Olafson's Gang logo
Cadet Groups[]
A Union fleet cadet that chooses one of the career paths that lead to a Starship bridge duty post is usually sent to an Academy School ship and put into a team of nine cadets that reflects the bridge station departments:
- Command
- OPS
- Helm
- Navigation
- Tactical
- Security
- Communications
- Engineering
- Science
These are the core departments / positions on any Union star ship and these Cadet groups are taught to work together and bring their specialization together into a smooth operating unit. Since there are not enough dedicated Academy ships, many of the larger battle ships, carriers and other big units take on one or several such Cadet teams. Cadets that serve their final and third year aboard a ship are traditionally not called Cadets but Midshipmen.
The gigantic Devastator for example has a dedicated Midshipman training department with up to 50 teams serving aboard at all times. To foster a competitive environment, each of these Midshipmen teams pick a Team color, a Team leader (Dorm eldest) and a Team name.
Achievements, awards and scores are counted not only for the individual but for the team as whole.
It is not uncommon for Midshipmen teams to pick a name that reflects their color, their goals or in many cases the name of the team leader, such as "Johns Fabulous Nine", or "T’Ticks Nest", etc.
Olafson's Team[]
In the academy year 5018-5019 a team of Midshipmen aboard the Devastator made history and perhaps the best and most unusual team in many decades. It was named after its leader Eric Olafson and became known as Olafson's Gang, often referred to as Olafson’s Team as well[1].
The Teams color was black.
It consisted of:
The Olafson Gang
| Name | Species | Watch Station |
|---|---|---|
| Eric/Erica Olafson | Human | Command |
| Har-Hi | Dai Than | Executive Officer |
| The Narth[2] | Narth | OPS |
| Wetmouth (Shea Schwartz) | Sojonit | Science |
| Cirruit | X101 | Engineering |
| Mao Vouza | Human | Tactical |
| Krabbel | Archa | Navigator |
| Shaka Ndebele | Human | Helmsman |
| Hans Neugruber | Saturnian | Security |
| Elfi (Princess) | Saran | Communications |
Their friendship begun as Eric met Mao at Arsenal IV in a space port lobby where Eric was waiting for his third year Academy posting.
While they all came from very different backgrounds, it was Admiral Richard Stahl who made sure they meet.
(He was responsible for putting the "Dai" and the "Princess" into the group. The others were assigned by chance.)
A fast and deep friendship between these at first nine and later ten beings.
Post-Graduation[]
After Eric became Erica and received command over the USS Tigershark the group grew and to Admiral McElligott and similar authorities these new additions are "Olafson's Gang" as well:
- Sobody of the Golden
- TheOther - Only surviving Y'All (from the last Y'All War)
- Xon, the Gray - Gray Prince of Nul
- Tyron the living Suit
- SHIP - The Tigersharks AI
- Alice Enigma - orphan of the Trash Island (Woorld aka Sin 4)
- Cateria - Last Seenian and the Tigersharks CMO
- Dusty - Interstellar Dust cloud
- Orthbeer - Almost a real ghost
- Warner (A Holdian -Not really a member of the Olafson gang but due to his friendship to the Golden almost always involved)
Almost all members of the Olafson Gang completed long and distinctive careers in the Union Fleet and remained friends.
"Family"[]
(Special persons who don't really belong to the Olafson Gang, but became part of that "Family")
- Richard Stahl
- Alycia Lichfangh
- Mother Superior (aka Deepa)
- Narth Supreme