Brothers in Arms

1989

Whilst on the run from Cetagandan hit squads, Miles and the Dendararii find themselves on Earth where they are forced to halt for repair and (quite) a bit of recuperation.

Unfortunately, they are also out of funds so the Fleet Accountant has to resort to financial chicanery in order to finance all the necessary repairs.

Affairs are complicated by the fact that when Miles requests funding from Barrayar's Terran Embassy, there is no way that the embassy can supply the necessary funds. The security chief decides that Miles ought to be made part of his staff rather than left to run around with his mercenaries. Just to fill Miles' cup to overflowing, Ivan had somehow been sent to Earth in order to gain some social polish. To totally flood Miles' cup all over, his new boss was a Komarran. In charge of the Butcher of Komar's only son.

So when the Dendarii's payroll fails to turn up a second time, Miles' suspicions began to be awakened. When the Security Chief goes missing in turn, Miles begins to get paranoid delusions of a massive scale. Delusions not helped by the occasional sightings he had of himself in the mirrors dressed in the wrong uniform.

But not even those come close to matching the truth!

(It's out there - Honest!)

---