| abstract | - Around 265 AL, Santino held the rank of Lieutenant and served as Assistant Tactical Officer aboard the heavy cruiser HMS War Maiden. In his position as Officer Candidate Training Officer, he was responsible for the active duty education of Midshipwoman Honor Harrington. Unlike most other officers serving on War Maiden, Santino displayed a towering sense of superiority, and had a hectoring sneer. He behaved as though he had an issue with the presence of Harrington's treecat Nimitz, and at times reminded Harrington of Pavel Young. Lieutenant Santino was replaced as Officer Candidate Training Officer during the cruise by Lieutenant Saunders, after the ship's Executive Officer, Commander Abner Layson, uncovered evidence that he had behaved as an abusive bully toward the midshipmen in his charge. After a further incident during which Santino, as the bridge Watch Officer, disregarded standing orders despite attempts by bridge personnel to remind him of those orders, Captain Bachfisch took the opportunity to appoint him to command the prize crew aboard RMMS Gryphon's Pride, on its voyage back to base. (HHA3.1: MMH) By 1913 PD, Santino had reached the rank of Rear Admiral of the Red and had replaced Vice Admiral Hennesy as commanding officer of the RMN picket in the Seaford Nine System. As a result of his negligence, when the system was attacked by the much stronger People's Navy Task Force 14.1 during Operation Icarus, he panicked. Despite the advice of his operations officer, Commander Andrea Jaruwalski, to abandon the system in the face of such odds, preserving Manticoran ships and personnel, Santino relieved her, went out of his way to leave sufficient record to sabotage her career, and ordered his command to meet the Havenite Task Force head on. He was killed, and his entire command destroyed in the resulting engagement. (HH8) Years after Santino's death, Admiral Gold Peak used him as an example of a commander who threw away his command of ships and their crews for no good reason save poor thinking, during a conversation with the senior officers under her command. (SI2)
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