Masada (Honorverse)

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Masada is a fictional star nation featured in David Weber's Honorverse. Located in the Endicott Star System, it is home to a society of religious fanatics dedicated to the eventual conquering of the planet Grayson. Masada first appeared in The Honor of the Queen, and has played a role in a number of the later books. Their name is a reference to the Rock of Masada where a group of Jews made their last Stand against the Romans

[edit] History

The Masadans are former inhabitants of the planet Grayson who were exiled after a bitter 14 Terran-year Civil War which ravaged the planet. The forefathers of the Masadans, who called themselves the "Faithful", opposed the Church of Humanity Unchained's revised doctrine on technology that contrasted with Rev. Austin Grayson's original dictum that technology was evil, and sought to take control of Grayson's government. Their attempted coup, led by Steadholder Bancroft, caused the deaths of Protector John Mayhew II and fifty-three Moderate Steadholders and their heirs, but they failed to kill John's son and heir Benjamin. Benjamin escaped to another Steading and led the resistance against the Faithful.

Steadholder Bancroft's wife Barbara revealed the existence of a Faithful doomsday weapon to the Moderates, leading to a final offensive and a treaty between the Moderates and the Faithful. Barbara Bancroft is revered in Grayson as a heroine and is known as the Mother of Grayson, but to Masadans she became "The Harlot of Satan", the ultimate symbol of evil and the responsible of the "Second Fall of Man". Several chemical-powered (non-impeller) sublight ships were loaded with the surviving Faithful and departed for the nearby Endicott System, where they founded the colony of Masada. Ironically, Masada is a more hospitable world than Grayson, but Masadans vowed to reconquer Grayson from the hands of the "Apostate".

[edit] Government and Society

Masada was a Fundamentalist theocracy led by the Council of Elders of the Church of Humanity Unchained (the Masadan version of the Church was significantly harsher than the Grayson version). The leader of the Council of Elders was the First Elder, traditionally a member of the Simonds family, who were descendants of one of the Steadholders that led the revolt of the Faithful. The supreme commander of the Masadan military was known as the Sword of the Faithful, and the head of Masada's secret police was known as the Deacon.

Unlike Grayson, where the bitter lessons of the Civil War taught the Church not to actively intervene in politics, Masadan society is completely permeated by religion; the government enforces religious practices such as dietary laws and cleansing rituals, and punishes "deviations from the Faith" with death by stoning. The Masadan branch of the Church of Humanity Unchained is significantly more extremist than its Grayson cousin; they have gone to the extreme of de-canonizing the New Testament because they believed that the existence of technology meant that Jesus did not save Humanity.

Masadan women have no legal rights whatsoever. While Grayson's prejudice against women was rooted in their belief that it was the duty of men to protect and shelter women, in Masada it was because women were considered instruments of Satan and temptresses.

[edit] Current status

The Masadan theocracy allied with the People's Republic of Haven, in an attempt to conquer their moderate neighbors. The first attacks crippled the Grayson Navy (and a Manticoran destroyer). Masada's military offensive was due to be followed by a coup d'état by Protector Benjamin's cousin Jared Mayhew, known as "Maccabeus". A series of joint Manticore-Grayson counterstrikes destroyed the Masadan fleet and advanced bases before the Masadans turned on the Havenites and seized control of the Havenite battlecruiser PNS Saladin (or Thunder of God, as the Masadans called her). Thunder of God's destruction by Honor Harrington's squadron marked the end of the last Grayson-Masada War, as a task force led by Admiral Hamish Alexander invaded and seized Masada.

In later novels it became known that Masada was placed under a Manticoran protectorate. The planet is under Manticoran military administration, led by General Marcel. Masada is in a constant state of violence, forcing the Manticoran occupation to declare martial law. The murder of Masadan church officials and husbands (usually by their wives) is common. The most famous of these was the grotesque but "artistic" murder of former Elder Simonds by his wives; it should be noted that not all of Simonds' body parts have been accounted for. A joint Manticore-Grayson fleet squadron pickets the Endicott System.

Masada has shown a history of off-world terrorism. A group of Masadan terrorists (unknowingly in Havenite pay) have been responsible for the destruction of the Manticoran royal yacht HMS Queen Adrienne, resulting in the deaths of Manticore's Prime Minister Allen Summervale, Earl Gold Peak (Manticore's Foreign Secretary), the Chancellor of Grayson, Henry Prestwick and many other major figures of both Grayson and Manticoran governments. Another Masadan terrorist group was responsible for the attempted -- and failed -- kidnapping of Ruth Winton, a member of the Manticoran royal family whose father was a Masadan privateer, on The Wages of Sin space station in Erewhon orbit. In addition, Masadans often find their ways onto the crews of pirate vessels.