Maree and I have known each other for a long time – pretty much since the start of my simming career back in 2003. She was the COO of the first ship I was on, a lovely Sovereign class called the Poseidon. That first fleet she was in recognized her talents as a player and a member of the community, as well as her admin skills, by giving her an executive officer position on their first space station sim. In that fleet, it wasn’t possible to apply for a high-ranking position – it was something you earned through a lot of hard work, and it was a testament to her skills and personality that she was selected to fill the role.

For a long time she worked tirelessly to support the sim, effectively filling the CO’s shoes on many occasions as real life carried the CO away from the sim. She posted with many, struck up friendships, was not afraid to work on some of the more unusual ideas (including mine – anyone who sims with me knows how strange my characters can be at times), and helped those of us who were less experienced (read: me again) to grow. She was XO of that station for four years, until the fleet’s closure.

She joined Obsidian Fleet whilst doing all of this, as chief of communications, then chief of operations, of Starbase Sixty under Captain A’koja Dea (our esteemed former Triadite Admiral Madison Indri). Earning herself two rank promotions to Lieutenant Commander, she again proved her worth to the community, writing with pretty much everyone and with an absolutely unique character that I can guarantee won’t be replicated anywhere – she has a unique and classy writing style and a tasteful and developed character development skill.

In her insanity, she later agreed to serve as the second-in-command of this Triadite’s simulation, Obsidian Command. Having been warned of the insanity of her decision, she agreed to take on the responsibility nevertheless and it’s on OC that I feel she has, once again, set a standard that is unmatched anywhere.

In terms of writing, Maree is one of the best I have ever seen. Grammatically she is flawless. But what’s more important is her style. If one reads her writing, they’ll be scrolling through a rich tapestry of descriptive delicacy, scenes painted with enormous clarity whilst still leaving that necessary bit to the imagination, allowing the reader to see clearly what she is visualising for us all. In terms of plot, she can weave twists into the plot that allow for the inclusion of a far wider range of active characters and NPCs, creating more fun for every member of the crew and increasing the overall quality and range of the sim. Finally, she frequently allows and invites others to JP with her and helps them to develop their characters through interactions with hers. Quantity is also good – she usually makes double figures, and last month wrote 21 posts, well clear of her nearest rival.

Administratively she also is one of the best XOs money (or advertisements) can buy. She has served as acting CO of the sim on numerous occasions but most notably for over a month while I was working at a summer school, with little support from me, and she was more than effective in her guidance of the game. She worked hard on repairing our second OC website and on transition to the third, fixing broken image links and moving content. She has worked with me on the development of new site ideas and the implementation of some of our best OOC site features, such as out-of-character biographies. She has also made suggestions to improve the site further.

As many of you know, I have weak eyes, which require me to spend less time on the computer than some. My time is further shared between Triad responsibilities and my second character. Maree is the perfect XO to support a CO like me – she helps to guide the plot effectively in general, she ran an entire subplot in our last mission that, without her, would have been impossible to do and made use of some of the supporting features of the station, and she helps me with the regular administrative duties of the sim, such as the newsletter we produce monthly, with keeping track of post counts, and with sending out notices and offers of assistance to members of our crew. She gets back to me within 24 hours on all OC apps and she is quick to respond to anything else I may send her way.

Something of key importance – Maree won’t blindly agree with me if she is not of the same opinion. She will confidently and reasonably state her view if she feels strongly about something, yet isn’t insubordinate in doing so. An XO that will be confident in their own views is a key asset, because it provides the bouncing-off facility that every CO needs as well as improves the sim further or helps to prevent questionable judgment calls from the CO. She is also willing to politely debate matters with the crew, whilst still being able to put her foot down comfortably on matters when it is necessary.

You know what else? She’s a friend. We’ve met in real-life several times despite the six thousand miles that separate us geographically, so we’re friends outside of OF anyway, but online she gives me the support that someone in a CO’s role and an Admiralty position can need from time to time. (Ask anyone who’s on the Admiralty – none of these jobs are as glamourous as they are rumoured, despite the Triadic chocolate vault - which, for the record, doesn't exist - or the new seats in the JAG office!) I might have quit simming had it not been for her constant cushion of support. And friendship is the absolute embodiment of what we’re here for (aside from writing, JPing, and maintaining the spirit of Star Trek that the Great Bird of the Galaxy brought to us) – this being the case, in combination with all of the above, she is, pretty much, the perfect XO.

So, in my view, the William Riker XO of the Year Award is something of which she is more than deserving. I hope that this Council will do her the honour of granting her this privilege, and either way, thanks for your consideration of this most worthy player.

~Submitted by: Captain Jocelyn Sterling