HVT-005 Flag in Exile

Today our discussion turns to book 5 in the Honorverse. Let’s continue our journey!

“Flag in Exile” is 443 pages, published by Baen Books in September 1995. I’m not sure it’s quite accurate to say Honor takes a break after her duel with Pavel Young. Our hero is forced into retirement from the Royal Manticoran Navy due to the political fallout and consequences of lawfully killing Young. Honor takes the opportunity to move to Grayson (sort of an exile) to fully establish and settle into her leadership and business responsibilities as a Steadholder. In this role, she’s the newest member of the government of Grayson, and first female to hold the office in Grayson’s history. It’s also a time to heal as she strives to move past the loss of Paul Tankersley. Things don’t go quite as planned or intended.

The People’s Republic of Haven’s attack on Manticore failed and set the stage for an authoritarian element to stage a coup (blamed on, but not conducted by Haven’s military). David Weber does a great job of keeping Haven a fictitious place, but draws from historic periods of time. It parallels the behavior of similar governments when they’ve seized power in the real world, such as the French revolutionary period, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. Haven’s new government uses the false claim that their Navy attempted the coup, then purges much of their former civilian and military leadership as “enemies of the people.” It establishes the powerful “Committee for Public Safety” to ensure governance continues during the “crisis”. This Committee is supposedly temporary while the turmoil and danger of the coup fades and a new government is formed. Even so, it institutes draconian rules in the name of ensuring “safety” for the people, setting itself up to weaken threats to itself and the ability to maintain power rather than transition it to a form that supports a free society. The war with Manticore also continues, now rooted firmly in a conflict between the ideologies of freedom and authoritarianism.

While there’s a significant space battle that occurs, this book is also a strong part of Weber’s world-building. He lays big pieces of the ideological foundations for conflict between great powers. As a result, the book is as much an education in government, domestic, and foreign affairs as it is a military adventure!

Honor, with all her accomplishments and true talent as a military leader, is settling into her life on Grayson. Before the dust settles, the government of Grayson offers her a commission in its Navy. Not just any commission. They offer her the flag rank of Admiral and a position that would make her the second highest ranking officer in the Grayson Space Navy. While this would have been highly unusual within the RMN, Grayson’s Navy lacks the experience and leadership needed to defend itself and to fully participate as an effective ally of Manticore. Honor is hesitant, but ultimately accepts the position, driven by her sense of duty. In this position, she not only helps Grayson, but helps Manticore by presenting a more capable allied military to fight against the People’s Republic of Haven. She’s serving her new “nation” as a Steadholder and Admiral, and still serving her Queen by supporting Manticore’s war efforts.

Amid all this, Honor’s civilian responsibilities do not go smoothly. While she’s openly recognized as a hero of Grayson, and responsible for saving them, there are still many on Grayson who take offense at the power and position Honor holds because she’s a woman. Grayson society is changing, fueled by (but in no way forced) their exposure to Honor. Even so, elements loyal to past objectors take action to undermine and destroy Honor’s influence, wealth, and even take her life. While some of this begins while she’s on Grayson, the worst happens while she’s away on Naval duty, and therefore unable to defend herself and her honor. Through acts of sabotage and...