This post's authors have general content warnings that might apply to the current post.
View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Time goes by. Linya, who already quietly turned nineteen, turns twenty. She collects an accelerated master's degree in neuroscience and starts corresponding with various people on the subject.
Pens spread out; the next time Miles sees Elli he gets a white standard-model pen she bought him on Escobar. She has one too; it's silver. She loves it and thanks him for recommending it to her. (She has bought a whole boxful to unload at a markup on the next planet or station she comes to that doesn't have them yet, but doesn't explicitly mention this in case he objects to her cutting into Lady Vorkosigan's margins.)
Miles also has one actual courier mission in there, just escorting a diplomatic pouch from Pol back home, to pad his service record for the less-cleared eye.
There is a visit to a clinic to collect and mystically join gametes, and Linya collects the resulting assembly in data format for editing. She does the grey eyes first and estimates that if she doesn't particularly hurry she'll have a Little Aral What-the-Heck-Should-His-Middle-Name-Be all ready to put in a replicator in two or three years, though she can accelerate that considerably if something comes up urgently requiring the presence of Little Aral sooner rather than later.
And then Miles gets sent off again and is gone for a very long time.
isthisart
thisvorlunatic
"On occasion," he agrees, favouring her with a charming smile. Admiral Naismith, of course, has no superiors to restrict his contact with the press.
thisvorlunatic
"A very good question, which the London police will no doubt seek to answer," he says. "My private theory is that it was Cetagandans, irate with me after we dealt them a recent embarrassment in an operation I will not discuss. But of course I have no proof," he gestures eloquently to the uninformative splatter of intermingled fragments of truck and truck operators, "so perhaps you'd best not quote me on that."
"You don't think they were Barrayarans?" she wonders, making no remark either way as to whether she should quote him on that.
thisvorlunatic
"By asking the Barrayarans? Not the most reliable of sources on this subject, I'm afraid."
"The Barrayarans among others... The Dendarii Free Mercenary Fleet is officially registered out of Jackson's Whole, is it not?"
"Of course. With your permission, Admiral, I'd love to do an in-depth feature on you. I think our viewers would be fascinated."
thisvorlunatic
"I'm sure they would," Miles agrees. "But the Dendarii do not seek publicity. It seems too likely to do us more harm than good."
"You personally, then. Nothing current. Your origins - I already know who you were cloned from, but not the details of why, or your upbringing. What was that like?"
thisvorlunatic
"Unpleasant," he says shortly. "Of all the ways there are to come into this world, mine was not the happiest." True enough... "If you want a dangerous and slightly sickening story to fascinate your viewers, may I recommend the civilian illegal cloning business to your attention? My own story is only one of many. Widen your focus, and thereby your opportunities." He makes an expansive gesture.
"It's been done," she shrugs. "If you work closely with me, of course you can have input into the feature... otherwise, though, you're news."
thisvorlunatic
"The practices still go on. Evidently not enough has been done." He glances over at the police groundcar... oh dear. "Excuse me, Ms. Vallerie. Duty calls." He flashes her a brief smile and beelines for Elli, who appears to be getting arrested.
spacetobreathe
Vallerie jogs in the direction of her vid-man.
Elli seems relatively unperturbed for someone who's getting arrested. "No big deal, sir," she tells Miles, "I've been arrested before."
Elli seems relatively unperturbed for someone who's getting arrested. "No big deal, sir," she tells Miles, "I've been arrested before."
thisvorlunatic
"But I don't want you to be arrested now," he says, and turns to the arresting officer. "Commander Quinn is my personal bodyguard, on duty, and it could not be more clear that I require her to stay that way!"
thisvorlunatic
"Fine," grumbles Miles. "Fuck... I'll see you later, Quinn. I have to get topside for a shower and a change and hopefully not minor surgery." He waves unhappily and peels off to head for the shuttle before the police can decide to ground it.
spacetobreathe
Off goes Elli.
The Dendarii are of course more than happy to bring Miles up to the Triumph.
The Dendarii are of course more than happy to bring Miles up to the Triumph.
thisvorlunatic
Where he showers, and changes, and consults the fleet surgeon again. She diagnoses a hairline fracture in his left scapula, which explains the agonizing pain whenever he tries to move that arm; he submits to electro-stim and a plastic immobilizer for the arm, which she grudgingly allows that he can take off for his bank appointment later in the afternoon, as long as it stays on for the entire intervening time.
Right. He has a couple of hours before he has to meet Lieutenant Bone and head downside for their bank meeting; he goes looking for Captain Elena Bothari-Jesek, who out of the three Dendarii who know his true identity is the one who is neither currently under arrest in London nor wanted for a capital crime on Barrayar.
Right. He has a couple of hours before he has to meet Lieutenant Bone and head downside for their bank meeting; he goes looking for Captain Elena Bothari-Jesek, who out of the three Dendarii who know his true identity is the one who is neither currently under arrest in London nor wanted for a capital crime on Barrayar.
armswoman
Elena does a combination wave/salute when he comes in, smiling the smile of someone who is in the background very concerned about money.
thisvorlunatic
Aren't they all.
Miles shoos a couple of stray techs out of the wardroom; they clear off, leaving him alone with Elena.
"I've got a security mission for you," he says. "Extremely secret. You're the only person I have right now who can do the job. I need you to get on the fastest available commercial transport to Tau Ceti, and take a message from me - Lieutenant Vorkosigan me - to ImpSec Sector HQ at the embassy there. I have... concerns... about my official line of communication through my commanding officer, and I want you to double-check that someone in that string has not walked off with our eighteen million marks."
Miles shoos a couple of stray techs out of the wardroom; they clear off, leaving him alone with Elena.
"I've got a security mission for you," he says. "Extremely secret. You're the only person I have right now who can do the job. I need you to get on the fastest available commercial transport to Tau Ceti, and take a message from me - Lieutenant Vorkosigan me - to ImpSec Sector HQ at the embassy there. I have... concerns... about my official line of communication through my commanding officer, and I want you to double-check that someone in that string has not walked off with our eighteen million marks."
thisvorlunatic
"I know," he says. "But who else am I going to send? Elli got arrested for saving me from an assassination attempt an hour ago. Baz is still officially wanted for desertion. And I've waited too long already. I should have done this ten days ago, the first time the money didn't show."