Miles Naismith Vorkosigan comes of age. After failing the Barrayaran Military Academy physicals, the brittle-boned, dwarfish son of Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan uses a clever touch of creativity to finance a shipment of munitions into a war zone. When the simple merchant expedition draws the attention of an unexpected enemy, Miles is forced to masquerade as commander of a fictional fleet of hired guns he names after the mountains near his home--the Dendarii Mercenaries. His original crew of misfits grows into a considerable force as enemies become allies, guided by the delicate political maneuverings Miles learned from his father.
