Log Feil 9416-2237

[Feil]

Note: This log entry sat on my console for over a week before being submitted officially.

Personal log of Cadet Feil. Date: 9416-2237

Today was not a good day. I took my exam to be made an Acting Ensign. Commander Jemel pointed out that I did well but none of my knowledge of Combat Orders were correct. The only one I can remember is Delta 1 and even then I sometimes confuse it with the other deltas.
The advice I got was to utilize a second screen to keep the information up. I never find myself on a console with a screen to spare and would rather not change my resolution more then it already is to fit a cheat sheet into the space provided.
This all came to a head moments after my exam was finished when I was told to report to the Phoenix.

Thinking back on this, it is bittersweet. I was the Helm officer for the sim and it proved to be a rough experience.

My lack of knowledge in Combat Orders was proved correct within minutes of starting to fly the ship. We succeeded at the sim but I was left embarrassed at my performance.

Little did I know that this would be my last time aboard the TSN Phoenix.

All Officers reported for briefing. We were to escort a science vessel a few sectors away so they could test some new invention.
I was assigned to the Weapons station on the Eagle. My first time on the Missile Cruiser mark II. It was exciting to have so many torpedoes at my finger tips.
The first part of the mission went fine. The collected Division escorted the science ship to the testing point.
Then the Caltrons showed up.
One of their wormholes opened up and they started swarming out. The Division engaged, some of us were together, others chased targets of opportunity.
I loaded and fired torpedoes as fast as I could but the shield strength of the Caltrons, with their ability to turn on a dime and give back nine cents change, meant I my barrages weren’t doing consistent damage to any one part of their ships

To make it more complicated I couldn’t let free with EMPs and Nukes because the Raven and Lancer kept doing attack runs at beam range. They were nearly caught in the blast radius of a nuke my CO and XO ordered I let fly and I was hesitant to fire any more after that.
Looking back I wish I would have thrown caution to the wind. Maybe if I’d been more cavalier with the heavy ordinance the Phoenix would still be here.

It was during this engagement that the Phoenix was disabled. It’s life pods were collected so not all hands were lost, but before we could completely process what was happening the science ship finished its test.
From what a Science Officer has said, it on the scopes the energy pattern looked like an ever expanding wave of mines.
While that’s impossible, the computer would identify any reading as what it would most closely resemble.
It’s only a guess but as mines are nuclear tipped, the best I can figure is it was a wave of gamma rays, x-rays, neutron radiation, ionizing radiation, and probably some things the computer wasn’t calibrated to detect or the sensors weren’t build to cope with.
Almost sounds like a pulsar. A man-made pulsar.
This hypothesis is due to the complete annihilation that the sensors were able to record in the wake of this wave. Asteroids, Caltrons, the Phoenix, even local nebula were all wiped clear like someone cleaning smudge of the science screen.

Before the Division could comprehend what was going on Fleet Captain Xavier declared that something this terrifyingly dangerous wasn’t safe in anyone’s hands. Ordered the crew of the science ship to abandon ship and leave all research materials behind, including the infernal device. Once they’d compiled he targeted the vessel and the Raven unleashed its torpedoes.
With the deed done Xavier surrendered his command and went to his cabin. He has since been placed under arrest for treason and murder.

In itself this is confusing. I was watching the LRS at the time of this incident. The life pods had launched and were not within the blast radius of the barrage or a resulting destruction for a ship that size. Maybe someone didn’t make it off?

With the duty shift over, ending in a sim that found my helmsman-ship inadequate and a mission ending in a gut punch followed by a black-eye to the 4th Light Division with the loss the Phoenix and our Head Commanding Officer, I’ve wandered to the Dauntless and started to play blackjack against the computer.
The cheating it regularly does is a reminder in this dark hour that life isn’t fair and at least here on the Flight Deck I feel in my element.

Varok said no stick jockey could be one full time, but I’m starting to wish I could be. This is something I know.

Cadet Feil

• This topic was modified 8 years ago by Feil.

[Blaze Strife]

//You can write the combat orders on a piece of paper, and keep it near you while playing.

[Feil]

//That requires me finding paper and pen. I did some spring cleaning a few weeks ago and threw out anything I didn’t need. Clearly I needed the paper and pens.

[Aramond]

//I’ll agree with Blaze that having this kind of stuff written down is immensely helpful. I actually have both the combat orders and my engineering presets on two separate notes in front of me when we play. Then I have my whisper keys on a sticky attached to my monitor.

[Feil]

//I love some thoughts on my log aside from that one thing

[Matsiyan]

Very nicely done. It is great to see another personal perspective. Cool analysis of the weapon effect. And we have all felt that panic trying to remember combat orders. Some of us still do and keep a printed copy by the keyboard to save screen real estate.

How poignant to go aboard Phoenix for a sim and never to fly in her.

[Feil]

//Thanks for the praise, Matsiyan. Knowing that people are enjoying my version of events pushes me to write them out and take part in the extended RP of the board.
I noticed most people talked instead about the loss of the Phoenix or the arrest of Xavier, and not their thoughts on the doomsday device that is in no small part to blame for everything.
So I decided to throw my two cents in.

I’m almost glad I put off working on it as long as I did. I wouldn’t have had the bit of the ‘wave of mines’ to add if I hadn’t read it somewhere else. The thing about a man made pulsar came to me in the heat of the moment when writing the effect of the weapon and trying to compare it to a natural phenomenon of incredible destructive power.

Though I think I helmed on the Phoenix in a mission once or twice. She was a good ship and I hope her name will outlive her. Long live the Phoenix A, long live Fire Peep the Daughter of Fire Chicken .

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Feil.

[Leonard Hall]

// I am become Hall, destroyer of fleets.

[Author]

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