The Adler system was captured by the Manticoran Alliance in the sixth year of the war, following the capture of Trevor's Star. Although the resources of the People's Navy were too stretched by the defence of Barnett and preparations to re-take Trevor's Star to permit the diversion of a strong enough force to re-take the system permanently at that time, a strong reconnaissance force was despatched to the area under the command of Citizen Rear Admiral Lester Tourville. In a stunning display of skill and daring the People's Navy entered the system on a ballistic course and entirely evaded the warning systems of the imperialist exploiters. The Manticoran Navy, overconfident after its recent success at Trevor's Star, had concentrated almost its whole force close to Samovar, and was totally unprepared for the attack.
A chance radar contact alerted the Manicorans to the PN presence, but this served only to seal their own fate as the People's Navy, unlike their slothful enemies, had been alert for just such a chance. The radar contact allowed them to precisely isolate the Manticoran position and an overwhelming and expertly directed missile salvo was launched at the enemy within thirty seconds of detection. This, and a second follow-up salvo sufficed to completely destroy the enemy force without a single shot being returned at the glorious People's Navy. Six heavy cruisers, ten light cruisers and nine destroyers were destroyed, and later operations resulted in the destruction of two destroyers and the capture of a freighter routed into the system.
However, the greatest coup for the Task Force came with the capture some days later of the Manticoran heavy cruiser "Prince Adrian", for among those aboard were Commodore Honor Harrington RMN and several of her senior staff. Commodore (then Commander) Harrington was responsible for the destruction of the People's Merchant Service Ship "Sirius" and the murder of her crew at Basilisk several years before the war. Manticore (predictably) refused to extradite her, making ludicrous claims that the ship was involved in an uprising of the indigenous population of the planet. Manticoran forces put down the rebellion with characteristic brutality, slaughtering several thousands of the population, and the destruction of the "Sirius" was a transparent attempt to draw attention away from their barbarous action and lay the blame elsewhere. Commander Harrington was tried "in absentia" and sentenced to death. State Sec has not yet decided whether she should be treated as a prisoner of war or a convicted criminal.
The information above is provided by the Office of Public Information at the direction of Citizen Committeewoman Cordelia Ransome, Committee for Public Safety,
Written by Kevin Logan, based on the information set out in "In Enemy Hands" and "On Basilisk Station" by David M Weber, Baen Books, New York, ISBN 0-671-57770-0 and 0-671-72163-1