Paul Tankersley
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Paul Tankersley was a fictional character in the Honorverse, and an officer in the Royal Manticoran Navy.
He was a cousin of Michelle Henke and hence related to the royal family of the Star Kingdom of Manticore, albeit descended from commoners who married into the Henke clan of Gold Peak. His family was quite wealthy. He was Honor Harrington's lover, and was killed in a duel at the instigation of Pavel Young, his former captain and an old enemy of hers.
He first appeared in On Basilisk Station as a Commander and Executive Officer of the heavy cruiser HMS Warlock. He appeared in The Short Victorious War as a Captain (junior grade) working as a "yard dog" at Hancock Station, repairing HMS Nike, Honor's ship. It was in this timeframe that they became lovers.
At the end of The Short Victorious War he was promoted to Captain of the List and he held this rank until his death.
In Field of Dishonor Denver Summervale provoked a duel with Paul on the orders of Pavel Young. Summervale, a 'professional duellist' (in effect a legalised assassin) killed Paul. His killing was the dramatic focus of the book. Several of Honor's friends hunted down Summervale and beat Young's name out of him. She then killed him in a duel. Subsequently she committed apparent career suicide, and was excluded from the Star Kingdom's House of Lords, when she used her maiden speech to challenge Young, and then killed him in the resulting duel.
He designed the first skinsuit sized for a Sphinxian treecat for Honor's companion Nimitz.
Honor's private yacht, a Star Falcon-class courier, is named after him.
