Mark Vorkosigan hijacks a ship of the Dendarii Mercenaries and flies to the outlaw planet, Jackson's Whole, to destroy the clone creches where he was raised. The mission goes wrong and Miles, his host clonebrother, has to mount a rescue. "Not everyone would envy young Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, even though he had formed his own mercenary fleet before attending the naval academy, and even though his mother was the beautiful Cordelia, the ship...

"Vorkosigan is having enough trouble keeping his two identities separate--the charismatic Admiral Naismith of the Denarii Mercenary Fleet and a Vor lord of the Barrayan aristocracy--when assassination attempts begin. But are his enemies after Miles Naismith or Lord Miles Vorkosigan? As if things weren't bad enough, the problem of split identities becomes even more confused when a clone of Miles is discovered"--Back cover.

Restored to life after being pronounced dead, Miles Vorkosigan realizes that the event has left him with a profound weakness, and he is dismissed from his job. But things are further complicated when he remembers something that he saw while dead.

"Captain Ivan Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor's life of a staff officer to a Barrayaran Admiral. Ivan, cousin to Imperial troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan, is not far down the hereditary list for the emperorship. Thankfully, new heirs have directed that headache elsewhere leaving Ivan to enjoy life on Komarr. But when an old friend in Barrayaran intelligence asks Ivan to protect an attractive young woman, Tej Arqua, his chivalrous...

In the wake of interplanetary war, former commander Cordelia Naismith has deserted her own planet to marry the leader of the defeated enemy, Aral Vorkosigan. On his home planet of Barrayar, two rival factions are eyeing the recently vacated throne, and Aral, recently appointed Regent of Barrayar by the Emperor on his deathbed, must stand between them. As Lord and Lady Vorkosigan, Aral and Cordelia struggle to establish stability in a fragile government...