Javier Giscard
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Javier Giscard is a fictional character in David Weber's Honor Harrington series of novels.
An admiral in the People's Navy, Javier Giscard was once one of Alfredo Yu's students. By the beginning of Haven's war with Manticore Giscard had the rank of Commander, as his career was slowed down by his not being a Legislaturalist. Prior to the war, Giscard served as the Havenite naval attaché to Manticore and as instructor in the Havenite Naval Academy, where he became an advocate of commerce warfare.
Robert S. Pierre's coup and the virtual elimination of the Legislaturalist helped Giscard to rise from his position to the rank of Admiral in a mere six years. As Haven's resident expert on commerce warfare, Giscard was given a task force to raid Manticoran shipping in the Silesian Confederacy, but the Royal Navy defeated his forces and he was recalled back to Haven.
Giscard and his People's Commissioner, Eloise Pritchart became lovers, adding another dangerous element to the Admiral's career. Nevertheless, Esther McQueen, the Havenite Secretary of War, named Giscard as commander of Twelfth Fleet, a special force tasked with raiding several systems allied to Manticore in what was known as Operation Icarus. Giscard himself led a Twelfth Fleet task force which raided the Manticoran system of Basilisk; the first attack on Manticoran territory in centuries. The raid was successful, devastating the system's entire space industrial facilities, even though some of Giscard's forces were destroyed by Admiral White Haven.
After McQueen's attempted coup, Giscard is recalled to Haven along with Admiral Lester Tourville, most likely to be arrested and executed. However, Thomas Theisman's successful coup and Shannon Foraker's sabotage of the StateSec warships sent to escort him saved the Admiral from death.
With the Republic of Haven restored, Javier Giscard rose up to become one of the Republican Navy's top admirals, fighting remnants of StateSec throughout the Republic (while continuing his relationship with Eloise Pritchart, who became President of Haven) . During Operation Thunderbolt, Giscard commanded First Fleet and attacked San Martin, but was forced to withdraw after finding the system reinforced by a powerful Grayson fleet.
Giscard is killed aboard his flaship, RNS Sovereign of Space, at the Battle of Lovat, while fighting against Admiral Honor Harrington's Eighth Fleet.
