To some of you, this will come as a shock, but I'm sure you'll quickly recover. Before I go any farther, let me assure anyone and everyone that I am not retiring because of any one person or group of people. I am retiring simply because I feel that my time has come. I have seen everything, done everything, and been there and back many times. For those who are not familiar with my history, I have been a member of the RS for a little over 7 years now. I have sat on High Command, helping to direct the affairs of this club, for 6 years. For almost 5 of those 6 years, I have held either the position of Fleet Commander or Fleet Commanding Officer. My original colleagues have long since gone. Unless I plan to do this sort of thing indefinitely, I think now is a good time to withdraw.

So I have been here for quite a long time, which is part of the reason I am now retiring. There is yet another reason, though, which is that there is simply nothing left for me to accomplish in the RS. There is no longer any incentive for me to be here. Three years ago, I received the highest rank the RS has to offer, and I also have been dignified with just about all of the most prestigious medals the club can give. Even with all that, there was something that kept me here until recently. I had the incentive of being able to help with my years of experience, and that was enough for me. But now, even the incentive of helping has disappeared, because people simply do not any longer care what my opinions are. Some may still respect me as a person, but most of my ideas are not respected, and members who have been in the club for a quarter as long as me take no account any longer of my once-vaunted seniority and experience. This tells me one thing: that I have stayed too long, and that I might find better use for my time elsewhere.

And so, I plan to surrender the position of Redemption Fleet Commanding Officer and return to the less-harried life of the ubiquitous "average member." I will retain my position as Paladin 6 in the STC, I will remain in Vanguard Wing to play SWG, and I will of course maintain my membership in Grey Squadron, which I will always continue to hold in the highest regard.

I leave Redemption Fleet in excellent condition, in my humble opinion. It is the largest fleet in the RS, and certainly one of the most active. I wish Redemption Fleet well, and it will always be dear to my heart as my home in the RS.

As a Fleet CO, you find yourself indebted to many people during your time in office. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank some people who mean a lot to me:

Chris Earthkeeper: Ek, thank you for having faith in me, and for offering me beer since day one. :)

Wes Belden: Giz, you have been one of the best CO's I have ever had the opportunity of overseeing. I know that you'll take VW far, and I appreciate everything you have done for that wing. I'll see you in SWG!

Licah Fox: Licah, even though you didn't stay long as one of my CO's, I am very grateful for all the help you gave to me and to the fleet as Internet Officer. I also thank you for your friendship, and your sanity. :P

Xtremegene: X, you have always been an outstanding member of this club, and especially of the RF, whether in the STC or in the RSPA. I'm sure I'll see you plenty in SWG, but I just wanted to say: woot for Xly!

Kyle Tobarn: Mark, I thank you for all your assistance to the RF. You were a great RFCO, and you have sacrificed a lot to make this club better. Thanks for everything!

Tyrell Borran: Spokes, I owe you a lot for helping to preserve my sanity. I thank you for being a voice of intelligence and reason in even the most trying times.

Ben Jynzer: Ben, I don't know if you'll read this or not, but you must know that you were always an important crutch for me. You've been with me and the RF for a long time, and I always appreciated your opinions and contributions.

Matt Williams: Stall, you've been a most excellent XO, and you have impressed me ever since I appointed you. Hell, you impressed me back when you were Academy CO, both times. I know you care a good deal about the RF, and that is something that I appreciate. I wish you the best of luck in your future RS endeavors, and I urge you to carry the torch. Thanks for all your help!

Castor Efrata-Landis: RC, we have been close for a long time, and I have always appreciated your advice, and leaned on your calm and temperate spirit. We will always remain friends, I imagine, but I thank you all the same for everything you have thus far helped me with. Good luck with the new job!

Rahj Tharen: Well Rahj, we've worked together for a long time, and now it appears that we are essentially retiring together as well. As far as the past year goes, I'd like to thank you for being such an understanding FC, and for being so concerned about the various happenings in the RF. Surely the RS has lost a pearl from its crown because of your retirement. Thanks for being such a great friend, and for trusting me even when nobody else did. I'll be seeing you in the land of freedom, buddy.

There's a much longer list of people that I should thank, but I dare not take the space to do it all in depth. Most particularly, I am indebted to anyone who ever served on my command staff, as my XO/SO, or as one of my Division CO's. I wish I could enumerate the fine qualities of people such as Sentry, John "Speedy" Gonzalez, Alec Jaggers, Trosa Aldair, Jester, Kale Petosky, Tay Lothain, Tyrian Soh-Jin, Dhruv Kalra, Zak Ciredik, Joel Lance, Randy Starkiller, and Blaster, but I believe that space forbids me. I shall make do with a genuine thank you to you all, from the bottom of my little Dave heart. All I have done or thought about doing would have been impossible without fine people such as these.

With that said, I believe that I have covered all the bases, I have written all the words, and I am satisfied with what I have done.

I now officially resign my commision as Redemption Fleet Commanding Officer. As my replacement, I recommend RA Matt "Stallion" Williams, my most excellent XO, who now knows nearly as much about the RF as I do. I believe he would do credit to the RF and help to make it an even more fun place to be.

And so I say goodbye. Or perhaps it is more appropriate to not say goodbye, but rather, as the French say, au revoir! Godspeed, RS.

Reach for the stars, and you will find that you can often catch them!

":)
Dave "Raptor" Trebonious-Astoris
Fleet Admiral
=The Rebel Squadrons=
...a H.I.E.R.* Organization
*(Honesty, Integrity, Equanimity, Respect)

-Member, SWG Squad 6 (VW)
-Member, Paladin Squadron (STC)

-Former RS Fleet Commander
-Former RS Executive Officer
-Former RS Historical Officer
-Former C.O, Redemption Fleet
-Former C.O, Crusader Fleet
-Former C.O, Kalidor Wing
-Former C.O, Delta Squadron
-Former RS Medals Officer
-Former pilot, Rza Squadron, RgF
-Former Grey 5, Grey forever!
-Formerly of many other things

(The Excellency of Service, awarded by MO Mike Bullian)
|//Oo\\| (The Tatooine Suns, awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
||U|| (The Kessel Kup, awarded by FC Castor)
|**| (The Combat Medal, two stars. Adm Jim and MO Ben Jynzer)
*†* (The Alliance Dagger, one. Awarded by Adm Jim)
^|VCC|^ (The Valiance Combat Citation. Awarded by MO Ben Jynzer)
*VII* (Seven Year Veteran Service Medal)

"I want you to understand this, and I want future generations to believe it; you and they will do more than adequate service to my reputation if I am held to be worthy of my forebears, careful for your interests, steadfast in danger, and not afraid to be unpopular if I am serving the national good." -Tiberius Caesar