The families who rule the People's Republic of Haven need a short victorious war to calm the Proles and defuse any threat of civil war - it has worked in the past. In their way stands only the Star Kingdom of Manticore and its threadbare allies. They have always backed down before. But this time, Haven are facing Captain Honor Harrington and the Royal Manticoran Navy. People for whom the word defeat is spelt V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.