Honorverse favorite passages

Amaroq wrote:I've been able to find some relevant textev for this issue.

From FoD:

A steadholder not only wielded a personal feudal authority which would have stunned most Manticoran aristocrats but commanded the Army units based in his (or her) steading, as well. As such, medals were worn on all official occasions.

George J. Smith wrote:
Amaroq,

Thanks for the info, I remembered the parts about the armsmen having ranks equivalent to commissioned officers, however the part about the Steadholder being a commissioned officer is still a little murky.

IMO being in command does not necessarily imply having a commission, a Steadholder could just as well be the overall commander of the forces within the Steading but still remain a civilian as he or she has, for want of a better expression, Ducal powers over all subjects in the Steading.

T&R
GJS

Amaroq wrote:I've been able to find some relevant textev for this issue.

From FoD:

A steadholder not only wielded a personal feudal authority which would have stunned most Manticoran aristocrats but commanded the Army units based in his (or her) steading, as well. As such, medals were worn on all official occasions.

Weird Harold wrote:This is probably the primary citation. A steadholder can't command army units without at least a nominal commissioned rank.

cthia wrote:Another nice post Yow. Tear evokingly tender as well.

****** *



On Basilisk Station

Mr. McKeon."

"Yes, Ma'am?" The exec looked up. She beckoned to him, and he crossed to her chair as she stood.

"I think we're moving into the end-game phase," she said quietly, pitching her voice for his ears alone. "I'm trying to keep an open mind about that, but too many things seem to be coming together here." She paused, and McKeon nodded in agreement.

"I've been over Papadapolous's deployment plan, and it looks good," she went on, "but I want two changes made in it."

"Yes, Ma'am?" "First, I want the Marines moved aboard the pinnaces now. There's room for them to bunk aboard—they'll have to hot-bunk, but they can squeeze in—and I want them ready to drop on zero notice. They can armor up on the way down or even after they hit dirt."

"Yes, Ma'am." McKeon pulled out his memo pad and keyed notes into it. "And the second change?"

"I want Lieutenant Montoya and our other medical people back up here. Get them aboard by mid-watch, if you can."

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" McKeon blinked, and Honor hid a sour smile.

"Officially, I've decided that it would be unfair to ask Dame Estelle and the NPA to make do with the services of our junior physician in the event of an incident on Medusa. In light of Commander Suchon's many more years of service, I feel it would be much more reasonable for us to put her experience to good use down there."

"I see, Ma'am." There was a faint gleam in McKeon's eyes. "And the, um, unofficial reason?"

"Unofficially, Mr. McKeon," Honor's voice was much grimmer, "Dame Estelle and Barney Isvarian have quite good medical staffs of their own, and there are a good many other civilian doctors in the enclaves down there. Between them, they should be able to carry Suchon's dead weight." McKeon winced at the acid bite in his captain's voice, but he nodded.

"Besides," Honor went on after a moment, "Lieutenant Montoya may be ten years younger than Suchon, but he's a better physician than she'll ever be. If we need a doctor up here, we're going to need him in a hurry, and I want the best one I can get."

"Do you really think we're going to need one?" McKeon couldn't quite hide his surprise, and Honor shrugged uncomfortably.

"I don't know. Call it a feeling. Or maybe it's just nerves. But I'll feel much more comfortable with Suchon dirt-side and Montoya in Fearless."

"Understood, Skipper." McKeon put away his memo pad and nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"Good. In the meantime, I'll be in my quarters. I've got a dispatch to write." She produced a smile—a strange smile, compounded of fatigue, worry, awareness of her own ignorance, and an odd undercurrent that might almost be excitement—and McKeon felt a tingle sweep over him as he saw it. "Who knows?" she finished softly, still with that same, strange smile. I may even have something interesting to put in it in a few more hours."

Honor impressed me in this passage in a different, unexpected fashion. Her Marines are not just aboard her ship. She knows exactly how to use them to full capacity. I don't know why this surprises me. I know it shouldn't, but it does. It emphasizes my feeling that Honor could also have been a Marine. She'll show you Horatio Hornblower.

"Ladies and Gentleman ... the Queen ... and ... Saganami!"

Where is Montoya these days? As Honor keeps her Steward why doesn't she also retain her ship's doctor?

cthia wrote:
Another nice post Yow. Tear evokingly tender as well.

****** *



On Basilisk Station

Mr. McKeon."

"Yes, Ma'am?" The exec looked up. She beckoned to him, and he crossed to her chair as she stood.

"I think we're moving into the end-game phase," she said quietly, pitching her voice for his ears alone. "I'm trying to keep an open mind about that, but too many things seem to be coming together here." She paused, and McKeon nodded in agreement.

"I've been over Papadapolous's deployment plan, and it looks good," she went on, "but I want two changes made in it."

"Yes, Ma'am?" "First, I want the Marines moved aboard the pinnaces now. There's room for them to bunk aboard—they'll have to hot-bunk, but they can squeeze in—and I want them ready to drop on zero notice. They can armor up on the way down or even after they hit dirt."

"Yes, Ma'am." McKeon pulled out his memo pad and keyed notes into it. "And the second change?"

"I want Lieutenant Montoya and our other medical people back up here. Get them aboard by mid-watch, if you can."

"Excuse me, Ma'am?" McKeon blinked, and Honor hid a sour smile.

"Officially, I've decided that it would be unfair to ask Dame Estelle and the NPA to make do with the services of our junior physician in the event of an incident on Medusa. In light of Commander Suchon's many more years of service, I feel it would be much more reasonable for us to put her experience to good use down there."

"I see, Ma'am." There was a faint gleam in McKeon's eyes. "And the, um, unofficial reason?"

"Unofficially, Mr. McKeon," Honor's voice was much grimmer, "Dame Estelle and Barney Isvarian have quite good medical staffs of their own, and there are a good many other civilian doctors in the enclaves down there. Between them, they should be able to carry Suchon's dead weight." McKeon winced at the acid bite in his captain's voice, but he nodded.

"Besides," Honor went on after a moment, "Lieutenant Montoya may be ten years younger than Suchon, but he's a better physician than she'll ever be. If we need a doctor up here, we're going to need him in a hurry, and I want the best one I can get."

"Do you really think we're going to need one?" McKeon couldn't quite hide his surprise, and Honor shrugged uncomfortably.

"I don't know. Call it a feeling. Or maybe it's just nerves. But I'll feel much more comfortable with Suchon dirt-side and Montoya in Fearless."

"Understood, Skipper." McKeon put away his memo pad and nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"Good. In the meantime, I'll be in my quarters. I've got a dispatch to write." She produced a smile—a strange smile, compounded of fatigue, worry, awareness of her own ignorance, and an odd undercurrent that might almost be excitement—and McKeon felt a tingle sweep over him as he saw it. "Who knows?" she finished softly, still with that same, strange smile. I may even have something interesting to put in it in a few more hours."

Honor impressed me in this passage in a different, unexpected fashion. Her Marines are not just aboard her ship. She knows exactly how to use them to full capacity. I don't know why this surprises me. I know it shouldn't, but it does. It emphasizes my feeling that Honor could also have been a Marine. She'll show you Horatio Hornblower.

"Ladies and Gentleman ... the Queen ... and ... Saganami!"

Where is Montoya these days? As Honor keeps her Steward why doesn't she also retain her ship's doctor?

roseandheather wrote:
Montoya's busy patching up fool Navy officers who get themselves shot at in the glorious confines of Bassingford at the moment. He's not under Honor's direct command the way her steward is, and Montoya's too senior at this point for shipboard deployment unless he's really, really needed. (In this case, I suspect that "really, really needed" is defined as "Admiral Harrington wants him", but still. )

I loved this passage too, but for a different reason - watching Honor get rid of Suchon so neatly was a pleasure to behold. (Even if I did wince a couple of times in sympathy for Dame Estelle.)

cthia wrote:I agree Rose. It really wasn't fair to impose on Dame Estelle with such dead weight. If the Universe was fair, the Stilties would have gotten to her!

And Honor could have ruined a good friendship with that move.

Indeed. We haven't used any of them, including the new SDs, en masse yet. We're still ramping up our numbers in the new classes and weapons, because we'd like to commit them in really useful numbers rather than penny-packets that will give the enemy time to adjust and work out countermeasures. At the moment, we hope and believe that the Peep analysts haven't been able to put together a clear picture of their capabilities from the limited use we've been forced to make of them so far. That's one reason we're not sending any of the new types through the Junction except in emergencies; we don't want anyone who might whisper in StateSec's ear getting a good look at them. But within a few more months, Citizen Secretary McQueen and the Committee of Public Safety ought to be getting a very unpleasant surprise."

She nodded in understanding without taking her attention off the ship waiting for her. There were a few differences between the completed ship and the design studies she'd seen, but not very many, and she felt a curious, semiparental surge of pride as she saw the reality of the concept she and her colleagues on the WDB had debated so hotly.

"Just one more thing," White Haven said very quietly, pitching his voice too low even for Robards and LaFollet to have heard, and she glanced at him. "This ship, and the others like her in Grayson service, were all built in the Blackbird Yard you arranged the basic funding for, Milady. So, in a very real sense, you're a keel plate owner of all of them. That's one reason we felt she'd be the perfect ship to take you home again."

Honor met his eyes, then nodded.

"Thank you for telling me, My Lord," she said, equally quietly.

cthia wrote:I don't rightly recollect Honor funding Blackbird Yard. How exactly did she do that, out of her own funds or a government subsidy?

Also, at the risk of sounding, um, slow, what exactly are the benefits of a keel plate owner? Here it states that Honor is a keel plate owner of every Medusa?

roseandheather wrote:

cthia wrote:I agree Rose. It really wasn't fair to impose on Dame Estelle with such dead weight. If the Universe was fair, the Stilties would have gotten to her!

And Honor could have ruined a good friendship with that move.

I might have had fantasies in the Stilties-kill-Suchon direction myself...

And fortunately for Honor, Dame Estelle seems to be the forgiving type - at least where one Honor Alexander-Harrington is concerned.

...Oh, the ways I could spin that sentence! *dons Cupid's hat*

ROAD TRIP!!!