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Linya gradually feels her way around being proper friends with Ekaterin, not wishing to wreck things with a premature "will you be my Second at my duplicate wedding" request. There is companionable gardening. There is, when Linya and Jocelyn make an unexpected sudden breakthrough in causing the nibs to behave, which holds when they fabricate a prototype and test it out, a fountain pen for Ekaterin. (In addition to Miles's and Count Vorkosigan's. And one for Emperor Gregor, which has got to be worth all the R&D in advertising alone.) When Miles's legs are more or less completely healed, they skip off to Vorkosigan Surleau for a few days and he teaches her to fly a lightflyer, which she enjoys very much and picks up very quickly. Linya writes Miles a song. (It has no words, she doesn't feel up to lyrics, but it is very pretty and slightly different every time she plays/sings it.) With the nibs handled and all the Barrayaran languages learned Linya spends more time reading textbooks and signs up for a university placement exam to see how far ahead into advanced classes on various things she can skip, and awaits her results.
And snuggles her tiny Barrayaran.
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isthisart
thisvorlunatic
"This is Recruit-trainee Asterion," chirps Miles. "He'll be signing on officially as soon as we get topside."
"...yessir," says the pilot, and without further ado she hauls Miles and Asterion up to the Ariel.
whyexit
Where Thorne is delivering an award-winning performance.
"No, you listen, Baron," it's telling Ryoval, "let me tell you what we're doing here in the first place, I told him it was a, what'd I say, wretched hive, scum, villainy, the works, but good old native Betan weapons won't do, he wants to drag us all the way out here and get sidetracked stealing your super-soldier? As if regular soldiers aren't good enough, and if after that he expects us to cough up the kind of money you're talking about -"
"Captain -"
"- I won't hear of it, that comes out of my crew's pockets," Thorne says over Ryoval. "Nope, he's the one who snuck into your facility on a side mission and he didn't leave us near enough spare cash, tightfisted bastard, to put together a ransom that doesn't take from the, I remind you mercenaries, that he hired -"
"Perhaps an alternative arrangement -"
"Look, Baron, at this point I'm inclined to let you have him," snorts Thorne, "after the insult - what, rank-and-file don't look imposing enough in a uniform, do we? - no, no, I think you can keep him, don't bother compiling the footage, we've got other places to be to recover from this fiasco and I've got people to jockey with for a promotion to the empty chair -"
"Captain Thorne -"
"Have lots of fun, Baron," says Thorne, and the comm winks out.
"No, you listen, Baron," it's telling Ryoval, "let me tell you what we're doing here in the first place, I told him it was a, what'd I say, wretched hive, scum, villainy, the works, but good old native Betan weapons won't do, he wants to drag us all the way out here and get sidetracked stealing your super-soldier? As if regular soldiers aren't good enough, and if after that he expects us to cough up the kind of money you're talking about -"
"Captain -"
"- I won't hear of it, that comes out of my crew's pockets," Thorne says over Ryoval. "Nope, he's the one who snuck into your facility on a side mission and he didn't leave us near enough spare cash, tightfisted bastard, to put together a ransom that doesn't take from the, I remind you mercenaries, that he hired -"
"Perhaps an alternative arrangement -"
"Look, Baron, at this point I'm inclined to let you have him," snorts Thorne, "after the insult - what, rank-and-file don't look imposing enough in a uniform, do we? - no, no, I think you can keep him, don't bother compiling the footage, we've got other places to be to recover from this fiasco and I've got people to jockey with for a promotion to the empty chair -"
"Captain Thorne -"
"Have lots of fun, Baron," says Thorne, and the comm winks out.
thisvorlunatic
Miles, haunting the door to Nav and Com well out of range of the vid pickup, applauds lightly.
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful. I am the proudest Admiral who ever lived."
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful. I am the proudest Admiral who ever lived."
whyexit
Thorne grins. "For my encore, I backpedal with Fell, I went to him after Ryoval didn't seem to want to deal in good faith."
thisvorlunatic
"I adore you. You're adorable. Go on, don't let me stop you - by the way, I brought back a stray, Recruit-trainee Asterion is considerably more human than advertised and was invaluable in securing my escape. I sent him off with Laureen for as many square meals as he can fit in his stomach - Ryoval's people have been starving that overengineered metabolism for the past three days, he needs it."
whyexit
"Sure thing, sir," blinks Thorne. "Uh, fair warning, I was casting about for things which might interest Fell and all he wanted was the secret of the Betan rejuv treatment..."
whyexit
"Mm-hm." Thorne double checks the scope of the comm pickup and calls Fell.
"Hullo, Baron. I appreciate your willingness to entertain my request but it turns out we've managed without."
"Hullo, Baron. I appreciate your willingness to entertain my request but it turns out we've managed without."
"Oh?" says the Baron. "A pity... I stood to benefit considerably from that trade." He sighs. "But I admit I'm glad not to give up the quaddie musician. Her musical ability is beyond compare. Unique and precious."
whyexit
"Incomparable, Baron," agrees Thorne. "I won't waste any more of your time."
Thorne ends the call.
"Sir, Nicol's on board - I invited her over when I got back to the ship under cover of philandering - we can saunter right now if there's nothing else. Medtech's here too nice and cozy."
Thorne ends the call.
"Sir, Nicol's on board - I invited her over when I got back to the ship under cover of philandering - we can saunter right now if there's nothing else. Medtech's here too nice and cozy."
thisvorlunatic
"And how'd she take to this cover—? Never mind," says Miles, "an honourable herm doesn't kiss and tell, I'm sure - I'm almost tempted to call Fell back, to deal for her aboveboard now that I know his price, but I'm not sure even I could convince him to trade her for the real secret of the Betan rejuvenation treatment. And you know how convincing I can be. Still, it would certainly be convenient not to have to dodge armed pursuit on our way out of the system."
whyexit
The comm beeps. It's Ryoval.
"...Sir?" asks Thorne. "Suppose armed pursuit is more or less likely if I take this?"
"...Sir?" asks Thorne. "Suppose armed pursuit is more or less likely if I take this?"
thisvorlunatic
Miles moves to the side, to be more sure he's out of the frame of their vid pickup while still being able to see Ryoval should they take the call.
"Take it. I hunger for information," he says.
"Take it. I hunger for information," he says.
whyexit
Thorne answers. "Baron?"
"You lying freak!" roars Ryoval, frothing slightly. "There isn't going to be a bunker deep enough for you or your little mutant admiral to burrow in - I'll put a price on your heads that will have every bounty hunter in the galaxy all over you like a second skin - you'll not eat or sleep - I'll have you -"
"You lying freak!" roars Ryoval, frothing slightly. "There isn't going to be a bunker deep enough for you or your little mutant admiral to burrow in - I'll put a price on your heads that will have every bounty hunter in the galaxy all over you like a second skin - you'll not eat or sleep - I'll have you -"
thisvorlunatic
Ah. Miles smiles slightly, despite a shiver of apprehension. The Baron must have discovered the condition of his freezers, and presumably checked the sub-basement and found his prisoners vanished. But why does Ryoval expect them to escape? They haven't even undocked from Fell Station yet. A simple application of a large sum of money to the problem would surely tempt Fell to hold them for Ryoval's pleasure... Perhaps Miles can find out. He steps into range of the vid pickup.
"Good morning, Baron." Is it morning? It's past midnight, he's pretty sure. Close enough. "I hope it finds you well. And how do you plan to pay all these bounty hunters?"
"Good morning, Baron." Is it morning? It's past midnight, he's pretty sure. Close enough. "I hope it finds you well. And how do you plan to pay all these bounty hunters?"
"Did my dear little brother put you up to this?" hisses Ryoval, wiping some of the excess spittle from the corner of his mouth.
"Baron Fell!" exclaims Ryoval, livid.
thisvorlunatic
"I... was unaware of the relation," says Miles. "Little brother?" He could swear he's heard something about - right, Nicol mentioned Fell's half-brother as a prime suspect in the murder of his clone. Said half-brother presumably being Ryoval... and why did the mission briefing not cover this little wrinkle? All the detail he could desire on the subject of House Bharaputra, who have barely featured in this drama at all, and nothing about the Ryoval-Fell connection. He's going to have some sharp words for Illyan when he gets back. In the meantime, he itches to undock, but he is not yet ready to provoke Fell so openly.
"You're a bad liar," sneers Ryoval. "I knew he had to be behind this. I'll have your head! Shipped frozen in a box! Encased in plastic - better yet, double for the man who brings you back alive - you will die slowly - Or was it House Bharaputra who hired you, trying to block me from cutting into their biologicals monopoly instead of merging as they promised?"
thisvorlunatic
What's this? Miles leans forward slightly, intrigued.
"Really? Would Bharaputra mount a plot against the head of another House? Do you have some personal reason to believe they do that sort of thing? Who killed your brother's clone, Ry? Shall I guess?"
"Really? Would Bharaputra mount a plot against the head of another House? Do you have some personal reason to believe they do that sort of thing? Who killed your brother's clone, Ry? Shall I guess?"
"You know bloody well! But which of them hired you - which?!"
thisvorlunatic
He smirks. "What, can you not believe I was acting on my own? A personal blow against the genetic slave trade, my gift to future generations?"