Daniel Leary

Daniel Leary
Sex	M
Birth date	5125
Birth place	Cinnabar
Father	Corder Leary
Mother	Lady Bergen Leary
Nation	Republic of Cinnabar
Service	Republic of Cinnabar Navy
Highest rank	Captain
Species	Human

Daniel Oliver Leary was a Cinnabar citizen and an officer of the Republic of Cinnabar Navy.

Appearance

Leary was a little above average height with a tendency toward fleshiness that showed itself particularly in his florid face. His roundness and open expression caused strangers sometimes to dismiss him as soft.^1:1 He had fine blond hair.^4:9 It was also described as sandy (golden-brownish blond) haired.^1:1

Daniel was five foot nine inches tall.^9:20

Biography

Daniel Oliver Leary was born on Cinnabar as a Leary of Bantry, the only son of Corder Leary, then-Speaker of the Cinnabar Senate. He grew up with his mother on the family estate of Bantry, while his older sister, Deirdre, spent most of her time in the family's townhouse in Xenos ^1:1, with his father only visiting when his work allowed it.

After his mother's death, sixteen-year-old Daniel and his father had an angry falling out about Corder's new wife, Anise. Daniel called her a whore, causing his father to disown him. They stopped speaking for years. Daniel decided to join the Navy, and went on to become an officer.^1:1 He had about four years of RCN Academy before active service.^6:9

Service Record

Promotions

• 5141 CE: Midshipman at enlistment^3:1
• Lieutenant
• Commander (a 2-step promotion)^4:29
• Captain^7:1

Posts

• Commanding Officer, RCS Princess Cecile
• First Lieutenant, RCS Hermes^4:6
• 5150 CE: Captain, RCS Milton^7:2

Posts Held

Begin	End	Unit	Post	Note
5145	5145	RCS Swiftsure	Cadet	"Senior Cruise on the Swiftsure"9:12
5147	5147	RCS Aglaia	Supernumerary	1:1
5147		RCS Princess Cecile	Commanding Officer	1:4
5149	5149	RCS Hermes	First Lieutenant
5150	5150	RCS Milton	Commanding Officer	7:2

Honors and Decorations

• Royal Companion of Novy Sverdlovsk and Colonel of the Regiment of the Guards^6:9
• Order of Strymon in Diamonds^4:1
• Kostroma Star^4:1
• Medal of the Republic in Red awarded for the action at Gehenna^4:1
• Cinnabar Star^6:28
• Wreath for the Cinnabar Star for the action at Cacique^8:6

There must have been other awards: by 5150 CE, wearing only Cinnabar decorations, Leary had more medals than most officers in the RCN.^7:1

Leary, along with Adele Mundy, is the main protagonist of the RCN series. His character is partly based on John "Lucky Jack" Aubrey from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels.
He was named "Leary Daniels" and later "Cassian Daniels" in the original draft of With the Lightnings, and due to an error in the publishing process, the latter still appears in early editions as well as many reviews of the first novel.