Pennon

A pennon is the flag at the tip of a lance. Fleet doctrine holds that commanders belong with their formations, and when a commander must be somewhere else, doctrine requires the absence to be brief. The Pennon exists to keep it brief. Two staterooms forward for the flag party, two berths aft for the aides, one autocannon in case anyone mistakes a staff transport for a soft target. The staterooms are spartan by civilian standards and scandalous by Crimson ones — there are cushions. Junior officers assigned to escort duty call it the softest posting in the Fleet, though never in writing.