Blogs

FIRST CONTACT

Dradis operator - Multiple new Dradis contacts! I have one large bogie, escorted by eight smaller craft. Probably a heavy raider with 8 escort raiders.
Commander- Roger that. Launch all vipers.
XO passing on the command- Launch all vipers! Repeat, launch all vipers. Engage multiple bogies closing in on the fleet. Launch all vipers!
Moments later the the CAG- I have bogies on Dradis and we will have visual in a centon. I have visual contact. Bogies do not appear to be any of any known Cylon configuration. Appears to be one large craft that is towed by 8...ummm...organic life forms.
XO- Come again CAG. Have you been into my stash of Ambrosia?!
CAG-That's a negative. Bogie is one large craft being pulled by 8 creatures that appear to be mammalian in nature. No idea how they are surviving in outer space. The large craft has a very large humanoid aboard. Very fat. No space suit.
XO- It's a frakin' Cylon trick. Weapons free!
CAG- Roger that, weapons free!
President- Hold your fire! This may be our first contact with Earth.
Commander- Try to make contact. Broadcast on all known bands. Hostile greeting.
Crewman- Aye sir! Broadcasting hostile greeting in all known forms of communication. Sir. I seem to be getting a response.
Commander- Put it on speaker.
Crewman Aye sir. On speaker.
President- This is President Rosilin of the 12 Colonies...
Starbuck- I'm on his 6. One false move and blow his a-
Boomer- Starbuck, we should make sure they are not from Earth. This may be first contact.
Starbuck- Frak that!
President- Hold your fire Starbuck. Attention unidentified craft. We come in peace. Identify your self.
Unidentified craft- Ho! Ho! Ho!
Starbuck- What tha FRAK!?
Boomer- He just called us all hoes!
President- Unidentified craft. This is-
Unidentified craft- Like I said, you're all naughty hoes. You banged one of your students when you were a teacher, then you banged President Adair Adar, and now you're doing the Commander of the fleet! Starbuck? Boomer? They're as bad as Baltar...who is ALSO on my naughty list along with his Number 6. And Apollo! You're always stabbing your Dad in the back! What's with that?!
President- I WILL KILL YOU AAAAAAALL!!!!
XO- What should we do Commander?
Commander- Sometimes you have to roll a hard six.
Unidentified craft- Yeah, your XO's a lush and your Commander has a serious gambling habit. No wonder you lost the war! You were ALL very naughty!
Commander- Starbuck, what do you hear?
Starbuck- Frak! One of them just took a dump and got felgercarb all over my cockpit window! After I fry his ass, nothing but the rain.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Tonight the Raven Battlegroup was scheduled to host combat drills. Instead we encounter an unexpected visitor.  You can read the transcript below.

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

OK, All Batteries are manned and ready;MARDET teams in position; DRADIS is clear

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Flight deck on standby

Me

Copy that! The Raven is on standby also

Me

Action stations: Action stations. Dradis contact! Deploy all fighters and raptors to investigate

Me

Draidis shows an unknown contact possibly a basestar with 9 smaller contacts escorting it

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Gremlin raptors 363 and 366 on alert five for CSAR

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Not picking up any Cylon IFF, so classify as bogey..

Me

Freya in Raptor 220M is ready for launch.

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Launch when ready...trireme will track..

Me

Gremlins and Seekers will investigate the bogey and report back

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (363 away....

Me

Freya launching in 3..2..1.. 220M away

Me

Gremlins on me.

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (roger that)

Me

ECO keep that dradis sweep and let me know if anything changes

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (picking up nothing)

Me

This is strange the bogey is moving slowly.

Me

it doesn't move like the cylons

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Must be overloaded with something....scans show no radiologicals)

Me

we are not in visual range yet

Me

no other contacts showing on Dradis

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Dradis is clear except for bogey one)

Me

but I am picking up some strange sounds over the wireless

Me

do you hear that?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Woah!.....jingle bells?)

Me

coming into visual range now. I can see a red light

Me

ts not moving so it may still be a raider..

Me

some new cylon technology?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Well, we didn't get any intel as such....approach with caution...)

Me

copy that

Me

Gremlin 366 take the lead go in for a look

Me

ECO anything new on the Dradis?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Now picking up strange voice...sounds like an old man laughing...)

Me

Negative Freya

Me

this is Freya I am also in visual range. you wont believe this.

Me

It most certainly not the cylons

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Unidentified craft....you are approaching the rave battle group...I detify at once..)

Me

"Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas *bells jingling"

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

" HO HO HOOOOO...MERRY CHRISTMAS RAVEN BATTLE GROUP! THIS IS COMMANDER KRINGLE..MY CALL SIGN IS SANTA...REQUEST PERMISSION TO LAND ABOARD THE RAVEN.."

Me

I am taking photos for visual reference sir. it appears to be.. 9 strange animals tethered together pulling a sleigh

Me

Raven this is Freya what are my orders?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Commander Kringle..this is the gunstar trireme...state youyr intentions..

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"HO HO HO! I WANT TO DELIVER PRESENTS TO ALL THE GOOD COLONIALS IN THE GROUP...YOU'VE ALL BEEN GOOD! I HAVE LOTS OF PRESENTS FOR YOU ALL...EVEN YOU COLONEL LEONIDAS! HO HO HO!"

Me

Sir what are my orders? Do we allow him to come aboard?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Trireme to freya..as far As I know...he's friendly...escort him to the raven,yet, have the MARDET standing by..just in case...

Me

Roger that Trieme

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

We still have not picked up any radiologicals..

Me

Commander Kringle permission granted I will escort you all the way

Me

please acknowledge

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"HO HO HO,ROGER THAT! "

Me

Gremlins stay sharp

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (We're on him...wow...never thought I'd be this close to santa...)

Me

we are approaching the battlegroup now

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"SPEED ID ONE ZERO SIX...I HAVE THE BALL>>>"

Me

copy that

Me

Santa has landed onboard the Raven

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"SKIDS DOWN,SECURE MAGLOCK"

Me

This is Freya entering the landing pattern I have the ball

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (skids dowd..maglock secured)

Me

Trieme you better get over here. you will want to see this for yourself sir

Me

Skids down, maglock secure 220m back on board

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

On the way....Prep raptor 362 for immediate launch

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (it's ready sir)

Me

MARDET is on standby

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

XO, you hve the ship

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Got it sir)

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Raptor 362 launces and heads towrds raven)

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

This is trireme raptor 362,requesting hand on port landing deck

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (call the ball)

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

speed one zer one..I have the ball

Me

MARDET stand down.

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 ( Raptor lands..Leonidas disembarks)

Me

I never thought I would actually see this. I thought he was just a myth

Me

it is santa claus and his sleigh.

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Well, what does this jolly old man have?

Me

Santa Hands Leonidas a package

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"HO HO HO! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THE RAVENS AND THE TRIREMERS! YOU'VE ALL BEEN GOOD BOYS AND GIRLS..SCRAPPING THOSE NASAT TOASTERS! HERE LEONIDAS,A CASE OF VINTAGE AMBRIOSIA!"

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Wow, havent seen stuff that old in years..must bee good..thanks santa!

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"AND FOR YOU FREYA..SOMETHING YOU'VE BEEN WAN TING.."

Me

Tauron Toothpaste?

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Ho HO HO! The BEST STUFF IN THE COLONIES!

Me

*Santa hands out his presents to the rest of the colonials*

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

"AND, IVE GOT STUFF FOR DRAGONLADY,REAMER, ANAEAS,ICEWORM,MIK MO,HOTWIRE,BUNNY,FACEMAN,AND ALL THE GOOD GIRLS AND BOYS IN THE BATTLEGROUP! KEEP SCRAPPING THOSE CYLONS!"

Me

Thank you Santa

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Deck crew starts singing 'Silent night')

Me

*Santa boards his sleigh*

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

HO HO HO,I'VE GOT OTHE GIFTS TO DELIVER TO THE COLONIES! MERRY CHRISTMAS! HO HO HO!"

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

 (Santa guides sleigh into launch tube)

Me

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE RAVEN BATTLEGROUP. AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT"

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Wow, do the people of earth celebrate like this...I heard they do

Me

 (Santa's sleigh takes off)

Me

Dradis shows Santa's sleigh. for a moment then it is gone

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Well, time to hit the lounge..they've got something called egg nog,I hear..

Me

Copy that sir. I still cant believe what we just saw

Me

I better get this report written up

Me

Merry Christmas!

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Well, in this universe...nothing's set in stone..

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson

Merry christmas!

Col. Keith "Leonidas" Ranson  (Leonidas returns to trireme)

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I want to apologize for my absence over the last couple of months. I have had a lot on my plate and I have not been able to be as active as I would like. I would like to have one last event before the year ends so in order celebrate the holiday season:

By the order of the CAG: All squadrons are requested to report for combat drills on Wednesday 12/20/17 at 6:00pm Central Time (US). We will be completing Combat launches and landings and will be assessed on our skills.

This is not just a request for the Airwing Only, we need to ensure the entire ship and Battlegroup is ready in case of an attack. All those who can attend (Marines, Gun Crews, etc) are invited to attend.

We all can use a little holiday cheer and companionship. I hear there may even be some ambrosia for celebration afterwards.

This Drill will be held in the Main Chat room on the BFC webpage. I hope to see everyone then for some good fun and celebration.

LT. Freya

Raven Ops