Political Parties
The House of Lords was intended by the framers of the Constitution to be the most powerful organ of government in the Star Kingdom. While it has been the scene of many bitter factional fights over the centuries, historically it was not marked by the creation of formal political parties, although that has been gradually changing for some time now. Most (though by no means all) Manticoran aristocrats have possessed a fairly strong sense of noblesse oblige; those who have not, as exemplified by Baron High Ridge and his allies, are among the most self-centered and intolerant in the known universe. The aristocratic parties which have existed have tended to be working alliances of individuals with the same basic interests, but those alliances also tend to be flexible, elastic, and subject to change. This approach to party and faction has been changing for some time now, but the tradition of ad hoc alliances irrespective of formal party labels remains very much alive.
Formal political parties have always been very much a part of the House of Commons, on the other hand, and over the last hundred years or so, the parties of the Commons have been finding members in the House of Lords, as well, as alliances are forged across the house boundaries. The more powerful parties are the Centrist Party and its normal ally, the Crown Loyalists; the Liberal Party; the Conservative Association; the Progressive Party; and the so-called “New Men” Party. Traditionally, members of the Commons, as the peers, have been expected to vote their own consciences if they find themselves at odds with their parties’ positions. A more collectivist approach, with tighter party discipline, has developed out of the bitter political battles marking Roger III and Elizabeth III’s military buildup prior to the First Havenite War, but personal conviction is still expected to trump partisan politics on critical votes.
Ironically, it is not at all uncommon for the leader of a “party of the Commons” to be a member of the House of Lords. The reason for this apparent contradiction becomes evident when one considers the Lords’ historical ascendency over the Commons. A party which sought to wield power or influence national policy absolutely required allies, at the very least, in the upper house, and the fact that peers need not stand for election gave them a huge advantage in terms of political tenure and effective power. By the same token, members of the Lords have come to recognize that they require allies in the Commons, which helps to explain the gradual “bleed over” of the parties of the Commons into the Lords.
Royal Council (Cabinet)
The Royal Council is the formal title of the Cabinet of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, although it is seldom used. The Royal Council functions as the executive branch of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. As of 1921 PD, membership includes:
Prime Minster: Lord William MacLeish Alexander, Baron Grantville
Chancellor of the Exchequer (Deputy Prime Minister): Lady Francine Maurier, Countess Mourncreek
Foreign Secretary: Sir Anthony Langtry
Home Secretary: Sir Tyler Abercrombie
First Lord of Law: Lord Sir Llywelyn St. John
First Lord of the Admiralty: Lord Hamish Alexander-Harrington, Earl White Haven
Secretary of Education: Lady Dame Melanie Howard, Countess Greenlake
Secretary of Bioscience: Dame Penelope Singh
Secretary of Energy: Dame Karen Witherings
Secretary of Trade: Bruce Wijenberg
Minister of Industry: Lady Dame Charlotte FitzCummings, Countess Maiden Hill
Judicial System
The Star Empire’s judicial system, commonly referred to as the Queen’s Bench, is a common-law system, which means that courts rely on the precedents set in past cases (stare decisis) unless and until there is a compelling reason for changing the law judicially. The courts are courts of general jurisdiction and may hear cases in both law (money damages) and equity (orders of the court) and are an adversarial system for both civil and criminal trials. All search warrants require the signature of a judge and criminal defendants are constitutionally entitled to a presumption of innocence.
The original structure of the court system was specified by the articles of incorporation of the Manticore Colony, Ltd. This structure was local courts, then planetary courts, then district courts with the Board of Directors as the de facto supreme court. When the Constitution altered the corporate structure into a constitutional monarchy, the form and rules were retained but the names of the courts were changed. In addition, the highest court, the Queen’s Bench Court, was vested with the power of final review of judicial decisions from below.
The Shareholders’ Court (an ancient term carried over from the original articles of incorporation) is the first level of the Star Empire’s court system and is organized on a duchy level. Misdemeanor criminal cases are heard in this court, as are most civil actions. The rule in civil actions for damages is that the loser is required to pay court costs as a way of reducing frivolous lawsuits. Judges for the Shareholders’ Courts in any county are nominated by the County Magister, but final approval is given by the County Parliament. Local law and procedures govern the Shareholders’ Courts as long as the law in question does not conflict with or is not superseded by national law. Within the duchy or county, the local lord has the power of commutation and pardon.
Parallel to the Shareholders’ Courts is the Magister’s Bench in each county. These, like the Shareholders’ Courts, are courts of general and original jurisdiction. The difference is that in criminal cases, felonies are heard by these courts while in civil actions, these courts hear only cases where the amount in controversy exceeds a certain figure (which varies depending on the local jurisdiction).
The Duke’s Bench is the second level of the Star Empire’s court system. It is organized the same as the Magister’s Bench but on a planetary level. Judges to the Duke’s Bench are nominated by the planetary grand duke or duchess and confirmed by the Planetary Parliament.
The Crown District Court is the third level of Star Empire’s court system. All serious felony criminal cases that fall under Crown law, as opposed to County or Planetary law, are heard in this court, as are all cases that have been appealed from the lower courts. These courts may also, on motion from a party, accept jurisdiction where there is a conflict between which local law should be applied to a case. They may, however, decline jurisdiction in any such case. A county will usually, depending on size, have four district courts. The senior judge in the Crown District Court is called the Chief Judge and her headquarters is in the capital of the county her district serves. Crown District courts are also organized on a county level, but judges are selected by the Monarch, with advice from the Prime Minister, rather than the County Magister.
The fourth level of the Star Empire’s courts consists of the Crown Appellate Courts. In the Manticore Binary System, they are organized on a planetary level. These courts are purely appellate in nature and accept cases appealed from the Crown District Courts. They do not accept cases appealed from the Duke’s Bench except in matters touching upon the constitutionality of planetary statutes. The number of circuits within each appellate court depend on the volume of cases handled. Judges are selected by the Monarch, with advice from the Prime Minister, and these courts sit en banc with three judges hearing each case.
The Queen’s Bench refers to both the most senior court in the Star Empire and to the overall court system, depending upon context. The Queen’s Bench Court, however, is the final level of appeal. The one and only Queen’s Bench Court is seated in Landing City on Manticore. The Queen’s Bench Court hears all cases that have been appealed by all courts below and is also the court of original jurisdiction for questions from the Monarch. The Bench consists of the eleven most senior judges in the Star Empire, known as the “Law Lords.” They are selected by the Monarch and confirmed by the House of Lords. As members of the Queen’s Bench Court, they are organized by seniority on the bench as Lords of Law and any hereditary peers are barred from the House of Lords during their tenure on the bench in order to prevent conflicts of interest when laws come before the Bench for review. The Second Lord of law (sometimes also referred to as the Lord Chief Justice) is the head of the Bench and the senior judge in the Star Empire. The First Lord of Law is a member of the Royal Council and serves as the Star Kingdom’s minister of justice.
The Admiralty Court is a special court for the merchant shipping of the Star Empire. The Admiralty Court deals with shipping disputes such as collisions, salvage, carriage of cargo and limitation of tonnage of cargo. It also handles letters of marque and the awarding of prize money to warships and privateers.
The more recently added territories (Trevor’s Star, Lynx, Talbott Cluster and Silesia) retain their own legal systems until they can be incorporated into the Queen’s Bench system. While plans have not been finalized, it is likely that the local courts will retain their original jurisdiction as the first level of the system with the addition of Crown District Courts and Crown Appellate Courts. The only requirement imposed on the local courts is that their rulings cannot conflict with the law of the Star Empire once the systems have been formally incorporated.
Lawyers in the Star Empire are authorized to appear in any of the courts in the Star Empire with the exception of the Queen’s Bench Court, which requires a separate certification. There is no division among lawyers who are authorized to perform any legal work, including litigation. The entry-level degree is a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). Academically-minded attorneys can achieve two more degrees, a Master of Laws (LLM) and a Juris Doctor (JD).
Imperial Government
Over the fifty-five T-years between the Basilisk Act of Annexation in 1867 and the addition of the Talbott Quadrant in 1921 PD, the Star Kingdom of Manticore has grown from a single system polity to a sprawling star empire. The governmental structure that had sufficed for a kingdom with a limited area was clearly inadequate for a widely dispersed empire, and Queen Elizabeth III and the Grantville Government were determined from the beginning not to repeat the mistakes of the Solarian League. They believed that empire needed to be “governed,” rather than maintained by a bureaucracy that simply regulated, and they have set up a new, imperial constitution to do just that.
The Basilisk System, Trevor’s Star, and the Lynx System were added directly to the original “Old Star Kingdom” which had previously consisted solely of the Manticore Binary System, because each of them is a single star system with or directly associated with a terminus of the Manticore Wormhole Junction. All of them were already members of the Star Kingdom when the Talbott Quadrant requested membership, even though Lynx predated the request by only a few months. The fact that each lies only a single Junction transit from Manticore makes their inclusion into a single unit of government feasible.
The Imperial Parliament is to be permanently seated on Manticore. At present, each member system will be permitted to send five peers to the House of Lords, with each federal unit (Old Star Kingdom, Talbott Quadrant, and any subsequently added units) choosing the criteria for selection. All members of the Imperial House of Lords will hold lifetime peerages. Membership in the Imperial House of Commons must be elective, by all taxpayers of the planet for which he or she is seated, and seats will be apportioned on the basis of population. The total number of seats to be apportioned will be equal to twenty per star system, and each system, regardless of population, is guaranteed at least one seat. For the first fifteen years, seventy-five percent of the seats will be elected by the Old Star Kingdom. This will decrease to sixty percent after another fifteen years and then twenty-five percent after another twenty-five years. Thereafter, population will be the sole determinant.
When the Talbott Quadrant’s draft constitution was ratified by the Old Kingdom’s Parliament, the Quadrant’s member systems were officially incorporated into the Star Empire of Manticore. Each system may retain its original form of government, so long as it enacts no laws that conflict with the law of the Star Empire; it may at its discretion create laws that afford greater citizen protections, but it may not infringe upon those set forth in the imperial constitution. A Quadrant Parliament has likewise been created to address Quadrantwide concerns on a “local” level, with the Imperial Governor permanently seated in the Quadrant Cabinet as the Empress’ direct representative. Any individual member system of the Quadrant may grant the franchise on whatever basis it chooses, but all citizens are accorded the franchise for Quadrant elections if they can show that they have been citizens of the territory for at least five T-years. The exercise of the imperial franchise is dependent upon the payment of taxes, as per the original Manticoran constitution. The Manticoran dollar is the official currency and there are to be no internal trade restrictions or barriers. Member star systems’ local court systems have been left intact, although they are required to amend local law as necessary to meet the requirements of imperial law. Quadrantwide courts are in the process of establishment, with Crown appointment of judges nominated by the Quadrant Parliament. Imperial judges will be appointed by the Crown from candidates nominated by the Imperial Parliament.
It is anticipated that the Silesian territories will officially join the Star Empire on a similar basis and will remain administered provinces until officially incorporated. Sentiment among the general population is highly favorable to inclusion in the Star Empire, due in no small part to the Silesian Confederacy’s chaotic and bloody history and its people’s familiarity with the Royal Manticoran Navy’s longstanding peacekeeping role in Silesia.
House of Winton
The House of Winton can trace an unbroken line to the founder and CEO of the original Manticore colony expedition, and the first ruler of the Star Kingdom, Roger Winton I. Winton was the principal financier of the colony expedition and indisputably held the largest share of the initial land entitlements. However, quite intentionally, he took a large proportion of the least desirable real estate when the aristocracy was formed, in order to provide better lands for the other new aristocrats and additional lands for the new immigrants. From all accounts, this act was in keeping with his general conduct and has set the tone of the relationship between the Winton family and the Star Kingdom ever since.
Although not all monarchs have been equally capable or equally beloved (during the middle years of Roger II’s reign, for example, the Crown’s popularity was extraordinarily low), the Winton dynasty has always taken the long view, and this attitude has been, for the most part successfully, passed down through the generations. They have enshrined the adage that “privilege demands responsibility,” and that philosophy has earned them the deep trust of their subjects. Combined with a deliberate policy of partnering with the House of Commons to balance the power of the Lords (in whose favor the Constitution was originally slanted) and the Constitutional requirement that the heir to the throne wed a commoner, it is a significant reason for the success of the Monarchy over the years.
LINE OF SUCCESSION
The Crown passes with each generation to the eldest child of the monarch upon death. The line of succession goes through the monarch’s children before moving up to any of the monarch’s living siblings.
Perhaps one of the most farsighted provisions of the Star Kingdom’s Constitution was the requirement that the heir marry a commoner rather than a member of the aristocracy. The fact that in every generation “the Crown marries the Commons” is seen as a renewal of the social contract between monarch and subjects and insures that the commoners’ perspective is always represented at the very head of this aristocratic form of government. In addition, this strengthens the Star Kingdom as a whole by the fashion in which it underscores the “open” nature of the Manticoran aristocracy.
The line of Wintons and their reign dates has progressed as follows (note: the symbol to the left of some names indicates those members of the House of Winton who have been adopted by a treecat):
The introduction of prolong into the Star Kingdom in 1829 PD has had—or ought to have had—a profound effect on the royal family, giving them not only longer reigns, but also a greater amount of time to prepare their heirs. In the case of Roger III, the first monarch to have received prolong, however, untimely death prevented him from taking full advantage of those benefits. Fortunately, he had been careful to involve Elizabeth in affairs of state from a remarkably young age despite the fact that he anticipated a far longer reign, and his preparation was strongly tested after her youthful ascension to the throne upon his death. She has now reigned in her own right for thirty-seven T-years, with the expectancy of at least another century on the throne, and she has been training her own heir since his fourteenth birthday.
ROYAL FAMILY
1921 PD
The Winton dynasty has a strong tradition of its young scions going into public service. The normal career choice is military, usually with the RMN, or foreign office. Those with the inclination have joined the clergy. Public service among the young family members is seen as a way of preventing the next generation from becoming royal loafers, instilling in them a sense of duty, and giving them a satisfying personal career rather than condemning them to live solely in the shadow of the throne.
The present head of the Winton family, Queen Elizabeth III, is married to Prince Consort Justin Zyrr-Winton and bonded to the treecat Ariel. Zyrr, a Marine veteran and successful research scientist as well as prince consort, is the human companion of the treecat Monroe, who had originally adopted Elizabeth’s father, Roger Winton III. Together, Elizabeth and Justin have two children, Crown Prince Roger Winton and Princess Joanna Winton.
Elizabeth’s brother, Prince Michael Winton, Duke of Winton-Serisburg, an officer in the RMN, was still a midshipman when he met his wife, Judith, a kidnapped Grayson who had escaped her tyrant husband with other Masadan women and her unborn daughter Ruth. Michael and Judith married, and Michael adopted Ruth, who was raised as a Royal Princess. As a young adult, Ruth played a large part in the formation of the Kingdom of Torch, a new nation of freed slaves, and currently serves as the head of the new nation’s Intelligence Service.
Angelique Adcock, the Queen Mother, is the widow of King Roger III, and has largely retired from public life. Although when she and Roger married Manticoran society gossip referred to her as the “Poor Little Beggar Maid,” she was a well-loved Queen Consort for twenty-five years.
Elizabeth’s uncle Edward Winton-Henke, the Earl of Gold Peak, and cousin Calvin were both killed in the Cromarty Assassination, leaving only her aunt, Caitrin Winton-Henke (Dowager Countess of Gold Peak), and cousin, Michelle Henke (Countess Gold Peak) alive on her father’s side of the family. In case of the untimely death of Elizabeth III, next in line of succession for the monarchy will be Crown Prince Roger, followed by Princess Joanna, the Duke of Winton-Serisburg, the Dowager Countess of Gold Peak, and the current Countess of Gold Peak.
WINTONS AND TREECATS
In 1651 PD, Crown Princess Adrienne, on a state visit to Sphinx, became the first member of the House of Winton to be adopted by a treecat when Seeker of Dreams of the Red Leaves Dancing Clan bonded with her. Seeker of Dreams’ approximate age at the time of adoption was thirty T-years, and Adrienne gave him the human name Dianchect, after a Greek god of the hunt. Within hours of the adoption, he foiled an attempt on the Crown Princess’ life. Adrienne’s father, King Roger II, who had been favoring changes which would strip treecats of many of their rights, abruptly changed his position and helped enact the Treecats Rights Bill later in his reign.
Although Seeker of Dreams was the first treecat to adopt a member of the Winton Royal Family, seven out of nine of the ruling monarchs since Queen Adrienne have been adopted by treecats. Various “treecat conspiracy theories” have been suggested, but having an adoption bond has become a tradition in the House of Winton. The family quickly discovered that a treecat bond offers the prospective monarch a confidant whose loyalty and trustworthiness are beyond question, a sense of balance and companionship, and a bodyguard who not only will fight to the death in his human companion’s defense but is unfailingly capable of identifying any assassin who comes within range of his telempathic sense. Treecats are also considered a powerful aid to character building in young humans, since it is impossible to lie to or deceive a ’cat in any way and the disapproval of one’s bonded companion is a punishment more severe than any other being could inflict. That early training in honesty has stood generations of Manticoran monarchs—and thus the entire Star Kingdom—in good stead, all of which explains the reason Crown Princes and Princesses are sent to Sphinx on frequent state visits in middle and late adolescence in the hope that they, too, will find the stability a treecat bond offers.
Although the first treecat adoption of a member of the House of Winton was quite by accident, eventually the clans themselves realized that having a treecat friend at court was to their benefit. This adoption trend also allowed them to help defend the two-legs who were helping to protect their society. Memory singers actively passed memories of the mind-glows of the prospective heirs around the clans, so that treecats who felt they might feel the call to bond might make themselves known. By the time of Elizabeth III, the treecats had begun appearing at the landing area in Sphinx when the heir arrived, to interview the heir for bonding.
William I, son of Queen Adrienne, was not adopted by a treecat because neither the treecats nor the Wintons had fully realized the benefits of the treecat bond at the time. Michael II, due to his rare and potentially fatal allergic reactions, was almost unable to travel, seldom left Mount Royal Palace, and never visited Sphinx, which kept him from being adopted as well.
People
Manticore is an aristocratic society but it is also a meritocracy, with great respect for the idea of people, selected on the basis of their ability, holding positions of power and authority. The aristocracy is not closed to new members, since the system was intentionally designed to encourage new membership based on talent and achievements.
Because membership in the Manticoran aristocracy is always open to new members based on personal ability and service to the Star Empire, Manticoran aristocrats attach little stigma to those born outside the ranks of the nobility. By the same token, because admission to the aristocracy is so open, very little friction exists between Manticoran social classes, in direct contrast to many another overtly aristocratic societies. There are exceptions to this general rule, of course, and when they occur, they tend to be extreme.
Manticoran culture as a whole is both traditional and innovative, and this unique world view has allowed them to remain flexible and grow as a society without losing sight of their roots. Historically, Manticore has always been a small nation, and some observers fear the sudden influx of new member systems may have an adverse effect on the longstanding stability of the Star Empire’s social matrix.
Adcock-Winton, Angelique
Angelique Adcock immigrated to Manticore from the Maslow System with her family as a child while still young enough to receive first-generation prolong. Married to the future King Roger III prior to his ascension to the throne, she served her adopted star nation well but was never truly comfortable in such a public role. Following Roger’s death and her daughter’s coronation, Queen Mother Angelique chose to move back to Gryphon, where she lives in relative seclusion from the public eye as an instructor at the Gryphon Planetary University’s School of Silviculture.
Adcock, Jonas (deceased)
Fourth Space Lord, Royal Manticore Navy
Jonas Adcock, brother of Queen Mother Angelique and uncle of Elizabeth Winton III, was too old for prolong treatments when his family immigrated to Manticore from the Maslow system. After graduating eighth in his class from the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy, Adcock played a pivotal (although deliberately understated) role in King Roger’s naval buildup.
Adcock was instrumental in creating sweeping changes in the face of modern warfare throughout his tenure at BuWeaps both as Fourth Space Lord and head of the Weapons Development Board. The Ghost Rider project, LAC carrier, and pod superdreadnought were but a few of the projects brought to fruition on his watch. An outstanding synthesist rather than a researcher in his own right, his most outstanding contributions to the Manticoran Navy lay in his ability to visualize new possibilities and to create an environment in which “cutting edge” researchers like Sonja Hemphill literally revolutionized warfare under his guidance and direction. Jonas Adcock died in 1913 PD while serving as Fourth Space Lord.
Alexander, Lord William, Baron Grantville
Prime Minster, Star Empire of Manticore
William Alexander, the younger brother of Hamish Alexander and former Lord of the Exchequer under the Cromarty Government, became the Prime Minister and Baron of Grantville after the fall of the High Ridge Government. Although he possesses his own share of the famed “Alexander temper,” his keen political insight and many years of experience at the highest level of Manticoran politics have made him an outstanding success as a wartime prime minister.
Alexander-Harrington, Lady Emily, Countess White Haven
Emily Alexander-Harrington, noted holodrama actress and senior wife of Hamish Alexander, suffered a full spinal severance in an aircar accident in 1862 PD. As she was unable to accept regeneration, much of the damage was unrepairable, leaving her confined to a life-support chair since the accident and effectively paralyzed below the neck, although she has retained seventy-five percent usage of one hand.
Lady Emily now works as a writer and producer in the Manticoran entertainment industry. She is regarded as a leading historian and a keen political analyst, especially in the role of semi-official biographer of the House of Winton.
In 1921 PD, Lady Emily, White Haven, and Honor Harrington married. They have two children, Katherine Allison Miranda Alexander-Harrington and Raoul Alfred Alistair Alexander-Harrington. Lady Emily is the genetic mother of Katherine Alexander-Harrington.
Alexander-Harrington, Lord Hamish, Earl White Haven
First Lord of the Admiralty, Royal Manticoran Navy
Hamish Alexander spent the majority of his career as a combat officer in the RMN. Many of the missions he commanded during the war were deciding factors in Manticoran victories, and he spent several years assigned to Home Fleet. In command of Sixth and then Eighth Fleets, he fought a grueling series of battles for control of Trevor’s Star and its terminus of the Manticoran Wormhole Junction. After taking the PRH’s largest advanced naval base in the Barnett System, the Earl of White Haven spearheaded Operation Buttercup, which proved a decisive blow to the People’s Republic.
Although an able administrator and an innovative thinker, White Haven has been criticized for his initially slow acceptance of new technologies, although he has fully embraced them over the last decade.
In 1921 PD, Hamish and Emily Alexander married Honor Alexander-Harrington in a Grayson-inspired ceremony, making Hamish Steadholder Consort Harrington, the first male steadholder consort in Grayson history. He has one son by Honor, named Raoul Alfred Alistair, and a daughter by Emily, named Katherine Allison Miranda. After the fall of the High Ridge Government, his brother, William, was named Prime Minister. White Haven went on inactive duty with the RMN to serve as the (civilian) First Lord of the Admiralty.
Alexander-Harrington, Lady Dame Honor Stephanie, Duchess Harrington, Steadholder Harrington
Admiral, Royal Manticoran Navy
Honor Harrington, born on Sphinx in 1859 PD, was adopted during childhood by a treecat that she named Nimitz. As a young adult, she was admitted to the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy on Saganami Island for training. During that training, she began her long friendship with Michelle Henke, cousin to the Queen, and her conflict with Pavel Young, both of which shaped her early career.
Nicknamed “The Salamander” by the Manticoran press for her tendency to find herself in situations where battle was the hottest, Honor Harrington’s service record is both long and distinguished. She holds the Parliamentary Medal of Valor, the Star of Grayson, and the Manticore Cross, among others, and has been awarded both a steading by Grayson and a knighthood and duchy by Manticore for her service.
She is married to Hamish Alexander and Emily Alexander and has a son, Raoul Alfred Alistair Alexander-Harrington, and a daughter, Katherine Allison Miranda Alexander-Harrington. Lady Harrington is the genetic mother of Raoul Alexander-Harrington.
Alquezar, Joachim
Prime Minister, Talbott Quadrant
Joachim Alquezar, a native of San Miguel, was the head of the Constitutional Union Party and the senior delegate from San Miguel to the Talbott Constitutional Convention. He became the prime minister of the Talbott Quadrant after its incorporation into the Star Empire of Manticore.
Arif, Adelina
Adelina Arif’s life work has specialized in interspecies language and communication. As a member of the first contact team on Medusa, Dr. Arif was responsible for the breakthrough that enabled communication with the Medusans. She later developed and implemented a sign language enabling true two-way communication between humans and treecats and has continued working with the treecats to explore ways in which they can become more integrated into human society.
Babcock, Iris
Sergeant Major, Royal Manticoran Marine Corps
Iris Babcock, a native of Gryphon, is known for her perseverance and dedication to the Manticoran Marine Corps. In 1909, she married Horace Harkness. Babcock is currently command sergeant major at Saganami Island, the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy.
Brigham, Mercedes
Commodore, Royal Manticoran Navy
Mercedes Brigham, a native of Gryphon, was captured and endured horrific treatment at the hands of the Masadans at Blackbird Base. After her rescue, she was promoted to lieutenant commander and volunteered for the Endicott occupation force but was “loaned” to the Grayson Space Navy (GSN) shortly thereafter, where she rose to the rank of rear admiral. After serving as Honor Harrington’s chief of staff during Harrington’s Grayson service from 1906–1907 PD, she returned to Manticoran service in 1920 as Harrington’s chief of staff with Task Force 34 and later Eighth Fleet.
Caparelli, Sir Thomas
First Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy
Thomas Caparelli became First Space Lord shortly before the beginning of the war with the People’s Republic of Haven. Despite the Royal Manticoran Navy’s prewar policy of rotating senior admirals between staff and fleet positions to keep them up to date in modern naval realities, he remained as First Space Lord for ten years. When the High Ridge Government came into power, Caparelli was placed on half-pay, but was recalled after the devastating Havenite attacks which led to the Second Havenite-Manticoran War.
Cardones, Rafael
Captain (SG), Royal Manticoran Navy
Rafael Cardones is a highly decorated RMN officer whose career has been intimately interwoven with that of Admiral Harrington. He served with her aboard the original HMS Fearless and was part of the team that won the First Battle of Basilisk against PMSS Sirius. Although his early career path intersected that of Admiral Harrington repeatedly, his later career shifted towards LAC operations, where he commanded one of the new LAC carriers in Eighth Fleet. After Harrington’s return from Cerberus, Cardones’ experience netted him the command of HMS Werewolf in Eighth Fleet in Operation Buttercup. Harrington requested him as her flag captain in Task Force 34, and he has continued in this position aboard HMS Imperator in Eighth Fleet.
Cortez, Sir Lucien
Fifth Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy
Lucien Cortez entered the RMN and rose through the ranks, earning a knighthood for conspicuous gallantry in action against a three-ship squadron of Silesian privateers. Seriously wounded in that engagement, he spent three T-years on medical inactive service. After his return to active service, he spent several years alternating between staff and command appointments. In 1898, he was appointed to serve as Fifth Space Lord, in charge of the Bureau of Personnel, and served in that capacity for over fifteen years. Cortez was placed on half-pay by the Janacek Admiralty but was recalled as Fifth Space Lord under the Alexander Admiralty.
Courvosier, Raoul (deceased)
Admiral of the Green, Royal Manticoran Navy
Raoul Courvosier spent much of his career teaching at Saganami Island and was a positive influence on a great number of RMN officers, including Honor Alexander-Harrington. In 1903 PD, he was named to head the diplomatic mission to Yeltsin’s Star and to secure the Protectorate of Grayson as an ally of Manticore. When the Masadans attacked on 25 April, he was designated the second-in-command of the Grayson-Manticoran Combined Fleet and was killed in action at the First Battle of Yeltsin’s Star.
Descroix, Lady Elaine
Former Foreign Minister, Star Kingdom of Manticore
Elaine Descroix, cousin of the Earl of Gray Hill and wife of Sir John Descroix, was a leader of the Progressive Party during the Cromarty Government. When the High Ridge Government was formed in 1915, she was appointed to the Cabinet as Foreign Minister. After the High Ridge Government fell, an investigation led to formal charges of bribery, corruption, malfeasance, and other criminal activities. Descroix transferred twenty million dollars to an account in the Stotterman System and left Manticore on a tourist visa. The money disappeared, and she has not been heard of again.
D’Orville, Sebastian
Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Manticoran Navy
Sebastian D’Orville is considered one of the premiere fleet commanders in the RMN—a distinction which has ironically kept him on the sidelines through much of the war. Although he began the war as commanding officer of Second Fleet, he was soon transferred back to Home Fleet, where he served as Sir James Bowie Webster’s second-in-command. With the ascension of the High Ridge Government and the Janacek Admiralty in 1915, he was placed on half-pay and became a military analyst for the Opposition. In 1920, he was named to command Home Fleet.
Givens, Patricia
Second Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy
Patricia Givens has earned a high reputation in the Star Kingdom of Manticore’s intelligence services in the course of her lengthy career. A career naval intelligence officer and highly regarded operational analyst, she served as Second Space Lord and Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence and the Bureau of Planning throughout the First Havenite War. Placed on half-pay by the Janacek Admiralty, she returned to her post shortly after the resumption of hostilities.
Harkness, Sir Horace
Chief Warrant Officer, Royal Manticoran Navy
Horace Harkness earned a towering—and fully justified—reputation as brawler, smuggler, and two-fisted drinker. Widely regarded as one of the Royal Manticoran Navy’s most colorful characters, he was also too valuable, because of his leadership skills and acknowledged superior abilities as a missile technician, to dismiss from the service, and he was promoted and subsequently demoted numerous times prior to HMS Fearless’ deployment to Basilisk Station. On that deployment, however, he took a very young ensign by the name of David Prescott “Scotty” Tremaine “under his wing,” providing the enlisted mentor Tremaine required to become an outstanding officer. Harkness’ relationship with Tremaine has continued throughout his subsequent career, reportedly thanks in no small part to certain unauthorized changes made to specific BuPers files. Although rated as a missile technician, he is also an excellent small-craft engineer, computer hacker, and cyberneticist—all skills that have served him well during his time in the RMN.
Harkness was awarded the Parliamentary Medal of Valor and knighted for his actions during the escape from PNS Tepes and the prison camp Hades. In 1920 PD he was assigned to Eighth Fleet along with Tremaine, who had been promoted to captain (junior grade), where Harkness served as the engineer on Tremaine’s LAC, before being assigned as Captain (Senior Grade) Tremaine’s staff electronic warfare officer with CruDiv 96.1.
Harrington, Alfred
During his service in the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps, Alfred Harrington earned the Osterman Cross for his actions on Clematis. Following that epic mission, he requested—and received—permission to transfer from the Corps to the Navy and returned to school to pursue medicine, meeting his future wife Allison as a student at Beowulf’s Semmelweiss University. After they married and moved to Sphinx, he became an RMN Surgeon Commander and was the Assistant Chief of Neurosurgery at Basingford Medical Center for many years. After leaving the RMN he became a partner in the Duvalier Medical Association.
Husband of Allison Chou Harrington and father of Honor, Faith, and James Harrington, Dr. Harrington is recognized as one of the finest neurosurgeons in the Star Kingdom of Manticore. After Honor’s return from Hades, he personally performed the surgery to repair her arm and eye at his clinic on Manticore and established the Harrington Neurological Clinic in Harrington Steading on Grayson.
Harrington, Allison Chou
Allison Harrington, a native of Beowulf, is of almost pure Old Earth Oriental heritage. The wife of Alfred Harrington and the mother of Honor, Faith, and James Harrington, she is a descendant of one of the oldest and most prestigious Beowolf families, the Chou and Benton-Ramirez Clan. A brilliant geneticist, she took a leave of absence from her medical practice to accept the directorship of the Doctor Jennifer Chou Genetic Clinic on Grayson, where she resided with her husband for the next few years. During this time she discovered the genetic basis for the low male birthrate on Grayson and was able to develop a nanite to eliminate the damaged chromosomes.
Harrington, Lord Devon, Earl Harrington
Devon Harrington, a history professor and academic and Honor Harrington’s cousin, inherited Honor’s Manticoran title after her supposed execution by the People’s Republic of Haven. Upon her return from Cerberus, he remained Earl Harrington when she was granted the title of Duchess Harrington.
Hauptman, Klaus
Chairman and CEO, Hauptman Cartel
Klaus Hauptman is the owner and principal of the Hauptman Cartel, the largest and most powerful of all of the Manticoran shipping and industrial cartels. The Hauptman family’s business empire has built up over several generations, and Klaus Hauptman is the single wealthiest individual in the entire Star Empire.
Hauptman, who is noted for his volcanic temper, has had many conflicts with the Navy over the years and some very personal confrontations with specific officers, most notably with Honor Harrington. He is also noted for intense personal loyalty, however, and has become a powerful political ally of Harrington following her 1910 Silesian cruise in HMAMC Wayfarer.
Hauptman is one of the galaxy’s most bitter opponents of genetic slavery and quietly authorized the construction of a number of frigates for the Anti-Slavery League even before the liberation of Torch, in addition to funding early research on the Torch wormhole.
Hauptman, Stacey
Operations Director, Hauptman Cartel
Daughter of Klaus Hauptman and sole heir to the Hauptman Cartel, Stacey Hauptman is the operations director of the Hauptman Cartel for Manticore-B and takes an active role in the Cartel management. She is also a personal friend of Honor Alexander-Harrington.
Hemphill, Lady Sonja, Baroness Low Delhi
Fourth Space Lord, Royal Manticoran Navy
Sonja Hemphill has consistently led the effort to push Manticoran technology in new directions, although some of her critics have dismissed her as opposing traditional ideas simply because they were “old.” As leader of the derisively dubbed “jeune ecole,” she became a tireless advocate (with Jonas Adcock’s support) of technical advancement and turned the dismissive label into something quite different. Although many of the jeune ecole’s ideas ultimately failed, many others succeeded, and led directly to Manticoran victories.
Hemphill was instrumental in the development of the FTL grav-pulse com and of the hollow-cored, pod-laying superdreadnoughts and “super light attack craft” which made Operation Buttercup possible and which signaled a revolutionary change in traditional naval tactics. As Adcock’s eventual successor at the Bureau of Weapons, Hemphill has subsequently overseen the development of Project Mistletoe (stealthed recon drones with laser and nuclear warheads designed to kill fixed defenses) and Project Apollo (the development of a faster-than-light command link missile).
Henke, Lady Gloria Michelle Samantha Evelyn, Countess Gold Peak
Vice Admiral of the Red, Royal Manticoran Navy
Michelle Henke, daughter of Lord Edward Henke, Earl of Gold Peak, and Caitrin, Duchess Winton-Henke, and sister of Lord Calvin Henke, is Queen Elizabeth III’s only living first cousin on the Queen’s father’s side. After the death of her father and brother, she became the Countess of Gold Peak and fifth in line of succession for the throne of Manticore.
Her close friendship with Honor Harrington began at Saganami Island, and she has served with Harrington a number of times throughout her career. As a rear admiral, she was wounded and captured during Operation Cutworm, when her flagship HMS Ajax was destroyed in the Solon system.
After Henke had recovered from her injuries, Havenite President Eloise Pritchart paroled her and sent her back to Manticore with an offer of truce for Queen Elizabeth. Under the terms of her parole, Admiral Gold Peak was prohibited from serving against the Republic of Haven for the remainder of the war. Accordingly, the Admiralty assigned her command of the newly created Tenth Fleet and sent her to the Talbott Quadrant to support Vice Admiral of the Red Augustus Khumalo and Baroness Medusa.
Hibson, Susan
Brigadier, Royal Manticoran Marine Corps
Susan Hibson, determined from a young age to become a Marine, survived a ski lift accident and was able to alert rescuers to her location, saving the lives of others. As a result, she became one of the youngest recipients of the Queen’s Cross for Bravery and was guaranteed a spot in the OCS when she was old enough. Her career with the Royal Marines has been distinguished, starting with the assault on Blackbird Base in the Yeltsin System in 1903 PD. Promoted to brigadier in 1919 PD, Hibson is currently the commanding officer (designate) of the 19th Brigade (Independent), Royal Manticoran Marine Corps, earmarked for assignment to the Talbott Quadrant in support of Tenth Fleet.
Higgins, Allen
Admiral of the Red, Royal Manticoran Navy
Allen Higgins commanded the task force defending Grendelsbane Station in the face of Thomas Theismann’s Operation Thunderbolt in 1918 PD. When he realized that his force was far too weak to defend the station he ordered the system’s evacuation and destroyed all ships under construction. Placed on half-pay by the Janacek Admiralty pending a board of inquiry, he was fully exonerated and returned to active duty by the Alexander Admiralty in 1920.
Houseman, the Honorable Reginald
Second Lord of Admiralty, Royal Manticoran Navy (retired)
Reginald Houseman, an honors graduate of Mannheim University’s College of Economics in 1891 PD, subsequently held a succession of minor government appointments and served as a Foreign Office advisor for the Courvosier Mission to Grayson in 1903.
Although his diplomatic service ended after the Queen expressed her displeasure at his actions during the Masadan attack on Grayson, Houseman was embraced by the Cromarty Government’s political opponents and held several advisory positions for the Opposition. His political career seemed revitalized when he was named Second Lord of the Admiralty under First Lord Janacek, but his strong support for the build-down of the fleet proved unfortunately timed. His renewed career plummeted disastrously after Operation Thunderbolt (and the Navy’s weakened posture) led to the fall of the High Ridge Government, and he is currently a guest lecturer at Mannheim University.
Janacek, Sir Edward (deceased)
Admiral of the Green, Royal Manticoran Navy (retired)
First Lord of Admiralty
Edward Janacek, having risen through the ranks in the Bureau of Planning, spent three years as First Lord of Admiralty before the war until his replacement by Baroness Mourncreek in the wake of the Basilisk Incident. Following the cease-fire in 1915 PD, the High Ridge Government named him First Lord again, during which time he was responsible for the downsizing of the Navy amid steadily worsening relations with the GSN and other member navies of the Manticoran Alliance. Janacek committed suicide after the disastrous opening battles of what became known as the Second Havenite War.
Janvier, Lord Michael, Former Baron High Ridge
Former Prime Minister, Star Kingdom of Manticore
Michael Janvier, head of the Conservative Association throughout the twentieth century, was one of the Cromarty Government’s fiercest critics. Following the Duke of Cromarty’s assassination in 1915 PD, High Ridge refused to agree to a coalition all-parties government until the war with the People’s Republic of Haven could be concluded. Instead, he became Prime Minister of a government built from an alliance of the Conservative, Liberal, and Progressive parties when he managed to convince enough Independent peers to support him by playing upon the fear that Elizabeth III intended to curtail the power of the House of Lords. Needless to say, his support in the House of Commons was effectively non-existent.
In 1920 PD, following the news of Operation Thunderbolt, he asked the Queen for permission to form an all-parties government, which she denied. When news came of the disaster at Grendelsbane Station he resigned and his government fell. Following a spectacular (and squalid) trial, High Ridge and several members of his government were convicted on charges of bribery, malfeasance, and corruption, and he himself was sentenced to twenty-nine years in prison and deprived of his seat in the Lords by a majority vote of his peers.
Jaruwalski, Andrea
Captain (JG), Royal Manticoran Navy
Andrea Jaruwalski’s career was effectively destroyed by the spite of a senior officer who refused to listen to her advice and suffered a catastrophic defeat in 1913 PD. The following year, however, Admiral Harrington asked Jaruwalski to be her aide at ATC, where Jaruwalski quickly gained the respect both of the midshipmen in Harrington’s “Intro to Tactics” class and of the prospective starship COs passing through the “Crusher” under Harrington’s auspices. In 1919, Jaruwalski was promoted to captain (jg) below the zone and Harrington selected her as operations officer in Task Force 34. Jaruwalski continues as Harrington’s ops officer with Eighth Fleet.
Kare, Jordin
Chief Astrophysicist, RMAIA
One of the most brilliant astrophysicists in the Star Kingdom, Jordin Kare holds at least five degrees. He was the first chief astrophysicist of the Royal Manticoran Astrophysics Investigation Agency, and in 1918 PD he and a team at Valasakis University began working on a new approach to the mathematical model of the Manticoran Wormhole Junction that led directly to the discovery of the Lynx Terminus. Although he was ordered not to accompany the ship through the wormhole, he led the team that explored the Torch wormhole in 1921.
Khumalo, Augustus
Vice Admiral of the Red, Royal Manticoran Navy
Augustus Khumalo, a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth III and Rear Admiral of the Green, became CO of Talbott Station in 1919 PD. He was appointed to the command mainly on the basis of his credentials with the Conservative Association, despite a reputation for being difficult to work with. However, he also had a reputation for working long hours and distinguished himself in the eyes of the Grantville Government by his strong support for Captain Aivars Terekov after the Battle of Monica. He was subsequently promoted to vice admiral and retained in command of Talbott Station and the overall defense of the Talbott Quadrant.
Krietzmann, Henri
Minister of War, Talbott Quadrant
Henri Krietzmann, a native of Dresden, was president of the 1920 Talbott Constitutional Convention. When the Quadrant approved its constitution and joined the Star Empire of Manticore, he became the Talbott Quadrant’s minister of war, responsible for administration of the Quadrant’s local defense military forces and coordination with Imperial Naval and Army authorities.
Kuzak, Theodosia
Admiral of the Green, RMN
Theodosia Kuzak performed admirably as second-in-command of Sixth Fleet and was placed in command of Third Fleet at Trevor’s Star after the system was captured. Under the Janacek Admiralty, she was the only one of two admirals from the war left in command of a major unit. When war broke out again between the Republic of Haven and Manticore, she continued to lead the defense of San Martin and Trevor’s Star.
Langtry, Sir Anthony
Foreign Secretary, Star Kingdom of Manticore
Anthony Langtry began his career in the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps, where he was a highly decorated officer. Following his retirement from the Corps, he moved to the Foreign Office. Shortly before the First Havenite War began, he was chosen as the first Manticoran ambassador to Grayson. His support of Honor Harrington’s actions in that star system in 1903 PD led to a strong alliance between Grayson and Manticore. Under the Grantville Government, he was named Foreign Secretary in Grantville’s cabinet.
Lewis, Ginger
Captain (JG), Royal Manticoran Navy
Ginger Lewis was assigned to HMAMC Wayfarer in 1910 PD as a gravitics specialist first class and quickly was promoted far outside the zone to acting senior chief. She received the Osterman Cross for her actions during the Battle of the Selkir Rift and was offered a position at Fleet Officer Candidate School, where she received a commission. In 1920, as a commander, she served as chief engineer on HMS Hexapuma, and in 1921 she was promoted to captain (jg) and assigned to HMSS Weyland.
MacGuinness, James
Senior Master Chief Petty Officer, Royal Manticoran Navy (retired)
Steward First Class James MacGuinness was assigned to Commander Harrington onboard HMS Fearless in 1900 PD, and has accompanied her from command to command throughout her career. In 1906, when Harrington moved to Grayson on half-pay, the servants at Harrington House accepted him as majordomo.
He remained Commander Harrington’s steward when she was returned to active service in the RMN in 1910 PD. When Harrington was lost on HMS Prince Adrian and declared dead, she left him forty million dollars in her will with the proviso that he retire from the RMN and look after her treecat Samantha and the treekittens. Since Harrington’s return from Hades, he has continued to serve as her steward, despite being the only steward in the RMN who isn’t actually in the service of the RMN.
Matsuko, Lady Dame Estelle, Baroness Medusa
Imperial Governor, Talbott Quadrant
Estelle Matsuko was appointed the Resident Commissioner for Planetary Affairs of Medusa in 1897 PD, where she and the Native Protection Agency fought to preserve the rights and culture of the Medusan natives with limited assistance. Her work with Honor Harrington during the Havenite-inspired Mekoha Uprising and her ongoing efforts in its aftermath helped to resolve many of the issues which had previously endangered the native population.
For her tireless service in the Basilisk System, Matsuko was named a peer of the realm and awarded the newly created Barony of Medusa. In 1920, the Grantville Government chose her as Home Secretary. Following the discovery of the Lynx Terminus and the Talbott Cluster’s request for annexation, she was named Provisional Crown Governor of the Talbott Cluster and then Imperial Governor of the Talbott Quadrant when it joined the Star Empire.
Maurier, Lady Francine, Countess Mourncreek
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Francine Maurier served as the First Lord of the Admiralty during the last ten years of the Cromarty Government. After Duke Cromarty’s death, she was replaced at the Admiralty by Admiral Janacek under the High Ridge Government. In 1920 PD in the new Grantville Government, she was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer and elevated to Countess Mourncreek by the Queen.
Maxwell, Richard
Richard Maxwell, a former Royal Marine who was awarded the Manticore Cross, became one of the SKM’s leading criminal defense lawyers following his retirement from military service. In 1914 PD, Willard Neufsteiler recommended him to Honor Harrington for her in-house counsel, a position which he accepted and has held continuously ever since.
McKeon, Alistair
Rear Admiral of the Red, Royal Manticoran Navy
Alistair McKeon served as Honor Harrington’s executive officer on the original HMS Fearless at the time of the Basilisk Incident. Following the First Battle of Basilisk, he was promoted from lieutenant commander to commander as CO of HMS Troubadour and again served with Harrington during the First Battle of Yeltsin, in which Troubadour was destroyed. In 1903 PD, shortly before the outbreak of war with the PRH he was promoted to captain (jg) and assigned to command HMS Prince Adrian. By 1911 he was a captain (sg) and Harrington designated him as her tactical deputy in CruRon 18.
McKeon was among those captured during the surrender of HMS Prince Adrian and was held as a prisoner of war with Honor Harrington on the planet Hades. After the prisoner revolt led by Harrington, he served as president of the court that tried the surviving StateSec personnel. He commanded two separate ships in the Elysian Space Navy during the return to Manticore.
Promoted to Rear Admiral of the Red in 1915, he commanded a LAC-carrier division in Eighth Fleet before he was reassigned to command one of the task groups in Harrington’s Task Force 34 on Sidemore Station. Since 1920, he has served as one of the senior commanders of Eighth Fleet and as the commanding officer of BatRon 61, once again under Harrington’s command.
Montaigne, Catherine, former Countess Tor
Catherine Montaigne, a close childhood friend of Queen Elizabeth III, was a peer and a member of the Liberal Party and one of only three nobles ever excluded from the House of Lords. A long-time anti-slavery activist and a leader of the Anti-Slavery League, she moved to Old Earth following her exclusion from the Lords for her very vocal support of then Commander Honor Harrington’s Casimir Raid. On Old Earth, she established direct contact with the Audubon Ballroom, considered a terrorist organization.
She reappeared in Manticore some years later with Anton Zilwicki, his genetic daughter Helen, and his adopted children Berry and Lars, all of whom had been rescued by the Audubon Ballroom from agents of Manpower Incorporated. At that time she provided Crown prosecutors documented evidence of the involvement of over a dozen prominent Manticorans in the genetic slave trade, which led to a series of spectacular trials. After the realization that her continual exclusion from the House of Lords had rendered her position as Countess of Tor as much a liability as an asset, she renounced her title and ran successfully for a seat in the House of Commons for the Borough of High Threadneedle. After the fall of the High Ridge Government, she became the leader of the Liberal Party.
Montoya, Fritz
Surgeon Captain, Royal Manticoran Navy
Fritz Montoya served on HMS Fearless (CL-56) as a surgeon lieutenant under Honor Harrington in 1900 PD. Promoted to surgeon commander by 1903, Dr. Montoya was the chief medical officer on HMS Fearless (CA-286). In 1904, he was the chief medical officer on HMS Nike. In 1910, he became the chief medical officer on GSN Jason Alvarez and Harrington considered him an adjunct to her squadron staff. In 1911, he accompanied Harrington to HMS Prince Adrian and was taken prisoner with her by the People’s Navy.
Promoted to surgeon captain in 1913 after his return from Hades, he was selected as the senior medical officer for Task Force 34 by Harrington in 1920. Following TF 34’s return from Silesia, he was promoted to surgeon commodore and selected to head the Combat Surgery Faculty at Bassingford Medical Center.