Uncompromising Honor (Honor Harrington, #14)

by David Weber

He still had few details, but an entire cluster of independent Verge star systems had proclaimed a new entity that sounded a lot more like a star nation than the simple “collective security association” it claimed to be. His analysts—even Brandy Spraker—were scrambling to put together the details about this “Renaissance Factor,” but the name seemed ominous. And everything his people did know about it at this point suggested the Republic of Mannerheim was the driving force behind the Renaissance Factor’s emergence. That was worrisome, especially in light of the fact that the Mannerheim System-Defense Force was far more potent than most Verge navies. That meant the Renaissance Factor could provide the sort of regional security umbrella only OFS had previously provided. And a government run by their neighbors, people from their own region, has to be more attractive to neobarbs in the Protectorates than OFS ever was, he thought sourly, glancing at MacArtney. And I’ll bet Barregos and what’s his name—Hurskainen—are only the first snowflakes of winter. If we don’t get a handle on this situation soon, prove our navy’s still the eight hundred-kilo gorilla, despite any temporary setbacks, the process will only accelerate. For that matter, some of the member systems that don’t like the new tax amendment are likely to go looking for safe havens outside the League to avoid paying up. And if we haven’t established that we can compel them to behave…

Still unresolved after "To End in Fire'!