Minor Characters in The Seafort Saga - Holser, Vax

Holser, Vax

Vax Stanley Holser was the next most senior midshipman aboard UNS Hibernia after Seafort, junior to him by only six months. He initially resented this, leading to a fight between the two of them over control of the Midshipmen's wardroom. Holser was a bully, often hazing junior midshipmen with little or no reason, until Nick Seafort put a stop to his behaviour. Seafort believed Holser to be better suited to the Captaincy than he, and attempted to persuade Captain Harv Malstrom to promote Holser to Lieutenant, and thus above him the Hibernia's chain of command, before the Captain's death. Malstrom did not do so, and so Seafort became Captain of Hibernia. Following his elevation to Captaincy, Seafort put Holser through a series of rigorous tests to ensure he would not slip back into his earlier bullying behaviour, ultimately ordering him the clean the ship's huge launch berth alone. Holser passed these tests, and ultimately became a trusted and loyal subordinate, whom Seafort promoted to Lieutenant shortly before arriving at Hope Nation, and even risking his career and life to save Seafort in the first encounter with the aliens known as the 'Fish'. Holser sailed again with Seafort on UNS Portia as first lieutenant, and offered to accompany him to Challenger when Admiral Tremaine transferred his flag. Seafort refused the offer, angering Holser greatly, and ending the friendship that had grown between them. Holser became the Commander of the fastship Victoria, and was ultimately killed when he knocked Seafort out, placed him in a lifeboat, and remained on Hope Nation's Orbit Station to detonate the station's nuclear device and destroy the flotilla of Fish that had gathered around it.