In 1994, David Weber finally opened the Havenite/Manticoran War in The Short Victorious War and reintroduced a villain from On Basilisk Station to antagonize Honor. Synopsis: The families who rule the People's Republic of Haven are in trouble. The treasury's empty, the Proles are restless, and civil war is imminent. But the ruling class knows what they need to keep in power: another short, victorious war to unite the people and fill the treasury once more. It's a card they've played often in the last half-century, always successfully, and all that stands in their way is the Star Kingdom of Manticore and its threadbare allies. Enemies who in the past have always backed down. Only this time the Peeps face something different. This time they're up against Captain Honor Harrington and a Royal Manticoran Navy that's prepared to give them a war that's far from short... and anything by victorious.
The novel opens with Havenite Hereditary President Sidney Harris telling his cabinet that what Haven needs is a short, victorious war to help build up its treasury. His cabinet agrees. Captain Dame Honor Harrington receives a letter from Manticore, telling her that she'll be in charge of HMS Nike and will be sent to Hancock Station on Adml. Hamish Alexander (White Haven) and the First Space Lord of the Manticoran Admiralty Webster's orders. Honor's exec, Michelle "Mike" Henke, is a friend from Honor's academy days and a relative of the Queen of Manticore. VAdml. of the Green Sir Yancey Parks is less than pleased with Honor being assigned to his area and shows this by refusing to allow Honor to sit in on staff meetings. This displeases Honor's C.O., RAdml. Mark Sarnow, to no end. Yancey has it out for her because of the way she treated Reginald Houseman and her "stunts" at Basilisk Station and Grayson. Honor meets and starts to fall in love with Paul Tankersley, a former member of Pavel Young's command in On Basilisk Station, and he helps fix the engine the breaks after she arrives at Hancock Station.
After Sarnow has it out with Yancey for his exclusion of Honor, she is allowed to attend meetings. Soon afterward, the arrival of the Havenite Navy has Yancey in a panic. He leaves for Seaford Nine with most of the ships, leaving Sarnow to defend Hancock Station with the task force under his command. Battles rage as the Havenites, led by Captain Thomas Theisman, attack Manticoran allied systems, except for Hancock Station. HMS Warlock, still under the command of Captain Pavel Young, arrives at Hancock Station. During his time there, Young meets Commodore Van Slyke and Arthur Houseman, and both Young and Houseman poison Van Slyke against Honor. In Nouveau Paris, the capital of the People's Republic of Haven, Robert Pierce meets with Oscar Saint-Just and Cordelia Ransom to discuss a coup. Back at Seaford Nine, Yancey realizes that the Havenites suckered him into leaving Hancock nearly undefended. He recalls his ships and leaves for Hancock, hoping he's not too late.
At Hancock, the word is out about the Peep invasion. Under Sarnow's orders, the fleet leads the Havenites (Peeps) on a chase through the system. Commodore Van Slyke is killed during the battle and after a missile impacts with Nike, RAdml. Sarnow is rendered unconscious. Honor, knowing the next in command is on a ship with no working comms system thanks to the battle, can't hand the tactical command off. Young shows his true colors and panics, ordering the task force to break up without authorization. Honor orders the ships back into formation, but Young keeps fleeing the battle, which leads to the destruction of two more ships. He refuses to obey Honor's repeated orders to return to formation. The Manticoran ships pass the timed marker and Honor springs Sarnow's trap, detonating the mines, ripping the Havenite ships to pieces along with Yancey's returning fleet. Back on Nouveau Paris, Pierce, Saint-Just, and Ransom pull off their coup and kill Sidney Harris. At Hancock Station, Yancey removes Young from command and writes orders for him to be tried under court-martial after a captain's board renders him guilty. In light of that, Yancey places Young under arrest and transports him back to Manticore to face the court-martial; Yancey asks Honor to take Young home as well as Paul Tankersley since Paul is now a high ranking officer and exceeds the junior status to remain on Hancock Station.
All in all, a great, short, fast-paced novel that shows the scope of the war with all the various fronts, a break from Weber's previous two novels where the entire book stays with Honor and the current planet/station she's at. Great read, fantastic characterizations, explosive prose.
The novel opens with Havenite Hereditary President Sidney Harris telling his cabinet that what Haven needs is a short, victorious war to help build up its treasury. His cabinet agrees. Captain Dame Honor Harrington receives a letter from Manticore, telling her that she'll be in charge of HMS Nike and will be sent to Hancock Station on Adml. Hamish Alexander (White Haven) and the First Space Lord of the Manticoran Admiralty Webster's orders. Honor's exec, Michelle "Mike" Henke, is a friend from Honor's academy days and a relative of the Queen of Manticore. VAdml. of the Green Sir Yancey Parks is less than pleased with Honor being assigned to his area and shows this by refusing to allow Honor to sit in on staff meetings. This displeases Honor's C.O., RAdml. Mark Sarnow, to no end. Yancey has it out for her because of the way she treated Reginald Houseman and her "stunts" at Basilisk Station and Grayson. Honor meets and starts to fall in love with Paul Tankersley, a former member of Pavel Young's command in On Basilisk Station, and he helps fix the engine the breaks after she arrives at Hancock Station.
After Sarnow has it out with Yancey for his exclusion of Honor, she is allowed to attend meetings. Soon afterward, the arrival of the Havenite Navy has Yancey in a panic. He leaves for Seaford Nine with most of the ships, leaving Sarnow to defend Hancock Station with the task force under his command. Battles rage as the Havenites, led by Captain Thomas Theisman, attack Manticoran allied systems, except for Hancock Station. HMS Warlock, still under the command of Captain Pavel Young, arrives at Hancock Station. During his time there, Young meets Commodore Van Slyke and Arthur Houseman, and both Young and Houseman poison Van Slyke against Honor. In Nouveau Paris, the capital of the People's Republic of Haven, Robert Pierce meets with Oscar Saint-Just and Cordelia Ransom to discuss a coup. Back at Seaford Nine, Yancey realizes that the Havenites suckered him into leaving Hancock nearly undefended. He recalls his ships and leaves for Hancock, hoping he's not too late.
At Hancock, the word is out about the Peep invasion. Under Sarnow's orders, the fleet leads the Havenites (Peeps) on a chase through the system. Commodore Van Slyke is killed during the battle and after a missile impacts with Nike, RAdml. Sarnow is rendered unconscious. Honor, knowing the next in command is on a ship with no working comms system thanks to the battle, can't hand the tactical command off. Young shows his true colors and panics, ordering the task force to break up without authorization. Honor orders the ships back into formation, but Young keeps fleeing the battle, which leads to the destruction of two more ships. He refuses to obey Honor's repeated orders to return to formation. The Manticoran ships pass the timed marker and Honor springs Sarnow's trap, detonating the mines, ripping the Havenite ships to pieces along with Yancey's returning fleet. Back on Nouveau Paris, Pierce, Saint-Just, and Ransom pull off their coup and kill Sidney Harris. At Hancock Station, Yancey removes Young from command and writes orders for him to be tried under court-martial after a captain's board renders him guilty. In light of that, Yancey places Young under arrest and transports him back to Manticore to face the court-martial; Yancey asks Honor to take Young home as well as Paul Tankersley since Paul is now a high ranking officer and exceeds the junior status to remain on Hancock Station.
All in all, a great, short, fast-paced novel that shows the scope of the war with all the various fronts, a break from Weber's previous two novels where the entire book stays with Honor and the current planet/station she's at. Great read, fantastic characterizations, explosive prose.
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