Flag in Exile

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Flag in Exile

Author	David Weber
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Honor Harrington series
Genre(s)	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Baen Books
Publication date	1995
Media type	Print (Paperback)
ISBN	ISBN 0-671-31980-9
Preceded by	Field of Dishonor
Followed by	Honor Among Enemies

Flag in Exile is the fifth Honor Harrington novel by David Weber. In the story, the disgraced Honor enters a self-imposed exile on Grayson.

[edit] Plot summary

After the scandal caused by killing Pavel Young in a duel, Honor retreats to Grayson until things settle down on Manticore. She intends to oversee the development of her Steading, and overcome the death of Paul Tankersley.

Honor struggles with the survivor's guilt her many battles have left her with, but soon finds that she cannot afford to dwell on her emotions. The events surrounding her last adventure on Grayson (see The Honor of the Queen) have caused political turmoil on the reactionary planet. Even though she has the support of Protector Benjamin Mayhew IX and the Grayson government and the respect and gratitude of the people of Grayson, several of her fellow Steadholders refuse to accept her and plot to bring down Mayhew's reforms.

As the people struggle with feminism, new technology and increased foreign relations, these Steadholders resort to terrorism to achieve their ends; they sabotage a dome which was being built and financed by Honor, the dome collapses and kills dozens of young children. She must then uphold her honor against these smear campaigns and survive several attempts at murder.

With the war between Manticore and Haven still raging, the fast-expanding but still inexperienced Grayson Space Navy needs someone to put it in fighting shape. Honor is eventually given the rank of Admiral in the Grayson navy and command of a superdreadnought squadron. She conducts her squadron and the rest of her adoptive nation's fleet through several battle exercises, but the hardest trial of the Grayson navy is yet to come, as a Havenite invasion fleet attacks the system.

The book's depiction of Alfredo Yu, the redeemed ex-Havenite admiral, starts the series' trend towards showing the Havenites as not evil on a personal level.