Venus:
The third successfully established human colony after Mars and the Belt. A Homeworld only by courtesy, it has an economy smaller than North America’s, and is populated almost entirely by recent Terran emigrants. Considered a prime vacation spot for those who like floating cities.
Victualer:
A victualer (also spelled victualler), is someone who provides naval stores, especially food, but not ordnance. The terms in preindustrial in origin, and ever since both supply ships (combat stores ships), and the people who operate and manage them, have been known as victualers.
Some officers from the Meridies still call the Command Logistics Directorate the Victualling Office.
VRSN:
Virtual-Reality Social Networking. Social networking that uses neural projectors or implants, in conjunction AI technology, to allow users to interact in a virtual-reality space, experiencing their activities through direct neurological induction. VRSN is an extremely risky activity, often resulting in VR-induced dementia, and is widely banned, but it still flourishes in many of the smaller outlier governments and in the dark clouds that support illicit online activity.
W
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War Week:
A 10-day period of wargames that occurs at the end of every term at the CEF Academy. Designed to be extremely grueling, War Week is a crucial test of cadets’ skills, stamina, and ability to focus under pressure. The scores each cadet and their team attains in War Week have a major effect on their posting after graduation. The cadet who has the highest overall War Week scores at graduation is given the unofficial title: Number 1.
Wardroom:
The dining and social accommodation for officers on a navy ship. Enlisted personnel are not admitted to the wardroom, except NCOs in the line of duty. (NCOs may be invited to dine in the wardroom, but they are generally not, as the food in the gunroom is usually better.)
Like the gunroom, the wardroom has many aspects of a club. Rules apply as to what topics may and may not be broached, the serving of courses, the order and types of toasts, and how the wines circulates (widdershins, except among Belters, who employ what is known as the ‘Boarding House Reach’).
The captain is only admitted by invitation, and does not visit on official business. (The captain may ‘pass the word’ for any officer he wished to speak to.) On a happy ship, the wardroom will invite the captain regularly, just as the captain will invite selected officers to dine in his stateroom two or three times a week.
Wardrooms typically have a mess president; a mess steward, who is responsible for ordering foodstuffs and overseeing menu planning under direction of the mess president; and a caterer, who is responsible for drinks (alcoholic and otherwise), under direction of the mess steward.
In the CEF Navy (and League navies generally), the exec serves as mess president, the position of mess steward rotates, and the caterer is usually the junior officer present (seconded officers excepted). This organization, along with the fact that officers must purchase their own food at market rates, gives the wardroom its character. As the mess president sets the tone and has the final say over menus, a parsimonious or penurious exec has led to many a dismal wardroom.
In warships larger than light cruisers, there are normally two wardrooms: one for seniors officers (senior lieutenants and up), and another for junior officers and WOs.
This ‘junior’ wardroom is organized differently: the mess president is the officer present with the most seniority (almost always an SWO), not the highest ranking. The mess steward is elected, as in the gunroom, and position of cater rotates. For this reason, the junior wardroom is often a more cheerful place than the senior wardroom.
Visiting between the wardrooms is encouraged in some navies, and by some captains, and seniors are treated as guests in the junior wardroom, where they defer to the mess president and obey the customs of the juniors. Other navies (and some captains) consider this to be fraternization that is detrimental to discipline.
There is not much consensus on this point, although within the CEF Navy, ships commanded by Nedaema officers tend to be the most egalitarian, while Hesperian and Messians (especially) tend to be the most strict.
Watch Standers:
In ancient times, naval crews were divided into watch standers and idlers. Watch standers literally stood watch on various parts of a ship, looking after their particular responsibility while looking out for other ships, navigation hazards, men who had fallen overboard, etc. Watch standers would be on watch according the watch bill. On a two-watch ship, this meant 4 hours of standing watch and then 4 hours off, so no man ever got more than 4 hours sleep, but half the crew was always on deck, which was to preferred should there be an emergency. Three-watch ships allowed the crew to get a full 8 hours sleep, but one a third the crew were immediately available in case of emergency.
Idlers (a term that has not been used for many centuries) were specialist personnel, like carpenters, armorers, cooks, etc, who worked set hours every day and did not have watch-standing responsibilities.
All mariners are now allowed in a full 8-hours sleep (unless the readiness condition forbids it), but crews still stand watch to maintain situational awareness: sensor watch, navigation watch, bridge watch, comms watch, and the so on.
Watches:
One of the traditions observed by almost all navies is the dividing the naval day cycle into watches (Halith is a notable exception). The CEF observes the standard 24-hour Terran day on board all its vessels, and uses the ancient system in which there are 6 watches of 4 hours each. This system is generally followed by other navies, who adjust the watch length to accord with local conditions.
The names of the watches are also fairly standard and, in Terran usage, are: Middle (Midnight -0400), Morning (0400-0800); Forenoon (0800-Noon); Afternoon (Noon-1600); the Dogs (1600-2000); and First (2000-Midnight).
In some navies, the dogs watches are called slide watches, because they adjust the watch stander’s daily schedule. Middle watch goes by various names, most of which are unofficial: mid watch, midnight watch, graveyard watch, and dead watch are all common terms used for it by mariners.
In the CEF, the intervals of the watches are still marked by the bells. The Terran Navy also follows this practice, as do the navies of the Meridies and the Ionians. Other navies have abandoned the practice.
WCO:
Weapons Control Officer. The Halith analog to the CEF’s TAO, but a relatively more junior position. The WCO reports to the captain in CIC and is responsible only for directing the ship’s weapons and corresponding sensors. (See also EWO.)
WCS:
Weapons Control Status. May be Hold, Tight, or Free (CEF terminology). Weapons Hold means weapons may only be fired in clear self-defense or in response to a direct order. Weapons Tight means weapons may be fired only at targets confirmed as hostile or in response to a direct order. Weapons Free means weapons may be fired at any target not positively identified as friendly; essentially fire-at-will.
(As always, terminology varies. For instance, the Ionian navy uses: Stand Fast, On Watch, and Fire at Will. Safed weapons are said to be housed, the command being: “House your weapons.”)
WO:
Warrant Officer. Officers appointed by warrant rather than a commission. They rank between NCOs and commissioned officers. Ranks are warrant officer (WO), senior warrant officer (SWO), and chief warrant officer (CWO). In the CEF, they are strictly technical specialists and are not in the chain of command. The Halith military has WO fighter pilots and employs WOs in command positions in garrison units, and in certain special units, such as interrogators. (The CEF originally employed WO flight officers in the SRF but gradually abandoned the practice. It was resumed during LH-1, but discontinued the after the war.)
Examples of shipboard WO billets are bosuns, responsible for maintenance and damage control; quartermasters and pilots (who assist the navigator); pursers (in charge of supplies); some medical personal; gravitic s
pecialists that operate and maintain the jump drives, and crew chiefs of fighter and small-craft deck crews. Quartermasters, pilots, and grav-specialists serve under an officer (the navigator or chief engineer); in other cases, WOs are the senior officer for that department. WO bosuns serve under a commissioned officer on battlecruisers, battleships, dreadnoughts, and carriers.
Although warrant officers are nominally of lower rank than any commissioned officer, including the greenest of green ensigns, as senior technical experts they possess enormous unofficial authority and any officer who does not respect this is likely to soon find himself in some very hot water
Wogan’s Reef:
A major nexus on the border of League space, connecting it with the Halith node at Tau Verde and the main Bannerman nexus. A contact binary formed by a moderate red giant and a smaller K1-type star, the system gets it name from the accretion disk, or ‘reef’, surrounding the companion star out to about 2 AU. The CEF maintains a forward base, Outbound Station, in the vicinity to protect and monitor the junction.
X
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XO:
Executive Officer. The second-in-command of any military unit, but particularly used for the second-in-command of CEF Marine units, and most terrestrial (ground) units. Also the Exec, especially in naval units.
Y
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Z
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ZANG:
An uncommon acronym for Zero Atmosphere, Null-Gee. Used mostly by Bannerman mariners and slaver crews.
Zeta:
A popular cloud-services provider and social-networking platform. Active mostly in the League, but with affiliates elsewhere. According to rumor, Nestor Mankho may have once been an investor.
Note: Zeta is also the codeword for the letter ‘Z’ in Halith’s call-sign alphabet, and the name for a Halith SOFOR unit, Zeta Group (or Group Z).
Index of Personalities
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]
A
Alandale, Marilyn Britt || A’Nakuma, Ilene || Alpernius, Zenda || Argento, Kyle || Arutyun, Nikolai
B
Basmartin, Ferhat (Baz) || Brunner, Nataly (Minx) || Burdette, Andréa || Buthelezi, Naomi
C
Casanova, Sahyli ( Shyli) || Castonguay, Michel || Cates, Rachel || Chimunaya, Aaron || Comargo, Lora || Corcoran, Ravel
D
Donnerkill, Abraham
E
Easley, Alicia || Emmanuel, Ivor
F
Fulton, Bayard
G
Gauthier, Hazen || Gayle, Lysander || Gergen, Benn || Gill, Elisabeth || Grimbles, Archibald || Grinenko, Deirdre
H
Heink, Fred || Hellman, Korliss || Heydrich, Christian || Heydrich, Tristan || Holder, Jackson || Hoste, Ambrose || Hotchkiss, Alane || Huron IV, Rafael || Huron V, Rafael (Rafe) || Huron, Charles Marcellus || Huron, Marcus Leviticus (Marc)
I
J
K
Kagan-Lazar, Orlando || Karmin, Shardine || Kasena, Jasmine || Kelleher, Liam || Kennakris, Loralynn (Kris) || Kennakris, Nathan || Kiamura, Ashlynn || Kriesel-Roth, Vaishali || Kym
L
Lawrence, Sir Phillip || Lessing, Taylor || Levasseur, Byrony || Lewis, Minerva || Lopez, Antoinette
M
Mangle || Mankho, Nestor || Martinsen, Reidar || Matheson, Eliot || Mertone, Calvin
N
N’Komo, Geoff
O
Olson, Stanislaus || Onstanyan, Sandrine || Osorio, Ivan || Osorio, Victor
P
Pagorskav, Carissa || Perez, Sam || Perry, Ezekiel (Zeke) || PrenTalien, Joss || Pritt, Cole
Q
Quillan, Evelyn Everett (E.E.)
R
Rathor, Antoine || Rathor, Mariwen || Raven, Russell R. || Ravenswood, Trislan || Resnick, Ioan || Reynolds, Geoffrey || Rollins, Clancy || RyKirt, Jan
S
Sabr, Lo Gai || Shariati, Yasmin || Strich
T
Taliaferro, Nikolai (Nick) || Tanner, Franklin Gustavus Adolphus || Thompson, Gunnar || Tiernan, Marco || Tilletson, Aloysius || Trench, Anton
U
V
Vasquez, Maralena senn Vasquez Montero y Domanova
W
Wagner, Tomas || Watkins, Arno || Wesselby, Trin || Westover, John Carlos || Wojakowski, Bodo
X
Y
Yu, Fyodor Mikhailovich Tal (Fred)
Z
Zavala-Marquez, Alana Marcella || Zayterland, Pamela
Personalities
A
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Alandale, Marilyn Britt:
Grand Senator Huron’s second wife. From Bruges. Mother of Charles and Marc. Killed in a botched assassination attempt in the year ‘20.
A’Nakuma, Ilene:
Rear Admiral in the CEF Navy. Captain Lawrence’s immediate superior. A Belter from Thrasher Down on Callisto.
Alpernius, Zenda:
The Senior Grand Senator from Messier and a supporter of Lysander Gayle.
Argento, Kyle:
PFC in the elite CEF Marine 101st Special Operations Brigade (Strike Rangers) and member of CAT 5. From Antigua.
Arutyun, Nikolai:
Captain in the Halith Imperial Navy. A senior staff officer to Admiral Christian Heydrich. Said to take after his boss. Believed to be from Syrdar.
B
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Basmartin, Ferhat
(Baz):
A flight-officer candidate at the CEF Academy. One of Kris’s studymates and her best friend there. From Albion on Phaedra. Age 21
Brunner, Nataly
(Minx):
A flight-officer candidate at the CEF Academy. One of Kris’s studymates. Nicknamed Minx. From Port Tyburon on New California. Age 20
Burdette, Andréa:
Master Sergeant in the elite CEF Marine 101st Special Operations Brigade (Strike Rangers) and Team Second of CAT 5. EW specialist. A Terran from New South Wales.
Buthelezi, Naomi:
Commander in the CEF Navy. Academy lead instructor (Strategy and Tactics), and Superintendent of Student Affairs. Also a member of the KwaZulu Natal royal family. Close to Commandant Hoste.
C
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Casanova, Sahyli
( Shyli):
A flight-officer candidate at the CEF Academy. An upperclassman who becomes Kris’s dormmate.
Castonguay, Michel:
Slaver Captain of the Forlorn Hope. An Outworlder.
Cates, Rachel:
PFC in the elite CEF Marine 101st Special Operations Brigade (Strike Rangers) and member of CAT 5. Unit sniper/scout and medic. A Belter.
Chimunaya, Aaron:
Senior Lieutenant in the CEF Navy. LSS Retribution’s lead navigator.
Comargo, Lora:
Mariwen Rathor’s first wife and agent. Murdered by Nestor Mankho’s people during Mariwen’s kidnapping. From Nemeton on Nedaema.
Corcoran, Ravel:
Captain of the contract slaver Lady Day, and Kym’s owner. A friend and ally of Anton Trench. Probably from Mantua originally.
D
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Donnerkill, Abraham:
Staff Sergeant in the elite CEF Marine 101st Special Operations Brigade (Strike Rangers) and member of CAT 5. Shuttle co-pilot/gunner. From Essen in the Ruhr.
E
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Easley, Alicia:
Lieutenant Commander in the CEF Navy. LSS Retribution’s conning officer.
Emmanuel, Ivor:
Ensign in the CEF Navy. Member of LSS Retribution’s Signals Department.
F
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Fulton, Bayard:
Lt. Commander in the CEF Navy. Head of the Academy’s IT Department.
G
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Gauthier, Hazen:
The senior Grand Senat
or from Hestia. A friend of Lysander Gayle.
Gayle, Lysander:
Nedaema’s junior Grand Senator. A rejuvenant.
Gergen, Benn:
Lance Corporal in the elite CEF Marine 101st Special Operations Brigade (Strike Rangers) and member of CAT 5. Gunner. From Reveille in the Methuselah Cluster.
Gill, Elisabeth:
Senior Lieutenant in the CEF Navy. Head of LSS Retribution’s Astrogation Department.
Grimbles, Archibald:
Loralynn Kennakris 2: The Morning Which Breaks Page 69