In Enemy Hands

1997

Back in the Manticoran Navy for keeps now, Honor is still a Commodore but she's been give a squadron of proper ships to command this time.

Whilst out on patrol Honor transfers across to another of her ships in order to give the captain a surprise birthday party.

Unfortunately the whole squadron is taken by surprise when they exit into Real Space. It should have been possible for the whole squadron to escape from the Peep raiders that were lying in wait in the system but they were not the only ships in the system; a couple of vessels had powered down, impossible to spot against the background of space.

Honor's current vessel was able to fight free of one but the next was able to successfully capture her as she realised that it would be impossible for her to get away. Thankfully, the troop transports they were escorting managed to escape unscathed.

The Peeps who have taken Honor and her crew prisoner are Naval personnel, so are fairly decent people - besides they would treat the Manticorans well just in case they should need reciprocal treatment. Sadly for Honor, the navy is not the final arbiter of how it should treat people. Committee Woman Cordelia Ransome, head of the Peep's Ministry of Information, one of the triumvirate who really runs the People's Republic of Haven, is on an inspection of the Front and when she sees Honor, she transfers her from military custody to the dread hands of State Security and from there to the hidden planet of Hades. Honor is accompanied by her usual coterie including her treecat Nimitz who was badly crippled by a Security goon.

One of those amongst her companions appeared to transfer his loyalty from the 'Imperialist' Manticorans to the Revolutionary Peeps. But were the Peeps making a fateful mistake in trusting any Manticoran's word?

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