• Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington
• Nightfall
• From the Highlands
• Changer of Worlds
"Nightfall", written by David Weber, is the second story in the third Honorverse anthology Changer of Worlds, published in 2001.
Recounting the events surrounding Esther McQueen's coup attempt and Oscar Saint-Just's subsequent accession to power, it was most likely originally part of the novel Ashes of Victory, but was cut to save space.
Plot[]
The ambitious Havenite Admiral Esther McQueen carefully plans a coup against the Committee of Public Safety. She wants to wait till all preparations are made, but is forced to make her move before time when news arrives that StateSec director Oscar Saint-Just prepares to have her arrested and tried with falsified evidence. Her troops fight against StateSec forces commanded by Saint-Just throughout the streets of the capital city of Nouveau Paris.
Robert Pierre is killed in the fighting. The overthrow of the Committee seems imminent and civil war is about to break loose in the People's Republic of Haven, until Oscar Saint-Just destroys the rebels by blowing up the Octagon with a hidden nuclear warhead, killing 1,300,000 citizens of the city along with them.
In the end, General Rachel Speer, commander of the StateSec Ground Forces in the area, screens Saint-Just to confirm the detonation, calling him "Citizen Chairman", thus recognizing him as the new leader of the People's Republic of Haven.
References[]
Characters[]
Adamson | Azhari | Bouchard | Ivan Bukato | Kevin Caminetti | Gerard Conflans | Angelica Constantine | Gregory Constantine | Wanda Farley | Hannah Flanders | Erasmus Fontein | Amanda Graveson | Alina Gricou | Henderson | Esther McQueen | Amos Parnell | Rob S. Pierre | Rubin | Oscar Saint-Just | Rachel Speer | John Stillman | Mikis Tsakakis | Yazov | Yuan
Planets[]
Other[]
Bank Shot | Capital Fleet | Committee of Public Safety | Leveler Rising | Nouveau Paris | Octagon | Office of State Security | State Security Ground Forces