Abigail Hearns

Abigail Hearns, CGM, Miss Owens, was a Grayson citizen of noble birth and an officer in the Grayson Space Navy.
== Physical Characteristics ==
Hearns was tall for a Grayson, willowy and attractive. Her brunette hair was worn waist-length; she refused to cut it, despite its inconvenience. She had grey-blue eyes. ()
== Biography ==
Abigail was born on the planet Grayson in 1896 PDShe was 19 T-years old as of Ashes of Victory. as the eldest daughter of Lord Aaron Hearns, Steadholder Owens and his senior wife Helen Hearns, thus carrying the title of Miss Owens. She was third in line for the steadholdership under Grayson law.David Weber has stated on Baen's Bar that Abigail was the oldest child, while Ashes of Victory says she was the third daughter. If she was the third daughter, she would neither be 'Miss Owens' nor third-in-line to the Steadholdership (she would be fifth).Before the Mayhew Restoration, women had been unable to inherit titles. When the rules changed, a 'grandfather' clause was added to ensure that male heirs born prior to the reforms would retain the place in the succession they had had since birth. Abigail had two younger brothers, both of whom were entitled under the grandfather clause to inherit ahead of her. She witnessed the Second Battle of Yeltsin's Star and thereafter worshipped Honor Harrington as her personal hero. ()
Hearns later became the first Grayson-born woman to hold a GSN commission and attend the Royal Manticoran Naval Academy at Saganami Island. She was one of Admiral Harrington's star pupils, ranking 14th in her class and 6th in the tactical curriculum.In her first form this class had over 11,000 students.
She completed her Midshipman cruise aboard the Edward Saganami B-class heavy cruiser HMS Gauntlet under the command of Captain Michael Oversteegen. She and a party of Marines were stranded on the planet Refuge in the Tiberian System and hunted by pirates from a heavy cruiser. She was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for courage under fire for her actions, and subsequently commissioned as an Ensign. ()
By 1921 PD, she had been promoted to Lieutenant (junior grade), serving as Assistant Tactical Officer aboard the Edward Saganami C-class heavy cruiser HMS Hexapuma, under Captain Aivars Terekhov, accordingly also serving as Officer Candidate Training Officer. In this capacity she trained Helen Zilwicki, Ragnhild Pavletic, Aikawa Kagiyama, Paulo d'Arezzo and Leopold Stottmeister on their Midshipman cruise.
She was brevetted to Lieutenant Senior Grade during that time, and was later confirmed to that rank.
Because of changes in Grayson law acknowledging her as in the line of succession for Owens Steading, Lt. Hearns was now required to be accompanied by an Owens armsman. Mateo Gutierrez, the RMMC sergeant who fought beside her on Refuge, resigned from the Corps to become a lieutenant in the Owens Steading Guard and her personal armsman, assigned to her as a condition of her being on active duty. () 
After Hexapumas return to Manticore, Hearns transferred to the newly commissioned destroyer HMS Tristram and served as the ship's Tactical Officer. (). She commanded the assault force sent to Saltash orbiting space station to rescue the Manticore ships and personnel. She was given a damage control schematic which she used to outmaneuver the Solarian Gendarmes, succeeding in retrieving all of the hostages. ()
In 1922 PD, she began a romantic relationship with Indiana Graham, a Seraphim freedom fighter her ship transported from the Talbott Quadrant to the Star Kingdom of Manticore and then on to Mesa. ()
== Service Record ==
=== Promotions ===
* Ensign
* Lieutenant (JG) – sometime before 1920 PD
* acting Lieutenant (SG) - August 25, 1920 PD
* Lieutenant (SG) – 1921 PD
=== Posts ===
* Midshipwoman (tactical branch), HMS Gauntlet
* Assistant Tactical Officer, HMS Hexapuma
* Tactical Officer, HMS Tristram
=== Decorations ===
* Conspicuous Gallantry Medal
== References ==
Hearns, Abigail
Hearns, Abigail
Hearns, Abigail
Hearns, Abigail
Hearns, Abigail
Category:Associates of Honor Harrington