Chapter 52

"You have requested that the Lord High Admiral, that's me by Jove, chair a meeting of the Kingdom's Navy Board, that's you. The matter before the Navy Board is to make a decision concerning a Solarian freighter and suggest ways to deal with consequences of that decision...

Now I don't wish to unduly influence you but you remember my opening statement? Good. I think what occurred is that Her Majesty's Armed Cutter "Shriek" captained by Lt Cdr McCock, while on a routine patrol south east of Gorgipest captured the Solarian blockade runner, the "Bonaventura", and brought her to Admiralty Court in Settlement to be condemned as a prize...

I think my government should make the strongest protest to the Solarian Ambassador at this blatant breach of neutrality. Privately we will ask him to have the common decency to go the long way round and not cut corners into our space. We will tell him honestly what appears to have happened to the crew and give the Ambassador all our footage and any from the boat bay...

Any comments? You all agree with me? No arguments? Have you all gone jelly legged on me? Sir Thomas?"

"'Ma'am, that is basically the way your Space Lords see it"

"Prime Minister?"

"Your government thinks that is the best and most straight forward way to deal with it."

"So why did my Navy Board request this meeting? Oh silly me. I forgot. I asked my PM to request it. I want to thank my officers personally and also I want to know what you intend to do with them. On a previous occasion some of them got poorly dealt with. Oh, I agree, even without the "Bonaventura", they have done well by us but we can't be too open with our thanks or we'll tip that bucket of worms over but I am concerned with their professional futures."

Sir Thomas started,

"If the Admiralty Court condemns "Bonaventura" as a ... oh alright Ma'am," in response to a Royal Frown, "the prize money from the "Bonaventura" is of the order of five hundred mega credits, non taxable. The crew of "Shriek" is unique. Whilst having only one officer is not rare, having the rest of the crew NCOs is. CPO McGraw is carried on our books as a serving full time member, a senior NCO. The Avers are all retired Senior NCOs. The other members of the Flock are a small anomaly. They are officially only on the Reserve and they are PO 1s who are junior NCOs, that is, crew. Whilst for their contribution in this matter, it offends me professionally to hold them as mere crew, it works out financially. CPO McGraw and the five reactivated Avers share their three eighths, that is, one sixteenth and the four juniors share two eighths, that is, one sixteenth. Whilst in this situation, the Captain's full three eighths might seem disproportionate I submit, McCock proposed, planned and led the sortie and that puts him in exactly the same position as any RMN Commanding Officer sent on a patrol. That is your Space Lords' recommendation Ma'am."

"Senior officers shares? Admirals?" queried Elizabeth.

"Technically there were no senior officers Ma'am. We will submit that this exercise was covered by the verbal instructions, in the broadest sense, given by Admirals Milligan and Rowan, but from the prize money side they are in the Admiralty."

"What are you proposing to do with the crew?"

Sir Thomas looked at Sir Laurence who refused the bait and waved it back to him. Sir Thomas gave a somewhat resigned sigh,

"The Avers present no problem Ma'am. They return to the Retired Lists having completed a Reserve Training exercise," then grinned cheerfully, "with their pockets loaded and arms full. CPO McGraw; I have decided that Sir Laurence has need of a commissioned Secretary and recommend CPO McGraw be posted to Officer Training and upon completion in six months, she be commissioned Lieutenant, RMN and posted to Sir Laurence's office. The petty officers? If I had my druthers, I'd send them to the Academy; they would be quite old for that but not too old. My Civil Lords are not in agreement, too great a diplomatic public slap in the Sollies' face. I don't have an alternative because OTS is not approved either. I do not believe that leaving them as enlisted is in the best interests of the Service nor is using them at GmBH. I want them back in RMN," he shook his head and continued "but I then have a greater dilemma, even commissioned, they will be of such junior rank, they will be subject to their mental inferiors."

Elizabeth nodded gently,

"In exactly the same position as any other brilliant officer who moves more rapidly through the ranks. McCock?"

"Can I throw my hands metaphorically up into the sky Ma'am? Extremely difficult. That paper on manning and the critique of the "Forceful" concept demonstrate a brilliant mind which sees far ahead, detects problems both strategic and tactical and offers the best solution. His part in the yard simulator competition is legendary and shows brilliant tactical ability. His handling of "Shriek" at Helena confirms his tactical skills but reveal a flaw in his strategic ability. He didn't forsee the potential for detection of great circle orbits of Helena – his planning strategically was deficient. His tactical ability to handle events as they occur got him out of it. This contradiction has, since the "Bonaventura" turned up, exercised greatly the minds of your Space Lords. He was in the class after Cunningham. He is a Lt Cdr which being brutal reflects his correct level in fleet operations, and at that is possibly one level too high. The lack of space time as junior officer working his way up is the problem. He needs space time. My Civil Lords accept this but raise the same objections as for his Flock? Laurence? This is yours now!"

Sir Laurence unhappily nodded to his putative superior and turned to his Sovereign,

"Ma'am, firstly McCock is officially a Grenoble..."

Elizabeth began to glare at Sir Laurence as he went on.

" ... I agree with your holding him as a Mountserrat but our Civil Lords see potential political problems. Well that's what you pay them for. Secondly, McCock will not attain senior flag rank. We, and note I say we, have left his run too late for fleet command. Looking now at what is best for the Service, I propose a relatively extended period of space time with some combat exposure and then return him to the Admiralty as a Staff Officer. We will lose him as a tactician but he was never going to reach his potential there but we retain his strategic and planning capabilities. Also the Flock."