Abigail's first ship

You guys do recall that Abigail is in the GSN, not the RMN, don't you? She literally cannot command a RMN ship anymore that a British officer could command a USN ship.

At some point soon, she is going to have to get called back to the GSN to put all of her experience and reputation to work in the service of the late High Adm. Matthews' plan to use her to break the male stranglehold on GSN ship command. And before that can happen, she has to repay her dues all over again in that world of still mostly male officers and crews, show Grayson men can and will take orders from a woman (albeit a Steadholder's daughter with a more impressive combat record than anyone else on the ship and a protege of St. Honor to boot--it's going to take a very special GSN captain to have her as his exec).

And face it. She's got to be getting close to the point where having spent 100% of her career in Mantie ships does her career more harm than good in the GSN. A lot of GSN officers are going to view her, well, about the way Lt. Reilly does, with an overlay of sexism.

in theory they could make her exec to a captain from teh protector's own.

there is no more elite formation in the GSN (wait is the protector's Own actually in the GSN at all?) and having had honor in charge of it means that it is a very RMN style mini nacy in its own right. plus several officers have spent time there and then transferred back to ship command in the main GSN. I'm thinking of that grayson midshipwoman's story in the back of beginnings (i think) clare something or other comes from burdette steading. I recall something about her second CO having done time in the Protector's Own.

Shouts at Clouds wrote:You guys do recall that Abigail is in the GSN, not the RMN, don't you? She literally cannot command a RMN ship anymore that a British officer could command a USN ship.

Plenty of Manticorans have commanded GSN ships. With the High Ridge lot decimated, there's nobody with enough political influence to create genuine obstruction to reversing the situation occasionally.

And if she is indeed the first foreign officer to attain command of a RMN vessel... Well, that'd certainly do something to offset any objections!

I rather get the impression that the GSN's plan is to leave her in the RMN until she takes command of a ship of her own. Then give her a Cruiser or Roland class destroyer.

If the goal is to open ship command to Grayson born women it would make sense to get her experience in below the wall ships in the RMN. Training her up in Cruisers and Destroyers will give them a perfect person to break that wall later.

The RMN is the best place to do this since GSN ships below the wall have difficulties with separate quarters for their female offices and enlisted required by the office of shipbuilding. As the Captain she wouldn't need those women only quarters that are impractical aboard smaller units.

BrightSoul wrote:. As the Captain she wouldn't need those women only quarters that are impractical aboard smaller units.

I believe the Pauls have separate quarters for mixed crews. And they're almost an exact copy of the Rolands, otherwise.

Dauntless wrote:in theory they could make her exec to a captain from teh protector's own.

there is no more elite formation in the GSN (wait is the protector's Own actually in the GSN at all?) and having had honor in charge of it means that it is a very RMN style mini nacy in its own right. plus several officers have spent time there and then transferred back to ship command in the main GSN. I'm thinking of that grayson midshipwoman's story in the back of beginnings (i think) clare something or other comes from burdette steading. I recall something about her second CO having done time in the Protector's Own.

Please proofread your post or make sure your spell-check works.

First the Protectors Own is the Protectors Own personal navy placed under the command of the GSN. IIRC they wear different uniforms and receive 10% more pay. IMO Abigail will transfer to the more prestigious PO.

saber964 wrote:

Dauntless wrote:in theory they could make her exec to a captain from teh protector's own.

there is no more elite formation in the GSN (wait is the protector's Own actually in the GSN at all?) and having had honor in charge of it means that it is a very RMN style mini nacy in its own right. plus several officers have spent time there and then transferred back to ship command in the main GSN. I'm thinking of that grayson midshipwoman's story in the back of beginnings (i think) clare something or other comes from burdette steading. I recall something about her second CO having done time in the Protector's Own.

Please proofread your post or make sure your spell-check works.

First the Protectors Own is the Protectors Own personal navy placed under the command of the GSN. IIRC they wear different uniforms and receive 10% more pay. IMO Abigail will transfer to the more prestigious PO.

I don't believe that Abigail is after any glory. Therefore, she will not request the protectors own. I doubt that others would move her to the protectors own, since it will be considered a demotion to be transferred back out.

BTW, the way I understand it, the GSN's oath is to obey the grayson constitution, the protectors own is to obey the protector personally. If benjamin says to work with the GSN, that is what the protectors own will do. If Benjamin says to to attack the GSN, that is what the protectors own will do.

BrightSoul wrote:

saber964 wrote:How about Miss Midshipwoman Harrington aboard HMS War Maiden. She took command of a damaged heavy cruiser with the wounding of the CO and the XO being out of contact.

At which time IIRC Santino was the ATO and a borderline officer. He couldn't have predated Roger by much as implied up thread from this.

I thought he had already been relieved of ATO duties and in fact sent home as co of a rescued freighter before the battle.

munroburton wrote:But I wouldn't bother with a light cruiser for her. Why? There isn't a DDM light cruiser in service yet and Miss Owens is the most experienced DDM specialist in RMN or GSN service. That almost certainly means a short stint in R&D to provide a shooter's perspective on the next generation of DDMs.

After that, probably a Roland. She'd still be a full Commander or a junior grade Captain, so doesn't warrant a Sag-C.

I don't know if that was covered earlier in the thread - I only skimmed over it, so, maybe i've just not registered it. In that case - sorry.

But if memory serves, a commander was the CO of the Manticoran forces in Zunker(?) (somethere at the beginning of ART), and his Task Group (Task Force? anyway, the one which covers the smaller group of vessels compiled to do a special mission) consisted of 3 Sag-Cs and 4 Rolands. It was the episode with hitting the wedges of the Solly force.

Eagleeye wrote:

munroburton wrote:But I wouldn't bother with a light cruiser for her. Why? There isn't a DDM light cruiser in service yet and Miss Owens is the most experienced DDM specialist in RMN or GSN service. That almost certainly means a short stint in R&D to provide a shooter's perspective on the next generation of DDMs.

After that, probably a Roland. She'd still be a full Commander or a junior grade Captain, so doesn't warrant a Sag-C.

I don't know if that was covered earlier in the thread - I only skimmed over it, so, maybe i've just not registered it. In that case - sorry.

But if memory serves, a commander was the CO of the Manticoran forces in Zunker(?) (somethere at the beginning of ART), and his Task Group (Task Force? anyway, the one which covers the smaller group of vessels compiled to do a special mission) consisted of 3 Sag-Cs and 4 Rolands. It was the episode with hitting the wedges of the Solly force.

The RMN's Zunker force was commanded by a Captain of the List. Hiram Ivanov.

You're probably thinking of Commander Pang Yau-pau... who did have the HMS Onyx, a Sag-C, over in the Nolan System. Overall RMN force size was two heavy cruisers(both Sag-Cs) and two destroyers(one Roland, one other). No shots were fired, despite the 6 Solarian DDs getting within their weapons range.