Poul Anderson knew how to move a story along. In five short chapters, Dominic Flandry:
visits the seaport, Ujanka;
captures the Merseian submarine that attacks Ujanka;
accompanies John Ridenour to the undersea cities;
is recalled to Highport to Abrams;
accompanies Abrams to Merseia in the Dronnong Margret;
arrives on Merseia.
Before leaving Starkad, Flandry was electrocrammed in Eriau and Merseiology and survived on stimpills instead of sleep while learning the skills of an aide to a Commander in Naval Intelligence. His career has started at a run and he will never return to the Imperial Naval Flying Corps which was a convenient narrative starting point because it put him in a place where he could be shot down over Starkad.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, but Flandry's time in the Naval Flight Corps was not a waste. His experience and training there on how to handle planes and space ships was useful, as we will see in A CIRCUS OF HELLS, THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS, and other stories. True, any Naval officer with hopes of gaining a fleet command would get much the same training.
Ad astra! Sean
In most Navies, and all good ones, later promotion requires early experience in an actual 'shooting part' of the organizaion.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, and that's exactly what happened to Flandry in THE REBEL WORLDS, when he was given command of a destroyer. Yes, with the understanding that was most likely just for a fairly short time.
Ad astra! Sean
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