USS Myogi Hits 4!

Posted on Sat Mar 22nd, 2025 @ 7:32pm by Captain Maho Takahashi
Edited on Sun Mar 23rd, 2025 @ 1:15am

4 Years!

It might not be as impressive as the Tokyo's 10, but it's still a notable achievement, as we are approaching the "end of life" cycle for an average Star Trek sim, and yet we're showing no signs of stopping!

Today marks the founding of the USS Myogi, which was Four Years ago today! I'll be honest, there were several times throughout our history that I thought for sure we wouldn't make it to this milestone. As stated above, most Star Trek sims only last about 4-5 years, so the fact that we've made it despite challenge after challenge is remarkable.

Hitting this milestone is not just a testament to the ship (though I'd like to think that we sparked something of a New Orleans class renaissance in the simming community, if the existence of our fellow New Orleans class sim, the USS Victory, is anything to go off!) but also to its crew, and every single one of you, past and present. I often quote the final commanding officer of the USS Missouri, Captain Albert Kaiss, when I say that it's the crew that makes the command, but there's no truer sentiment! And now, some of us have been together (more or less) for four years! Granted, we've lost people along the way, as any sim does, but we've also gained newer friends along the journey.

If you've read my previous news item commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo (And you really should in order for any of this to make sense!) You already know of the Myogi's origins as an NPC ship on that sim, and, as promised in that article, today I'm going to tell you how the Myogi sim became a reality. Because our story is a fascinating tale of tragedy and triumph, and if you're going to understand why I felt the need to turn an NPC ship into its own sim, I need to take you back to the start...

USS Myogi Sim History

So, four years ago, I found myself in a quandary: I had developed an NPC ship to use in future Tokyo missions to show my character that people can set their differences aside. However, things had changed, and it would no longer make sense to continue having this NPC ship around when my character was in the process of being written out. However, I didn't want to waste all the time I had invested into creating this ship. Especially when I felt there were some interesting stories I could tell with a few tweaks:

Want to know a little secret? I had always intended for the Myogi to be a Theta Fleet sim, and I had originally applied here to start the Myogi sim. However, I had no command experience at the time, and my application was turned down for this reason. But, not before I was directed to Pegasus Fleet, as I was told that they were more likely to take a chance on first time COs. So that's exactly where I went: I popped into their Discord to scope them out, and got pulled right into the middle of the action, and before I knew it, I had put in an application to start up a new command in Pegasus Fleet.

There were some concerns about the answer I gave on the application relating to me disagreeing with a decision the Admiralty makes, and what I would do. I assured them that I had given my answer assuming a worst case scenario, and that appeased them for the time being. (Though, subtle foreshadowing this totally is not)

So, as I took the Pegasus Fleet COAL course (if you know, you know ;)), I began to set up the site. Now, the COAL module where I did this had specifically instructed me not to worry about site skins and rank sets. Safe to say, I had some outside help from none other than Commander Ebisuzawa, who literally walked me through how to do it step by step, and soon, I had the earliest iteration of the Myogi's Iona skin up on the site. It was barely modified from a stock Iona skin at the time, but it was a damn sight prettier than the stock skins, and I absolutely loved it! As time has gone on, and I've grown more confident with FTP, I've implemented small improvements to enhance the experience, but the spirit of that early skin is still very much present.

So, there I was with a captain character whom before that point I had barely written any material for, and was more or less a blank slate, and a 50 something year old hand me down ship that, despite having undergone a fairly recent refurbishment, was still a relic from a bygone era of Starfleet. I put them together, and the Myogi was born! If only I knew then what I was getting myself into, as this sim would not only go on to change the way I write, but also forge lasting friendships crossing borders and bridging oceans.

Pilot Episode

So, the Myogi sim kicked off with our pilot episode; "Handling the Fallout." And to call it a success is an understatement; even though it took our entire first year to write!



Now, unfortunately, our pilot episode was impacted by Pegasus Fleet's rules that I couldn't start out at the rank of Captain. So, I decided to write it into the lore that Maho was temporarily demoted to Commander and was placed under investigation for her potential involvement in the Trial of Captain Taiga Aisaka. Much like how the Tokyo wasn't originally meant to be Taiga's, the Myogi wasn't originally meant to become Maho's, but in light of the Tokyo mission "Allegations", the Myogi became embroiled in scandal, and Maho was selected to succeed the Myogi's longtime captain, Tanaka Miyahara. However, the majority of Miyahara's crew were completely gutted; reassigned among the fleet. Despite these setbacks, Maho somehow managed to get the ship out of spacedock and start our adventure!

Unfortunately, during our pilot episode, the Myogi left Pegasus Fleet after some allegations were brought against me that I was positively promoting pedophilia. I was so completely disgusted by the false allegations that when the Myogi left, I withdrew my presence from Pegasus Fleet entirely, never to return. I had always intended to migrate the Myogi to Theta Fleet eventually, but the allegations forced me to enact that contingency on an accelerated timetable.

Season 1

After our relocation to Theta Fleet, we wrapped up our pilot episode, and began season 1. Because of Theta Fleet's more lenient policy in regards to promoting oneself to Captain, Maho was found innocent and restored to her former rank.



Mission two saw the Myogi hunt down the rogue Starfleet ship USS Nikko, commanded by the renegade Seiji Iwaki. The Nikko was terrorizing Klingon shipping, which was pissing off the Empire, who were threatening war with the Federation. After a brief firefight, we boarded the Nikko and apprehended Commander Iwaki. This was definitely an action-packed first mission, and did not disappoint!



However, while en route back to Sol, something horrible happened: The Myogi's former Commanding Officer, Tanaka Miyahara; had used his massive, almost cult-like following to organize a rally in San Francisco to "Save the Federation" by protesting the outcome of Taiga's trial. Miyahara told his supporters that they were going to walk down the Golden Gate Bridge to Starfleet Headquarters to make their voices "peacefully and patriotically heard." But that wasn't what happened: Instead, the angry mob overwhelmed Starfleet's defenses and stormed Starfleet Headquarters. All the while Miyahara sat back and watched it happen.

This was the planned "sim-changing mission." A mission that I knew would controversial, as it took direct inspiration from the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol. This mission I consider to be my way of processing that event by having something similar happen in a Star Trek setting. As a reward for bearing with me, characters who were still active at the time of this mission's conclusion were awarded a promotion in rank. Though some of them "took the promotion and ran", most are still aboard today!



Mission four saw the Myogi assigned to transport two "important guests" to Beta Antares Fleet Yards, contrary to the ship being expected to "stand down" following the attack on Starfleet Headquarters. However, the guests' identities were withheld from Captain Takahashi so she wouldn't back out on the assignment. Knowing the Myogi would be a priority target due to its past association with Miyahara, Captain Takahashi decides to recruit the assistance of two of the Myogi's sister ships, the USS Haruna and USS Akina. However, the Haruna's captain; Shimakaze Zh'gero (who was also Maho's rival in the Academy) only agrees to cooperate if Maho and her crew can beat her in a "contest of teamwork, courage, and sacrifice" in a setting familiar to Maho- a no-holds-barred touge race! Deciding that this would be a nice way to improve the crew's morale, Maho accepts the challenge and forms the USS Myogi NightKids, with Project D's double aces themselves as instructors! This mission also saw the return of Takeshi Nakazato as a pinch driver to battle the Haruna's Third Officer; Takeshi's former counterpart. He is also the one who brought Maho's rivalry with Shimakaze to the crew's attention (despite promising Maho he wouldn't) the night before the race. This mission showcased Maho's competitive side, and it all came down to an epic R32 vs R32 shootout between Captain Takahashi and Captain Zh'gero, which led to Maho blowing her engine to win! At present, it is unknown if Takeshi will ever return following this mission.

It was during this mission that the Tokyo really started popping off, and when my attempts to slow it back down failed, I decided that the only course of action was to speed the Myogi up. And the conclusion of this mission saw the implementation of sweeping changes to activity requirements, some of which are still in effect today.



Mission five saw Maho's worst fears confirmed: The "important guests" she was assigned to transport were Captain Taiga Aisaka and Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu. Operation Tokyo Return, despite its simple concept, turned out to be a rather intense mission, as Maho and Taiga's rivalry was put on full public display, all while the terrorists that attacked Starfleet Headquarters were still at large. This mission brought out Maho's violent side, and showcased just how far she was willing to go to get a leg up on Taiga, nearly culminating in the destruction of the Myogi!

Fun fact, the ending of this mission was written almost a full year prior on Tokyo! Can you see why I decided a faster pace was necessary?

This brings us to Season 2, which we are currently in the process of wrapping up:

Season 2



So, remember those allegations of pedophilia that caused our abrupt exit from Pegasus Fleet? Well, I may have had the idea to take them to the extreme. And as a result, this mission came about. And just for extra flavoring, why not tie it back to a mission from Tokyo? What could possibly go wrong?

Season 2 started with a time jump. One month after the end of Season 1. In the weeks following the attack on Starfleet Headquarters, multiple Federation member worlds aligned politically with the terrorists declared secession from the Federation, forming an alternative government called the Confederacy of Independent Planets. And surprise, surprise; Miyahara was unanimously elected to lead the Confederacy.

We pick up with the Myogi being dispatched to the Gamma Zednor system; one of the latest such systems looking to leave the Federation following the destruction of a Federation outpost. We found out that there was more to the system than the Tokyo mission had led us to believe; as Gamma Zednor was in the middle of a 24th century version of Jim Crow or Apartheid. As Gamma Zednor's xenophobic governor, Ambrose Hartley, sought to reduce the rights of Japanese descended citizens to those of common cattle. Once we had established beyond a doubt that Hartley couldn't be reasoned with, the only way we could stop the Confederacy from gaining another member world was to remove Hartley from the picture. This mission, we also met Yaeka Sakuragi- one of the sole survivors of the Sakuragi family who were some of Hartley's most outspoken political opponents. Yaeka would quickly form a bond with Commander Ebisuzawa, and would go on to have the Myogi's long-standing 'no civilians' policy, which had been in place since her recommissioning, repealed.



Our second episode of Season 2 saw another time jump. Three more months pass and Maho's pregnancy is now in a more advanced state. Thanks to some data that was recovered the previous mission, it's been discovered that the Federal Rheuysian Republic- a world that's been staunchly loyal to the Federation since the start of this crisis- has secretly been supplying arms to the Confederacy. And for it's first substantial mission since Gamma Zednor, the Myogi was assigned to present the evidence discovered to the Rheuysian Reichstag. Of course, as seems to be the case with the Myogi- nothing is as simple as it seems: The fleet mate we're paired up with this mission- the USS Kaga- picks up a distress call from a Rheuysian colony under attack. The Kaga discovers the Elachi to be behind it, and barely lives to tell the tale. And if that wasn't enough, the Federation's president, Sinisiub Pallis, arrives to personally oversee the talks. However, it is the perfect scenario for an Elachi ambush!

Which leads us to our current mission:



So, because our second season is going to be cut short (spoilers!) I decided we needed a good mission to wrap up this Confederacy arc so we can move on to more important matters (also spoilers!) So, here, following the Elachi attack on Rheuys, we are going to mount an assault on the Confederate capital of Braxus to quickly decapitate the Confederacy and force their capitulation. There's an epic battle to come, and I'm loving every minute of it! Keep up the great work!

Stats:

As the Tokyo has shared its totals as part of its tenth anniversary, I figured it would only be fitting if we shared our stats and looked back on what we've managed to accomplish in four years. So, here are some statistics for those that like numbers. In four years, we've managed to do all of this:

Total Posts: 437 (this averages at a little more than 9 posts a month over four years, and just over 2 posts a week in that same time period!)
Total Words: 635,051 (That's nearly 1.5 times Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy at 480,000 words and well over HALF of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series at 1,084,170 words!)
Total Characters: 68
Total Players: 22

Not quite as impressive as the Tokyo, but given what we've managed to accomplish in only a fraction of the time, I'd say we've done a pretty damn good job! Putting these numbers in context makes me so proud of everyone, past and present, who has been involved with the Myogi!

Awards

Since joining Theta Fleet, the Myogi has received awards for its posting and its players. Every time we win a new award, I'm always quick to put it up on the site, proudly displaying our accomplishments for all to see. They're not quite as impressive as fleet juggernauts such as the Tokyo and the Astrea, but the one thing you can't deny us is our consistency. And the fact that we sometimes still win gold shows that we can catch, match, and sometimes surpass those sims! And the awards on our site will show to anyone who looks that they will never find themselves bored on our ship, as there's always something going on to be a part of, and that you guys are great writers and players!

Over our time in Theta Fleet, we have won 73 different awards! If you count the two awards we won in Pegasus Fleet and never received, we've won 75 awards!

You can see the awards we've won in Theta Fleet on our main page and sim page!

Favorite Posts!

Now, it's time for a bit of a thought experiment: What are my top five favorite posts from the last four years? Even though I've had all of first quarter 2025 so far to think on this and only a fraction of the material Tokyo has to go over, this still was not an easy task!

Number 5!

Let's Get Married... Again!

I'm sort of under obligation to pick this one for my number 5, as this was the Myogi's very first post! It's not much by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I'm fairly certain I hastily wrote it so I had something after I was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight as Pegasus Fleet's newest sim, but it's our adventure's humble roots, and you can't go wrong with that.

Number 4!

Reacting to the Live Images

This one was a lot of fun for me as the game master to effectively "pull the rug out" from underneath you! The characters in this post were as blindsided to this as we as people were to the January 6 attack. And I love the rawness of the reactions. It makes it feel more genuine.

Number 3!

Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire

Our first (and, to date, only) post to win Post of the Month! I'm still not sure how this happened, as I have before and since nominated (in my opinion) far more interesting posts for Post of the Month that haven't won. I guess March of 2023 really was a slow month in the fleet...

Number 2!

Rage Your Dream (Both Parts)

The Fast & The Fleet was a particularly frustrating mission for me: I had initially received much support for it, but when it came time to play, most everyone either ghosted the sim or left it, which led to only a small number of players (myself included) actually participating in the mission, and as such, I was forced to take the L and cut down the planned content to get through it as quickly as possible. (I even wound up outright canceling a similar mission on my other Theta sim, the USS Missouri!)

But, for all this mission's troubles, I still think we managed to end it on a beautiful note. To this day, these are still posts I will go back and read from time to time. And they're very easy for me to track down, as they're the last posts of this mission.

The day these were posted was also the day those sweeping activity changes I mentioned earlier went into effect. At the end of the day, unfortunate as it sounds, The Fast & The Fleet had to be crippled so future missions could soar.

And Number 1!

The Wrap Up / Operation Tokyo Return

Classic as Rage Your Dream is, I think my all time favorite post has to go to the post with two different names on two separate sims. Even their numbers in their links are very similar. To my knowledge, this is the very first time outside of a Christmas mission that a post in which is canonical to the Tokyo and the Myogi has appeared on both sims. Granted, the post was written on Tokyo a year before it was reposted to Myogi, but there's something special about this being a point where both sims intersect. And with the benefit of hindsight, at its core, this post is ultimately two pregnant women bickering over insignificant stuff. Granted, at this point, Taiga had yet to find out.

In Conclusion:

If you've read this far, congratulations!

Finally, I wanted to say a few words to sum both this and what I said back in January up: I have been running this sim for the past four years, but it has been far more than just another Star Trek sim: I've seen it through thick and thin. I've seen people come, go, and come back! As I said back in January, the Myogi has both frustrated and delighted me, and all I really have left to say is thank you. Thank you all for being a part of this incredible journey! We have endured four years together, and I look forward to bringing the Myogi to her tenth anniversary!

In short:

Thank you so much a-for-to playing my game! Now pour yourself a glass and give yourself a pat on the back! You've well and truly earned it!

Here's to Four Years of the USS Myogi!

Captain Maho Takahashi

 

Category: Sim Announcement

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