Plot summary
Three years after the events that occurred in On Basilisk Station , Captain Honor Harrington returns to the Star Kingdom after a long anti-piracy campaign in the Silesian Confederacy. Harrington's ship, HMS Fearless, is tasked to escort a small Manticoran squadron on a diplomatic mission to the planet Grayson, a planet ruled by a heavily sexist and patriarchal society. The diplomatic mission is to be led by Admiral Raoul Courvosier, Honor's mentor and personal friend. With the long-awaited war with Haven looming close, Manticore is working to form an Alliance with many small nations. Grayson is critical to this effort. Adding to the pressure, Haven is negotiating its own alliance with Masada, Grayson's historical rival.
The Manticoran ships arrive at the star system where Grayson is located, and are greeted by the small Grayson Navy. The welcome is soured when the Graysons see Harrington, a woman, in uniform. After several hostile confrontations, Harrington leaves the system to escort a convoy of freighters, even though Courvosier tries to convince her to stay.
After Harrington departs with three of the four Manticoran warships, Courvosier begins diplomatic efforts with Admiral Bernard Yanakov, the commander of the Grayson Navy. However, their efforts are abruptly halted as a Masadan fleet attacks Grayson, targeting space stations across the system. Courvosier and Yanakov join forces against the Masadans. Unbeknownst to them, the Masadans command two Havenite warships that swiftly overwhelm Grayson's outdated defenses, resulting in the tragic deaths of both Courvosier and Yanakov.
Harrington's ships return to Grayson and are attacked by Masadan, damaging one of her ships. After entering Grayson's orbit, they are apprised of the critical situation following the battle and the death of Courvosier. Honor strong-arms Protector Benjamin into allowing her to take a leading role in the defense of Grayson. She also then defends him against Masadan assassins, losing one of her eyes, earning her a great deal of acclaim from the Grayson people.
Grayson soon learns that Masada has built an advanced base within Grayson's star system. Leading her ships and the remnants of the Grayson fleet, Harrington defeats a group of Masadan warships and captures a hostage who tells Harrington that there are female POWs at the base that he suspects they are being ill-treated. An assault follows and the Masadan base is captured, finding most of the prisoners executed and all the female prisoners horrifically brutalized. Harrington nearly performs an on-the-spot execution of the Masadan commander.
On Masada, the Havenite advisers see that Masada's bid to conquer Grayson is doomed and try to pull out. However, the Masadans find out and seize control of the Saladin, which they have renamed Thunder of God. Captain Yu catches wind of the mutiny and pulls as many Havenite crewmembers off the ship as he can, leaving the Masadan fanatics in ownership of a Sultan-class battle cruiser that outguns Harrington's remaining ships.
Harrington calls for reinforcements, while she prepares to fight the Masadans. The Manticorans' superior tactical skills, and the Masadans' unfamiliarity with their ship, allow them to inflict much more damage on Thunder of God than they ought to have done, but Thunder of God by sheer weight of fire is able to destroy a ship and inflict equal damage on Fearless. Manticoran reinforcements arrive in-system undetected. Despite knowing the outcome is hopeless, Harrington commits Fearless against Thunder of God hoping to do enough damage to prevent them from carpet bombing Grayson. In a desperate gamble, the Manticoran reinforcements distract the Masadan crew at a crucial moment and allow Fearless to deliver the killing blow.
With Grayson secured, a joint Manticore-Grayson fleet attacks Masada and occupies the planet. The Havenite refugees from Saladin, led by Alfredo Yu, surrender to the Graysonites; several others defect, including Yu himself. Harrington recovers from the wounds sustained during the numerous battles and the attack, receiving a prosthetic eye. Protector Benjamin decorates her with the Star of Grayson and appoints her as Steadholder (governor) of a new fief on Grayson, allowing her to help Benjamin speed up his planned social reforms. Finally, the Manticoran government creates Harrington a Countess and names her a Companion of the Knights of King George.
