'Uncompromising Honor' Wish List: Characters Edition

PeterZ wrote:I don't think Honor will ba able to pursue a completely private life after this novel is complete. Assuming Darius' location remains unknown to the GA, Honor would be needed leading the offensive arm of the GA to deal with the MAlign. Assuming Darius has been dealt with suitably, Honor would be the best person to be Ambassador to Haven. These roles would be slightly more important than personally managing her Steading or Duchy.

One thing that the new federal system for the Empire allows is a more fluid interpretation of Ambassador. Given the disastrous consequences of the High Ridge government, I can see QE franting some sort of executive role for Haven's Ambassador that places that post directly under the Queen. So, this would ba a post like Governor Medusa which is appointed by the Queen and confirmed by Parliament rather than appointed by by Parliament. The idea is that the Head of State can act in that capacity to manage international affairs. Yes, the Department of state has a role, but the Queen may choose to assert her influence into relationships she deems important enough to transcend the changes in governments.

I tend to believe Honor would fill a role like that for the SEM.

More accurately, I don't think Honor will want to pursue a more private life. Anymore than the little privacy she already enjoys. Honor will always want to be doing everything she can for her Star Empire. The value of someone like Honor keeps giving long into her lifespan. When Honor is 150, she'll still be winning the Fleet Games -- if the Admiralty doesn't disqualify her. LOL

With the mind of an Honor Harrington, retirement would kill her. She's like the flying jocks of Top Gun. She's not going to be happy unless she's going Mach 2 with her hair on fire. Chock it up to the high IQ and high metabolism enhancements cooked up in her genetic concoction.


I can certainly see her functioning in some capacity as Ambassador to Haven. Extending that thought, she would be invaluable in helping seduce & induce polities out in the Verge to fracture from the League. We've experienced at least two occasions in which textev witnessed how Honor's reputation precedes her. And what precedes her, other than her tactical ability, is her integrity. If tasked, Honor can rally the troops in the Verge better than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man can rally little marshmallows. No one would ever think of Honor Harrington simply as someone trying to sell them a bag of rocks.

cthia wrote:Why are some people calling for Honor to retire? I just don't get it. She is what, ~ 60? Around a quarter of her lifespan? That would be akin to retiring at around 20.

Avg. lifespan of women in the U.S. is around 81.

My niece. I'm standing next to her when she reads this and takes in such a sharp breath that it appeared as if she'd inhaled a pure shot of oxygen...



"And in the U.S. you are not considered grown until you're 21! Isn't that right mom!"

-snipped, for another thread-

"They want Honor to retire before she's even grown??? "

"And you thought you had it bad?" That earned me a look... and a laugh!

Cthia,

I can see her as an Ambassador at large working Shell and Core worlds out from under League rump states. I believe Mike Henke is best suited for Verge activities. No one has more cred than the Empress' cousin who honored an enemy's promise to provide Verge worlds with help. She did it to protect the Honor of her Queen/Empress. What better proof does a Verge world need that the SEM ruling family keeps faith with those that look to it in the Field of Honor. Even commitments the family knows nothing about, they will attempt to keep once they are made aware.

Between the two, the SEM will have a huge coalition/confederacy built from the Ashes of Victory over the League.

PeterZ wrote:Chia,

I can see her as an Ambassador at large working Shell and Core worlds out from under League rump states. I believe Mike Henke is best suited for Verge activities. No one has more cred than the Empress' cousin who honored an enemy's promise to provide Verge worlds with help. She did it to protect the Honor of her Queen/Empress. What better proof does a Verge world need that the SEM ruling family keeps faith with those that look to it in the Field of Honor. Even commitments the family knows nothing about, they will attempt to keep once they are made aware.

Between the two, the SEM will have a huge coalition/confederacy built from the Ashes of Victory over the League.

What is this "Chia?" Seen it way too many times. "Cthia," pls. Must be a very common typo induced by the odd spelling.

Ok. I can see that even better. And no, let's not take any fruit away from Mike.

cthia wrote:What is this "Chia?"

Wikipedia: Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Hi Weird Harold,

Or it could be one spelling of the Vulcan philosophy that believes all truth and beauty can be reconciled into one great whole.

Right Cthia?

L

Weird Harold wrote:

cthia wrote:What is this "Chia?"

Wikipedia: Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

cthia wrote:

PeterZ wrote:Chia,

I can see her as an Ambassador at large working Shell and Core worlds out from under League rump states. I believe Mike Henke is best suited for Verge activities. No one has more cred than the Empress' cousin who honored an enemy's promise to provide Verge worlds with help. She did it to protect the Honor of her Queen/Empress. What better proof does a Verge world need that the SEM ruling family keeps faith with those that look to it in the Field of Honor. Even commitments the family knows nothing about, they will attempt to keep once they are made aware.

Between the two, the SEM will have a huge coalition/confederacy built from the Ashes of Victory over the League.

What is this "Chia?" Seen it way too many times. "Cthia," pls. Must be a very common typo induced by the odd spelling.

Ok. I can see that even better. And no, let's not take any fruit away from Mike.

I doubt we'll see that many really long careers in the navy, particularly for the officers. Can you imagine being a captain for 50 years? Chances are careers are longer than we'd have them but as I recall Michelle was told that a very high percentage of her classmates were flag officers. You can't just make more and more of them. Yes, the navy is large and a real lot died at the Battle of Manticore, but I would guess most careers won't be all that long.

Honor has already commanded Home Fleet and has her own regular fleet. The only place to go up would be as First Space Lord (she would not be qualified for the rest of the Lords, who are all specialists). And the First Lord of the Admiralty. Both are heavy Admin positions.

More likely she can sit in the Lords, be an adviser to the Queen, and spend a real lot of time with the kids. Chances are, the time between arcs will have a modicum of peace.

I would guess a lot of what happens in that time could be mentioned in the first book in the new arc. Not everyone will be accounted for, of course, but we might learn the fate of some of our favorites.

Or RFC could simply put a list at the end of the book describing the later lives of the major players

Hi LDWechsler,

We had plenty of early textev from OBS, tHotQ, SVW, etc that the RMN was already dealing with prolong by cycling its admirals through different positions, to keep them on their toes, rather than stagnate in the same old, same old rut, however prestigious.

OTOH, one thing about coming to terms with prolong is it could lead to longer service tours that permitted enough time [5-10 years?] to accomplish something as opposed to leaving halfway through [just when victory has become inevitable], NTM having to brief your replacement, and watch him make mistakes and waste time you wouldn't have, etc.

RFC is so brilliant we may see what the top of the pyramid looks like from above, NTM the great job he did in AoV, but with a new twist, what ever it may turn out to be.

HA-H isn't the only expert trouble shooter the SEM or GA has, yet her reputation would clear-cut a lot of any underbrush or debris blocking proper appreciation of the real problem.

Thanks for an interesting post.

L

ldwechsler wrote:

cthia wrote:quote="PeterZ"Chia,

I can see her as an Ambassador at large working Shell and Core worlds out from under League rump states. I believe Mike Henke is best suited for Verge activities. No one has more cred than the Empress' cousin who honored an enemy's promise to provide Verge worlds with help. She did it to protect the Honor of her Queen/Empress. What better proof does a Verge world need that the SEM ruling family keeps faith with those that look to it in the Field of Honor. Even commitments the family knows nothing about, they will attempt to keep once they are made aware.

Between the two, the SEM will have a huge coalition/confederacy built from the Ashes of Victory over the League./quote
What is this "Chia?" Seen it way too many times. "Cthia," pls. Must be a very common typo induced by the odd spelling.

Ok. I can see that even better. And no, let's not take any fruit away from Mike.

I doubt we'll see that many really long careers in the navy, particularly for the officers. Can you imagine being a captain for 50 years? Chances are careers are longer than we'd have them but as I recall Michelle was told that a very high percentage of her classmates were flag officers. You can't just make more and more of them. Yes, the navy is large and a real lot died at the Battle of Manticore, but I would guess most careers won't be all that long.

Honor has already commanded Home Fleet and has her own regular fleet. The only place to go up would be as First Space Lord (she would not be qualified for the rest of the Lords, who are all specialists). And the First Lord of the Admiralty. Both are heavy Admin positions.

More likely she can sit in the Lords, be an adviser to the Queen, and spend a real lot of time with the kids. Chances are, the time between arcs will have a modicum of peace.

I would guess a lot of what happens in that time could be mentioned in the first book in the new arc. Not everyone will be accounted for, of course, but we might learn the fate of some of our favorites.

Or RFC could simply put a list at the end of the book describing the later lives of the major players

Well ok, I can run with that. But I absolutely have to draw the line at any proposed beautiful reality truths of any chia pet.

Honor will have so much to offer for so long. In the capacity of instructor, she'd be invaluable shaping little Honorettes in the manner that Admiral Courvosier shaped her. In memory of the Admiral, I imagine it'd also do her mind some good.

Those at the top could spread out to do a stint at Sag Isle themselves and also spread out even further to assist or to annoy Hemphill sitting in on the WDB.

lyonheart wrote:Hi Weird Harold,

Or it could be one spelling of the Vulcan philosophy that believes all truth and beauty can be reconciled into one great whole.

Right Cthia?

L

cthia wrote:What is this "Chia?"

Weird Harold wrote:Wikipedia: Salvia hispanica, commonly known as chia is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

cthia wrote:Well ok, I can run with that. But I absolutely have to draw the line at any proposed beautiful reality truths of any chia pet.

Honor will have so much to offer for so long. In the capacity of instructor, she'd be invaluable shaping little Honorettes in the manner that Admiral Courvosier shaped her. In memory of the Admiral, I imagine it'd also do her mind some good.

Those at the top could spread out to do a stint at Sag Isle themselves and also spread out even further to assist or to annoy Hemphill sitting in on the WDB.

There is that and I can also see BOTH of her Liege Lords, Queen Elizabeth and Protector Benjamin (and his eventual successor) taking shameless advantage of her abilities as a diplomatic troubleshooter or Special Ambassador much like ADM Courvosier was in HotQ, she gets handed the hottest potatoes and being "The Salamander" handles them with panache and style.

With all the advantages of Prolong and one of the highest standards of medical care available in the known galaxy, unless something very untoward happens (RFC forbid) she will be around for a very long time, leaving her indelible mark on history.