Rachel Mayhew

Er ... uh ... I obviously missed a major book after SoV. maybe an Anthology? I don't recall Benjamin IX being a conservative "protecter of the frail and dainty Grayson Woman." The guy who pushed for Honor Herself, herself to be the first Female Steadholder. Who pushed for women to join the workforce AND the Military. I recall a sort story about some Snotty from Not-a-Good-Family and Michael Mayhew browbeating some Steadholder into changing his laws so a newly minted ensign could continue her very promising career.

Second point- What is Rachael's Concentration? Did she blow everyone out of the water at the TAC simulator and earn more dinner-with-The-Dutchess invites than ... anyone (10 as I recall was ...pretty impressive)? Or is she going down the Engineering path? That MIGHT have a bearing on the ship she gets assigned to. Heck if she's into engineering, a cruise aboard a CLAC might be a good fit, or even aboard Ginger Lewis' little boat. Puts her in the middle of everything yet tucked safely out of the line of fire on a ship with standing orders to hyper out at the first sign of trouble headed her way.

Another point: She may well be a Pampered Little Princess But somehow I think Saganami Island would kind of tried to disabuse her of that notion. And Snotty Cruise is supposed to be A Test kind of like The Tester's Test. It is not supposed to be a "Princess Cruise"

When did Bupers and Admiral Cortez get so soft and oatmeal brained that they can't find suitable (and politically accommodating)postings. Why does anyone assume that Protector Benjamin would request, yea even demand, the right to actively pick a spot for his daughter, rather than the (probably)more usual right of refusal if he thought the posting was unacceptable.

Somehow I think that does not describe either Rachael or Benjamin.

pappilon wrote:Er ... uh ... I obviously missed a major book after SoV. maybe an Anthology? I don't recall Benjamin IX being a conservative "protecter of the frail and dainty Grayson Woman." The guy who pushed for Honor Herself, herself to be the first Female Steadholder. Who pushed for women to join the workforce AND the Military. I recall a sort story about some Snotty from Not-a-Good-Family and Michael Mayhew browbeating some Steadholder into changing his laws so a newly minted ensign could continue her very promising career.

Second point- What is Rachael's Concentration? Did she blow everyone out of the water at the TAC simulator and earn more dinner-with-The-Dutchess invites than ... anyone (10 as I recall was ...pretty impressive)? Or is she going down the Engineering path? That MIGHT have a bearing on the ship she gets assigned to. Heck if she's into engineering, a cruise aboard a CLAC might be a good fit, or even aboard Ginger Lewis' little boat. Puts her in the middle of everything yet tucked safely out of the line of fire on a ship with standing orders to hyper out at the first sign of trouble headed her way.

Another point: She may well be a Pampered Little Princess But somehow I think Saganami Island would kind of tried to disabuse her of that notion. And Snotty Cruise is supposed to be A Test kind of like The Tester's Test. It is not supposed to be a "Princess Cruise"

When did Bupers and Admiral Cortez get so soft and oatmeal brained that they can't find suitable (and politically accommodating)postings. Why does anyone assume that Protector Benjamin would request, yea even demand, the right to actively pick a spot for his daughter, rather than the (probably)more usual right of refusal if he thought the posting was unacceptable.

Somehow I think that does not describe either Rachael or Benjamin.

Amen. And I don't think that they will be looking for a posting "without risk" for Rachel any more than they did for Abagail. Putting on the uniform implies taking a warrior's risk and were something to happen to Rachel, Benjamin would understand that however much he might grieve.

Don

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I don't think anyone has said she will get a risk free cruise, or that benjamin would ask for one.

but the politics of her position can not be completely ignored. Racheal may not be Heir but her theoretical male children are still in the running for protectership and she IS (i believe) Benjamin's eldest child and therefore most likely to take over her uncle steading if he doesn't produce any of his own children.

beyond the fact that she was attending Sag isle with Hipper nothing is known about her studies. at least i can recall.

while the risks come with the uniform, it is clear that her death while serving in the GSN would likely be used by the keys against Benjamin, perhaps a law forbidding noble woman from joining the Navy/marines.

Ben would fight it and given how well Abby is doing likely win but it would use up political capital/favors he might need for some over stupid idea of the keys that tries to roll back the clock.

silesa should work quite well. there is the risk of some stupid pirate who has not gotten the memmo, so it is not completly safe, (though one could argue after the Yelstin OB attack not even the home system is COMPLETELY safe). The chance to see other worlds that are not grayson yet not really manticore either would be invaluable for someone who will likely become a senior officer in the GSN if she stays in long enough, or to someone who may raise the boy who might be protector one day.

Talbot has many of the same advantages, but is a bit more exposed given how much of 10th fleet is off doing other things.

pappilon wrote:And Snotty Cruise is supposed to be A Test kind of like The Tester's Test. It is not supposed to be a "Princess Cruise"

I wouldnn't exactly call Abigail or Helen's snotty cruise piece of cake, but they were what I was referring to as "Princess Cruises" -- Both Terekhov and Oversteegen had to deal with personnel issues relating to the "Royal" status of one or more of their "snotty's" and would be good choices except they've been promoted above direct command of snotties.

A snotty cruise for a "princess" could well benefit from the presence of one or more other "princesses." And NOT in the sense of "pampering" -- a qualifier nobody except you has applied to Rachel.

Rachel has been described as "Navy Mad" almost since we first met her. She's overcome a lot of prejudice and opposition to even her course of study to prepare for Saganami Island. I very much doubt that she's going to turn into a Santino or Young; more impressed by her own birth than interested in becoming like Honor.

runsforcelery wrote:

Silverwall wrote:
To be blunt Abigail is in WW1 terms a princess of Denmark or luxemborg. Rachel is Literally in the same position as the future KG VI. Second or third in line for the throne of a great power.

Actually, no.

Her father is the autocratic head of state (his power limited only in a few specific ways by the Grayson system [read "imperial"] constitution) of a member kingdom of the aforesaid empire which probably has a population of at least 30-40,000,000 (planetary population 2.9 billion; number of steadings=84; many of them [like Harrington Steading] with less than average populations because of length of establishment, climate, etc., which means the older steadings, like Burdette, generally have larger than average populations) And his family has held steading in Owens Steading for about 1,000 years in unbroken line of succession. There's a reason the Keys were able to wiggle out from under the Mayhew thumb in the years between Benjy the Great and the Mayhew Restoration.

There are relatively few heads of state anywhere in the galaxy who can rival her dad's position of power --- and wealth --- as Oversteegan gently points out to someone or other (gee, can't remember who or why ) in a conversation having something or other to do with treecats during her snotty cruise.

And, unlike Rachel, Abigail is in the succession under the new dispensation.

It was one of Abigails fellow snotties. he had a chip on his shoulder and thought Daddy was a big wheel. Oversteegan pointed out that Abigail's lineage was considerably more significant that his and if her father who was a "head of state" found out how his daughter was being treated things could get really ugly.

Dauntless wrote:I don't think anyone has said she will get a risk free cruise, or that benjamin would ask for one.

but the politics of her position can not be completely ignored. Racheal may not be Heir but her theoretical male children are still in the running for protectership and she IS (i believe) Benjamin's eldest child and therefore most likely to take over her uncle steading if he doesn't produce any of his own children.

beyond the fact that she was attending Sag isle with Hipper nothing is known about her studies. at least i can recall.

while the risks come with the uniform, it is clear that her death while serving in the GSN would likely be used by the keys against Benjamin, perhaps a law forbidding noble woman from joining the Navy/marines.

Ben would fight it and given how well Abby is doing likely win but it would use up political capital/favors he might need for some over stupid idea of the keys that tries to roll back the clock.

silesa should work quite well. there is the risk of some stupid pirate who has not gotten the memmo, so it is not completly safe, (though one could argue after the Yelstin OB attack not even the home system is COMPLETELY safe). The chance to see other worlds that are not grayson yet not really manticore either would be invaluable for someone who will likely become a senior officer in the GSN if she stays in long enough, or to someone who may raise the boy who might be protector one day.

Talbot has many of the same advantages, but is a bit more exposed given how much of 10th fleet is off doing other things.

Bold mine.

I don't known if her theoretical male children would be in the line of succession or not. But Michael Mayhew, her uncle, doesn't have have Steading anymore. Her brother, Bernard, become the Steadholder for the Mayhew Steading when he was born. Apparently it's the Grayson tradition for the Mayhew Steadholder to be the Protector's heir.

Vince wrote:Promised Land by Jane Lindskold, in The Service of the Sword anthology, where Prince Mimade his midshipman's cruise aboard 'Her Majesty's light cruiser Intransigent.'

The timeline doesn’t actually work, but it’s a really good story anyhow.

Grayson might want to go with more ships in the DD-BC range now as the rebuilding of the Grayson construction yards progresses.

Why?
They already have have a significant number of SDs and the latest versions of everything else using the Manticore tech is already performing and fighting at well above their nominal classes. You can build more of the lighter classes in less time than you can SDs so theoriticaly you can deploy more ships once they have worked up and still get a lot of combat power.
One challange with that is you still have to find both the command staff and Sr. enlisted to crew them, hopefully with combat experience.

Brigade XO wrote:Grayson might want to go with more ships in the DD-BC range now as the rebuilding of the Grayson construction yards progresses.

Why?
They already have have a significant number of SDs and the latest versions of everything else using the Manticore tech is already performing and fighting at well above their nominal classes. You can build more of the lighter classes in less time than you can SDs so theoriticaly you can deploy more ships once they have worked up and still get a lot of combat power.
One challange with that is you still have to find both the command staff and Sr. enlisted to crew them, hopefully with combat experience.

I can see a "postwar" Grayson shedding all their pre-1919 construction (including their Manty built Minotaur CLACs, and all their surviving Harrington I SDs), and rebuilding their fleet just with the newest designs.

Grayson doesn't need numbers, it needs quality more than anything else, and a more appropriately sized, but very deadly, GSN is a better fit for a Grayson not on a hot war footing, or embroiled in a cold war with a dunce for a dance partner.

Okay guys, on Abby's next assignment(s). Look to what she's done already, when she appears after her middie cruise she's a LT(jg) who was probably going to be a JTO on a heavy cruiser, she was 'promoted' to A TO because of lack of manning. She was meritoriously promoted to LT(SG) and assigned as a TO on a Destroyer her next assignment will probably be as a JTO/ATO on a larger ship like a heavy cruiser or battle cruiser. When she finally promoted to LCDR she'll likely do another tour or two as a TO on a CA or BC or ATO on a SD(P) then she'll do a tour as an XO on a DD or CL.