[Randallw]

If you want "Hornblower" in space read the "Seafort Saga". Nick Seafort becomes humanities greatest captain however he considers himself a pathetic failure because he sent all his friends and quite a few cadets to their deaths (in his defence there was a war on), its like that StarTrek episode where Troi realises the only way to save the ship during her test is to send Geordi to die