Honorverse Stewards

I don't know if anyone has talked about this before but I would really love a book or short story that focused on the CO's Steward. These are some of the best characters in the books. They all seem to come from a magical place that trains them to be the perfect helper for their COs. I think a story of how one becomes a steward would be awesome, especially Honor's Steward James MacGuiness.

They are the perfect people aren't they? It is as if the MAlign grows them from their slave line. Anyway, I agree with you. A short story on "Steward University" would be nice.

'Ouch!'

Seriously though, your thought reminds me of a question I've always had. During all of the times Honor captured enemy ships as prizes and the value is distributed amongst the crew, are stewards a part of that? I don't see why they wouldn't be, but I don't wish to assume.

Being that McGuiness has been with Honor for so long, and Honor captured so many ships, McGuiness' net worth - including what Honor left him in her will - ought to be substantial.

Aside:
It is a shame that Solarian ships are worthless. Some lucky crew would have easily been able to afford Cosmos with the payout. Yet, the capture was a concerted effort, which fleet would have benefitted if the booty would have yielded looty?

Stewards are part of the crew. ISTR McGuiness' prize money getting a mention somewhere, and, in any case, most of the stewards are down on the mess deck feeding the rest of the crew. They get their share.

I don't think that the RMN is following the details of RN practice here, but if they did, there would be some very well-to-do admirals in Talbott too: the officer signing the orders sending ships on a cruise where prizes were captured was entitled to 1/8 of the money awarded.

cthia wrote:They are the perfect people aren't they? It is as if the MAlign grows them from their slave line. Anyway, I agree with you. A short story on "Steward University" would be nice.

'Ouch!'

Seriously though, your thought reminds me of a question I've always had. During all of the times Honor captured enemy ships as prizes and the value is distributed amongst the crew, are stewards a part of that? I don't see why they wouldn't be, but I don't wish to assume.

Being that McGuiness has been with Honor for so long, and Honor captured so many ships, McGuiness' net worth - including what Honor left him in her will - ought to be substantial.

Aside:
It is a shame that Solarian ships are worthless. Some lucky crew would have easily been able to afford Cosmos with the payout. Yet, the capture was a concerted effort, which fleet would have benefitted if the booty would have yielded looty?

Louis R wrote:Stewards are part of the crew. ISTR McGuiness' prize money getting a mention somewhere, and, in any case, most of the stewards are down on the mess deck feeding the rest of the crew. They get their share.

I don't think that the RMN is following the details of RN practice here, but if they did, there would be some very well-to-do admirals in Talbott too: the officer signing the orders sending ships on a cruise where prizes were captured was entitled to 1/8 of the money awarded.

Yeah, based on the brief descriptions of prize money it seems like only people involved in the fight that captured the ship are in the prize pool. (Though that's probably treated broadly enough that if you were involved in a diversionary maneuver in the battle, even if you didn't fire on the enemy, that you'd probably be in the prize pool)

But I'd guess that if your Admiral ordered you to take a detachment to another system that he wouldn't be in the prize pool since he wasn't involved in the fight that led to the capture. So at Hancock both Sarnow (as Admiral in charge of the BC force that fought the running battle) and Yancy Parks (as the Admiral of the battle squadrons that showed up and forced the surrender) should, I'd guess, be in the prize pool. But whichever Admiral Parks reports to back on (presumably) Manticore wouldn't be.

But that's a lot of speculation from a tiny dataset.

Jonathan_S wrote:

Louis R wrote:Stewards are part of the crew. ISTR McGuiness' prize money getting a mention somewhere, and, in any case, most of the stewards are down on the mess deck feeding the rest of the crew. They get their share.

I don't think that the RMN is following the details of RN practice here, but if they did, there would be some very well-to-do admirals in Talbott too: the officer signing the orders sending ships on a cruise where prizes were captured was entitled to 1/8 of the money awarded.

Yeah, based on the brief descriptions of prize money it seems like only people involved in the fight that captured the ship are in the prize pool. (Though that's probably treated broadly enough that if you were involved in a diversionary maneuver in the battle, even if you didn't fire on the enemy, that you'd probably be in the prize pool)

But I'd guess that if your Admiral ordered you to take a detachment to another system that he wouldn't be in the prize pool since he wasn't involved in the fight that led to the capture. So at Hancock both Sarnow (as Admiral in charge of the BC force that fought the running battle) and Yancy Parks (as the Admiral of the battle squadrons that showed up and forced the surrender) should, I'd guess, be in the prize pool. But whichever Admiral Parks reports to back on (presumably) Manticore wouldn't be.

But that's a lot of speculation from a tiny dataset.

IIRC the first battle of Hancock. Honor and the other flag captains received 6% of the prize money which IIRC amounted to 80+ million dollars each with the juniorest crewmen getting 50k dollars. My guess is that they break down by rank. Like so;
Admirals 6% Sarnow and Danislov
Commodores 6% likely 3-4
Flag Captains 6% 4
Officers 12%
Enlisted 70%

Jonathan_S wrote:

Louis R wrote:Stewards are part of the crew. ISTR McGuiness' prize money getting a mention somewhere, and, in any case, most of the stewards are down on the mess deck feeding the rest of the crew. They get their share.

I don't think that the RMN is following the details of RN practice here, but if they did, there would be some very well-to-do admirals in Talbott too: the officer signing the orders sending ships on a cruise where prizes were captured was entitled to 1/8 of the money awarded.

Yeah, based on the brief descriptions of prize money it seems like only people involved in the fight that captured the ship are in the prize pool. (Though that's probably treated broadly enough that if you were involved in a diversionary maneuver in the battle, even if you didn't fire on the enemy, that you'd probably be in the prize pool)

But I'd guess that if your Admiral ordered you to take a detachment to another system that he wouldn't be in the prize pool since he wasn't involved in the fight that led to the capture. So at Hancock both Sarnow (as Admiral in charge of the BC force that fought the running battle) and Yancy Parks (as the Admiral of the battle squadrons that showed up and forced the surrender) should, I'd guess, be in the prize pool. But whichever Admiral Parks reports to back on (presumably) Manticore wouldn't be.

But that's a lot of speculation from a tiny dataset.

Which begs the answer to the question of whether Caparelli, who may be involved in the fight in the planning stages — especially if his sixth sense sensed something and he cut orders for a fleet to proceed to a specific station which led to the capture — would be eligible for a cut.

cthia wrote:Which begs the answer to the question of whether Caparelli, who may be involved in the fight in the planning stages — especially if his sixth sense sensed something and he cut orders for a fleet to proceed to a specific station which led to the capture — would be eligible for a cut.

What is this, the SLN?

Louis R wrote:Stewards are part of the crew. ISTR McGuiness' prize money getting a mention somewhere, and, in any case, most of the stewards are down on the mess deck feeding the rest of the crew. They get their share.

I don't think that the RMN is following the details of RN practice here, but if they did, there would be some very well-to-do admirals in Talbott too: the officer signing the orders sending ships on a cruise where prizes were captured was entitled to 1/8 of the money awarded.

I'm not sure where I saw it, but I think the RMN only counts ships in-system at the time of the capture as eligible for the prize money.

So an Admiral who'd sent a detachment off would be out of luck if he didn't go along himself. Which is, I think, reasonable - prize pay is a reward for facing the hazards of front-line duty.

cthia wrote:Aside:
It is a shame that Solarian ships are worthless. Some lucky crew would have easily been able to afford Cosmos with the payout. Yet, the capture was a concerted effort, which fleet would have benefitted if the booty would have yielded looty?

They're not totally worthless. Assuming the RMN keeps those ships(ie, they're not returned or given away for diplomatic purposes, like the prizes of 3rd Yeltsin or 1st Manticore), the personnel involved in their capture should at least receive their share of the scrap value.

From Spindle alone, the scrap metal would be valued at $98 billion USD, at today's prices for steel. Tenth Fleet had what, roughly fifty thousand personnel? The RMN awards 3% of the prize value, so that works out at $58,000 per personnel.

The above relies on a huge assumption, mind you - that battle steel is 300 manticoran dollars per ton in ~1925PD.

The Solarian ships captured at 2nd Manticore, on the other hand, presents a diplomatic quagmire. Because Haven is entitled to a share, as is Grayson. Note that Haven doesn't do the prize pay thing and Grayson might not either.

Now you're making me wonder what, if anything, crews get for destroying an enemy ship. I can't remember anything in the books about that. Did Honor and her crew get anything for destroying Sirius in On Basilisk Station?

Cheers, John

John Prigent wrote:Now you're making me wonder what, if anything, crews get for destroying an enemy ship. I can't remember anything in the books about that. Did Honor and her crew get anything for destroying Sirius in On Basilisk Station?

Cheers, John

they got a fair amount from the contraband seized and a ship or two that was confiscated, plus hauptman was fined for letting their personnel smuggle stuff.

but for the actual ship fight? nothing beyond standard pay.

at least that is my recollection