Uncompromising way out of order snippet for Rose

Dca wrote:

Theemile wrote:The 2d Manticore "Smash and Grab" force was forming up at the same place Filaretta's fleet did - the planet, Tasmania, is way out in the Verge, roughly in line between Sol and Manticore, about a month's military travel from Manticore. That 2nd force is ~600 SDs and is completely out of the game for the next 4+ months - the time it will take to get a message to them and get them to return to the inner core.

This is a totally predictable evolution, but I haven't read textev that says so. What did I miss?

Rampajet announced it in ART (I believe) just before he emptied his thoughts all over his condo with a pulser. Kingsford obviously has decided not to use them to attack Manticore, but they still had to get to Tasmania, have a courier sent to tell them what to to, then return.

PeterZ wrote:What about a Ghost class ship with a skipper that simply cannot abide the butchery the SLN is proposing. That would both add dimensions to the MAlign and perhaps leave breadcrumbs for the next story arc.

You're not paying attention to the clues. Ghost Class scouts aren't destroyers, they don't counter-missile capability to withstand a "missile storm," and, most importantly, they are Spider Drive ships with a maximum acceleration of less than 150Gs; they're slower than old, decrepit, merchantmen.

runsforcelery wrote:We do meet a destroyer captain I think you'll like, though. By Honor's own estimate, she does a better job against worse odds than Honor managed with Fearless against Thunder of God at Grayson.

runsforcelery wrote:...If you decide to stay, then I suppose you and I will find out how many more of your battlecruisers I can take out, one-by-one, until you — or your successor — finally figure out where I really am and manage to return fire. Of course, even when you do, my defenses are designed to stand up to Manticoran missile fire, aren’t they? And, trust me, I’m one hell of a lot faster than anything you’ve got. You can’t find me, you can’t hit me, you can’t catch me, and you damned well can’t outrun me.
...

(italics by RFC, Bold by me.)

Weird Harold wrote:

PeterZ wrote:What about a Ghost class ship with a skipper that simply cannot abide the butchery the SLN is proposing. That would both add dimensions to the MAlign and perhaps leave breadcrumbs for the next story arc.

You're not paying attention to the clues. Ghost Class scouts aren't destroyers, they don't counter-missile capability to withstand a "missile storm," and, most importantly, they are Spider Drive ships with a maximum acceleration of less than 150Gs; they're slower than old, decrepit, merchantmen.

runsforcelery wrote:We do meet a destroyer captain I think you'll like, though. By Honor's own estimate, she does a better job against worse odds than Honor managed with Fearless against Thunder of God at Grayson.

runsforcelery wrote:...If you decide to stay, then I suppose you and I will find out how many more of your battlecruisers I can take out, one-by-one, until you — or your successor — finally figure out where I really am and manage to return fire. Of course, even when you do, my defenses are designed to stand up to Manticoran missile fire, aren’t they? And, trust me, I’m one hell of a lot faster than anything you’ve got. You can’t find me, you can’t hit me, you can’t catch me, and you damned well can’t outrun me.
...

(italics by RFC, Bold by me.)

I still believe this DD skipper is a Havenite. I was just piling onto the prior post.

Weird Harold wrote:

PeterZ wrote:What about a Ghost class ship with a skipper that simply cannot abide the butchery the SLN is proposing. That would both add dimensions to the MAlign and perhaps leave breadcrumbs for the next story arc.

You're not paying attention to the clues. Ghost Class scouts aren't destroyers, they don't counter-missile capability to withstand a "missile storm," and, most importantly, they are Spider Drive ships with a maximum acceleration of less than 150Gs; they're slower than old, decrepit, merchantmen.

runsforcelery wrote:We do meet a destroyer captain I think you'll like, though. By Honor's own estimate, she does a better job against worse odds than Honor managed with Fearless against Thunder of God at Grayson.

runsforcelery wrote:...If you decide to stay, then I suppose you and I will find out how many more of your battlecruisers I can take out, one-by-one, until you — or your successor — finally figure out where I really am and manage to return fire. Of course, even when you do, my defenses are designed to stand up to Manticoran missile fire, aren’t they? And, trust me, I’m one hell of a lot faster than anything you’ve got. You can’t find me, you can’t hit me, you can’t catch me, and you damned well can’t outrun me.
...

(italics by RFC, Bold by me.)

PeterZ wrote:I still believe this DD skipper is a Havenite. I was just piling onto the prior post.

Well, RFC does like introducing new characters. But would he do it in the last book of the series and give her such a juicy part when so many other characters worked so hard in the series for the spotlight? That would remind me of a girl I met just once for the summer vacation and then she was gone. Well, RFC could do that. But my bets are all-in on Abigail.

1. It's a DD. They'll start her off small. What was virgin Honor's first command ever? What did Honor cut her teeth on?

2. Abigail could accomplish with a DD what a few officers we know couldn't with a Heavy Cruiser or even an SD.

3. It would be a heck of a thing to serve his readers in the last book.

4. RFCs been priming storyline with textev and Honor grooming Abigail for something.

5. It's time to ante up and show the results of that grooming and give her her wings.

6. What a thrilling ride that would be for the finale. It would make the Owens Steading, Benjamin and his Mayhew Restoration quite proud. NTM how well it would tickle Honor's fancy.

7. It is time for the girl to have her coming-out party, I'd say.

8. From a balcony looking up at the pinpricks of light to a DD causing the pinpricks of light.

cthia wrote:Well, RFC does like introducing new characters. But would he do it in the last book of the series and give her such a juicy part when so many other characters worked so hard in the series for the spotlight? That would remind me of a girl I met just once for the summer vacation and then she was gone. Well, RFC could do that. But my bets are all-in on Abigail.

1. It's a DD. They'll start her off small. What was virgin Honor's first command ever? What did Honor cut her teeth on?

HM LAC 113
(The destroyer Hawkwing was Honor's second command, though her first hyper capable one)

It would be great to see Abigail in command but I also think the book haven't moved far enough that it's at all likely she's beenmade a Captain yet.

Abby is too young to be assigned her own, older DD. Abby would have to have all her superiors in a squadron of Roolands die to leave her in command alone against an SL admiral with BCs. What can kill all those Roland's, but be killed by Abby all alone?

No, this is not Abby. She is way too far from Hypatia and nowhere close to gaining command within the context provided. Besides, the word choice of this character is not Abby's.

As for introducing new characters, I don't see a problem. Think of it as a romantic symphony. It establishes a theme early on, then changes that theme in the middle in one or more variations only to return to that original theme to end the piece. What a better way to end this story arc then by having a death ride on a technologically inferior ship against heavy odds? Not a gutted Fearless this time, but an older DD against BCs. With improved war heads, even SDMs from a DD can kill BCs. All you have to do is survive their first.

PeterZ wrote:Abby is too young to be assigned her own, older DD. Abby would have to have all her superiors in a squadron of Roolands die to leave her in command alone against an SL admiral with BCs. What can kill all those Roland's, but be killed by Abby all alone?

No, this is not Abby. She is way too far from Hypatia and nowhere close to gaining command within the context provided. Besides, the word choice of this character is not Abby's.

As for introducing new characters, I don't see a problem. Think of it as a romantic symphony. It establishes a theme early on, then changes that theme in the middle in one or more variations only to return to that original theme to end the piece. What a better way to end this story arc then by having a death ride on a technologically inferior ship against heavy odds? Not a gutted Fearless this time, but an older DD against BCs. With improved war heads, even SDMs from a DD can kill BCs. All you have to do is survive their first.

Before we had the details about Filaretta's folly (but knew it was coming), someone posted on one of the Weber boards a story snippet that boardered on Fan Fic - Abigale was left as the senior watch officer of her DD (the Senior officers were off-ship at a squadron conference or something) and her DD was the closest when the SLN incursion incurred. She got to say her "Thou shall not pass!" line and then had Tac fire up the system defense net and unleash Manticore's fury.

It's bout the only way she (alone) would be in such a situation for a few years to come.

PeterZ wrote:I still believe this DD skipper is a Havenite. I was just piling onto the prior post.

What if it is a destroyer captain with a DIVISION of DDs under her command - that actually makes more sense in a active combat zone than a lone DD swanning around.

It also would give deeper ammo stores, though still limited, and the ability to attack for multiple angles simultaneously (or alternately) if the division is dispersed, to hide your number and location.

Remember the old Breslau class destroyers? They had 9 missiles in a broadside - if they spun, they could kick out 18 missiles in a salvo with the first launch having delays on their drives. A group of modernized Breslaus, with modern missiles (especially EDMs), stealth, FTL, and the Havenite's +30% compensator, plus any Forraker goodies would be a nasty surprise for some BCs.

Theemile wrote:

PeterZ wrote:I still believe this DD skipper is a Havenite. I was just piling onto the prior post.

What if it is a destroyer captain with a DIVISION of DDs under her command - that actually makes more sense in a active combat zone than a lone DD swanning around.

It also would give deeper ammo stores, though still limited, and the ability to attack for multiple angles simultaneously (or alternately) if the division is dispersed, to hide your number and location.

Remember the old Breslau class destroyers? They had 9 missiles in a broadside - if they spun, they could kick out 18 missiles in a salvo with the first launch having delays on their drives. A group of modernized Breslaus, with modern missiles (especially EDMs), stealth, FTL, and the Havenite's +30% compensator, plus any Forraker goodies would be a nasty surprise for some BCs.

I can see that. What if this skipper allows her division mates to remain concealed and closer to the BCs? The division acts to control the missiles and provide better data with a shorter control loop. The skipper fires the missiles and her improves their accuracy with recon drone data. Her missiles will have better accuracy and she can rotate the firing ship if she needs to.

The BC admiral will just see her ships getting snipped with missiles fired within his engagement range by a DD or something that size with enough accuracy and power to eventually destroy his command.....unless she can target the bitch. Targeting is proving difficult.

The engagement is one of bobbing and weaving to avoid BC missiles, while dropping double broadsides for delayed activation. Those BCs will be trying to maneuver independently to get better firing angles or keeping station like frightened sheep terrorized by a chihuahua.

Um, fellas?

Pardon my moment of pure self-centeredness here, but I think y'all are forgetting one other, rather compelling reason to suspect that our mystery skipper is a Havenite.

She was mentioned, quite specifically, by RFC, as a character he thought I in particular would like.

And given that I'm known on these forums for being drawn to one star nation's characters in particular....