RCN Series

The RCN Series[1] (also known as the Lt. Leary series) is a

sequence of stand-alone science fiction novels by David
Drake. They center around Daniel Leary, an officer in the
Republic of Cinnabar Navy (RCN), and Adele Mundy, a
librarian and spy. Drake has described it as "an SF version of
the Aubrey/Maturin series" by Patrick O'Brian. In contrast to
the hardcore military science fiction bent of Drake's
Hammer's Slammers series, these novels are more
character-driven and feature political intrigue as well as
battles.

The plots of the novels are based on historical incidents,

often from Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome. The prologue of
each book includes details of its historical basis.

Contents
1 Creation
2 General plot
3 Technology of the RCN universe
4 Bibliography
5 References
6 External links

Creation
After discovering the Aubrey/Maturin novels, Drake gave
some thought to space opera with two equal but very
different characters as protagonists. When David Weber
asked Drake for a novella to appear in the first Honorverse
anthology, More Than Honor, Drake wrote a story named "A
Grand Tour" about a young nobleman and his older, female
tutor. Drake, Baen and Weber all liked the story, but Drake,
feeling the concept needed a full-length novel to work
properly, wrote With the Lightnings, which uses different
characters in a similar pairing.[1][2][3]

General plot
The RCN Series focuses on the intertwined lives of two
primary characters. Daniel Leary is a Lieutenant (promoted
to Captain in the later novels) in the Republic of Cinnabar
Navy, a brilliant strategist, charismatic leader, charmer of
women, and also the estranged son of Speaker Corder
Leary, a feared, revered and respected member of the
government of the planet Cinnabar. Adele Mundy is a
librarian with a deep-rooted passion for information and
knowledge, which has fueled her unparalleled talents in the
areas of information retrieval by any means necessary,
including systems infiltration and circumventing information
security. Raised in the Cinnabaran aristocracy, Mundy is also
an expert pistol shot, a skill useful for surviving and avoiding
aristocratic duels.
During an attempt by the totalitarian Alliance of Free Stars to
stage a takeover-by-proxy of a Cinnabar ally, Mundy and
Leary are pressed together by circumstance in order to serve
the interests of their homeworld. Complicating matters is the
fact that Mundy is living in exile from Cinnabar, after her
family was executed for their part in a nearly successful
treason plot against Cinnabar—a string of executions
ordered by Daniel's father, Speaker Leary. Nonetheless,
Daniel and Adele reach an understanding and eventually a
friendship, and along with an extensive cast of characters
continue their travels together in service of the RCN,
defending against threats from the Alliance and others.

Technology of the RCN universe

Interstellar travel is accomplished through the use of
advanced sails on the hull of starships, which take
advantage of a fictional radiation to move the crafts outside
of the real universe, allowing faster-than-light travel.
Sublight-speed travel is driven by a matter-antimatter
annihilating "High Drive". Use of the High Drive in an
atmosphere results in catastrophic reactions with unspent
antimatter from the drive, so for intra-atmospheric
operations, ships use plasma motors that vent reaction mass
(water) from the fusion engines into rocket nozzles.

Hand and vehicle weapons are generally based on

electromagnetic acceleration of projectiles, while space
weaponry consists of kinetic energy missiles accelerated to
a high fraction of c (thereby rendering any warhead
superfluous) and point defense plasma systems. In addition
to point defense, the ship-mounted plasma systems are
used for close range or atmospheric ship-to-ship combat. In
atmosphere, the kinetic missiles are unusable, due to their
utilization of the matter-antimatter High Drive.

Bibliography
As of 2019, the series consists of thirteen novels. The first
book is available as an ebook via the Baen Free Library, and
the first six can be read by downloading a ZIP archive of the
free CD image included in hardcover copies of the sixth
book.[4]

Publication Chronology
Title Year ISBN
order order
While
Kostr
a ver
lieute
Cinna
ISBN 0- navy,
With the
1 1 1998 671- esca
Lightnings
57886-3 coup
engin
by Al
spies
meet
Mund
 Leary
comm
the s
captu
Kostr
Falsif
ISBN 0-
Lt. Leary, order
2 2 2000 671-
Commanding him t
57875-8
on bo
youn
being
hosta
Cinna
gove
Peac
broke
Leary
Mund
the s
ISBN 0-
The Far Side lease
3 3 2003 7434-
of the Stars back
7158-X
noble
are s
for a
histo
treas
Leary
estra
fathe
get h
take
ISBN 0- veng
The Way to a com
4 4 2005 7434-
Glory who
9882-8
an of
 belie
be Le
illegit
half-b
Leary
patro
servi
retire
the n
Some ISBN 978 of the
5 5 Golden 2006 -1-4165- send
Harbor 2080-1 a bac
to sto
Allian
invas
barba
plane
Leary
to a
back
syste
stabi
gove
Havin
ISBN 978 so, h
When the
6 6 2008 -1-4165- the A
Tide Rises
5527-8 from
overw
a Cin
task
holdi
impo
wayp
plane
Leary
 trans
Cinna
Sena
amba
to an
star n
ISBN 978 only
In the Stormy
7 7 2009 -1-4165- the n
Red Sky
9159-7 leade
favor
Allian
amba
offer
allian
inste

Brillia
brave
stars
capta
Danie
and a
'infor
ISBN 978
What Distant gathe
8 8 2010 -1-4391-
Deeps Mund
3366-8
confr
pirate
and o
again
the R
of Cin
desp
Capt
Danie
with
—and
 Offic
Mund
sent
quiet
to ca
an ea
helpi
local
put d
coup
ISBN 978 takes
The Road of
9 9 2012 -1-4516- But t
Danger
3815-8 jealo
admi
rid of
send
off on
goos
to a s
wher
comm
king
busin
carrie
extor
gunfi

Leary
trans
treas
hunte
plane
while
The Sea ISBN 978
must
10 10 Without a 2014 -1-4767-
with
Shore 3639-6
leade
 who
black
the L
Fami

"Cap
Danie
think
marr
allow
slip in
quiet
nava
in pe
His fr
spy a
cybra
Adele
is con
be co
data
librar
high
of bo
supe
are in
Thos
want
and A
ISBN 978
Death's beco
11 11 2016 -1-4767-
Bright Day involv
8147-1
the T
Stars
that o
can p
war b
 the R
of Cin
and i
rival,
Allian
Free
The c
politi
at the
end i
blazi
warfa
cold-
murd
Danie
Adele
at the
end."

Roy O
plann
an of
the R
of Cin
Navy
when
fathe
unma
a wh
crimi
had t
what
Though Hell ISBN 978 was o
12 12 Should Bar 2018 -1-4814- What
The Way 8313-1 offer
out to
 chan
acco
Capt
Danie
and L
Adele
as th
to sta
that w
Roy a
sharp

The t
betw
Cinna
the A
holdi
the R
of Cin
Navy
to ex
regio
galax
witho
To Clear ISBN 978 explo
13 13 Away the 2019 -1-4814- being
Shadows 8402-2 up in
powe
confl
explo
ship
Trave
its cr
sent
new
 and i
out h
adve

References
1. ^ a b Baen.com, "The Roads to the RCN Series"
Archived March 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine,
David Drake, 2012 (accessed March 22, 2012)
2. "What's the connection between the novella A Grand
Tour and the RCN series?", David Drake, May 2010
3. Prologue to With the Lightnings, David Drake, July
1998
4. "Copy of CD from When the Tide Rises". Baen.
Retrieved January 28, 2013.

External links
"Lt. Leary Series" at Baen Ebooks; includes a link to a
free copy of the first book.
Direct link to first novel at the Baen Free Library