The Warrior's Apprentice

1986

Miles Vorkosigan is the only son of Lord Aral and Lady Cordelia. He was badly damaged whilst still in the womb when a terrorist weapon went astray.He grows up with a badly damaged skeletal structure and badly dwarfed, which leads to accusations of mutation - a death call in many parts of Barrayar. His dearest wish is to join the military and follow in the distinguished footsteps of his father and grandfather. However, the weakness in his bones meant that he failed the entrance exams to the Academy and so he's left in a vacuum.

Count Piotr, his illustrious grandfather dies as his hopes in his damaged grandson are shattered.

Not sure what to do with the rest of his life, Miles, along with his bodyguard and his bodyguard's beautiful daughter, decide to visit his Betan grandmother. However, they barely get through customs before Mile's attention is drawn to an unusual dispute that ends up with him pledging his inheritance against an obsolete starship.

From there, things rapidly spiral out of even Mile's control as the little group, augmented by a Barrayaran deserter, find themselves gunrunning!

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