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Location: HMSS Vulcan, in orbit above Sphinx
Lord Tristan Blake, Captain of the List, Royal Manticoran Navy, stared out the porthole of the pinnace as the tiny vessel approached Her Majesty's Space Station Vulcan. He had just arrived from Manticore and was eager for his first look at his new command. Still, protocol demanded that he visit Vulcan's CO and pay his respects.
Tristan knew that he should be grateful to get a command, any command, even if it was only a Q-ship. In fact, there were many that held that a 'tired broken down' officer, like himself, should be beached and not given any command at all.
His meeting with Fleet Admiral Harrington had been short and though inspiring, it was hardly enlightening. He had never before met Honor Harrington and had not really believed than anyone could measure up to the hype created by the newsies. After all with a name and title that went something like Admiral of the Fleet and Captain HMS Unconquered Lady Dame Honor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington, Steadholder Harrington, Duchess Harrington, Countess White Haven, who could? The moment he had stepped aboard her flagship and been ushered into her ready room, he knew he had been wrong. Tristan was not easily awed or impressed, but he was. Nor was he prone to jealously, but he truelly envied the men and women who got to serve alongside such an officer. She had not wasted any time and had laid the situation out for him.
Since the Battle of Manticore, despite the Republic of Haven's massive losses, it still possessed several hundred ships of the wall and could theoretically attack Manticore again if it were not defended by Apollo capable units of Fleet Admiral Harrington's Home Fleet. While the battle was a clear victory for the Manticoran Alliance in that the Republic of Haven forces having failed to destroy any of the Manticoran shipyards, it was a victory won at great cost. With the loss of two out of the three largest Alliance fleets, Manticore is effectively restricted from further offensive action against the Republic of Haven in the near future. In fact, it barely had enough warships to cover its existing allies and assets. The Republic of Haven, on the other hand, could theoretically continue to expand by conquering or annexing neutral star systems and rebuilding its fleet with its greater number of shipyards and personnel.
If the Manticoran Alliance was to survive past the next few years, it would need more star systems to join the Alliance. Though the shipyards of the Royal Manticoran Navy, the Grayson Space Navy and other star nations of the Alliance were rebuilding the Alliance Fleets, they would need more resources and personnel to stand any chance of bringing the war against the Republican Navy to a decisive conclusion.
He was not really certain exactly what a single Q-ship could do to aid that goal, but if Honor Harrington said it was vital, he would give his all to ensure this ship was ready for whatever may come. The pinnace slid gently into the docking port and the green pressure seal light lit up.
Tristan was not the only officer on the pinnace, but he was the only senior grade Captain. Strict RMN protocol held that the senior officer was the first disembark and the others waited patiently as he rose and straightened his uniform and pulled on the white beret that marked him as a starship commander. He moved forward and, with a practiced motion pulled himself into the tube and floated through to land lightly on the deck of HMSS Vulcan.
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Enemies Within, {Open}
