Senior Fleet Officer update

[Laithlis]

FROM: Line Captain Tapio Laithlis, Senior Fleet Officer
TO: All Imperial Officers
SUBJECT: Senior Fleet Officer update

Greetings, Imperials.

This report may not be quite what you expected, for it has a somewhat limited and personal scope.

Last night I found myself contemplating a subject that has occupied my mind often during the past few months. Namely, my role in and contributions to the GE:ER. As most of you have probably noticed, my activity level has been less than adequate of late - indeed, for most of my service as the Senior Fleet Officer. The reasons are various - stress, work, hardware and software failures, piles of paperwork not sorted through - but they're really not essential. What matters is not excuses, but the fact that I haven't been performing my duties. I have let the GE:ER become a social club for myself, not a duty. Whilst I have been almost constantly available I have failed to perform even the simplest of duties of a commanding officer - keeping in touch with the crew. We are all here to enjoy ourselves, but we have also all committed ourselves to doing our part for the club, to keep it active afloat.

So, last night I thought about all this at length, and came to the conclusion I have often thought about before. Obviously I cannot continue to perform my duty the way I have (or more accurately, have not) for the past months. Lately I have been under a lot of pressure and stress from various sources, and yesterday these escalated to a point where I decided I must do something about them. I care about this club. I have been a member for all my adult life and more. Through the GE:ER I have known dozens of great personalities and have gotten several wonderful friends for life. And because I care about it, all the things I have not done for it have been a very serious source of stress for myself of late, and stress is a resource I have in abundance right now.

Since I obviously cannot set the kind of example to Imperial Officers as I, by my current position as the Senior Fleet Officer, should, the only thing I can do is step down. Thus I have just filed a request to transfer to the reserves. It has been an honour serving with you all, but now I must take a break, for my mind's sake. Should there be a situation where someone wishes for my advice or help I'll be happy to give it, but I cannot see myself returning to active service anytime soon. However, I am not going anywhere - I'll be around on IRC, various IMs, the messageboards as I have been so far. A sad realization is that a transfer to the reserves will probably not change my activity related to the GE:ER at all.

I would like to extend an apology to the crew of ISD Chimaera in particular, for you are those who have the most suffered from your captain's absence.

[Mike Mar]

I wish you all the best, Line Captain.

Farewell.

[CM Jamie]

Nice chatting to you about stuff sir, hope you come back one day better.

[COL Longstreet]

It´s sad to see you leave Laith! I wish you everything good for your further RL; and I hope that you´ll one day find the constellations you need to return to us.

[Vortagh]

Good riddance!

[Munro Burton]

However, I am not going anywhere - I'll be around on IRC, various IMs, the messageboards as I have been so far.

He's not disappearing on us, much as we wish a System Governor would(:P), he's simply making room for someone he knows will do more than him. That represents a lot of courage and I can only respect him more for that.

See ya around on IRC, Laith. As always.

[LGN_Antillies]

Best of luck, Captain. The Chinook salutes you.