AER: Stockton Con with the IKV DOQ’TAJ

CO 2nd Lieutenant Men’JA-tai-Kass reporting.

On stardate 2017.8.20, the IKV DOQ’TAJ flew north 2 hours to the cultural hub of Stockton Con. With me was my wife and XO, 2nd Lieutenant Man’TA-tai-Kass. Our Captain of the Guard and Engineer Lance-Corporal Izzy was called to assignment last minute to work on our communications array and could not attend shore leave. We proceeded to don our battle armor in a private suite of the stadium reserved for the 501st and ourselves. It is nice to not have to change with wrestlers and other cosplayers in the main dressing room that we had used previous years. From the 4th floor one could look down onto the vendor floor and see the whole con as a living ant farm!

Once girded in our superiority, we took the turbolift down to the promenade level, and proceeded to envelope the 501st backdrops. Though we were only 2, we were able to dominate the Hu-man Imperials, as they only had 3 troopers still in uniform. It was glorious! We had missed Vader leaving and were able to mix for photos with the public for about an hour. After this confrontation, we were forced to stop for rations. Against my better judgement from experience, we traded our latinum for stadium food crud; nachos with few chips, and a Terran “soft” pretzel, curiously hard as stone. They had no living fare. At this point afterwards we invaded the con floor, and saw many great costumes and uniforms as well as some excellent pop art. We were confronted by a Ghost Prince, one Jack Skellington, and his Corpse Bride, and were asked to take many holos, which we were happy to oblige! We bought several art posters, Man’TA killed and we ate many small round furry creatures, and she was happy to find smelly Risan candy soaps and shiny buttons and baubles, as our uniforms and weapons were admired by the vendors. We took many more holos, and exited the vendor floor to the main entrance. There, we were confronted by a fearsome Xenomorph, who we fought with mek’leth and qutluch until he was a defeated, steaming corpse-puddle!

After our victory, we went to the adjacent hotel lounge for a victory drink! On our way back to the suite, we met a very good ally, Lt. Uhura, who we posed with. Dressing down in the suite, a friend who is a 501st stormtrooper and I traded patches and stories for the day, and departed as warriors. It was a ways home to fly at night, but it was an excellent day, well worth the travel. And thus ended the first mission of the IKV DOQ’TAJ!