Perhaps not the most action packed, but the hostile stronghold carrier group did put on a pretty little light show, so we gotta commend them for that. They even managed to knock out my shields while I was trying to grab the photos.

In one of the other Just About communities I recall seeing a "Be the first to ___" challenge, and I think an event like that could be implemented in Elite fairly easily.

With the upcoming release of the Trailblazer update, there is going to be a community push to colonize systems. The first CMDR to get a system colonized with, say, both a orbital station and a ground port deserves to be recognized and rewarded for their effort.

As far as verification goes, screenshots of the purchase and placement of the claim beacon, arrival of the first carrier, and completion of each port, accompanied by screenshots of the system architect UI to show your ownership should be sufficient. Obviously some of the specifics do still need to wait for the release of Pathfinders (or at least for the Elite Partners to share their test server footage) for us to know what exactly can be pulled to use as proof.

Additionally, there could be separate categories; one for CMDRs that work mostly on their own, and another for CMDRs backed by a squadron. For a CMDR colonizing a system [mostly] on their own, screenshots of the starting material requirements and screenshots of their deliveries showing that they bought and delivered at least 75%+ of the materials would be sufficient proof (can't exactly stop space truckers from randomly pitching in should they feel so inclined). A CMDR working with their squadron should still be moving a sizable portion of the materials, let's say 30%.

I imagine there would likely be several more considerations to make, but as a framework, I believe this has merit for an upcoming challenge.

Since I've previously shared "Leaf on the Wind," I figured it was time to give two of my other favorite names a chance in the spotlight.

First up is my Beluga Liner "Final Destination." I built her as an armed evacuation ships during the Thargoid War and have slain many a Scythe. I picked the name because I find a beautiful irony in the reference 😈

Next up is my Federal Dropship, "Death From Above." She is a ground assault ship built for raiding settlements. Armed with three unguided rocket launchers, she makes quick work of anyone fool enough to stand around outside. She also carries two SRVs, because what's a dropship without vehicles to drop? Her name comes as a reference of both the intended design purpose, as well as one of my favorite maneuvers in BattleTech.

Hopefully I'm not too late to submit to this reward 😅

Behold! Moons! (alt text is included with each screenshot to give some context)

My goal is simple: colonize at least one system

I unfortunately haven't visited too many nebulas due to sticking pretty close to the bubble, but there are a couple of short trips I took this year that I'm quite proud of.

First up, the Trifid Nebula. The pale blues shining from within the brown clouds just looks so pretty, both on approach and from within.

Next up is the Sadr nebula, featuring a gas giant with coloring that matches the nebula.

I am also currently en route to visit the Bubble Nebula, though I'm not quite close enough to get any screenshots of it yet.

Naming my Mandalay "Leaf on the Wind" might be a touch controversial (iykyk), but c'mon, just watch how she soars!

Took CMDR Aelina along for a ride through a surface CZ. I am proud to report that they followed up with me while I was editing to say that they were able to go out on their own and win another CZ.

I would be a Shutdown Field Neutralizer, because while I'm not always needed within my niche, utilizing me can make you a credit to your team.