Shannon Foraker

yannosh wrote:Sorry y'all, I'd like to see her in command as much as the next person, but realistically, it ain't gonna happen.
She is too good, too useful, and too much needed right where she is to go traipsing around just because we would like her to. It's like wanting to see Honor back in captain's chair.
If we had the pleasure of reading something a few decades down the slip, sure; right now it's just wishful thinking.

I agree 100%. Yes Shannon in a combat role (See: more face time)would be awesome, because hey, any more Shannon is a win.

But let's be honest, it not only would be stupid, but CRIMINALY stupid to pull Shannon from being part of the leading edge of the Grand Alliance R&D to become one more ship captain, or even a combat Admiral. The Allaince's Technological lead is critical to taking on the Solarian League, they will NEVER in a million years take one of their single smartest people and put them in a position where she could get blown up. They have plenty of highly competent and skilled ship/squadron/fleet commanders. They don't need more front line officers, what they NEED is someone with Shannon's brainpower pushing their tech to the next level.

I realize they did put Hemphill in a combat role as well, but that was because she DID need seasoning in the front lines. She started in R&D, Shannon's career was the reverse.

Direwolf18 wrote:

yannosh wrote:Sorry y'all, I'd like to see her in command as much as the next person, but realistically, it ain't gonna happen.
She is too good, too useful, and too much needed right where she is to go traipsing around just because we would like her to. It's like wanting to see Honor back in captain's chair.
If we had the pleasure of reading something a few decades down the slip, sure; right now it's just wishful thinking.

I agree 100%. Yes Shannon in a combat role (See: more face time)would be awesome, because hey, any more Shannon is a win.

But let's be honest, it not only would be stupid, but CRIMINALY stupid to pull Shannon from being part of the leading edge of the Grand Alliance R&D to become one more ship captain, or even a combat Admiral. The Allaince's Technological lead is critical to taking on the Solarian League, they will NEVER in a million years take one of their single smartest people and put them in a position where she could get blown up. They have plenty of highly competent and skilled ship/squadron/fleet commanders. They don't need more front line officers, what they NEED is someone with Shannon's brainpower pushing their tech to the next level.

I realize they did put Hemphill in a combat role as well, but that was because she DID need seasoning in the front lines. She started in R&D, Shannon's career was the reverse.

Well, actually - everyone would like more front line officers (especially given how fast the fleets have expanded, and the casualties suffered). That said, Foraker is much more valuable where she is (they need R&D even more than front line officers).

Edit: This is really just a nit, not an objection to the point.

Shannon Foraker vs Sonja Hemphill.

Elizabeth and Eloise are right. There will be problems to overcome for an alliance to succeed. Some may be insurmountable. Others hilarious. Some will be both, but they all have their measure of importance and must be solved.

Some problems are even unforeseen, like the first formal working day between Foraker and Hemphill. Sonja is brilliant no doubt, but she can have some weapons development flukes. Someone has to be the leader as far as which R&D projects should be pursued. Foraker would have questioned Sonja about gutting Fearless and installing a grav lance. "Really Sonja?"

Which is the most tech savvy?

That is a good question. I don't think one is necessarily smarter then the other. Shannon has shown a true genius of reverse engineering things. An ability to take scraps of information and bring em together to make things work. You want crazy out of the box ideas (many which won't work IE grav lances) talk to Sonja. I think they will compliment each other really really well.

Now whose TEAM is better, and that's a pretty safe bet to say Hemphills. She has a lot of really really smart egg heads working under her, one of the advantages of having a first rate education system and a Military R&D program that has had priority for decades. Baring any lapses from asshats named High Ridge of course.

Direwolf18 wrote:That is a good question. I don't think one is necessarily smarter then the other. Shannon has shown a true genius of reverse engineering things. An ability to take scraps of information and bring em together to make things work. You want crazy out of the box ideas (many which won't work IE grav lances) talk to Sonja. I think they will compliment each other really really well.

Now whose TEAM is better, and that's a pretty safe bet to say Hemphills. She has a lot of really really smart egg heads working under her, one of the advantages of having a first rate education system and a Military R&D program that has had priority for decades. Baring any lapses from asshats named High Ridge of course.

Good points. However, Shannon always remained in shouting distance despite a lower education system and inferior tech. Even as tac-witch she squeezed blood out of a turnup. Just think what Shannon can do with Sonja's team.

cthia wrote:

Direwolf18 wrote:That is a good question. I don't think one is necessarily smarter then the other. Shannon has shown a true genius of reverse engineering things. An ability to take scraps of information and bring em together to make things work. You want crazy out of the box ideas (many which won't work IE grav lances) talk to Sonja. I think they will compliment each other really really well.

Now whose TEAM is better, and that's a pretty safe bet to say Hemphills. She has a lot of really really smart egg heads working under her, one of the advantages of having a first rate education system and a Military R&D program that has had priority for decades. Baring any lapses from asshats named High Ridge of course.

Good points. However, Shannon always remained in shouting distance despite a lower education system and inferior tech. Even as tac-witch she squeezed blood out of a turnup. Just think what Shannon can do with Sonja's team.

I would go so far as to say that, like another beloved blonde scientist, Shannon's brain is both a natural resource and national treasure.

There are a lot of things I'm impatient to see in the next book, but Sonja and Shannon in the same room and on the same side has got to be at the top of my list.

As I recall, Honor had some rather direct things to say to the WDB after OBS. Yet she was able to work with Hemple on the WDB later. Both Hemple and Honor matured. Same thing with Sonja and Hamish serving together in the Admiralty. Hamish came to respect Sonja's contribution to Manticore's survival enough lay aside their past feuds and appoint her. She, in turn, was willing to accept the appointment and serve on the team. Says good things about both of them. I suspect that Sonja will always be a bit abrasive and impatient. But I also bet that she and Shannon find each other kindred spirits.

Don

Sonja's forte is picking a concept out of nearly thin air, and finding/managing the team of wonks to make a 3-drive missile out of it.

Shannon's forte is looking at what that missile did, maybe some fragmentary examples, and finding/managing the team of engineers who will find a way to build something 80% as good, at 120% the size, for 60% of the price.

Two different skillsets...which will cause them to complement each other nicely...while fighting like, um, marines and sailors.

dreamrider

dreamrider wrote:Sonja's forte is picking a concept out of nearly thin air, and finding/managing the team of wonks to make a 3-drive missile out of it.

Shannon's forte is looking at what that missile did, maybe some fragmentary examples, and finding/managing the team of engineers who will find a way to build something 80% as good, at 120% the size, for 60% of the price.

Two different skillsets...which will cause them to complement each other nicely...while fighting like, um, marines and sailors.

dreamrider

Good point dreamrider. My niece emailed me with something similar. She said that Sonja was more like the US, original inventions. And Shannon was more like the Chinese, reverse engineer and sell it much cheaper.

cthia wrote:Shannon Foraker vs Sonja Hemphill.

Elizabeth and Eloise are right. There will be problems to overcome for an alliance to succeed. Some may be insurmountable. Others hilarious. Some will be both, but they all have their measure of importance and must be solved.

Some problems are even unforeseen, like the first formal working day between Foraker and Hemphill. Sonja is brilliant no doubt, but she can have some weapons development flukes. Someone has to be the leader as far as which R&D projects should be pursued. Foraker would have questioned Sonja about gutting Fearless and installing a grav lance. "Really Sonja?"

Which is the most tech savvy?

In all fairness in the combat environment of the time, aka pre-missile pod and MDM, the gravlance was a good idea as long as it was put on a ship that could survive to close to effective range and maintain enough non grav lance weaponry to fight effectively like a DN or SDN, or probably a heavy BC. And in a fleet action even the grav lance modded light cruiser could be dangerous. Honor proved that in the war games, The thing was no one in their right mind would have deployed Fearless to fight alone if they had a choice and unfortunately Honor got put in a position where Fearless had to fight alone.