No one wanted another war.

Thomas Theisman didn't. Not after risking his life to overthrow the Committee of Public Safety's reign of terror and restore the Republic of Haven's ancient Constitution.

Baron High Ridge didn't. The Prime Minister of Manticore was perfectly happy with the war he had. No one was shooting anyone else at the moment, and his government could continue to milk all those "hostilities only" tax measures for their own partisan projects.

His Imperial Majesty Gustav didn't. Now that the fighting between the Star Kingdom and the Havenites had ended, the Andermani Emperor had his own plans for Silesia.

Protector Benjamin didn't. His people had made too deep a commitment to the Manticoran Alliance to risk seeing it all thrown away.

And Honor Harrington certainly didn't. The Salamander knew too much about how much war cost.

Unfortunately, what they wanted didn't matter....