On 27/9/21 4:08 pm, Timothy Collinson - timothy.collinson at port.ac.uk
(via tml list) wrote:
>
>
> On Sun, 26 Sep 2021, 10:13 Alex Goodwin - alex.goodwin at
> multitel.com.au <http://multitel.com.au> (via tml list),
> <xxxxxx@simplelists.com <mailto:xxxxxx@simplelists.com>> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>      "Sir, contact is identified as the _Legend_-class heavy cruiser TCS
>     _Fleet Admiral Daniel Dodgie_.  What are they doing way the hell
>     out here?"
>
>
> I soooo want to hear FA Daniel Dodgie's back story.
>
> I can hear the bullying at school, hazing at military academy and
> sniggering below decks now.  :-)
>
> tc
>
> -----
>
Well, Collision, what I've got roughed out:

Fleet Admiral Daniel Dodgie, TCN, GC, the 2nd Earl Dodgie, earned the
dubious distinction IMTU of being the highest-ranking Terran officer
killed in action during the first century of the Interstellar Wars.

Daniel followed his old man, Derryn, into the RN, also becoming a
warfare officer.  Unlike Dodgie Sr, Daniel became a principal warfare
officer, being graduated in time to see action in IW1, having received
the nickname of "Dunny".

Ensign Dodgie, RN, ended up distinguishing himself under UN command, by
showing that he thought it was a good idea to charge _into_ burning ship
compartments to evacuate panicked/wounded starmen and booties while
"some wankers were shooting bloody great missiles at us."

Dodgie himself never publicly commented on receiving the George Cross
for his actions, instead of the Victoria Cross that outside observers
would have expected for his actions under fire, at great risk to his own
life.

The nickname stuck, but the accompanying tone changed markedly.

At least he didn't cop the sheer amount of stick that that poor bastard
Donald Runken, USN, did.

Insert more hostilities-related bits here.

Acting Lieutenant Dodgie, RN, GC, was quite bemused to be apprised of
both the cessation of the current barney and his promotion to
substantive Lieutenant in the same message in late 2122.

The cease-fire (Dodgie was never heard to refer to the gap between IW1
and IW2 as "peace") kept Lieutenant Dodgie, RN, GC, quite busy. He was
part of the cadre of combat veterans assigned to take the results of the
UNSCA's crash tech-base upgrade program and figure out how to fit all
that into UNNF doctrine.  Shortly after the UNSCA labs broke the Vilani
J-2 monopoly, and through a monumental paperwork foul-up, Dodgie found
himself hoicked into an RCN ship command course, meeting the
aforementioned Lt Runken, USN (who arrived via a similar route).  Making
the best of his situation, Dodgie managed to pass the course - unlike
Runken, although the two did keep in touch.

It was a black day when the "bloody Yanks took over" as the UNNF morphed
into the TCN.

{I haven't roughed out beyond the start of IW2, because I'm not sure how
that conflict will go).

Along the way, much to his surprise, becoming a pillar of the
Establishment, Admiral Dodgie, TCN, GC, the 2nd Earl Dodgie, remained
one of the dwindling number of relics still in the TCN as the 2140s opened.

By late 2144, Dodgie found himself the chief of staff for the Terra
theatre.  After a mysterious gardening accident did his superior in,
Dodgie got moved up and promoted Fleet Admiral, to howls of protest from
his colleagues.  The theatre admirals are, as class, primus inter pares
among officers of that rank, with the Terra theatre commander
functionally second only to the Grand Admiral of the TCN.

(I'm not sure exactly when IW3 kicks off in Parental Advisory, so dates
are a bit rubbery).

Similar to canon, the two sides' main fleets clashed in Agidda. 
_Unlike_ canon, Terran commerce and supply raiders had earlier
sneaky-buggersed into Nusku (a combined initiative of Dodgie, and his
chief of staff, Runken) and started savaging supply convoys that
transited the system.

The main-fleet engagement, Dodgie having been sent forward by his boss
to command it, also differed from canon.  The Terran fleet suckered
Erasharshi's fleet into at least one trap in-system, inflicting mobility
rather than catastrophic kills, in contrast to the Vilani approach of
seeing a red door and wanting to nuke it flat. 

This may be where the phrase commonly attributed to Fleet Admiral Dodgie
may have been first uttered: "Going out is mandatory.  Going home -
_that's_ optional.  Let's see these bastards at the bitter end."

Command-and-control warfare would have worked against a more
conventional Vilani fleet, but Erasharshi had chucked that part of the
book out the airlock. Dodgie, having misread Erasharshi's intentions as
to _destroy_ Terra as a threat instead of conquering it, detached at
least two ships to refuel and head to Terra, to bring what warning they
could.

Despite using every trick Dodgie could think of, he still could not
match an experienced Vilani admiral at the top of their form.  As the
Terran fleet was trapped and ground into dogmeat, captain after
desperate Terran captain gave the order for a maximum-acceleration
collision course.  Dodgie suggested, as a last "BUGGER YOU!", to his
flag captain to try to ram Erasharshi's flagship and do the bastard in.

Dodgie's flagship, along with the precious few Terran ships still not
yet ground to dogmeat, started on its final run.  All bar one, Dodgie's
flagship included, were blasted apart by missile fire with the loss of
all hands.  The lone survivor nearly caught Erasharshi's flag captain
flat-footed, striking a glancing blow instead of the head-on collision
her captain had aimed for.

(Am still yet to work out the consequences of this dust up on the AZS
officer corps)

That do, Collision?

Alex