Honorverse favorite one-liners

Amaroq wrote:Probably worth noting is that Filareta was considered by his peers to be a below-average fleet commander, better than Crandall but still less than impessive. Which is another one of those hints that Manticore hasn't been merely kicking around the SLN's 'B' team, they've been kicking around the SLN's equivalents of Elvis Santino.

Well, in fairness, that description came from Daud al-Fanudahi, who might be just a wee bit prejudiced in the matter.

IN Filareta's defense (as a Fleet Admiral, if not as a man), he did manage to organize the largest fleet ever deployed by the SL, incorporated new weaponry and did work his crews via simulations, had a reasonable battle plan with options, and even Honor admitted she would have done the same thing with her drones if she had been in his position. So maybe not judged the 'best', but he was certainly a cut very well above Byng and Crandall.

His problem was the same that any ISLN "A-list" Admirals will have, which is dealt with below.

It would be interesting to see what SLN A-listers would actually be like. It's hard to have very good battle commanders when you haven't fought in any battles or wars in several centuries. The only officers in the SLN who would have experience like that would be in Frontier Fleet and there's no way Battle Fleet is every going to put its wallers under an FF commander.

And there you have it. No Battle Fleet Officer has been tested in the crucible of combat in centuries. And Frontier Fleet 'experience' has been most single-ship or small squadrons stomping on Neobarbs who have upset the natural order of things (that is, SL/OFS in control), rather than someone who can shoot back--especially someone who can shoot back with a much better gun.

And the issues with putting a FF Commander, even a highly experienced one, in charge of a BF unit--Military inertia is one of the fundamental forces of the universe, IMHO, and even in a struggle for survival there will be impenetrable resistance to doing that.

We shall see--eventually.

And to make up for getting off-topic:

"There you are," a familiar voice said. "Welcome back, Rafe."

He turned, the new-kid feeling fading away like a light morning mist. Captain Harrington was standing with Andy Venizelos by the com station, consulting together over a memo pad. "Thank you, Ma'am," Cardones said. "How was the tour?"

"Interesting,"the captain said. Her voice was casual, but Cardones thought he saw a flicker of something in the exec's face. "Yours?"

"About the same," Cardones said, matching her tone. "Permission to resume my station?"

"Permission granted," she said, and smiled. "Enough lazing around, Mr. Cardones. Get back to work."

[/quote]

Fron "With One Stone" by Tim Zahn (Service of the Sword Collenction). Like many quotes, you have to read the story to truly relish the highlighted versions--I do wonder if sometime in the future Honor ever figured it out....

One from HAE, with a character we only see once in the Honorverse, yet which, as the MWW does so often, is still memorable for that one appearance.

Honor:

"All right, Captain. I'll be transferring at least one of my surgeons, as many SBAs as I can spare, and all our wounded to you. Do you have the facilities to handle them?"

"We'll damned well make the facilities, Milady."

Margaret Fuchien may be just a Captain of a Passenger ship, but she is a Steely-eyed Missile Ma'am in my book.

Hutch wrote:

"There you are," a familiar voice said. "Welcome back, Rafe."

He turned, the new-kid feeling fading away like a light morning mist. Captain Harrington was standing with Andy Venizelos by the com station, consulting together over a memo pad. "Thank you, Ma'am," Cardones said. "How was the tour?"

"Interesting,"the captain said. Her voice was casual, but Cardones thought he saw a flicker of something in the exec's face. "Yours?"

"About the same," Cardones said, matching her tone. "Permission to resume my station?"

"Permission granted," she said, and smiled. "Enough lazing around, Mr. Cardones. Get back to work."

Fron "With One Stone" by Tim Zahn (Service of the Sword Collenction). Like many quotes, you have to read the story to truly relish the highlighted versions--I do wonder if sometime in the future Honor ever figured it out....

Dammit Hutch. You've just thrummed my sentimental heart string in C(ry) sharp!

All tears are threatening to bust loose.

Your post reminds me of all the real memorable, familial, tender moments lost.
Honor, Rafe, Venizelos, Mercedes, Santos, McKeon, Harkness, McBryde ... ...

Cheers, to the original family of the Honorverse.
There've been so many tv reunions through out the years...Buffy, Roseanne, Full House ...
Anyone close enough to RFC to suggest an original dream team reunion?

Hey Rose, you've had several run-ins with RFC. Care to take one for the team?

Now for a tissue and a post, as an offering to resume topic.

“Tell me again how maneuvering Beowulf into a false position was supposed to help us, Innokentiy. I seem to be having a little trouble following the logic.”

Two one-liners back-to-back at the end of Honor Against Enemies:

"In particular," she went on evenly, "I can't seem to remember the name of the Andermani ship whose transponder code I was using when you came to our assistance in Schiller."

Honor as she gives Warner and the Vaubon crew's an out...

Ah, I believe it was the Andermani ship Sternenlicht, My Lady," he said, addressing her with a nonmilitary title for the first time eve

And People's Commissioner Denis Jourdain picking it up.

Hutch wrote:Two one-liners back-to-back at the end of Honor Against Enemies:

"In particular," she went on evenly, "I can't seem to remember the name of the Andermani ship whose transponder code I was using when you came to our assistance in Schiller."

Honor as she gives Warren and the Vaubon crew's an out...

Ah, I believe it was the Andermani ship Sternenlicht, My Lady," he said, addressing her with a nonmilitary title for the first time eve

And People's Commissioner Denis Jourdain picking it up.

...okay, somebody arrest Hutch for Assault with Deadly Feels.

roseandheather wrote:
...okay, somebody arrest Hutch for Assault with Deadly Feels.

I'm with you on this one rose.
Hutch should come with tissue.

Thanks for the warm memories.
I wish I could have been a snotty on Fearless.

...But that Manty admiral, that Truman—” She shook her head. “The contempt that *beeotch* showed! She was daring Tsang to cross the line, and she didn’t show a trace of doubt that she could hammer our ships into wreckage any time she wanted.

Omusupe Quatermain ART

note:
*edited for censor-sake

This one broke me out into hysterical laughter!

Hutch wrote:

Amaroq wrote:Probably worth noting is that Filareta was considered by his peers to be a below-average fleet commander, better than Crandall but still less than impessive. Which is another one of those hints that Manticore hasn't been merely kicking around the SLN's 'B' team, they've been kicking around the SLN's equivalents of Elvis Santino.

Well, in fairness, that description came from Daud al-Fanudahi, who might be just a wee bit prejudiced in the matter.

IN Filareta's defense (as a Fleet Admiral, if not as a man), he did manage to organize the largest fleet ever deployed by the SL, incorporated new weaponry and did work his crews via simulations, had a reasonable battle plan with options, and even Honor admitted she would have done the same thing with her drones if she had been in his position. So maybe not judged the 'best', but he was certainly a cut very well above Byng and Crandall.

For all the ragging Crandall gets, Filareta's main advantage was knowing what had happened to her. If they'd switched places the results would probably have been about the same.

Once upon a time, Filareta had been as inclined as the rest of his colleagues to write [Harrington's "formidable record"] off. After all, how good did some neobarb have to be if all she was going to do was beat up on other neobarbs? That had been before the Battle of Spindle, however. Since the Battle of Spindle, he'd revised his estimate of all Manticoran officers significantly upward.

Hutch wrote: His problem was the same that any ISLN "A-list" Admirals will have, which is dealt with below.

Amaroq wrote:It would be interesting to see what SLN A-listers would actually be like. It's hard to have very good battle commanders when you haven't fought in any battles or wars in several centuries. The only officers in the SLN who would have experience like that would be in Frontier Fleet and there's no way Battle Fleet is every going to put its wallers under an FF commander.

And there you have it. No Battle Fleet Officer has been tested in the crucible of combat in centuries. And Frontier Fleet 'experience' has been most single-ship or small squadrons stomping on Neobarbs who have upset the natural order of things (that is, SL/OFS in control), rather than someone who can shoot back--especailly someone who can shoot back with a much better gun.

Yes.

Bill Woods wrote:For all the ragging Crandall gets, Filareta's main advantage was knowing what had happened to her. If they'd switched places the results would probably have been about the same.

I disagree. Both of them had a serious disease called arrogance, and made the all to common mistake of 'underestimating your opponent.'

My father used to say "Always assume the sharpness of the Serpent's teeth."

Were those glaring foibles removed from the equation and if they actually respected their opponent, in the manner in which the Havenites and RMN learned to respect each other. I feel, IMHO, Filareta would have come out a cut above.

The both of them could have benefitted from another of my father's sayings...

"Son, do not cater to the common belief that a person has to earn respect. That is not true. You should give every person respect right from the start. What a person has to earn is your continued respect!"

cthia wrote:
No not weird. Efficient, in a nice tac-witch sort of way!

Aw thanks, cthia