Thomas Caparelli

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Admiral Sir Thomas Caparelli is a fictional character in David Weber's Honor Harrington series of military science fiction novels.

A senior officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy (the spacegoing fleet of the Star Kingdom of Manticore), Admiral Sir Thomas Caparelli became First Space Lord of the RMN (the Navy's senior uniformed officer) shortly before the beginning of the war with Haven, replacing Admiral James Webster. Despite the Royal Manticoran Navy's policy of rotating senior admirals between staff and fleet positions to keep them up to date in modern naval realities, Admiral Caparelli remained as First Space Lord for ten years, until the truce between Manticore and Haven.

When the new Manticoran government led by Baron High Ridge took over, Admiral Caparelli was placed in "half-pay" (removed from active duty). His fellow Space Lords -the other members of the RMN Staff- were also removed and replaced with High Ridge cronies. After the devastating Havenite attacks which reignited the war, Caparelli and his former team of admirals were recalled from half-pay and reinstated at their old positions, where they remain as of the last book, At All Costs.

Caparelli was regarded by his fellow admirals as a tenacious and canny commander, but not too much of a tactician, relying more on brute force than on subtle techniques. In particular, he had a long rivalry with Admiral Hamish Alexander (who would go on to become Caparelli's civilian superior as First Lord of the Admiralty), who once remarked that Caparelli had "a real thick backbone - to match the one in his head". On the other hand, Caparelli often resented the popularity of Alexander and his political connections, but it did not prevent both men from respecting each other.