logistics so as to ensure his battle group isn’t running
out of things it needs,” Crouse stated. He had an idea,
based on what he knew of Tyree Mundt’s personality
and command style, what the real story was… and he
absolutely despised such petty games.
“I’ll make arrangements for that once I get back to HQ,”
Foskett replied, winking at COUGAR.
Returning to the papers in front of him, Crouse read
over a few sheets in particular before speaking again,
“It says here that he’s been flying a Mark Five for the
past several years; you think I can trust him with one of
my shiny new Mark Sevens?”
Foskett laughed, “Only if you don’t want to have to explain why the rest of your air wing was being shown up
by a kid in ten-year old fighter.”
Crouse raised an eyebrow, looking at CPT Westfall as
he spoke to Foskett, “He that good?”
“I’ve seen him do things in a viper that the engineers
say is impossible… and he’s just as good in a Kenjutsu
ring too,” Foskett told him, adding the last part to play
on VADM Crouse’s love of Kenjutsu.
“Interesting,” Crouse replied, then extended his hand.
“Well then, welcome aboard Captain Westfall. Petty Officer Reid will show you to your quarters and arrange
for the quartermaster to get the appropriate rank insignia to you. You’ll have to get settled in later, as the
CAG needs to meet with you at 1100 before you meet
your squadron… I believe she has slated you and your
people to perform at the commissioning on Thursday,
which gives you approximately 4 days to practice. I will
expect you in your dress uniform for the reception that
evening. Do you have any questions of me?”
Of course he had questions, probably a hundred of
them racing through his head right now. But he wasn’t
sure if now was the right time to ask any of them… he
didn’t want to push his luck. “No, sir, thank you for this
opportunity, sir. I will do my best not to let you down.”
Crouse nodded, “Dismissed.”
Robert came to attention and saluted both admirals
before turning on his heel and departing the room. Out
in the corridor there was a fleet petty officer waiting
with the two marine sentries. Robert grabbed his belongings and followed the non-com down the corridor,
his heart still thudding in his chest and praying to the
gods that he didn’t mess this opportunity up.
13
UPCOMING CONVENTIONS
http://planetcomicon.com/
http://c2e2.com/
Guests
Edward James Olmos, Stan Lee, George Takei
Guests
Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Sasah Roiz
Space City Comic Con
May 27 - 29, 2016
Houston, TX
http://spacecitycomiccon.com/
Guests
Dirk Benedict, William Shatner, Alex Kingston
CyphaCon
April 8 - 10, 2016
Lake Charles, LA
http://starfestdenver.com/
http://www.cyphacon.org/
Guests
Michael Dorn, Nana Visitor, Connor Trinnear
Guests
Aaron Douglas, Nana Visitor
CURRENT FLEET STRENGTH
Total Fleet Strength: 238 members; 12 chapters
(As Of 19 FEB 2016)
Picon Fleet (41 Members)
- Battlestar Katana (Mercury II Class) BS-99
- Battlestar Mercy (Mercury Class) BS-51
- Gunstar Artemesium (Cygnus Class) GS-9901
Aerilon Fleet (24 Members)
- Battlestar Polaris (Mercury Class) BS-12
Caprica Fleet (60 Members)
- Battlestar Stormbringer (Columbia Class) BS-69
- Battlestar Strong Tower (Mercury Class) BS-63
- Gunstar Daxton Star (Cygnus Class) GS-6903
Libris Fleet (11 Members)
- Battlestar Chimaera (Mercury Class) BS-18
Scorpia Fleet (33 Members)
- Battlestar Reprisal (Mercury Class) BS-55
Tauron Fleet (41 Members)
- Battlestar Hades (Valkyrie Class) BS-77
- Battlestar Enterprise (Mercury Class) BS-17
- CR Hydra (Loki Class) CR-7701
Inactive Fleets: Aquaria, Canceron, Gemenon, Leonis,
14