Stories I'd love to read...

As all of us fans are apt to do in between book releases, I re-read the books. I'm currently in Shadow of Victory at the part where Michele Henke is getting to know her new steward. A steward that lost his entire ship in the Yawata strike.

I'd love to learn more about the RMN stewards.

We get so many references about how they serve as the head of an unofficial network on a Queen's ship and their total dedication to their captains.

A great read would be a story on the OG steward, James MacGuiness. How he entered the service, more about what the steward program looks like in training and evaluating the keepers of RMN's captains. The security screening itself must be intense.

- What makes a steward?
- Who applies to the program?
- What did James McGuinness think the first time he meets Honor Harrington in book 1?
- How did he react when Honor was lost for dead?

Wouldn't this be a fascinating read?

oyohan wrote:As all of us fans are apt to do in between book releases, I re-read the books. I'm currently in Shadow of Victory at the part where Michele Henke is getting to know her new steward. A steward that lost his entire ship in the Yawata strike.

I'd love to learn more about the RMN stewards.

We get so many references about how they serve as the head of an unofficial network on a Queen's ship and their total dedication to their captains.

A great read would be a story on the OG steward, James MacGuiness. How he entered the service, more about what the steward program looks like in training and evaluating the keepers of RMN's captains. The security screening itself must be intense.

- What makes a steward?
- Who applies to the program?
- What did James McGuinness think the first time he meets Honor Harrington in book 1?
- How did he react when Honor was lost for dead?

Wouldn't this be a fascinating read?

I think it would be a nice story in an Anthology, probably by guest writers like "A Ship Named Francis" (it was very funny!).

But I think the storyline should be about younger, enlisted stewards who are discussing their hero, James "The Legend" McGuinness, the only Navy steward who is not in the Navy. We get to hear about their training, how they've met their captains, how they're organising the network and getting lessons from their elders, etc. One could be serving aboard a CL, another aboard a CA or a BC, so they discuss the differences and having a flag staff aboard makes a difference. At some point in the narrative, they meet one of the stewards we've heard about, like Henke's or Terekhov's, probably in a conference for stewards.

There's only one Captain's Stewards on a ship (though there may be more if flag officers are around), but there are more stewards. The junior ranks work in the mess hall and are led by a CPO or something. They probably have other tasks that are underrated, but crucial.

Like they say, an Army (or a Navy, for that matter) lives and dies by its logistics. The stewards probably have similarly crucial tasks aboard a ship.

ThinksMarkedly wrote:
Like they say, an Army (or a Navy, for that matter) lives and dies by its logistics. The stewards probably have similarly crucial tasks aboard a ship.

Stewards probably serve as stretcher bearers at battle stations, as the mess decks become overflow casualty stations. And running food to people at their battle stations. And everybody does damage control.

oyohan wrote:As all of us fans are apt to do in between book releases, I re-read the books. I'm currently in Shadow of Victory at the part where Michele Henke is getting to know her new steward. A steward that lost his entire ship in the Yawata strike.

I'd love to learn more about the RMN stewards.

We get so many references about how they serve as the head of an unofficial network on a Queen's ship and their total dedication to their captains.

A great read would be a story on the OG steward, James MacGuiness. How he entered the service, more about what the steward program looks like in training and evaluating the keepers of RMN's captains. The security screening itself must be intense.

- What makes a steward?
- Who applies to the program?
- What did James McGuinness think the first time he meets Honor Harrington in book 1?
- How did he react when Honor was lost for dead?

Wouldn't this be a fascinating read?

Take it from someone who has served in the RW U.S. Navy. There is no specialist school except for the basic schooling one receives from the navy A school as a Mess Specialist. An MS is assigned by the LPO or LCPO to take care of the CO of a ship. If the CO doesn't like you or your work someone else will be assigned to the job. There is however a underground so to speak of MS's who are lucky enough to be assigned to an admirals staff and rotate from staff to staff if one is lucky enough.

Fox2! wrote:

ThinksMarkedly wrote:
Like they say, an Army (or a Navy, for that matter) lives and dies by its logistics. The stewards probably have similarly crucial tasks aboard a ship.

Stewards probably serve as stretcher bearers at battle stations, as the mess decks become overflow casualty stations. And running food to people at their battle stations. And everybody does damage control.

They may also have damage control cross-training. If jarheads (marines) can participate, why not actual sailors?

In fact, there's a lot of cross-training going around, the story could elaborate on how much is expected. We got a glimpse of that in Travis' time before he mustanged to an officer, but I don't think I remember much besides the universal complaining about quads and hexes. Seems like "Robbing Peter to Give to Paul 101" was a mandatory class in enlisted training back then.