510:
the vessel and use it to either protect the Kos until its escorts returned with reinforcements or destroy it. During a meeting with Suiza to discuss how to suppress the commandos, the spoken-of commandos attack, cutting off most of the senior personnel with poison gas. They escape the cabin with the injured captain and link up with some personnel who had made it to the security lockers before the
Bloodhorde. They conclude that to lead an effective resistance, they have to lead it from the T-1 arm of the Kos. But all the arms have been locked off from the core by the Bloodhorde. So, they decide to go
522:
overcome the few commandos in the core and regain control easily - most of the commandos had gone to T-4 to eliminate the resistance there. The crew in T-4 had used their grace time profitably, arranging an elaborate drama for the benefit of the commandos, intended to convince them that they were fighting - and defeating - the ill-prepared armed resistance of the
Familias crew. The drama lures them to the repair bay, where (elated by their success), they don spacesuits and sortie out to welcome their warship into the repair bay.
66:
25:
497:. Forward of the mine, some 25 crew members are discovered knocked out by sleeping-gas and are taken into the hospital facilities. Despite their location, open to space, they are uniformly uninjured, and eventually scattered across the Kos to help out. One interacts with Suiza. His manner strikes her as drastically unlike that of a Fleet member, and more reminiscent of
168:
525:
There it is trapped by an extremely strong adhesive. The two other warships dock without being trapped, and debark their crew in EVA suits. The robots used for painting vessels attack them, blinding and immobilizing them. The two still-mobile
Bloodhorde ships are commandeered and the three remaining
476:
is repairable, but is incapable of further safe FTL jumps. So the Kos goes out to meet it, since it is in the neighborhood, although the danger of pulling the Kos out of its normal routes and so near
Bloodhorde space is very real. Suiza is sent by Major Pitak to take pictures of the forward section
451:
Meanwhile, some mendacious and greedy civilian contractors for the Fleet have agreed to carry out a job for the barbarian space-warriors of the
Bloodhorde: they would take a Fleet contract to rekey the command sequences of various missiles, and when they were aboard the specified massive Deep Space
442:
Back home on
Altiplano, Esmay is honored with Altiplano's highest award, the Starmount, although she remains convinced that she was not really a hero, that it was blind luck. While talking with an old soldier who had served under her father (one of the four highest military commanders on Altiplano)
509:
With the Kos' FTL drive apparently broken and its self-destruct disabled, the higher-ups decide on a risky strategy of detaching the section of Kos containing most of the intruders, and ambushing the expected follow-up wave of
Bloodhorde; while that wave was preoccupied boarding, they would attack
489:
was brought into one of the Kos's repair bays and then detonate; this would incapacitate the Kos and make it easy meat for the waiting
Bloodhorde assault group. Thanks to Suiza's presence of mind, the mine is safely disarmed. But all is not well. The Bloodhorde's plan is remarkably subtle (for the
447:
by one of her father's subordinates; the family friend knew this sordid tale because he had been the one to kill that subordinate, whose politically connected father meant any trial was infeasible. He felt free to tell her since he assumed that Suiza's father's coverup had failed to convince Suiza
529:
Barin
Serrano is discovered alive, but much abused in mind and body. Suiza is no less discomfited by her nightmares and anxieties. She and Barin begin going to psychiatric care. Eventually Suiza begins to work through her phobia of sexual contact and assuming leadership. She transfers to "command
521:
Led by Suiza, the crew of T-1 determine to retake the Kos and ambush their ambushers. When the intruders relax their guard of the bridge, one of the bridge crew women risks her life to re-open the doors to the core (and by extension, enabling an assault on the bridge). The prepared security teams
505:
officers recognize them, it is concluded that Kos has been boarded by
Bloodhorde commandos seeking to capture the DSR and massively upgrade the Bloodhorde's industrial infrastructure and especially its military construction capability, greatly increasing its killing power. The captain immediately
459:
After catching a resupply vehicle to the Kos, Suiza is assigned to a Major Pitak in Hulls and Architecture; Pitak immediately begins running Esmay ragged with errands and learning everything she needs to know about spaceship structural design and how to repair and fix vessels. In her spare time,
438:
Suiza is not immediately praised and feted for her heroism, however, for her actions demand official scrutiny. Thorough and complete, neither the Board of Inquiry nor the court-martial find Suiza guilty of anything, and so she is allowed to take a vacation before her next assignment.
242:
467:
As the months pass by Suiza settles in; so do the traitorous civilian contractors who productively improve the hours by disabling the self-destruct without tripping the monitors. Inevitably, the Bloodhorde launches its attack, crippling the patrol ship
431:, even overlapping partially, but the focus distinctly shifts to young Esmay Suiza, who came to prominence after successfully leading a mutiny against her traitorous captain and intervening to decisive effect in the Battle of Xavier (as
443:
and was a family friend, she learns that the nightmares and her dislike of command and horses were psychological trauma from when, as a child, she had ventured into a warzone seeking her father. She had been waylaid and
452:
Repair vessel, covertly disable its self-destruct mechanism. This job would pave the way for the Bloodhorde boarding team. By a remarkable coincidence, it is this very same DSR, the
506:
orders everybody's identification checked against their DNA and fresh IDs issued. During the change-over, the Bloodhorde kidnaps Barin Serrano, taking him as a hostage.
501:
she had known. After making inquiries as to their location (most had vanished), whether they were injured at all like they should have been, and whether any senior
389:
632:
448:
that the memories were merely nightmares during an illness or fragments of her imagination. This revelation precipitates a break with her father.
178:
83:
38:
627:
351:
221:
203:
149:
52:
477:
of the hull to ascertain the full extent of the damage. Suiza discovers instead the first prong of the Bloodhorde plan: a massive
130:
102:
87:
622:
109:
515:
116:
637:
511:
295:
44:
98:
76:
376:
573:
460:
Suiza slowly begins assembling a circle of friends, especially one Ensign Barin Serrano (last seen in
444:
409:
123:
551:
358:
346:
602:
412:
280:
464:
hand-delivering a message to Heris Serrano from Vida Serrano before the Battle of Xavier).
578:
405:
252:
490:
Bloodhorde): though the first prong has been deflected, the second was yet to strike.
616:
546:
262:
241:
291:
65:
478:
305:
408:. It is the first of the three books of the Esmay Suiza trilogy in Moon's
498:
365:
514:
and go around. During the EVA excursions, the Kos is jumped through
493:
After the mine is disposed of, repairs continue in earnest on the
161:
59:
18:
359:
415:
universe, following the three of the Heris Serrano trilogy.
188:
by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise.
185:
526:
Bloodhorde are easily destroyed, and the day saved.
384:
371:
357:
345:
337:
329:
321:
311:
301:
287:
276:
268:
258:
248:
90:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
456:("Kos" for short) which Suiza is assigned to.
8:
234:
600:Cushman, Carolyn (January 1997). "Review".
53:Learn how and when to remove these messages
240:
233:
222:Learn how and when to remove this message
204:Learn how and when to remove this message
150:Learn how and when to remove this message
530:track" and becomes intimate with Barin.
538:
283:; informally, the Esmay Suiza trilogy
7:
88:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
34:This article has multiple issues.
333:Print (hardback & paperback)
179:too long or excessively detailed
166:
64:
23:
633:American science fiction novels
75:needs additional citations for
42:or discuss these issues on the
404:is a science fiction novel by
1:
175:This article's plot summary
485:, programmed to wait until
16:1997 book by Elizabeth Moon
654:
239:
628:Novels by Elizabeth Moon
296:Military science fiction
99:"Once a Hero" novel
623:1997 American novels
84:improve this article
390:Rules of Engagement
236:
552:Publishers Weekly
427:directly follows
423:Chronologically,
397:
396:
322:Publication place
259:Cover artist
232:
231:
224:
214:
213:
206:
160:
159:
152:
134:
57:
645:
638:Baen Books books
608:
607:
597:
591:
590:
588:
587:
570:
564:
563:
561:
560:
543:
413:Familias Regnant
385:Followed by
372:Preceded by
361:
313:Publication date
281:Familias Regnant
244:
237:
227:
220:
209:
202:
198:
195:
189:
170:
169:
162:
155:
148:
144:
141:
135:
133:
92:
68:
60:
49:
27:
26:
19:
653:
652:
648:
647:
646:
644:
643:
642:
613:
612:
611:
599:
598:
594:
585:
583:
572:
571:
567:
558:
556:
545:
544:
540:
536:
481:was planted on
421:
330:Media type
314:
228:
217:
216:
215:
210:
199:
193:
190:
186:help improve it
183:
171:
167:
156:
145:
139:
136:
93:
91:
81:
69:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
651:
649:
641:
640:
635:
630:
625:
615:
614:
610:
609:
592:
579:Kirkus Reviews
565:
537:
535:
532:
462:Winning Colors
433:Winning Colors
429:Winning Colors
420:
417:
406:Elizabeth Moon
395:
394:
386:
382:
381:
377:Winning Colors
373:
369:
368:
363:
355:
354:
349:
343:
342:
339:
335:
334:
331:
327:
326:
323:
319:
318:
315:
312:
309:
308:
303:
299:
298:
289:
285:
284:
278:
274:
273:
270:
266:
265:
260:
256:
255:
253:Elizabeth Moon
250:
246:
245:
230:
229:
212:
211:
194:September 2009
174:
172:
165:
158:
157:
72:
70:
63:
58:
32:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
650:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
620:
618:
605:
604:
596:
593:
581:
580:
575:
574:"Once a Hero"
569:
566:
554:
553:
548:
547:"Once a Hero"
542:
539:
533:
531:
527:
523:
519:
517:
513:
507:
504:
500:
496:
491:
488:
484:
480:
475:
471:
465:
463:
457:
455:
449:
446:
440:
436:
434:
430:
426:
418:
416:
414:
411:
407:
403:
402:
393:
391:
387:
383:
380:
378:
374:
370:
367:
364:
362:
356:
353:
352:0-671-87871-9
350:
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
328:
325:United States
324:
320:
316:
310:
307:
304:
300:
297:
293:
290:
286:
282:
279:
275:
271:
267:
264:
261:
257:
254:
251:
247:
243:
238:
226:
223:
208:
205:
197:
187:
182:
180:
173:
164:
163:
154:
151:
143:
132:
129:
125:
122:
118:
115:
111:
108:
104:
101: –
100:
96:
95:Find sources:
89:
85:
79:
78:
73:This article
71:
67:
62:
61:
56:
54:
47:
46:
41:
40:
35:
30:
21:
20:
601:
595:
584:. Retrieved
582:. 2010-05-10
577:
568:
557:. Retrieved
555:. 1997-03-03
550:
541:
528:
524:
520:
508:
502:
494:
492:
486:
482:
473:
469:
466:
461:
458:
453:
450:
441:
437:
432:
428:
424:
422:
419:Plot summary
400:
399:
398:
388:
375:
263:Gary Ruddell
235:Once a Hero
218:
200:
191:
176:
146:
137:
127:
120:
113:
106:
94:
82:Please help
77:verification
74:
50:
43:
37:
36:Please help
33:
425:Once a Hero
401:Once a Hero
292:Space opera
140:August 2019
617:Categories
586:2019-08-10
559:2019-08-10
534:References
516:hyperspace
435:records).
306:Baen Books
110:newspapers
39:improve it
499:commandos
454:Koskiusko
410:fictional
302:Publisher
45:talk page
445:molested
366:38888544
269:Language
272:English
184:Please
177:may be
124:scholar
503:Wraith
495:Wraith
487:Wraith
483:Wraith
474:Wraith
470:Wraith
392:
379:
277:Series
249:Author
126:
119:
112:
105:
97:
603:Locus
338:Pages
288:Genre
131:JSTOR
117:books
479:mine
360:OCLC
347:ISBN
317:1997
103:news
512:EVA
341:400
86:by
619::
576:.
549:.
518:.
472:.
48:.
606:.
589:.
562:.
294:/
225:)
219:(
207:)
201:(
196:)
192:(
181:.
153:)
147:(
142:)
138:(
128:·
121:·
114:·
107:·
80:.
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
