On Basilisk Station

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On Basilisk Station
Author David Weber
Country United States
Language English
Series Honor Harrington series
Genre Science fiction novel
Publisher Baen Books
Publication date
Media type Print (Paperback) & E-book
Pages 352
ISBN ISBN 0-671-57793-X
OCLC 40331058
813/.54 21
LC Class PS3573.E217 O5 1999

The first novel in David Weber's popular[1] Honor Harrington series, On Basilisk Station,[2] follows Commander Honor Harrington and Her Majesty’s light cruiser Fearless during their assignment to the Basilisk system. Though Basilisk Station and the planet of Medusa have become a dumping ground for misfits and rejects from her home star system of Manticore, Honor is determined to discharge her duty regardless of the circumstances.

The story follows Honor and her crew as they deal with the responsibilities of their assignment. When their duty leads them to discover events that would lead to an invasion of Medusa, they have no choice but to act.

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 and Allen Summervale.

Plot summary[edit]


Sidney Harris, the Hereditary President of the People's Republic of Haven, discusses the economic and military situation with his cabinet. The Secretary of Economy Walter Frankel presents the latest economic projections which look very bad. He blames the naval budget. Admiral Parnell points out that the fleet is required to hold on to recently acquired star systems. He blames the increases of the Basic Living Stipend for the bleak economic situation. Frankel responds that the BLS increases are the only thing keeping the mob in check. The resulting discussion leads to the realization that additional income is required to finance the BLS and a military that can hold on to the current star systems. Following the DuQuesne Plan the source of these income should be new conquests. Moving southwards towards Erewhon is rejected as too dangerous as the Solarian League could see it as a threat. Moving westwards towards Silesia is seen as the better option, but the Basilisk system is in the way. The Basilisk system contains a terminus of the Manticore Wormhole Junction. The decision is made to take over the Basilisk system and Admiral Parnell is tasked with drawing up plans to that effect.

The story[edit]

Commander Honor Harrington, freshly graduated from the Royal Manticorian Navy’s Advanced Tactical Course, assumes command of HMS Fearless, as it completes an extensive weapons refit, discovering to her chagrin that its normal compliment has been stripped, replaced primarily by a "grav lance" commissioned by Admiral Sonja Hemphill. While she uses it to perform spectacularly in the first round of a series of war games, her ship is summarily crushed in all following ones. In order to cover up the seeming failure of the grav lance's performance, Harrington and Fearless are reassigned to picket duty on Basilisk Station, a remote outpost of the Star Kingdoms.

Arriving, Harrington finds Basilisk's picket fleet commanded by Captain Lord Pavel Young, a spoiled noble who's lackluster career in due in part to his attempt to rape Honor at the Academy several years earlier, and has set up a ploy to ruin Honor's career. After taking his heavy cruiser Warlock off to Manticore for a “desperately needed” refit, Young leaves Honor and Fearless as the sole RMN unit responsible for the Basilisk system’s security, a duty almost impossible to perform with a single ship.

With hard work and clever use of resources, Honor soon has revitalized the RMN’s presence in Basilisk, capturing several prizes on charges of smuggling, and turning around the abysmal opinion of the fleet held by system personnel. During this, Honor learns of a long standing drug ring catering to the Medusan aborigines, a three-legged sentient species at a Bronze Age technology level. The drug, mehoka, has a place in Medusan religion for its hallucinogenic properties, but can also be used to incite them to furious violence. Fearless's investigations reveal that humans have been synthesizing it groundside for distribution to the nomadic members of the species. A raid on this drug lab also reveals the presence of further contamination: breech-loading rifles designed specifically for Medusan use, and crude enough for the Medusans to manufacture themselves.

Whilst embroiled in this plot and trying to uncover who might be behind it, Honor Harrington becomes a figure of political note for the first time. In order to capitalzie on Honor's accomplishments and to embaress Young's father, Earl North Hollow, a group of officers and politicians conspire to keep Young away from his post for as long as possible.

Harrington and her crew get to the bottom of the sprawling plot: Haven, intent on conquering Medusa for their own, have arranged for a coup de main against Basilisk. By whipping some of the Medusan nomads into a killing frenzy that will sweep across 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 Fearless. However, the other half of the plan is the Sirius, a Haven Q-ship disguised as a freighter with the task of signaling the Havenite fleet. Harrington cripples the one other Havenite courier ship and sends Fearless in pursuit of Sirius, notifying Manticore of the impending invasion. Following a grueling battle in which Fearless is crippled, Sirius captain inadvertenly comes 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 the mauled light cruiser underway, Honor returns to the Star Kingdom to a hero’s welcome. Promoted twice to Captain of the List, Honor is given command of the heavy cruiser Fearless, a newly constructed Star Knight-class cruiser.


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.


List of Honorverse characters


  1. ^ "Shadow of Freedom". "New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling phenomenon David Weber delivers book #18 in the multiple New York Times best-selling Honor Harrington series" 
  2. ^ David Weber. "On Basilisk Station by David Weber - Baen Books". Retrieved 22 August 2013. 

External links[edit]

Preceded by
Preceding Short Story:
Changer of Worlds
 (sub-series: Worlds of Honor #3) 
Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington

On Basilisk Station
Honor Harrington books

Central figure: Honor Harrington

In Chronological Order:

First Novel in book series

  Publication order: First work published
(1993 MMPB,1999 HC)

Succeeded by
The Honor of the Queen

(1993 MMPB)