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Ellen D'Orville was a Manticoran citizen and a legendary officer of the Royal Manticoran Navy.
Biography[]
Ellen D'Orville was born into one of the Star Kingdom's most aristocratic families in 1650 PD. As a Lieutenant, she served under Commodore Edward Saganami during his anti-piracy mission in the Silesian Confederacy. Afterwards, she rose rapidly in rank, earning a reputation as a tactician.
In 1683 PD, as commanding officer of the elderly light cruiser HMS Unconquered, Commander D'Orville intercepted and captured a four-ship convoy of slave ships, liberating approximately 24,000 genetic slaves.
In 1687, Captain (and acting Commodore) D'Orville was rotated to a teaching position at the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy on Saganami Island, where she lectured in tactics, helped to reorganize the Naval War College, and created the Advanced Tactical Course, the commanding officer's course required for all starship captains of the RMN since that time. (Companion)
She once gave the final speech during the Last View ceremony. (SI1)
Returned to fleet duty in 1700 PD and promoted to Rear Admiral five years later, D'Orville was dispatched with a small but powerful squadron to the Ingeborg System in 1710 PD, in response to a request from the Terre Haute System's government. Terre Haute had received reports that the current Ingeborg regime was developing weaponized nanotechnology which it intended to employ against Terre Haute. D'Orville proceeded to Ingeborg, where the authorities initially denied any interest in nanotech research. D'Orville declined to believe them and pressed politely, but firmly, for a meeting with President for Life Adrian Lipsky, who eventually agreed to meet with her aboard Ingeborg Alpha, the largest of the star system's three artificial habitats.
Unknown to the Manticorans, the laboratory in which the weapon had been developed had lost containment, and the weapon had already contaminated and depopulated the orbital habitat which had contained it, killing over 350,000 people. President Lipsky hoped to meet with D'Orville, convince her of his innocence, then arrange an "accident" to destroy the contaminated habitat and any evidence.
However, Ingeborg Alpha was also contaminated, although that fact became evident only after D'Orville and her security detachment had boarded the habitat. Lipsky immediately attempted to flee, but was prevented by D'Orville, who took command of the effort to rescue as many of the habitat's over two million inhabitants as possible. Although urged by her flag captain to evacuate herself, she remained, using her own personnel, small craft, and every available civilian Ingeborgian vessel to evacuate personnel from the path of the nano weapon while simultaneously coordinating the effort to contain and confine it.
Approximately two thirds of Ingeborg Alpha's personnel had been removed from the habitat when the nanotech breached the final firewall and containment failed. Admiral D'Orville's final message to her flag captain was to destroy the entire habitat with a nuclear strike to ensure the total destruction of the nano weapon. For her rescue of 1.4 million civilians at the cost of her own life, D'Orville became the second ever recipient of the Parliamentary Medal of Valor. (Companion)
After her death left no body behind, she was "buried" in an empty coffin in King Michael's Cathedral in Landing, among the kings and queens of Manticore. (HH8)
Legacy[]
Admiral D'Orville was remembered as one of the Royal Manticoran Navy's greatest heroes, second only to Sir Edward Saganami himself. Ellen D'Orville Hall, home of the tactical department of the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy on Saganami Island, was named after her. (HH9)
HMS Ellen D'Orville was named in her honor. (HH11)
Service Record[]
Promotions[]
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant Commander
- Commander (prior to 1683 PD)
- Captain (prior to 1687 PD)
- Acting Commodore - from 1687
- Rear Admiral of the Red- 1705
Posts[]
- Commanding Officer, HMS Unconquered - 1683 PD
- Teaching position at Saganami Island (lectured in tactics, helped to reorganize the Naval War College, and
created the Advanced Tactical Course) - 1687-
- Returned to fleet duty in 1700 PD
- CO, small but powerful squadron to the Ingeborg System - 1710
Decorations[]
Parliamentary Medal of Valor (posthumous)
