- the Royal Manticoran Navy!

The Royal Manticoran Navy Newsletter
Second Quarter • 2014
A Manticore’s Tale
One Step Beyond
TRMN and the British National Science Fiction Convention
I
f you think American conventions were big, you’ve
never been overseas. According to Herald Scotland,
Satellite 4—the 65th British Science Fiction Convention—is the UK’s largest annual gathering of its kind.
The event, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow,
Scotland, was expected to net the city about £1.6 million.
It covered literature, film, art, music and space science
and was brought by volunteers who had been preparing
for Easter Weekend 2014 since winning a bid to host the
event more than two years ago. Since it fell over the holiday, many attendees called it “EasterCon.” Major celebrities in the worlds of science fiction and fantasy were
brought in including authors Sir Terry Pratchett and
Charles Stross. Unfortunately, Iain M. Banks had died
before he could attend this year.
Of course, what major gathering could be complete
without a visit from the First Lord of the Admiralty himself, Lord Sir Martin Lessem, Duke, New Scania. Even
his lovely lady, Sara Kate, made a rare appearance. After
meeting together for a pre-con celebration at a local pub,
Satellite 4 gave Captain Martyn Griffiths the crew of
GNS Albion an opportunity to shine, showing off what
TRMN has to offer at the recruitment table, and hosting
the senior leadership aboard. There were plenty of panels, of course, and the nominations for the Hugo Awards
were announced later in the convention. Of course, there
were charity events held, including an art auction!
However, to the jealousy of their fellow spacers, the
iPhone app Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet came out a
The crew of GNS Albion. Martyn Griffiths (left),
Dave Girling (seated), Clive Troubman (standing,
center) and William Cuthbertson (right)
week ahead of its US release date. His Grace was rather pleased with the result. Chief Emilio Desalvo, upon
watching the YouTube video of the incident, groaned,
“OK, we have lost him.” Similar comments were made,
but mostly, spacers everywhere were interested in how
the new game played. “Nah. Not completely lost,” Admiral Lessem was quick to respond, “The game is addictive.
Note you need an internet connection to play it.”
Eventually, the Duke was pulled away from the game
to enjoy the rest of the con, including dancing with his
lady in the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Albion
looks forward to new members, as Captain Griffiths noted, “I’m pleased that I have had some email in regard to
our appearance at EasterCon.” Apart from recruiting at
the event, enjoyment was had by all. His Grace summed
it up by saying, “The FLA wishes to thank the crew of the
GNS Albion. We had a great time at Eastercon!”
Martin Lessem (far right) is
prominent in the Herald Scotland’s article
on the Satellite 4 convention.
Ask the Chief
Words and Wisdom from the Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
W
hen I was stationed at Saganami Island, I did a
segment on their Facebook page called “Ask the
Chief.” Now that I’m the SMCPON, I thought I would
bring this article to the fleet. So enjoy.
“How do I get more involved with the Club?”
– Spacer 3/c, HMSS Greenwich.
That is a great question; it can seem daunting at the
very least. The nice thing about this club is that unlike
many other “official” clubs there really are opportunities
to get involved at the chapter, fleet, and even the national
level. The first and easiest way to get involved is to get on
the Facebook pages. Get to know other members in your
Ship, Squadron, Fleet, or even Club wide. Throw you hat
in and comment on posts that matter to you.
Of course, I would suggest you put in for classes at the
Academy! Get to know your instructors; some of my best
friends in the fleet are those who got to know me as more
than an instructor. And finally volunteer; you can start at
the ship level, help at tables, cons, meetings. When you’re
ready, volunteer for fleet functions, staff fund raisers,
and other events. Nationally, see if any of the Space Lords
have staffing needs. (Hint: they all do.)
Sometimes it takes time and persistence to find a task,
but it can happen. Finally there is the Order of Elizabeth.
This is for those of us who have a few extra dollars. This
great order provides money for the fleet to use to develop
new patches, ribbons, awards, cards, swag, and other
2
A Manticore’s Tale
things that make us unique. It also allows this club to be
dues free for those of us who simply can’t afford it.
As an example of getting involved, let me offer myself.
I am a member of a smaller ship that is hundreds of miles
from its nearest neighbor. On top of that, I have a young
family. I work for the government and my wife for a nonprofit... ergo, low cash flow. We can’t afford to get extravagant. However, I became active with my ship, went
to meetings, and met my crewmates. I started taking lessons at the Academy and got to bugging them about assisting. I found myself rising through the ranks, enjoying
myself immensely. I found myself getting to know people
all over the country and world. And more importantly,
I found myself in a position to really make a difference
for people, enhancing their fan experience. Now it’s my
mission to make the enlisted experience in this club an
example to all other clubs. Together we can do this!
One small caveat; there has been some question about
creative people making things. We have lots of talented
members in many fields and that is great! However, we
must remember one small detail. We are the Official
Honor Harrington Fan club; that means we keep canon.
We also have a very distinct command structure, which is
meant to assist us in remaining the official club. I totally
see the appeal in creating content; in making our small
mark on the worlds we have grown to love. I can also understand (and even agree) that we all kind of collectively
own it in a way. However, the Creator (David Weber) has
created this world, this vision, and it’s his sandbox. We
are lucky to play in it with him a little. Share that content.
Enjoy it. But please don’t get upset if it isn’t adopted!
Finally, know that I am here for you as a sounding board
for any and all complaints, concerns, or frustrations. I am
your voice to the admiralty. And I take that responsibility
seriously, very seriously. Talk to me if you have a concern.
We will resolve it together.
Yours with Honor,
SMCPON Tom Coonradt NS, ME
Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
The Manticore’s Tale
Published Quarterly by BuComm - Landing, Manticore
Production Team:
CMDR Marcus Johnston, OC - Director of Publications
CPO Caitlyn Miller - Manager, Manticoran News Bureau
Editorial Board:
ADM Lord Robert Bulkeley, Jr., SC - 4th Space Lord
CDRE Eric Schulmann, SC - CO, BatCruDiv 111
CPT (SG) Lady Diane Bulkeley - Chief of Staff, BuComm
Second Quarter
Two Hotels, One Family
HMS Enterprise attacks StarFest Denver
One look at the chapter map
and spacers may think that there’s
nothing happening out in Basilisk
Fleet. HMS Enterprise proved them
wrong when they docked at StarFest
Denver from May 2nd through the
4th. Started back in 1977, StarFest
is one of the country’s oldest sci-fi/
fantasy gatherings, balancing panels,
film screenings, costume contests,
comic book vendors, kids’ events
and live performances. That’s a lot of
activities for an all-weekend, around
the clock event… so much so that
they had to break up the activities
across the Denver Marriott DTC,
the Denver Hilton Garden Inn, and
have attendees fill up the nearby
Hyatt Regency.
There were many headliners
at this year’s con—according to
John Wenzel of the Denver Post—
including Nichelle Nichols (“Star
Trek”), who returned to StarFest
this year, as well as Tim Russ (“Star
Trek: Voyager”), Amanda Tapping
(“Stargate”), Giancarlo Esposito
(“Revolution,” “Breaking Bad”),
Billy Dee Williams (“Star Wars”),
and others. The programming at
StarFest happily accommodated all
manner of sci-fi, horror, fantasy,
comic book and anime offerings.
Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG:1)
and Josh Weber (in TRMN gear).
Of course, our local chapter in
Colorado—HMS Enterprise—made
its presence felt among the throngs
of fellow geeks. Chief Boatswain’s
Mate Jeff Southern, Chief Petty
Officer Kelly Kluckman, and
Lieutenant (JG) Tammy Schoonover
worked hard before the con, making
three different types of buttons.
Once finished, they made sure to
get them out to attendees, including
Tim Russ (who wore his button a lot
on Sunday) and Amanda Tapping.
“I saw black berets everywhere,”
said Captain (SG) Diane Bulkeley.
“I wore mine quite a bit!” laughed
Kat Pullen. Unfortunately, while
distributing Honor buttons, the
crew did run into trouble while on
shore leave and promptly got thrown
into the convention’s brig. “[It]
paid for charity,” Captain Bulkeley
explained, although Lieutenant
Schoonover explained “I think the
Captain said something like, ‘I dare
ya’ll to do it!’ We did, and ended up
in the clink!” Later reports proved
that all proceeds from the jail went
to supporting the Denver Zoo.
Once released, they had time to
participate in the annual “May the
Fourth” event, celebrating all things
Star Wars, including the Jar Jar
Dunk Tank, Miss Empire Pageant,
and Lightsaber Piñata Training. Our
spacers became so well known at
the con that the Starfleet group even
copied their recruitment display,
much to the chagrin of Enterprise’s
captain. It is obvious that 8th Fleet’s
presence in the con circuit is well
represented.
In the brig with Shirley Kunz, Joe
Hinson, Tammy Schoonover, Bob
Bulkeley, Damon Schoonover, Diane
Bulkeley, Josh Weber, Jeff Southern
and Kelly Kluckman.
2014
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
3
Elegance and Entropy
Tenth Fleet arrives at NorWesCon 2014
T
enth Fleet has felt very much separated from the
rest of the Navy, guarding the Talbott Quadrant
with only three ships… but now the tactical situation
has changed. Artemis joined the Tenth down in San
Francisco, and at NorWesCon on Easter Weekend, a
new ship joined their ranks. HMS Black Rose (BC-520)
was commissioned to serve in the Portland, Oregon
area, under the command of Captain (JG) James Sena.
This prestigious event brought out none other than the
First Space Lord himself, Scott Akers, to witness the
commissioning ceremony. “Thank you one and all,” the
newly-minted Captain Sena beamed. “This has been
a whirlwind weekend. The officers and crew of HMS
Black Rose look forward to the challenge of representing
10th Fleet and TRMN both from our berth in Oregon and
wherever our orders take us.”
NorWesCon was filled with excitement as the two ships
came together for this field exercise. Michael Moorcock,
the English-born author of the Elric of Melniboné fantasy
series, was the con’s Guest of Honor, which was a huge
draw for many fans. In addition to the many panels and
presentations that accompanied this star-studded event,
there was even a “Let’s Make a Movie” workshop, which
has been a staple of the con for the past fourteen years.
This workshop allowed you to learn about making short
movies by doing it right there! With the help of a few
professional filmmakers participants worked up a story,
worked up characters, hunted down props, planed a
shoot, got it “in the can,” and eventually, finished the final
edits.
Of course, serious work was being done, in the form of
several charitable efforts. The con staff itself supported
the efforts of Northwest Harvest, Washington State’s
largest resource for hunger relief efforts. They had a
Christina Coonradt joined her husband Tom this con.
(The jacket belongs to Patrick McKinnion.)
4
A Manticore’s Tale
Standing on Ceremony: Scott Akers, Timothy Monk,
Chester Beadle, Jordan Bouray, and Amber Witherspoon.
donation bin in the lobby for shelf-stable food donations,
as well as items to bid on in Sunday’s auction. That
gave TRMN a challenge to meet, and the crew of HMS
Truculent (and the newly formed HMS Black Rose) did
not disappoint. They held their second annual charity
event at the con, a treecat and game raffle, raising a total of
$326 dollars! Not only did they support the Navy’s favorite
charity of Big Cat Rescue, but also the Green Cross
Academy of Traumatology, which provides mental and
emotional assistance to first responders in disaster areas.
The Green Cross Academy is close to Truculent’s heart.
For example, Ensign Mir Plemmons is associated with
the Academy, and has been working in the Oso Landslide
area at different times for either Green Cross or within his
Washington State Guard duties. Surgeon Commander Sir
Patrick McKinnion, although not an EMT himself, holds
advanced First Aid and CPR credentials, and has many
friends in the EMT and Emergency Services field. In fact,
he has been a volunteer first aid person at many SF/F
conventions, and has been a Warranted Chirurgeon in the
SCA since 1998. Both Green Cross and Big Cat Rescue will
be splitting the proceeds of the raffle, receiving $163 each.
Of course, no field exercise can be perfect, and through
the trials that can be inflicted by such a large con, the
joint crews powered through. Their leadership was not
immune. Captain (JG) Timothy Monk, commanding
HMS Truculent, noticed that he “Had a bit of a uniform
malfunction, my rank pips broke off of both… and got lost
Friday.” Commander McKinnion noticed that “When I
got home from the con, I got no less than five messages
on Facebook from people saying they tried to sign up
for the HMS Truculent on the main TRMN site, but
couldn’t find the ship on the drop-down menu.” Marshal
Second Quarter
The crew of HMS Black Rose (BC-520): Jessica Allen,
Jordan Bouray, Amber Witherspoon, and James Sena.
of the Corps Sean Niemeyer, who wears a second hat as
the Staff Communications Officer for the First Lord of the
Admiralty, assured him they were fixing the glitch.
On top of all this craziness, the feat that was most
impressive was the fact that there were no plans to launch
to ship when the spacers arrived at the con. On the second
day of the event, Fleet Admiral Akers and senior officers
were able to organize, plan, and launch a ship on Friday
afternoon. Even the First Space Lord had fun, although you
wouldn’t know it from the pictures that were taken. “[He
was] just disappointed because [the] Chief told him ‘no
floggings tonight, Your Excellency,’” observed 2LT Joseph
Grieco. However, Captain Monk put it best. “It’s amazing
what can be done in six hours at a convention when you
put your mind to it!”
Through adversity, the con brought the crews closer
together. “She even kinda dressed up for me,” SMCPON
Tom Coonradt spoke fondly of his wife, S3/c Christina
Coonradt. “She was such a trooper. Helped out a lot.”
Along with Christina, Civilian 3 Camin Bradbury, and
SFS Probationary Ranger Mhari McKinnion-Bradbury
did a fantastic job, not just at the recruiting table, but in
volunteering throughout the event.
Bradbury and McKinnion both organized youth
programming events in their roles as Norwescon
Staff, with the help of Christina Coonradt and
Mhari McKinnion-Bradbury helped with gaming
and masquerade events, as well as functioning as a
teen “runner”. Bradbury organized a kids’ Airship
Regatta which was well-appreciated. Her partner,
McKinnion, was not to be outdone with a “build a
city and destroy it, Kaiju-Style” event for ages 4-8
was a major blast. An hour to build the city out of
cardboard boxes and packaging; thirty seconds to
destroy it. It was a pasteboard apocalypse full of
happy kids and cardboard pieces.
At the close of the convention, the Truculent crew
decided to start a new tradition, handing out TRMN
Challenge Coins to the staff and volunteers that made
a difference to us. Captain Monk presented his to
Shawn Marier, the hotel liaison (and past chairman
of Norwescon), along with Kat Marier, the Executive
Secretary for Norwescon. Commander McKinnion
presented his to Scott Perrin for his efforts in running
the wildly successful Laser Tag tournaments at the
convention. Ensign Mir Plemmons gave his to Dara
Korra’ti for that person’s work on the filk and music
tracks.
It is clear that Tenth Fleet continues the fine tradition
of the Navy in the Talbott Quadrant. Together with
their new sister ships, the Truculent works hard to
uphold Honor in the scattered conventions in the
Pacific Northwest.
An exceptional photo
of a very dapper
1st Space Lord
(Scott Akers)
Recruiting at Norwescon
for the Mesan occupation.
(Clara the Dalek
and Tom Coonradt)
2014
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
5
Give Them Blood
Spacers Volunteer at Blood Donation Clinics
gns Honor’s new comics
U
ntil we can regenerate limbs like they do in the
Honorverse, hospitals around the world have a
great need for blood supplies, and spacers have stepped
up to contribute this vital resource for the good of their
communities. Many conventions, such as Dragon*Con
and MarsCon, have started blood drives to bring in
people who normally wouldn’t darken the door of a
donation center. In that vein (get it?), TRMN chapters
and members have begun to add this vital charity to our
growing list of causes.
One of those who was brought in to donate by the con
circuit was Sergeant-Major of the Army Neil Swadling.
In February, he joined up with Cosplay For A Cause,
a bunch of Australian cosplayers who get together to
perform charitable acts. “I went and gave blood at the
main Red Cross Blood Center in Adelaide. Needless
to say, I showed up in my RMA uniform.” Not only
does it help out others, it also gets the word out about
our association, and doesn’t require as intense a time
commitment as other charitable events. “[I’m] keeping
up my run of only donating blood in costume,” SMA
Swadling smiled.
Cosplay For A Cause in Adelaide, SA, Australia
SMA Neil Swadling, RMA in back row left.
Sick Berth Attendant 2/c Jane Dusek, from HMS
Intrepid, is very active in organizing blood drives in
Minnesota. SBA Dusek also serves on board the USS
Nokomis, which has been hosting blood drives at MarsCon
for nine years. Dusek convinced several members of Battle
Squadron 21 to participate, “showing the upstanding nature
and outstanding performance expected of our personnel in
serving for the public good,” announced Rear Admiral of
the Green Sir Antonio J. Lopes III, commanding officer of
Second (Sphinx) Fleet.
6
A Manticore’s Tale
“Oh boy, fun for tomorrow as I get to donate plasma
for the first time,” Commander Melyssa Smith noted.
“The needle part will sucked, but I am glad I can give
something so needed.” The need for blood is very
important - according to the American Red Cross, every
two second someone in the US needs blood, and over
41,000 blood donations are needed every day. A single car
accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.
SBA Dusek was pleased with the results. “My sincere
thanks to everyone who helped make yesterday’s blood
drive a success!”
Commodore Marcela Holečková (Chief of Staff, BatCruRon 39)
donating to the cause at BloodCon 16.
For spacers, however, nothing can compare with
BloodCon, a regular quarterly event sponsored by
BatCruRon 39. Our sister organization, this independant
Czech-based Honor Harrington Fan Association predates
our own group. Since 2009, Vice Admiral Jan Kotouč,
commanding officer BatCruRon 39, has been leading his
ships to the donation center at Thomayerova Hospital in
Prague, Czech Republic. “At this particular BloodCon
(January 2014) ten people arrived, six of them in
uniforms… including Captain (SG) Lenka Lukacova (CO
HMS Phantom, BC-418) - who, as per tradition arrived
earlier as vanguard, and whose blood was separated for
plasma.” Admiral Kotouč proudly announced.
Although we hope none of us ever earn the wound
stripe for our uniforms, spacers who make the sacrifice
to donate their blood have been awarded for their service.
There is no specific ribbon for donating blood, but Naval
Commendation Medals have been given to recognize
spacers’ charitable work, Prisoner of War ribbons for
assisting other fan groups in their blood drives, and other
awards to honor those who make the effort. As Admiral
Kotouč phrased it, “Mise byla úspěšná” - the mission was
successful.
Second Quarter
Book Reviews and the Big Picture
by Steward 2/c Debra Savage, HMS Juno (BC-726)
Rutherford is jumping on the TV with excitement
for the next Doctor Who episode.
R
ecently, I have been reading through the Honorverse, which has been keeping me out of trouble
for quite a while, since we’re up to 22 novels, 6 short story anthologies, and a companion volume. I’ve been really
enjoying myself, and I haven’t even come close to being
finished. With that many books, it’s often hard to find the
recommended reading order. While trying to determine
where one of the more recent novels was, I found something quite dramatic.
books was also a little hazy, since they complained that
Shadow of Freedom suffered from an excess of “talking,
especially since most of the talking is about politics and
such despicable activities”. I guess they were hoping that
Weber would go back to writing space battles.
Right from the beginning, the Honorverse series has
always been about politics. Although I agree that Weber
has written some of the best detailed “hard science” science fiction—especially when it comes to realistic space
ships and technology—I never saw his books as being just
about battles and action scenes. Eventually my thoughts
drifted away from why this particular reviewer was so
bothered… to the question of why it didn’t bother me
at all? Is it because I am a fan of Star Trek, which has
gone through six different incarnations (seventh if you
see the J.J. Abrams movies as being a separate entity)?
Is it because I am a fan of Star Wars, whose Expanded
Universe told the stories of everyone from the Mos Eisley
Cantina, to X Wing pilots, to Han and Leia’s children? Is
it because I’m a fan of Firefly, whose cast works so well
together that it is almost impossible to choose a single
favorite character? Or it is because I am fan of Doctor
Who, a character literally re-created from scratch every
few years? Maybe it’s just because I’ve always been intensely curious about what might have happened to the
“minor” characters in any story?
In books, as in the rest of Fandom, I believe that inclusion is better than division; that more is better than less.
When we try to put limits around our fandom, we miss
the Big Picture, and all the new and exciting experiences
out there.
Shadow of Freedom –
There is no Honor Harrington in this book!!!
Literally—this was the title of the book review, complete with all three exclamation points. I was more than
a little shocked. The reviewer was so angry over the fact
that this Honorverse book dared to focus on a character
other than Lady Dame Harrington (mentioned 17 times
in the book)--even if that person is Michelle “Mike” Henke, her long-time friend and former Academy roommate.
To be honest, I really couldn’t understand the vehemence.
Did the reviewer not read any of the anthologies, whose
stories introduced us to new characters, events and time
periods? Did they completely avoid the two spinoff miniseries, which also had “no Honor Harrington”? Maybe
they did. And maybe their memory of the main storyline
2014
Debra Savage on the bridge of the USS
Enterprise (at the Trekcetra Museum in
Vulkan, Alberta.)
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
7
The Secret Fleet
Command Your Own Ship in this Exciting Mobile App
T
he long wait is finally over—
Evergreen Studios, the company that’s working on bringing the
Honor Harrington franchise to the
silver screen, has launched its longawaited game app for the iPhone,
iPad, and Android. Tales of Honor:
The Secret Fleet puts you in the captain’s seat, allowing you to lead your
starship through a series of thrilling
space battles. Throughout the game,
you will upgrade your ship, weapons,
systems, and crew and engage in combat as you hunt down a mysterious
and powerful enemy that is bent on
conquering the Honorverse.
The Secret Fleet finally became
available in the US, but clever fans
in the UK had access to it two weeks
ago, and quickly spread the word on
how to get the app stateside. As people expressed their love for the new
(and addicting) game, Marshal of
the Corps Sean Niemeyer shared his
knowledge on what he learned while
playing:
1. Upgrade - Install tech that
gives you either defensive or
offensive bonuses. Upgrade
all tech and officers to the
highest level. Every little bit
helps. Also be sure to install
the plasma and metal generators if you get them. They give
you a set amount of plasma
and metal after a set time.
Tom Tjarks adds that you
should “Level Boosters first to
max out the systems, then use
other items. You can also save
Level Boosters as you go and
combine ones you maxed out
to upgrade the higher level systems on the newer ships.”
8
A Manticore’s Tale
Think you can handle a Manticoran ship of war?
Find out in Tales of Honor: The Secret Fleet.
2. Decisions - The best thing to
do when picking the boost for
a particular battle is to choose
something that gives you a defensive/offensive advantage.
With a defensive boost you’ll
be able to destroy more incoming missiles or minimize damage. Of course with the offensive advantage you’ll be able
to shred the enemy faster. Increased salvage can be nice, but
if you’re floating atoms in space,
salvage isn’t going to help.
3. Missiles - Buy as many as you
can get and best to buy all
types. Nothing worse than running out of your favorite missile in the middle of a battle.
4. Countermeasures - Learn to
use them!
5. That’s no ordinary rabbit! Manticoran ships are tough
little beasties and can take
quite a beating so don’t be
afraid to take a few hits. Some-
times taking a few means
that you can launch the salvo
that cripples the enemy ship.
6. Give them a wedgie! - Rotating
your ship to present the wedge
is a good way to prevent some
serious damage, especially if
your countermeasures aren’t
up. Also it’s the only thing to
prevent the enemy’s bomb
pumped lasers from damaging you. But beware, the
larger enemy ships can present their wedge to you too.
7. That rabbit’s got a vicious
streak a mile wide! - The key
to beating the bigger ships is
to beat them down and then
kick the crap out of them to
keep them down. Best way to
do that is knock out their countermeasures using the missiles
that target those systems. Keep
launching those, rotating them
in the magazines, until the
enemy’s countermeasures are
down. Then switch to a potent
Second Quarter
computers, people can download, install, and play the game right on their
home computer.
Train your crew to become legendary.
one-two punch of Mark 13’s
and Nukes. Launch the Mark
13’s from both magazines
first to knock out the enemy
ship, then once down switch
one magazine to nukes. Then
launch the Mark 13’s first followed by the Nukes. This keeps
the enemy ship knocked out
and the Nukes fry their hull.
If you don’t have nukes use
hull penetrators, but Nukes do
way more damage. If you don’t
have the Mark 13 or nukes,
rotate whatever you have
in your inventory to whittle
them down, it will take some
time, but it will work. And
sorry, no holy hand grenades.
8. Run
away!
Sometimes fleeing isn’t a bad
thing. Just ask Sir Robin.
planet, they will only be available until you defeat the next
numbered mission. Then there
will be new random missions
at the new planet.”
Players have generally been
pleased with the result. David Hall
noticed “that this list of tactics basically is a short course in what you can
see in the books on ship design and
tactics... So when do we get MDMs
that can take out the bad guys from
the other side of the system?” Unfortunately, there is no multiplayer
option, although it is reported to
coming... although no date has been
announced. Those without a mobile
device can play it on their PC. By using the Bluestacks (www.bluestacks.
com) mobile emulator for traditional
The iO9 website let us know that
the game is free to play, but not payto-win. In-app purchases enhance
your experience, but they are not required to advance through the game.
The characters in the game include
some from the books and comics, as
well as brand new personalities that
will be introduced as you play. “I love
Tales of Honor,” said the First Lord
of the Admiralty, who had the chance
to start playing it while visiting Europe. “For those playing, Planet 45 is
the current end of the game.” However, as the game has been released in
the States, an update has been made
available that adds three more levels
and new ships. So Evergreen Studios
continues to expand the Honorverse
and spacers everywhere are eager for
more.
9. Red Fish, Blue Fish - Each encounter is color coded. Each
one corresponds to the rarity of the loot you receive if
you win. Be aware that as the
rarity of the loot increases
so does the chance of getting your ass handed to you.
Just remember encounters
coded white are the easiest.
10. Nose to the grind stone - In order to have enough resources,
missiles, upgrades, it is necessary to grind through those
random (‘?’) missions on the
board. Sometimes you’ll see the
same ship you just destroyed.
Tom Tjarks adds that “If you
are given random missions at a
2014
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
9
Project Gazebo
by Captain (SG) Jill McTavish, KCE, CGM, QBM -- HMS Valkyrie (SD-355)
I
t all started with a simple phrase, “Wouldn’t it be cool
if…?” Commodore John Neitz said this to Captain Jill
McTavish and Commander Don Hackett last summer after
seeing some custom Artemis Bridge videos on YouTube.
He thought it would be fun to have something like that for
MantiCon instead of the standard 6-computer setup we
hosted at CONvergence. Little did he know that not only
would the crew of HMS Valkyrie step up to the challenge,
but do something that had never been done before.
Over the next couple of months, the Project Team grew
to four core members. Captain Brian Horton was added
early due to his expertise in soldering and electronics, as
well as knowing the game inside and out. Impeller Mate
Christopher Thompson was brought on due to his real
world military aircraft knowledge, attention to detail, and
pure enthusiasm. The core team members each brought
something different to the table, and were able to balance
the ideas with practicality in terms of budget and feasibility.
The team did a lot of brainstorming during the fall. The
goal was to have a clear vision of what exactly we wanted to
build, how close the bridge could be to Honorverse canon,
and especially how it was going to be done. Having limited
funds, nothing could be wasted on parts that would not
work, or changing how the bridge would look or function.
Construction started by modding keyboards. Disassembling, mapping, and testing the keyboard controls was a
must before the consoles were built. This was a delicate
process and vital to the project! Fortunately the only
mishap was a broken drill bit, which is better than broken
circuit boards.
Building the consoles was next. Starting with the framework, we progressed to assembling the shells and painting
them. The color scheme is similar to that of a USAF C-130
and looks very sharp! During this stage, Captain Horton
Don Hackett (back) and Brian Horton (front)
work on modding the keyboards.
soldered the controls into each console top. He averaged over 5 hours of wiring and soldering per station.
After the team was satisfied with the consoles,
the team worked on some of the bonus pieces that
added a lot to the bridge. Our Captain’s chair is a real
aircraft chair, which was cleaned up and painted. It
was also modified to include controls for Tac-Lighting
and a Tactical Repeater Display built directly into the
arm! Above the chair, DMX controlled LEDs and
Tac-Lighting were built on a small ceiling panel on
some metal beams. The Project Gazebo name was
inspired by that last bit, so everyone was thrilled that
there was time to complete it before the convention.
The team finished those final touches the shortly
before Bridge was set up at MarsCon for the public.
HMS Artemis was a big success. Word of the bridge
spread out, and people were coming by gaming just
to see the only Artemis Bridge in the world with fully
customized controls!
The project is not done! Phase one is complete,
but phase two of the first bridge is underway. By
the time the bridge is done, it will be a fully enclosed
immersive bridge environment with walls and much,
much more. In addition, the project team hopes to
have two fully customized bridges by MantiCon
next spring. How will it turn out? What additional
surprises and special effects are in store from Project
Gazebo? You will have to come to MantiCon to find
out!
Even Daleks were impressed by the Gunner’s Station.
10
A Manticore’s Tale
Second Quarter
Midshipman Cruise Program
Third Fleet Raises Money for a Good Cause
One is always amazed at the generosity of spacers throughout the fleet. From charities like Big Cat Rescue to Special
Olympics to medical research, the RMN is always willing
to participate and support causes that they believe in. However, as much as we limit the impact of our expenses on our
members, there are often projects that we can’t participate
as a group, because we have no funds to provide to them.
Seeing a need, Fleet Senior Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate
Michael Romero of the HMS Vengeance (DD-11) worked
hard to launch of a new project that will hopefully draw participation and contribution from throughout our sector: The
Third Fleet Midshipman Cruise Program.
As Chief Romero explained, the purpose of this program is
to raise the needed funds to send a Third Fleet Midshipman
(age 9-14) each year to US Space Camp in Huntsville, AL.
The Midshipman in question will be selected through entry
in an 800-1000 word essay contest once the needed funds
have been raised.
These costs include:
ed PayPal and CafePress store to help raise money. They
now have handy ‘donate now’ buttons (like the ones
seen on the TRMN website) on the Third Fleet website
and many of their ships’ as well.
The ships have been pitching in as much as possible.
On May 3rd, HMS Saladin manned a table at Richards
Comics & Collectables in Greenville, South Carolina,
hosting a raffle to benefit both Big Cats Rescue and the
Midshipman Cruise Program on May 3. “Naturally, all
contributions or participation in projects of this nature
are completely voluntary,” Chief Romero explained,
“though we hope this project will help bring us closer together as a Fleet and team.” Their current goal is to raise
the needed money by the end of 2014, and start sending
kids on snotty cruises in 2015. “I doubt anyone will complain if we meet the goal early,” Romero smiled.
• $979 for Space Camp summer tuition, including 6 days
and 5 nights lodging in the camp habitat facility, and
meals in the camp dining center.
• $95 for a souvenir flight suit and name tag.
• $300 to be given to the family to help defray travel expenses.
This leads to a grand total of $1379. That may seem like a
huge amount of money, but since Third Fleet has expanded
to fifteen ships, a small contribution from each of their members would quickly add up. Chief Romero got the idea from
a nearby Starfleet chapter that has been running a similar
program for over decade. Already, the chief set up a dedicat-
2014
Midshipman Zoey helping recruit by demonstraing the brand.
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
11
Con by the Bay
BayCon and TRMN’s Annual Meeting
A
fter years of First Fleet dominance over our group’s conventions, the Admiralty decided to ship out
to the Talbott Quadrant, coming aboard
Tenth Fleet for the Association’s annual
meeting. The senior leaders docked at the
Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara as spacers from across San Francisco Bay and
the American West Coast came for the
blessed event. The brass came out in fine
form, with the First Lord of the Admiralty, First Space Lord, the Grayson High
Admiral, and the Marshal of the Army
all in attendance. With such luminaries,
how could the Duke of Leutzen Vale,
David Weber, not make an appearance?
After 37 years in the South Bay, this
convention had a lot of good traditions,
including the DIY room, where attendees
could build arts and crafts. They brought
back last year’s very popular Arduino
workshop, Master Crafter competition, and clothing/craft items swap, and
added new items like a Pattern compe-
The Artemis Spaceship Combat Simulator at BayCon 2014.
Tom Saidak (in the blue uniform) with a fetching pink sash,
given to him by the con committee.
12
A Manticore’s Tale
tition, where attendees were given a simple
pattern and they showed their best geekedout version. They had a great assortment of
classes and workshops, covering everything
from boffer weapons making to knitting and
beyond. Of course, the Artemis spaceship
simulator made a grand appearance, as well
as a writer’s workshop and a variety show.
High Admiral Saidak, in his dual role as chairman of the con, had an Artemis flight... and
afterwards, took a picture with the RMN,
the SFI group, and the Artemis Bridge Crew.
Since it fell over the holiday, Saidak made
sure to host a Memorial Day Service in the
main ballroom to ‘toast’ those fallen. Instead
of Taps, however, he did it with Taiko drums
as he performed a “traditional toast.” It wasn’t
the only thing unusual at this con; many spacers were pulling double duty, including S3/c
Kay Tracy and Tory Parker sitting on several
panels, as well as manning the NASA ambassadorial booth. The RMN booth now has a
changeable fourth panel, so you can have a
new quote every day of the con. However,
the costumes were some of the most striking
Second Quarter
Admiral Crandall
by Commander Jon Stout
Parodied from ‘General Butler’
Bobby Horton’s Homespun Songs of the CSA, Vol. 5
Crandall’s Fleet moved into Spindle to have a battle,
And then Manties beat us back just like a drove of
cattle.
The annual meeting panel with Robert Jackson, Tom Saidak,
Martin Lessem, and Scott Akers.
of all. “I saw two people dressed in silver jackets and jodhpurs,” Captain James Jones remarked, “but in passing, I
saw their unit badge. RMNT—World of Tanks clan... odd.”
For spacers, the Annual Meeting was one of the main attractions, where the future of the organization was discussed,
with many meetings behind the scenes. This year brought
many new recruits into the group, lots of new ships, as well
as several new sub-groups, including the Imperial Andromani Navy, which already has two ships under its banner.
These new divisions will fall under the command of the Marshal of the Army until they warrant enough members to create new senior leadership positions. A new ship, HMS Wolf,
was launched during the convention itself, representing the
Central Valley of California and expanding Tenth Fleet.
But what TRMN event would be complete without the
First Lord opening up his toolbox? Sure enough, Admiral
of the Fleet Lessem dished out the awards in fine fashion.
Captain (SG) Marrone, commanding officer of HMS Artemis, was invested as a Knight of the order of King Roger
I by none other than David Weber himself. The big surprise of the night was when Admiral Chrissy Killian, who
serves as both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and commanding officer, Tenth Fleet, was elevating to the ranks
of the peerage to become the 1st Baroness, Fontana Flats.
“Thanks to all,” she exclaimed, “This was very much a surprise, a very pleasant surprise. I’m still a little speechless.”
With a new ship, knight, and a peer of the realm, this convention was full of amazing moments. While everyone flew
home in their pinnances, they connected the great scattered
parts of our group. That is one of the great strengths of our
association—that no one, no matter far away, serves with us
alone. That makes us more than just fellow fans… and as the
saying goes, fandom is a way of life.
Chorus -Stand down your beams and missiles boys, you will
not find them handy;
Although we Sollies cannot fight at dying we’re a
dandy!
The Manties have the Mark two-three which gives
them satisfaction,
At forty mil or just a space the Manties liken action.
Chorus
Whenever we show up to fight, we’re thrown to the
meat grinder;
Then we strive to get revenge by killing a destroyer.
Chorus
Our Admirals sit on Terra safe fussing and inquiring,
While at Manticore 500 ships fall to Allied firing.
Chorus
To say our Admirals cannot fight is certainly no
scandal,
For not a trophy have they gained while Solly spacers dangle.
Robert Jackson and Scott Akers in a rare smiling moment.
2014
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
13
Quarterly Award Announcements
The following awards were issued during the second quarter of 2014, including omissions from 1st Qtr’s list.
Elevated to the Peerage
24MAY14
Chrissy Killian,
Baroness Fontana Flats
Mentioned in Dispatches
01APR14
Ed Wandall
Andrew Sivula
01JUN14
Osterman Cross
24MAY14
Marcus Johnston
Most Honorable Order of King Roger
24MAY14
Thomas Marrone - Knight
Most Regal Order of
Queen Elizabeth
24JUN14
Knight Grand Commander
Peter Gordon
Ken O’Dell
Knight Commander
Cindy Jenkins
Craig Meyer
James Conanson
Jacia Bruns
Jackie Snedden
Knight
Hal Vaughn
Ed Wandall
Officer
James Jones
Member
Andrew Sivula
Jeremy Henry
Angela Clayton
Zachary White
Jonathan Casas
Niki Rece
Ryan Gale
Mark West
Stephen Randolph Steven Firestine
Jonathan Iffland
Tom Saidak
Order of Gallantry
John Neitz
24MAY14
Christa Brolley
04JUN14
Brandi Hinson
John Garhmann
Daniel Walker
Victoria Garhmann
Cindy Jenkins
Ken O’Dell
Carl Christianson Niki Rece
Tammy Walker
Peter Howdeshell II
Anya Walker
Amber Howdeshell
Stephanie Taylor
Mark Morgan
Jack Warren
Angela Clayton
Johnathon Pittman Phil Clayton
Julie Pittman
Steven Firestine
TJ Allen
Philip Wohlrab
Gwyn Gahagan
Rob Hampson
John Casas
Mike Romero
Candice Casas
Ashley Romero
Adrian Austin
Kaylee Romero
Mark Polanis
Zoey Romero
Tamara Massey
Amanda Enders
Josh Bailey
Michael Hunnicutt
Tim Kincade
Gerry Martin
Brian Chappell
Joseph Morgan
Luis Diaz
Will Aygarn
John Kane
Zachary White
05JUN14
Angela S. Clayton
Steve Condreyn Firestine
Megan Rice-Weber
Michael Rice-Weber
Morgan Rice-Weber
Arasin Staubly
Rayanne Staubly
Jason Waskovich
Wendy Waskovich
Joseph Grieco
09JUN14
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
24MAY14
14
A Manticore’s Tale
Alex Arritt
Daniel Hamm
24MAY14
Conspicuous Service Medal
24MAY14
Thomas Marrone
Zachary Perkins
Meritorious Service Medal
15DEC14
Zachariah Fraser
24MAY14
Tom Saidak
Ken O’ Dell
Niki Rece
Kelly Hilliard
John Stump
04JUN14
13JUN14
Jim Thomas Hawk
Prisoner of War Medal
22APR14
John Kane
TJ Allen
Zachery White
Ken O’ Dell
Niki Rece
04JUN14
17JUN14
Navy Commendation Decoration
17APR14
Monarch’s Thanks
04JUN14
31MAR14
Ed Wandall
Robert Bulkeley
James Jones
Stephanie Taylor
Jack Warren
Tammy Walker
Gerry Martin
Conspicuous Bravery Medal
Gryphon Star
24MAY14
Patrick McKinnon
Patrick Mckinnion
Camin Bradbury
Mhari Mckinnion-Bradbury
03JUN14
Carl Christianson
Jack Warren
Second Quarter
Tammy Warren
Elizabeth Kaas-Baas
Stephanie Roberts
04JUN14
John Kane
14JUN14
Michaela Austin
16JUN14
Joe Cahill
Havenite War Campaign Medal
27APR14
Marcus Johnston
06MAY14
Royal Meritorious Unit Citation
15DEC13
HMS Leopard
Silesian Anti-Piracy Campaign
Medal
27APR14
Marcus Johnston
04JUN14
Mike Romero
Ashley Romero
Kaylee Romero
Zoey Romero
Amanda Enders
Michael Hunnicutt
Gerry Martin
Joseph Morgan
Will Aygarn
Zachery White
Philip Wohlrab
13JUN14
Jim Thomas Hawk
17JUN14
James Sena
Jess Allen
Jordon Bouray
Amber Witherspoon
Masadan Occupation Medal
15FEB14
James Friedline
Eric Schulman
James Kratzer
Michael Paquette
William Jarratt
Robyn Becker
Sandra Kratzer
John Robison
William Holmgren
17APR14
Patrick Mckinnion
Camin Bradbury
Mhari Mckinnion-Bradbury
Mir Plemmons
Jess Allen
Timothy Monk
Christina Coonradt
2014
William Cuthbertson
Dave Girling
Clive Troubman
Allan McBain
Martin Lessem
Havenite Operational
Service Medal
15FEB14
James Friedline
Eric Schulman
James Kratzer
Michael Paquette
William Jarratt
Robyn Becker
Sandra Kratzer
John Robison
William Holmgren
Luis Diaz
John Kane
John Garhmann
Victoria Garhmann
Ken O’Dell
Niki Rece
Peter Howdeshell II
Amber Howdeshell
Mark Morgan
Angela Clayton
Phil Clayton
Steven Firestine
Philip Wohlrab
Rob Hampson
05JUN14
Angela S. Clayton
Steve Condreyn Firestine
Megan Rice-Weber
Michael Rice-Weber
Morgan Rice-Weber
Arasin Staubly
Rayanne Staubly
Jason Waskovich
Wendy Waskovich
Space Warfare Pin
Officers
17APR14
Patrick Mckinnion
Camin Bradbury
Mhari Mckinnion-Bradbury
Mir Plemmons
Jess Allen
Timothy Monk
Scott Akers
Tom Coonradt
Chester Beedle
James Sena
Jordon Bouray
Amber Witherspoon
Christina Coonradt
04JUN14
Brandi Hinson
Daniel Walker
Cindy Jenkins
Carl Christianson
Tammy Walker
Anya Walker
Stephanie Taylor
Jack Warren
Johnathon Pittman
Julie Pittman
TJ Allen
Gwyn Gahagan
John Casas
Candice Casas
Adrian Austin
Mark Polanis
Tamara Massey
Josh Bailey
Tim Kincade
Brian Chappell
Jimmy Nelson
Cindy Jeffers
Don Hackett
11APR14
Enlisted
11APR14
Christopher Thompson
James D Sena
Hal Vaughan
Ashley Romero
Patrick Lindsley
Misty Menken
Arthur Henecke
Thomas McDonald
Harvey Guillet
23MAY14
Michael Cucchiarella
Gary Lodmill
Arasin Staubly
Garret Bitker
Jonny Iffland
Mark Morgan
The Official Newsletter of the RMN
15
The Redheaded Stepchild
Why You Should Join the Royal Manticoran Army
John Stump, Robert Jackson, and Peter Gordon at HonorCon 2013.
Y
ou will see the same types of costumes at conventions; the chainmail bikini, the shirtless barbarian,
the comic book hero. You can almost play bingo from cosplay. Even our ubiquitous black RMN uniform is becoming instantly recognizable in fandom. Although we love
having our brand recognized, it’s easy for the new recruit
to be lost in the sea of black. How do you stand out from
the spacers?
Join the Army! When you suggest that to the newly minted spacer, even the seasoned Honor fan’s first thought may
be ‘Manticore has an army?’ Who do you think garrisoned
Masada? Who guards the Queen? When the Fleet goes
away, who keeps the conquered Peep planets from revolting? The Royal Manticoran Army, that’s who!
Unlike any other branch of TRMN, where they are
bound by the canon of the books, the Army’s story is virtually unwritten. You have the chance to jump right into our
group and help shape the face of our organization. Right
from the beginning, we want you to lead, builing bivouacs
16
A Manticore’s Tale
and companies, forming a cadre and a new tradition for
future soldiers to follow. Many higher positions are still
available at the international level… and even if you don’t
feel comfortable with that much responsibility, every officer needs an assistant. For us to succeed, we want you
to succeed—participate at the level you feel comfortable.
In the blue suit, you will stand out from the other spacers in your chapter. We may appear like the redheaded
stepchild in TRMN, but that gives us the freedom to make
our own destiny. But if you’re still not comfortable with
the Army as your persona, maybe you’d be willing to join
the Home Guard. Keep your civilian titles and position,
but serve the Empire as a reserve, defending your homeworld, and helping your neighbor in times of disaster.
What have you got to lose? Serve in the RMA and bring
honor to your name!
John and Dana Stump
at AnachroCon 2014.
Second Quarter