Honor & Nimitz & Pavel Young

move around somewhat to get a broad base of knowledge is invaluable for someone who hopes to command their own ship one day. You need to have a basic understanding of all departments. also gives lowly ensigns and lieutenants experience in the wider navy world outside their comparatively small word of a ship.

that said Tankersly clearly spent a lot of time in engineering if he moved to Yard Doog. I mean he was in charge of fixing Nike, not a project given to an officer who is likely to only be doing familrastion work before taking command of his own cruiser.

young see it as demotion? definitely, on his ship he was lord and master, what he said went (or so he thought), yard dog means working with all those grubby peasants building things. probably under some jump up peasant admiral. after all if they were competent person they would be in charge fleet/squadron. yard dog is not the job any person of breeding would do.

cthia wrote:I think it is safe to say that there was no love lost between him and pretty much the entire crew of his ship.

I wounder what the crew turnover rate was like for his ship while he was in command?

Usually (speaking from experience) the XO of a ship plays the "bad cop" to the Captain's "good cop." All of the extra duties, leave and liberty, scheduling of drills, etc are either done or signed off by the Captain's right hand (XO) leaving the Skipper free to deal with issues at a higher level. Neither one is ever "off duty" or "off watch" and are on call at all times.

That Paul Tankersley had to act as a buffer between Captain and crew and was popular with the crew would tell an old hand just how big a jerk and f-up the Captain was.

Just can not figure out how the talents of a Tankersley was wasted aboard Warlock.

Though to be honest, I could never figure out how the talents of a Warlock could be wasted on a Young.

To answer your first question, who was assigned to Warlock first, Paul or Young? I half suspect Paul was already aboard as XO when Captain Jerk read himself in and explains why Paul was transferred off before Young, Paul's assigned tour of duty was complete.

To answer the second is easy, family influence. The Young family would not allow Pavel to rot on the beach, under foot when words and threats in the proper places would send him off to parts unknown and out of Daddy's hair.

cthia wrote:Indeed, I meant "displaced" to, facetiously, both mean/represent "passed over" and "as far as the crew was concerned McKeon should have gotten it and even with Harrington there was still who they listened to."

I should have made it clear for the record and for the record I accept several lashes for false reporting. Hmm, false reporting, must be left over residue from the election.

It's been a while since I last read OBS so I have to ask this question, wasn't it noted that McKeon was a little junior for promotion to Captain(JG). He might have been a little old for his rank as Commander but may not have been promoted on time to Commander for some reason not mentioned or that I don't recall.

Honor on the other hand was what today's Navy calls an "early" or "deep selectee" for promotion at least once or more, having spent only the absolute minimum required time in rank as a Lieutenant, LT Commander and/or again as a Commander due to her outstanding performance. Promotion as a result of merit rather than time in grade.

It probably helps to remember that there are in effect _2_ RMNs: the aristocratic, political, cronyship of the Youngs and Santinos and Janaceks, and the [more or less] fighting navy of the Tankerslys and McKeons and Harringtons. The latter has to keep the former somewhat appeased in order to maintain at least some freedom of action, and sometimes that happens at the cost of operational efficiency. Himself mentioned years ago that uniform design was one of the sops thrown to the aristos over the years, with the delightful unintended consequence that Pavel Young had a lot of trouble not making a complete fool of himself in mess dress. What doesn't help is that it can be rather hard to tell just where someone falls on the spectrum. Oversteegen and Hemphill, for example are definitely from the aristocratic end of the scale, yet Oversteegen at least is death on assumptions of unearned privilege. And at the other end, WoH showed us no shortage of careerists coming back out of the woodwork once it looked like there was a comfortable environment again.

robert132 wrote:

cthia wrote:
Just can not figure out how the talents of a Tankersley was wasted aboard Warlock.

Though to be honest, I could never figure out how the talents of a Warlock could be wasted on a Young.

To answer your first question, who was assigned to Warlock first, Paul or Young? I half suspect Paul was already aboard as XO when Captain Jerk read himself in and explains why Paul was transferred off before Young, Paul's assigned tour of duty was complete.

To answer the second is easy, family influence. The Young family would not allow Pavel to rot on the beach, under foot when words and threats in the proper places would send him off to parts unknown and out of Daddy's hair.

robert132 wrote:
Honor on the other hand was what today's Navy calls an "early" or "deep selectee" for promotion at least once or more, having spent only the absolute minimum required time in rank as a Lieutenant, LT Commander and/or again as a Commander due to her outstanding performance. Promotion as a result of merit rather than time in grade.

A bloody war also help ones rise threw the ranks as it is easier to be in places to get your talents noticed as well as the openings in the upper ranks increasing do to promotions, attrition, and expansion of said ranks.

pnakasone wrote:

cthia wrote:Was anyone on Young's ship HMS Warlock bonded? If so, I imagine there was no love lost between CO and Cat. Young's reputation certainly would have preceded him via the treecat grapevine. Sour grapes indeed.

Young would probably lobby against having a cat aboard his ship.

I think it is safe to say that there was no love lost between him and pretty much the entire crew of his ship.

I wounder what the crew turnover rate was like for his ship while he was in command?

Doubtful on bonded pairs on Warlock, IIRC in MMH Honor and Nimitz are one of sixteen pairs in the RMN and also IIRC Samantha's pregnancy was only the third in the history of the RMN and that is in the space of roughly 250 years of treecats serving on ships.

On crew turnover probably looks like a revolving door. As soon as crewmember reports aboard he/she is trying to get transferred off to the Manticore equivalent of McMurdo station or Shemya AK in desperation.

Per my wife, I may have to recant the statement that alcohol can be considered a date rape drug. She and I were invited to a friend's Superbowl party and I consumed too much champagne. I'm not a drinker other than social occasions where I can't get around it. And this morning after a champagne hangover my wife said that she thought she was going to be able to take advantage of me. I wasn't even "date rapeable." LOL

Moving along, my host has this very large leopard. Actually it is a coon cat but my wife jokingly calls it a leopard because of its threatening hiss and size. Take this and amp it up a bit.

Considering that Pavel Young's emotions in the presence of Honor were probably off the scale and intensely repugnant, if Nimitz had been atop his person's head during certain engagements probably would've overloaded Nimitz' senses. I imagine Nimitz naturally breaking out into a hiss. If treecats hiss as well as shrill.

To Nimitz, Young's mindglow might have been downright confrontational. I dare not attempt to imagine the sordid imagery the creep is thinking in her presence, as much like threatening blows as you can get to a telempathic species. I imagine the intense emotions such as those emanating from Young towards Honor would have slammed into Nimitz like the shockwave from a blast front, as close to verbal abuse as you can get. Honor may have known to protect Nimitz from what she knew Young's emotions might make Nimitz do.

<Hiss! Hiss! What did you say you rat bastard SOB!>

saber964 wrote:
On crew turnover probably looks like a revolving door. As soon as crewmember reports aboard he/she is trying to get transferred off to the Manticore equivalent of McMurdo station or Shemya AK in desperation.

Wasn't Warlock @ Basilisk the definition of Shemya AK in the Honorverse (despite being just 1 wormhole jump away...)?

Theemile wrote:
Wasn't Warlock @ Basilisk the definition of Shemya AK in the Honorverse (despite being just 1 wormhole jump away...)?

More like "Camp Frostbite" on Barrayar. Shemya wasn't held in any greater disregard as a remote assignment than any of the others, at least not in my career field. And after the Cobra Dane went in, it had the newest equipment of any site by about 15 years (mid-70s vs. late 50s/early 60s).

cthia wrote:[

Your logic is cogent. ISTR textev supporting that Paul did do the lion's share of the work. He didn't do it all though, Young at least signed forms. Remember he signed off on whatsa-ship-name in orbit in the Basilisk system being secure? Hey, let's give credit where credit is due. Let's not dress Paul in Pavel's impotent uniform. LOL

Would Young have actually seen it as a demotion? Isn't it customary to yoyo about to acquire the full qualifications to get a ship of your own?[/quote]

The Peep Q-ship was PMSS Sirius