Uncompromising Honor chatter

tlb wrote:

cthia wrote:My views are also derived from the knowledge of how a business works. Long ago I wondered where Leonard got the small fortune that was surely needed to kick things off, and support it until dividends elsewhere began to pay off. I know the slaves and a lot of what was going on behind the scenes at Mesa, went a long way towards funding his delusions of grandeur. But I assume he sought help from outside parties. Financially viable outside parties, who became shareholders. Shareholders implies a Board of Directors who looks out for their investment, by looking out for the company. Yatta yatta yatta. Board of Directors are not normally founders, for obvious reasons not only surrounding a conflict of interest. Perhaps I got it completely switched at birth about the roles of the LRPB and the General Strategy Board. And perhaps the General Strategy Board is the Board of Directors. Though "General" throws me off. And as I said, "Long Range Planning" is exactly the definition of a Board of Directors.

Torch of Freedom, chapter 5 wrote:The Board was responsible not simply for overseeing the careful, continually ongoing development of the genomes under its care, but also for providing the Alignment with the tactical abilities its strategies and operations required.

We have agreed that the LRPB is not a board of directors for the Mesan Alignment, but what if it was the board of directors for Manpower Incorporated? Then a board of geneticists would make sense and Jack's statement quoted above is not about micromanagement, but is instead the hidden agenda that was concealed by slave development. We know that Manpower used its genetic experimentation to develop the "star" lines of Alpha, Beta and Gamma; in addition to the specialty slave lines. Presumably the LRPB, as transplanted to Darius, will continue the experimentation; but solely to improve the existing lines.

Well, I've only agreed that I don't know one way or the other, and as I've said, I wouldn't be surprised if we're both way off base. But I do like your take on things. Considering the possibility the LRPB could be the BoD of Manpower is not only brilliant, but insightful and impressive thinking. It creates more questions, though, as well as cautions and speedbumps.

First off, it still leaves the question of who the BoD of the Alignment is. One board can certainly manage both, but that would lead us right back where we started. The caution is the fact that having a BoD for Manpower who is so far inside the Onion is risky. BoDs are very visible and hands on entities who are visible to the company and to the community, in fact, they interact quite closely with the community. I seem to recall a passage that states the Alignment was very careful about being too visible on Mesa, and within Manpower -- an act of maintaining anonymity, in case the Lord is unwilling and the creek rises, as it did when Tenth Fleet and the union of Cachat and Zilwicki bore fruit. It is possible that a member of the Alignment's BoD is the CEO of Manpower. Or that the CEO of Manpower reported directly to a handler within the LRPB or the LRPB itself, as CEOs typically report to the BoD. CEOs are usually a member of the board, and more often than not he is the chairman of the board—Leonard, then later Albrecht? Most public companies require half of all board members to be unrelated to the company. (That conflict of interest thing again.) Of course, there's no reason the Alignment has to be a public company on Darius, or that business models work the same on Darius.

It must be noted, there has always been ethical reservations against CEOs being voting Board Members. It seems this would be an even more important reservation within the Alignment.

And if all of that isn't complicated enough, it gets worse if there is an actual President and a CEO.


Where does this leave us? I have absolutely no idea, other than the opinion that the BoD of Manpower and of the Alignment are not the same. But without the author's input, your guess is as good as, or even better than, my own. I have more of a chance of being tripped up by current business models, and someone who may be unaffected by such baggage may have a better shot at it.

At any rate, I think there's a good chance that somewhere there is a shell company. Manpower was somewhat of a shell company, but not truly in the traditional and strategic sense. But then, the MA is anything but a traditional entity. ::shrug::

The RF could preclude the need for, or displace the burden of, a shell company.

cthia wrote:"Robert_A_Woodward"]"cthia"]So, four of the Mandarins were arrested and I suppose will be extradited and given a free ride back to the Haven sector to stand trial for their crimes. I was expecting them to be questioned and one or more of them to drop dead. Was it Kolokoltsov who kept asking where Omusupe was to be found? For a minute there, I thought she'd gotten ghost. Recalled by the MA just in the nick of time. I was also looking for the same from Audrey O'Hanrahan.

Perhaps when the Manties question them, someone will drop dead and the nanites will be found.

It was Agata Wodoslawski (of the Treasury) who was absent when the other four were arrested. IMHO, if she was an Alignment agent, her handler had her killed.[/quote]Thanks.

****** *

Honor speaking . . .

“Despite what Palace Security and the Queen’s Own may have told you Mister Harahap, I’m not really a ‘highly competent interrogator,’” she said after she and Nimitz were settled.

No? Well, you sure are a highly competent people person, milady. LOL

****** *

Of that very esteemed group of people who died, they all had treecat bodyguards. I know they weren't bonded, so there's no chance the 'cats will die from a broken bond. I'm just gathering wool, but I wonder what the level of pain is from the lost of a possible friend. After all, there should be oodles of all-around empathy found in an empathic species.

****** *

UH wrote:“Theseus authorizes us as number one in the departure queue, Ma’am,” Lieutenant O’Reilly announced.

“Thank you, Wanda,” Commander Kaplan replied and glanced at Hosea Simpkins, her Grayson-born astrogator. “Take us in, Lieutenant.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am,” Simpkins replied, and Kaplan leaned back in her command chair as HMS Tristram nosed into the Visigoth Terminus.

I wonder if Hosea feels as…strange about taking astro control data from Theseus as I do? she wondered, watching Master Chief Andrew Dawson ease her destroyer delicately into the terminus’s complex gravitic tides. Not that Countess Gold Peak had any choice about it, I suppose.

Am I incorrect that the MA could have assassinated anyone they wanted to if they had gotten someone in position at any of the terminii giving astro control data? Rather, fatal astro control data?[/quote]

-----------------

As Commo Ivanov and others have shown, transiting a wormhole without "local assistance" is indeed possible, although the locals would have more recent flux data readings. I suspect any competent Astrographer and Helmsman would compare their known data with what the locals provide and question any significant discrepancies.

-- Stewart

cthia wrote:"stewart"]"cthia"]While reading UH, I recall a strong bit of foreboding forming in the pit of my stomach when I learned of so many very important people who were going to be in Beowulf space when the attack came in. Of course, the gist of this thread came to mind, because it would have been crazy for the MA not to take advantage of such an opportunity to kill so many important targets with one attack, if it had been privy to the target rich environment. As a result though, the GA just may find the MA now. If only because of the noise produced from so much shouting and joy after the MA receive the news of who was killed in the attack. I sure hope the author didn't get that idea from reading that thread, because I'd sure hate to be responsible, in any small part, for that abortion.

At any rate, I recalled feeling a little anxious over Code Romeo -- or whatever the defense condition was when Jacques and Hamish received it -- that directed them to act as they did. I wondered why the safest place wouldn't be to get dirtside immediately, but iinm, that was the plan after docking Anachronism. At any rate, I thought I saw Hamish's death coming. I also worried about the death of all of those very important people assembled in Beowulf, in light of that notion contained in the previously referenced thread, exacerbated by the numerous light years of discussion of the many people projected to die in that system. Weber certainly did a fine job of setting us up for that curvy screwball. I can just see him sitting at his computer laughing like an evil genius about that one.

Weber must have been feeling rather fiendish on the order of the cats on Grayson during the cultivator prank. What a sigh of relief I felt when Hamish survived. Squalls of tears I shed on that passage alone! It ultimately made me discard my weapon of choice if ever I meet the author. Arming myself with a super soaker in lieu of a pitchfork is somewhat acceptable. Maybe. ::shrug::

Another thing UH reminded me of is the forgotten notion I had long ago of the idea of a cat self-destructing from mere hearsay of its mate's death. It would be highly ironic if Nimitz had died from his heartache before learning that Sam had survived. In light of UH, perhaps Weber should get his own armsmen. LOL

.

------------------

Honor and Nimitz were both in a suicide spiral -- not eating, sole focus on their final duty. If the Duke of Comarty had not set a new speed record, Hamish and Sam may have discovered Honor and Nimitz both expired in her cabin after returning the Sol system to pre-Diaspera technology.

-- Stewart[/quote]
Indeed so.

It would have been like déjà vu for Hamish. Another time. Another system. Another enemy. Yet, a day late and a centicredit short trying to bring help to the woman he loves.

****** *

I can't help but wonder how the Duke knew it was safe to enter the system. I know she was armed, but if Honor was delayed for whatever reason, the Duke of Cromarty may have been captured or destroyed if she'd been the one who found herself literally on top of that first group of SL BCs. Of course, the way it worked out, those BCs were glad Honor made them scuttle, considering the piles of excrement found everywhere aboard flag bridge. LOL[/quote]


---------------

The Duke translated approx 1 LM out from the limit; granted a crash translation to retain max velocity, but still far enough out to translate up if needed

-- Stewart

Jonathan pointed that out as well. But what if there just so happened to be enemy ships 1 LM out, and in energy range?

If Hamish would have died, a second time, right there in the Sol system just after getting a message off to Imperator, Honor would have self-destructed, taking the Sol system with her.

stewart wrote:

cthia wrote:"stewart"]"cthia"]While reading UH, I recall a strong bit of foreboding forming in the pit of my stomach when I learned of so many very important people who were going to be in Beowulf space when the attack came in. Of course, the gist of this thread came to mind, because it would have been crazy for the MA not to take advantage of such an opportunity to kill so many important targets with one attack, if it had been privy to the target rich environment. As a result though, the GA just may find the MA now. If only because of the noise produced from so much shouting and joy after the MA receive the news of who was killed in the attack. I sure hope the author didn't get that idea from reading that thread, because I'd sure hate to be responsible, in any small part, for that abortion.

At any rate, I recalled feeling a little anxious over Code Romeo -- or whatever the defense condition was when Jacques and Hamish received it -- that directed them to act as they did. I wondered why the safest place wouldn't be to get dirtside immediately, but iinm, that was the plan after docking Anachronism. At any rate, I thought I saw Hamish's death coming. I also worried about the death of all of those very important people assembled in Beowulf, in light of that notion contained in the previously referenced thread, exacerbated by the numerous light years of discussion of the many people projected to die in that system. Weber certainly did a fine job of setting us up for that curvy screwball. I can just see him sitting at his computer laughing like an evil genius about that one.

Weber must have been feeling rather fiendish on the order of the cats on Grayson during the cultivator prank. What a sigh of relief I felt when Hamish survived. Squalls of tears I shed on that passage alone! It ultimately made me discard my weapon of choice if ever I meet the author. Arming myself with a super soaker in lieu of a pitchfork is somewhat acceptable. Maybe. ::shrug::

Another thing UH reminded me of is the forgotten notion I had long ago of the idea of a cat self-destructing from mere hearsay of its mate's death. It would be highly ironic if Nimitz had died from his heartache before learning that Sam had survived. In light of UH, perhaps Weber should get his own armsmen. LOL

.

------------------

Honor and Nimitz were both in a suicide spiral -- not eating, sole focus on their final duty. If the Duke of Comarty had not set a new speed record, Hamish and Sam may have discovered Honor and Nimitz both expired in her cabin after returning the Sol system to pre-Diaspera technology.

-- Stewart

Indeed so.

It would have been like déjà vu for Hamish. Another time. Another system. Another enemy. Yet, a day late and a centicredit short trying to bring help to the woman he loves.

****** *

I can't help but wonder how the Duke knew it was safe to enter the system. I know she was armed, but if Honor was delayed for whatever reason, the Duke of Cromarty may have been captured or destroyed if she'd been the one who found herself literally on top of that first group of SL BCs. Of course, the way it worked out, those BCs were glad Honor made them scuttle, considering the piles of excrement found everywhere aboard flag bridge. LOL[/quote]


---------------

The Duke translated approx 1 LM out from the limit; granted a crash translation to retain max velocity, but still far enough out to translate up if needed

-- Stewart[/quote]


The Duke of Crometry is a BC(P) probably armed with Mk-16G or even Apollo pods. As was demonstrated to Admiral Crandall at aspindle, Apollo pods massively multiply firepower even without FTL control.

The Duke could kick the crap out of a squadron of SLN BCs.

stewart wrote:

cthia wrote:"Robert_A_Woodward"]"cthia"]So, four of the Mandarins were arrested and I suppose will be extradited and given a free ride back to the Haven sector to stand trial for their crimes. I was expecting them to be questioned and one or more of them to drop dead. Was it Kolokoltsov who kept asking where Omusupe was to be found? For a minute there, I thought she'd gotten ghost. Recalled by the MA just in the nick of time. I was also looking for the same from Audrey O'Hanrahan.

Perhaps when the Manties question them, someone will drop dead and the nanites will be found.

It was Agata Wodoslawski (of the Treasury) who was absent when the other four were arrested. IMHO, if she was an Alignment agent, her handler had her killed.

Thanks.

****** *

Honor speaking . . .

“Despite what Palace Security and the Queen’s Own may have told you Mister Harahap, I’m not really a ‘highly competent interrogator,’” she said after she and Nimitz were settled.

No? Well, you sure are a highly competent people person, milady. LOL

****** *

Of that very esteemed group of people who died, they all had treecat bodyguards. I know they weren't bonded, so there's no chance the 'cats will die from a broken bond. I'm just gathering wool, but I wonder what the level of pain is from the lost of a possible friend. After all, there should be oodles of all-around empathy found in an empathic species.

****** *

UH wrote:“Theseus authorizes us as number one in the departure queue, Ma’am,” Lieutenant O’Reilly announced.

“Thank you, Wanda,” Commander Kaplan replied and glanced at Hosea Simpkins, her Grayson-born astrogator. “Take us in, Lieutenant.”

“Aye, aye, Ma’am,” Simpkins replied, and Kaplan leaned back in her command chair as HMS Tristram nosed into the Visigoth Terminus.

I wonder if Hosea feels as…strange about taking astro control data from Theseus as I do? she wondered, watching Master Chief Andrew Dawson ease her destroyer delicately into the terminus’s complex gravitic tides. Not that Countess Gold Peak had any choice about it, I suppose.

cthia wrote:Am I incorrect that the MA could have assassinated anyone they wanted to if they had gotten someone in position at any of the terminii giving astro control data? Rather, fatal astro control data?

stewart wrote:-----------------

As Commo Ivanov and others have shown, transiting a wormhole without "local assistance" is indeed possible, although the locals would have more recent flux data readings. I suspect any competent Astrographer and Helmsman would compare their known data with what the locals provide and question any significant discrepancies.

-- Stewart

I can't help but consider the recent talk in another thread where White Haven could have locked down the junction for 17 hours.

Is it apparent to ships just approaching a junction that it is locked from a prior mass transit? What happens to a ship(s) if it tries to transit anyway? Familiarity can go a long way to achieve complacency and blind trust. But I suppose astro control data doesn't change by much in any of the terminii. If so, it is a recipe for MA intervention.

stewart wrote:

cthia wrote:"stewart"]"cthia"]While reading UH, I recall a strong bit of foreboding forming in the pit of my stomach when I learned of so many very important people who were going to be in Beowulf space when the attack came in. Of course, the gist of this thread came to mind, because it would have been crazy for the MA not to take advantage of such an opportunity to kill so many important targets with one attack, if it had been privy to the target rich environment. As a result though, the GA just may find the MA now. If only because of the noise produced from so much shouting and joy after the MA receive the news of who was killed in the attack. I sure hope the author didn't get that idea from reading that thread, because I'd sure hate to be responsible, in any small part, for that abortion.

At any rate, I recalled feeling a little anxious over Code Romeo -- or whatever the defense condition was when Jacques and Hamish received it -- that directed them to act as they did. I wondered why the safest place wouldn't be to get dirtside immediately, but iinm, that was the plan after docking Anachronism. At any rate, I thought I saw Hamish's death coming. I also worried about the death of all of those very important people assembled in Beowulf, in light of that notion contained in the previously referenced thread, exacerbated by the numerous light years of discussion of the many people projected to die in that system. Weber certainly did a fine job of setting us up for that curvy screwball. I can just see him sitting at his computer laughing like an evil genius about that one.

Weber must have been feeling rather fiendish on the order of the cats on Grayson during the cultivator prank. What a sigh of relief I felt when Hamish survived. Squalls of tears I shed on that passage alone! It ultimately made me discard my weapon of choice if ever I meet the author. Arming myself with a super soaker in lieu of a pitchfork is somewhat acceptable. Maybe. ::shrug::

Another thing UH reminded me of is the forgotten notion I had long ago of the idea of a cat self-destructing from mere hearsay of its mate's death. It would be highly ironic if Nimitz had died from his heartache before learning that Sam had survived. In light of UH, perhaps Weber should get his own armsmen. LOL

.

------------------

Honor and Nimitz were both in a suicide spiral -- not eating, sole focus on their final duty. If the Duke of Comarty had not set a new speed record, Hamish and Sam may have discovered Honor and Nimitz both expired in her cabin after returning the Sol system to pre-Diaspera technology.

-- Stewart

cthia wrote:Indeed so.

It would have been like déjà vu for Hamish. Another time. Another system. Another enemy. Yet, a day late and a centicredit short trying to bring help to the woman he loves.

****** *

I can't help but wonder how the Duke knew it was safe to enter the system. I know she was armed, but if Honor was delayed for whatever reason, the Duke of Cromarty may have been captured or destroyed if she'd been the one who found herself literally on top of that first group of SL BCs. Of course, the way it worked out, those BCs were glad Honor made them scuttle, considering the piles of excrement found everywhere aboard flag bridge. LOL

stewart wrote:---------------

The Duke translated approx 1 LM out from the limit; granted a crash translation to retain max velocity, but still far enough out to translate up if needed

-- Stewart

TFLYTSNBN wrote:The Duke of Crometry is a BC(P) probably armed with Mk-16G or even Apollo pods. As was demonstrated to Admiral Crandall at aspindle, Apollo pods massively multiply firepower even without FTL control.

The Duke could kick the crap out of a squadron of SLN BCs.

Yes, but if the Duke had translated within energy range of an entire SL squadron, her missile loadout would have been a moot point, in knife fighting range. No?

In fact, I always wondered why there aren't a few accidents during downward translations because they are right up someone's arse. "Hard aport! Hard aport!"

You're generally too busy barfing than looking where you're going. Instinctively, I thought this potential problem represents a real need for a little of that "auto piloting" initiated by a collision detection. On second thought, nah. Wouldn't want the computer improperly altering your course and opening up your arse for an enema, err missile, err energy shot. Of course, modern medicine says that a good enema gives one lots of energy— —an energy shot!

UH wrote:Kolokoltsov nodded, his expression less than happy. The newly independent Republic of Beowulf had arranged a passenger fleet shuttle service to transport Solarian citizens who had no desire to live in a breakaway star nation—including native Beowulfers who’d disagreed with the plebiscite result—back to the Sol System in return for Beowulfers who’d found themselves stuck elsewhere in the League and been unable to get home before the plebiscite. He and his fellows had taken no official notice of them, since that might have required them to take official action against Beowulf, which was likely to be more than a little risky just at the moment.

Can't help but wonder if this is when Carmichael headed Home, Sweet Home.

****** *

UH wrote:“What are you getting at, Bryce?”
“I’m just wondering whether or not Shafiqa Bolton suggested it to you.”

Laughton stiffened, eyes narrowing in surprise. If Tarkovsky already knew Bolton was his contact with Kalokainos, surely he should’ve had some idea of who she was working for! He was too good at his job not to have traced that back. So why was he—?
The colonel blinked as his vision blurred suddenly. He shifted in the chair and swallowed again, heavily, at a sudden surge of nausea. What—?

A nova exploded at the center of his brain, and his entire body tensed, then collapsed forward against the restraints.

Who the devil is this Shafiqa Bolton? Is that name an alias for someone more familiar, like, say, Anisimovna? I know, my brain seems to suffer from some strange wiring s'times. Chock it up to kissing insanely hot women in my lifetime, which may have fried a few of my main components. LOL

At any rate, she's obviously very important for us not to have caught wind of her before now.

cthia wrote:

UH wrote:“What are you getting at, Bryce?”
“I’m just wondering whether or not Shafiqa Bolton suggested it to you.”

Laughton stiffened, eyes narrowing in surprise. If Tarkovsky already knew Bolton was his contact with Kalokainos, surely he should’ve had some idea of who she was working for! He was too good at his job not to have traced that back. So why was he—?
The colonel blinked as his vision blurred suddenly. He shifted in the chair and swallowed again, heavily, at a sudden surge of nausea. What—?

A nova exploded at the center of his brain, and his entire body tensed, then collapsed forward against the restraints.

Who the devil is this Shafiqa Bolton? Is that name an alias for someone more familiar, like, say, Anisimovna? I know, my brain seems to suffer from some strange wiring s'times. Chock it up to kissing insanely hot women in my lifetime, which may have fried a few of my main components. LOL

At any rate, she's obviously very important for us not to have caught wind of her before now.

I have not found the reference in UH, but from what I remember, Bolton is her name and she works in a financial firm as an advisor to important clients. Her name first came up because of increased contact with someone whose portfolio was not big enough to justify her interest.

But that is from memory and could be all wrong. See page 558 in hardcopy of UH. First mention is bottom of page 75.