penny wrote:Analogy time
Honor's inner circle definitely matters. The smallest unit of matter is the atom.
Except it isn't. Atoms, despite their name,
are divisible into even smaller components.
Atoms were formed by the Big Bang.
Actually, no. Immediately after the Big Bang, the universe was too hot for nucleons to form. The first atom nuclei only formed about 10 seconds after the Big Bang and the process stopped after 20 minutes, producing only hydrogen, helium, lithium and maybe some boron. All the rest of the atoms weren't created until the first stars formed; in fact, no other elements besides helium started getting formed until those stars began to die by fusing helium into carbon several million years later, and all the rest only when they exploded as supernovae. This process will continue until the end of the stelliferous era, which is expected to last for 100 trillion years.
This atom is no different. It was formed by the Big Bang caused by Klaus Hauptman and Pavel Young. Those two cataclysmic events is what formed the atomic structure of Honor's smallest and most intimate inner circle. Very strong bonds were formed.
Using your analogy, I will agree that the seed of the Inner Circle began then, but it didn't stop growing until she retired and re-retired. But just like the light atoms (and the light cruiser), that was a lightweight team. It didn't become hefty until she aggregated even more people into it.