the planet in a haze of blood, they can claim legal pretext to swoop in and take control of the system before Manticore can respond, as a preamble to invading Manticore itself The ground force of Medusans is easily dealt with by Fearlesss complement of Marines. However, the other half of the plan is the Sirius, a Havenite Q-ship disguised as a freighter with the task of signalling the Havenite fleet. Harrington cripples the one other Havenite ship in orbit (a diplomatic courier) and sends Fearless in pursuit of Sirius, notifying Manticore of the impending invasion. What follows is a grueling battle in which Fearless is crippled, but Sirius captain is sufficiently vexed by the damage inflicted by the small light cruiser that he turns Sirius about to ensure that she is destroyed. In doing so, he inadvertently brings Sirius within range of Fearless grav lance, and Sirius is destroyed. Manticore reinforces the system in time to greet the “visiting” Haven task force, who leave after a suitable interval to inform Haven of failure. After extensive repairs just to get her mauled ship underway, Honor returns to the Star Kingdom to a hero’s welcome. Promoted twice to Captain of the List, Honor is disappointed when the light cruiser is retired from service, but instead, she is given command of a newly constructed Star Knight-class heavy cruiser, re-christened as the new Fearless. Players The Star Kingdom of Manticore is gearing up for a likely war with Haven. However, some political factions do not believe that the war is inevitable and therefore hinder the Government's plans, including the necessary reinforcement of Basilisk. The Government, whose majority is slim, has little choice than to acquiesce and leave Basilisk almost undefended—until Honor Harrington is assigned there. The People's Republic of Haven finds that its economy is increasingly strained due to its welfare state and massive military budget, thus forcing their leaders to end their standoff with Manticore by any means necessary. Possession of Basilisk and its wormhole terminus would give Haven a strategic advantage over the Star Kingdom. Characters In addition to Honor Harrington, the story includes the first appearances of Alistair McKeon, Hamish Alexander, Lord Pavel Young, Andreas Venizelos, Rafael Cardones, Estelle Matsuko, Paul Tankersley, Mercedes Brigham, Prescott Tremaine, Klaus Hauptman, and Allen Summervale. References External links On Basilisk Station study guide 1993 American novels 1993 science fiction novels American science fiction novels