Why do you think Grimm...?

[Stiletto]

Any thoughts on why Grimm was forced out of the military? It's obvious he's no coward. But he won't refute the rumors or even discuss the situation. He also won't criticize Rook. Maybe he took the fall for Rook, to protect Bayard?

[Second Aristh]

We know that all three of them were lieutenants on the Perilous and that the captain was killed while his executive officer was beaten into a coma.  My guess is that the captain was going to make a tremendously stupid decision based on some unknown outside influence and the three lieutenants stopped him and his second in command.  One of them had to take the blame for taking down the captain while the other two got the credit for saving the ship.

[DFJunkie]

I'd refine the theory a bit.  Grimm was drummed out for cowardice, not murder, so my guess is that the captain was killed by legitimate enemy action, the first officer was the coward, the three lieutenants (technically) mutinied and salvaged whatever mission they were on.  The first officer (assuming he woke up) would have gone with it since accusing the lieutenants of mutiny would have revealed his cowardice.

[Second Aristh]

Yeah, that works a bit better.  The captain gets killed by his bad plan.  Then the first officer was going to continue the bad idea, but the three mutinied and took over command.  Someone had to take the heat for disobeying the lawful commander (who was probably well connected politically), but the powers that be mostly understood beyond the official story leading to promotions and a scapegoat.

[Brightbane]

And if Grimm was the main leader and he changed the plan to 'get away from an un-winable fight' then that could easily count as cowardice while still getting the respect of people in the know for saving the lives of his crew

[Dina]

Well, Grimm took the command of the ship. I think Rook was the coward but the Admirals forced Grimm to accept the blame because Rook was from a very important family, I am sure it is something complicated but also people knowing Grimm for 10 minutes will realize he is not a coward.

[Quantus]

Well, Grimm took the command of the ship. I think Rook was the coward but the Admirals forced Grimm to accept the blame because Rook was from a very important family, I am sure it is something complicated but also people knowing Grimm for 10 minutes will realize he is not a coward.

That's more or less the direction I was leaning: that he was asked to take the fall because "Somebody Had To" and he was the only one willing to sacrifice his own Honor in the name of Duty. 

[DFJunkie]

Wait, wasn't Rook a lieutenant on par with Grimm and Bayard at the time?  That would seem to exclude him from being the comatose first officer, despite the fact that cowardice does seem to be his MO.

[Second Aristh]

Wait, wasn't Rook a lieutenant on par with Grimm and Bayard at the time?  That would seem to exclude him from being the comatose first officer, despite the fact that cowardice does seem to be his MO.

Yeah, Gwen said that all three of them were lieutenants.  Rook wasn't the first officer that got beaten.

[Dina]

Yes. And who said Rook was the comatose officer? Obviously not.
They were the lieutenants. Grimm took command. That is what we know.

[Quantus]

And who said Rook was the comatose officer?

No idea

[Second Aristh]

Yes. And who said Rook was the comatose officer? Obviously not.
They were the lieutenants. Grimm took command. That is what we know.

Oops, sorry.  It's early in the morning over here.

Does there necessarily have to be a coward?  I understood it to be just the official story to smooth out the politics of the situation.

[Quantus]

Does there necessarily have to be a coward?  I understood it to be just the official story to smooth out the politics of the situation.

Well, Rook was there, so a Coward was present regardless.   

[Dina]

I agree a real coward is not needed, but we obviously think Rook did something cowardly.

[Second Aristh]

I agree a real coward is not needed, but we obviously think Rook did something cowardly.

I'm not so sure, at least not for when Grimm got kicked out of the Fleet.  I would have expected Grimm to have lost more respect for Rook if he had done something that out of line initially.