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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
"I would," says the captain, "appreciate your report very much, Lieutenant, having never heard of this outfit and finding my Security files to contain only three things about the Dendarii - they are not to be attacked; they are to be rendered requested emergency assistance with all due speed; and for further information I must apply to Sector Two Security Headquarters."
thisvorlunatic
"Oh—right," says Miles, "this is only a Class III embassy. Um. Well, Sector Two HQ being a ten-day round trip away, I can fill you in on the basics in the meantime... the Dendarii are kept on retainer for highly covert operations where ImpSec either can't get enough of the right people on the job in time to get it done, or can't risk it being known that ImpSec's people are on the job at all. Dagoola fulfilled both criteria. I get my orders from Captain Illyan, who gets them from whoever needs something done - the Emperor, the General Staff, himself - and then I take the Dendarii and go carry them out. An extremely short chain of command, but it has to be, for secrecy - I could count on," he adds them up in his head, "one hand each the number of people who fully understand the connection on Barrayar and among the Dendarii respectively. Not including myself."
"This isn't in your official dossier," says the captain, looking over Miles's admiral's uniform. "You're a little young for your rank, ah, Admiral, at twenty-four."
thisvorlunatic
"It's a long," and classified, "story," says Miles. "You can think of me as a figurehead. The real brains of the outfit is one of my senior officers, Commodore Tung." Currently taking a much-delayed leave of absence to visit his Earthborn extended family, much though Miles may miss him. At least Tung is neither as indispensable as Miles is implying, nor likely to be needed for his military expertise during this peaceful stopover.
thisvorlunatic
Miles conceals a wince at Galeni's tone.
"She's one of the Dendarii handful - three people who were there in the beginning, and unavoidably learned my identity in the process. Since Illyan wants me to maintain a bodyguard at all times, Commander Quinn fills that role whenever I have to switch identities. A duty which she performs with admirable skill and integrity."
"She's one of the Dendarii handful - three people who were there in the beginning, and unavoidably learned my identity in the process. Since Illyan wants me to maintain a bodyguard at all times, Commander Quinn fills that role whenever I have to switch identities. A duty which she performs with admirable skill and integrity."
Galeni sighs, inspects his fingernails, and says, "Well, Lieutenant. I'm going to apply to Sector Two Security. And if I find that this is a Vor lordling's practical joke, I will do my level best to see you charged for it, regardless of who your father is."
thisvorlunatic
"I'll explain later," Miles murmurs to Elli; then he turns his attention back to Galeni, with all the respect for military hierarchy he can muster. "I must get in touch with my acctual superiors, Captain Galeni. I have no idea what my next orders even are."
thisvorlunatic
...whoops.
"Of course, sir," says Miles, trying to tamp down his reflexive singsong chirp into a grave neutrality. "What are my orders?"
"Of course, sir," says Miles, trying to tamp down his reflexive singsong chirp into a grave neutrality. "What are my orders?"
"While we all await clarification," Galeni sighs, "I suppose I'll have to add you to my staff. Third assistant military attaché."
thisvorlunatic
"Perfect, thank you, sir. Admiral Naismith could use a break from existing at the moment. The Cetagandans put a price on his head after he embarrassed them at Dagoola. I've had two close calls since."
thisvorlunatic
"I don't find four dead and sixteen wounded soldiers under my command amusing in the slightest," says Miles.
thisvorlunatic
Right. Miles sighs. "Yes, sir. As long as I can make Commander Quinn my go-between to the Dendarii."
thisvorlunatic
"Because they're my people, sir. Look, all I really need before Admiral Naismith departs into the woodwork is to pay some bills. I can wrap up this mission as soon as I deliver the money they're expecting."