The Black Fleet Trilogy and cruiser duties

In Joshua Dalzelle's Warship, Captain Jackson gives his new executive officer responsibility for seven sailors returned by local law enforcement after shore leave. She must obtain their release, review their cases, and determine punishment, establishing her authority over personnel. Her predecessor had become so friendly with the crew that discipline repeatedly fell back on the captain. A senator's aide then arrives with orders to depart six days earlier than planned, disrupting the ship's preparations. Although the vessel is called a destroyer, its detached political and diplomatic missions resemble cruiser duties. Its power makes it the dominant ship in most encounters unless a battleship appears.