Odysseus Lascaris

Odysseus Lascaris is a courteous and old-fashioned officer who can sometimes take on a fatherly attitude towards those under his command. He remembers people’s names, asks after their families and takes a genuine interest in the development of younger officers. He rarely raises his voice and his dry sense of humour can make him seem more relaxed and approachable than many officers of his rank. Those who do not know him well can mistake this manner for weakness, or assume that his patience and preference for achieving consensus means that he is unwilling to deal with difficult people or situations.

In reality, Lascaris has a core of steel and is entirely focused on getting the job done. He will listen to objections and consider the effect that his decisions will have on those involved, but once he has decided what the mission requires, he is very difficult to move. He does not enjoy sacrificing people, relationships or political goodwill, but neither will he allow his personal feelings to prevent him from doing what he believes is necessary.

Lascaris is a highly skilled diplomat who understands both people and the realities of power. His charm and good manners are real, but he also knows how to use them to his advantage. He understands when to flatter somebody, when to stay silent and when a handful of carefully chosen words will be more effective than an open threat.  Once he believes diplomacy has failed however, he is quite capable of taking firmer action.

Lascaris expects his department heads to bring him solutions rather than simply presenting him with problems. His meetings are usually polite, efficient and relatively informal, although very little escapes his attention. During a crisis, his warmth largely disappears and his orders become short, precise and final. He rarely becomes visibly angry; if anything, he becomes quieter, and his officers have learned that the softer his voice becomes, the less room there is for argument.

Although Lascaris is older and more outwardly polished than Ruth Marlowe, he has no difficulty accepting her authority as Division Commander. He has little interest in personal status and believes that responsibility matters more than age or seniority. Their leadership styles complement one another well: Marlowe is direct, practical and focused on keeping the division moving, while Lascaris is particularly effective at handling the diplomatic, political and administrative problems that surround its work.

Lascaris is completely loyal to Marlowe in public, but is also one of the few people prepared to disagree with her openly in private. Marlowe values him because he does not flatter her or treat a difference of opinion as an act of disloyalty. In return, he respects her lack of pretension and her willingness to make difficult decisions. When Marlowe is absent, Lascaris is trusted to act with her full authority, although he is careful never to allow his position as her deputy to become a rival source of command within the division.