Field of Dishonor

Field of Dishonor is the fourth book of David Weber's series of novels and short stories chronicling the adventures of Honor Harrington. It was first published in late 1994.
Timeframe: 1905 - 1906 PD
== Cover Summary ==
:The People's Republic of Haven's sneak attack on the Kingdom of Manticore has failed. The Peeps are in disarray, their leaders fighting for power in bloody revolution, and the Royal Manticoran Navy stands victorious.
:But Manticore has domestic problems of its own, and success can be more treacherous than defeat for Honor Harrington. Now, trapped at the core of a political crisis she never sought, betrayed by an old and vicious enemy she'd thought vanquished forever, she stands alone.
:She must look for justice on a battlefied she never trained for, in a private war that offers just two choices: death... or a "victory" that can end only in dishonor and the loss of all she loves.
== Plot ==
Captain Honor Harrington returns to Manticore as a hero following the victory at the First Battle of Hancock, even being congratulated by Queen Elizabeth III. However, Honor's participation in the war against Haven is delayed while her ship, HMS Nike, is being repaired from the damage it suffered at Hancock.
Captain Lord Pavel Young, Honor's long-time rival, is about to face a court-martial for cowardice in the face of the enemy, and is likely to be shot. But politics intervene: Young's father, the Earl of North Hollow, is a leading member of the Conservative Association, a small party allied with Prime Minister Cromarty. The CA's leader, Baron High Ridge, informs the Prime Minister that his party would not support the declaration of war against Haven unless Captain Young is proclaimed innocent. A compromise is reached: Young is demoted and dishonorably discharged from the RMN, but the charges that would have permitted his execution are rejected. Despite the reprieve, the Earl of North Hollow suffers a heart attack when he hears the verdict, and Pavel Young becomes the new Earl.
Only days later, the Star Kingdom of Manticore declares war on the People's Republic of Haven.
Seeking revenge on Honor, whom he blames for his misfortune, Pavel Young first tries to discredit her and then hires a professional duelist, former marine Denver Summervale, to challenge her lover, Paul Tankersley, to a duel. Tankersley is killed while Honor is on Grayson overseeing Harrington Steading and formally being appointed a Steadholder. Paul's death is a severe blow to Honor, and she determines to kill those responsible no matter the cost. She begins practicing with the archaic automatic pistols used in formal duels, and her natural kinesthetic sense soon makes her an excellent shooter.
In order to escape Young's sexual abuses, his security "consultant" Georgia Sakristos leaks information concerning Summervale's location. Honor's friends and comrades stage a "navigational error" during a training drop of Royal Marines and "just happen" to land at the chalet where Summervale is in hiding. They extract a confession from him accusing Pavel Young as his employer for the duel and revealing that Honor is his next target. The recording of the confession is not legal evidence because of the way it was obtained, but it turns Honor's fury against Young and allows her to begin her recovery from Paul's death.
Honor confronts Summervale in the same bar where Paul was challenged, goading him into challenging her by calling him a paid assassin before witnesses. When they meet on the field of honor, Honor kills him by shooting from the hip before he can get off a single shot. Honor then proclaims to the assembled media that Summervale was hired to kill Paul Tankersley and herself by Young.
Young goes into hiding to prevent Honor from an opportunity to challenge him in person. He plans to wait until repairs on the Nike are completed and Honor is shipped back to the front lines. Honor determines that the only place she can be sure of meeting him is at the House of Lords. She uses a technicality in the chamber rules to demand that she be formally seated with them, and uses the opportunity to denounce Young publicly and challenge him to a duel.
On the same field of honor, Young loses his nerve and fires at Honor while her back is still turned. She is injured, but kills him with her return fire even before the Master of the Field can execute him. The outraged aristocracy removes Honor from the House of Lords and political pressure forces the navy to remove her from command and place her on half-pay, with no active assignment. Honor decides to return to Grayson until the crisis subsides.
==References==
===Characters===
Hamish Alexander | 
Iris Babcock | 
Mercedes Brigham | 
Jessica Burke | 
James Candless | 
Vincent Capra | 
Rafael Cardones | 
Castellaño | 
Evelyn Chandler | 
Cheviot | 
Jeremiah Crichton | 
Howard Clinkscales | 
Alyce Cordwainer | 
Lucien Cortez | 
Elaine Descroix | 
Desjardin | 
Patrick DuCain | 
Andre Dupre | 
Adam Gerrick | 
Allison Chou Harrington | 
Honor Harrington | 
Richard Harrington | 
Hartley | 
Sonja Hemphill | 
Michelle Henke | 
Francois Ivashko | 
Edward Janacek | 
Michael Janvier | 
Victor Karatchenko | 
Theodosia Kuzak | 
Andrew LaFollet | 
Antoinette Lemaitre | 
Livitnikov | Francine Maurier |
MacClinton | 
Nimitz | 
Hayden O'Higgins | 
O'Shaughnessy | 
Pressman | 
Ivan Ravicz | 
Georgia Sakristos | 
Allen Summervale | 
Denver Summervale | 
Paul Tankersley | 
Thurmond | 
Prescott Tremaine | 
Erica Vonderhoff | 
Yestachenko | 
Dimitri Young | 
Pavel Young | 
Youngman
===Starships===
* HMS Manticore (SD-01)
* HMS Nike (BC-413)
* HMS Prince Adrian
* GNS Raoul Courvosier
===Planets===
* Grayson
* Manticore
===Nations===
* Star Kingdom of Manticore
* People's Republic of Haven
* Protectorate of Grayson
===Technology===
air car | 
holo tank | 
newsfax | 
pulser | 
stun rifle | 
crystoplast
=== Others ===
Act of Toleration | 
Address from the Throne | 
Aphid System | 
baseball | 
Camp Justin | 
Commanding Officer, Fleet Marine Force | 
Capital Field | 
death penalty | 
Defense of the Realm Act | 
duel | 
Grayson Civil War | 
Gemini System | 
Harrington Steading | 
Earldom of Harrington | 
Hauptman Cartel | 
Duchy of High Sligo | 
Landing Times | 
Manual for Courts-Martial | 
Manticoran Articles of War | 
Manticore's Gift class | 
North Hollow files | 
Privacy Act of 14 AL | 
People's Navy | 
Raoul Courvosier-class | 
Royal Manticoran Marine Corps | 
Royal Manticoran Navy | 
Sidham Island | 
spider lizard
== External links ==
* Field of Dishonor in the Baen Free Library
* Field of Dishonor on Wikipedia
Category:Honorverse material