Tales from the Academy
First Interlude
The tavern had existed almost as long as the city itself. When the Vorbarra clan had selected this spot on the river to make their stronghold, it wasn't long before a small town sprang up and like any town it had a tavern. The original building was long gone, as was the family who had owned it; the location was different, too, but the name was the same and the current owner claimed the originally lineage, tenuous though it was. Few of the patrons cared about the history of the place. The ale it served was very good and that was enough. In addition to the ale, the tavern had a well-deserved reputation for discretion and this was a greater attraction to some. The private rooms upstairs had hatched many a business deal, a murder or three, and even a few rebellions.
Nothing so dramatic was being discussed in one of those rooms on this night. Two men, one young and one old, had spent an hour talking about politics and related matters when the old one said: "So what do you think about this situation at the Academy?"
"Which situation is that?" asked the young one.
"That damn girl they've let in!" snapped the old one. "What did you think I was talking about?"
"Oh that. You're not happy about it, I take it?"
"Of course I'm not! You mean to tell me it doesn't bother you?"
The young man shrugged. "It's not high on my list of things to be upset with the government about, no. I mean we're seeing more and more women in the workplace and other non-traditional roles. This was probably inevitable."
"Something is only inevitable if no one is willing to fight it. And what you said about women in non-traditional roles is precisely my point: this is just another example of encroaching galactic corruption in our society. And you realize who were the chief conspirators backing this, don't you?"
"Countess Vorkosigan and… and…"
"And the Empress! The two most influential women on Barrayar and neither one of them one of us! Haven't you ever wondered about that? First the Regent and then the Emperor seduced by galactic women? It's a plot, I tell you! The rest of the galaxy fears us, they fear our strength and our courage. But they won't meet us in open battle, so they try to weaken us from within. This slow erosion of our ancient values has been going on for decades. This is just the latest example. Fill the military with women!"
"Just one woman so far," pointed out the young one. "And from what I've heard, she's hardly a galactic. Her background's about as Barrayaran as you can get."
"Yes, she's the perfect tool for them! Barrayaran to the core, the family's served in the military for generations. But she's just a silly schoolgirl with a schoolgirl's fantasy. If it hadn't been for the meddling of those other two, they would have just sent her home where she belongs. But if she makes it through she'll just be the first! More and more will want to do it. And that's not even the worst of it! The vast majority who will want to do it will be from Komarr! Imagine a military filled with galactic women! Women officers! It would subvert our entire defense!"
"So what can be done about it? It seems like the political battle is lost, at least for the moment. So that only leaves the girl, herself. From what little I've heard, the other cadets used just about every dirty trick that can be used against a plebe and she survived it all. I'm assuming you don't want to do something so obvious as killing her?"
"No," said the old one, scowling. "I've never had a woman killed and I'm not going to start now. I'm trying to keep our women from getting killed! And it wouldn't do any good in any case: it would only make her a martyr. They'd let more women in just to memorialize her. What's needed is something that would discredit the whole idea of letting women into the military."
"What about a good, old-fashioned sex scandal? She would certainly be a disruptive factor among the cadets, I would think."
"I've considered that," snorted the old one. "And it's something we can keep in our back pocket, but for right now it won't work."
"Why not?"
"Because—believe it or not—right now there aren't any regulations against those sort of shenanigans."
"Really?" laughed the young one. "But no, I don't suppose there would be. With no women in the service there'd be no need for any such regulations—and the powers-that-be would never admit that any shenanigans not involving women are even possible."
"Correct. Those would be covered by the 'conduct unbecoming' regulations. But this is something different and the regulations haven't caught up yet. If they ever do, then perhaps something can be arranged."
"So what do you propose doing in the meantime?"
"I'm not sure…"
[Scene Break]
Colonel Thayer Sylvanus, commandant of the Barrayaran Imperial Service Academy, strode down the corridor of the General Staff Headquarters Building—known as "Ops" to its denizens. His polished boots clicked on the equally polished stone floor. He was here for the annual budget reviews. It was dead boring, but he still appreciated the chance to get back to Vorbarr Sultana and see some old friends. There was one more session this morning and then he was going to have lunch with…
"Colonel, have you got a moment?"
Sylvanus turned and then came to attention when he saw the general's tabs on the undress greens. It was General Vorsworth, the new head of Ops. Another officer, a major, trailed behind him. "Sir?" said Sylvanus.
"Good to see you again, Thayer," said Vorsworth. "You know my aide, Major Vorpatril, don't you?"
He recognized him now, although he'd been a captain the last time he'd seen him. "We've met a few times, I believe, sir."
"I was wondering if you could spare me a few minutes?"
"I have a meeting in about twenty minutes, sir, but I'm free right now." He had been hoping to hit the lavatory, but you can't tell that to a general.
"Good! This won't take long. Walk with me, won't you? Ivan, you can wait here, I'll be back shortly." Vorpatril nodded and stepped over to help hold up the wall. Vorsworth gestured down the corridor and Sylvanus started off, but immediately had to slow his pace. The general was walking slowly and rather stiffly. That's right: he had both hips replaced last year as I recall. I hope I have the sense to retire before I'm in that condition!
"So, how have things been going for you lately, Thayer?" asked Vorsworth.
"Oh, well enough, sir. Running the Academy is quite a challenge, but I enjoy it most of the time."
"Surely! Surely! And it's some of the most important work that anyone can do: molding the next generation of leaders. I don't think enough of the high command understand just how important it is. And I know you've been doing a fine job."
"Kind of you to say so, sir." What's this all about? All during the time when his son was in the middle of that crap with the duty company I never heard a word from him. Why now?
"Just the simple truth. And I imagine that this past year was a bit more trying than most, eh?"
"I'm not sure what you mean, sir," said Sylvanus. Privately, he was afraid he knew exactly what he meant.
"Come now! This balderdash about that girl they've foisted off on you! What a pack of nonsense! And I know the pressure that's been put on you from up above to keep her there. It's completely unfair to you and all the real cadets. To work their tails off and then see someone else being coddled along because she's got the right connections! Can't be good for morale!"
Sylvanus bit his tongue. You mean like being a non-Vor at the Academy? "I wouldn't exactly call the treatment Cadet Payne received this year as 'coddling', sir," he said aloud.
"Oh, I know you have to make it look fair and that can't be easy." Vorsworth stopped and nodded toward him. "I just wanted to let you know that you do have friends here, Thayer. Don't think that you have to compromise your principles for fear of what might happen to your career."
"I've never been one to compromise my principles for anyone, sir," he said stiffly.
"Course not! Course not! I wasn't suggesting that you would! I just wanted to let you know that if you should find yourself under pressure that you do have friends you can call on, eh? And when your term as commandant is done you'll be up for promotion and a new posting. Can't hurt to have a friend or two reviewing that, eh?"
"That's good to know, sir."
Vorsworth stared at him for a moment and then smiled. "Well, I'll let you get to that meeting, Colonel. Feel free to contact me any time." Sylvanus saluted and Vorsworth returned it and then slowly went back the way they had just come.
Pressure from above, huh?
[Scene Break]
Major Ivan Vorpatril leaned against the wall and observed the bustle of the Ops Building. It still seemed a bit odd to be back here after nearly two years in voluntary exile as the military attaché to the planet Ylla. On the one hand, it was all so familiar it seemed like he'd never been away. On the other hand… there were changes. For one thing he was a major now. He hadn't expected the promotion. He also hadn't expected to end up working for the head of Ops again—especially with Admiral Desplains gone. Ivan had liked Desplains, but Barrayar had a hard and fast rule about how long any one man could hold the top positions in the military. Generations of coups and revolts had taught the dangers of letting anyone get too firmly entrenched at the top of the military. Ivan wasn't sure why that had never been true of ImpSec… So Desplains had been replaced by General Vorsworth and Ivan had been promoted and appointed as his aide. That seemed a bit odd: usually the generals and admirals had their own military families already—although Vorsworth had been second in command of Ops for years and he and Ivan had known each other for a long time. Ivan suspected that this was some sort of bribe to get him to re-up when he'd finished his twenty years—just three years from now. The question was just who was bribing him? There were a number of possibilities. He'd forgotten just how many weasels there were per square kilometer in Vorbarr Sultana after the relatively weasel-free bliss of Ylla.
And speaking of bribes…
He pushed himself away from the wall and watched his boss return from his chat with Colonel Sylvanus. He had a fair idea what it had been about and an even better idea why he'd been excluded from it. Vorsworth was a good officer, or so it had seemed from what Ivan had been able to observe. Competent, although sadly lacking Desplains' sense of humor. But he was as Old Vor as they came. He'd overheard a few loud rants about the 'corruption' taking place at the Academy and it was obvious that he was referring to the Payne girl. Probably trying to pressure Sylvanus to get rid of her. Well good luck! Ivan knew that Gregor, Empress Laisa, Aunt Cordelia, and Cousin Miles were all backing her and anyone trying to take all of them on at once would have a better chance arm-wrestling with a wood-chipper. Ivan wasn't sure how he felt about it. He'd met the girl a few times at Vorkosigan House just before he took that fateful trip to Komarr and she seemed smart and dedicated. She'd survived all the hell they could throw at her and made it through her plebe year. She'd probably make a better officer than a lot of the young twits that came out of the Academy these days. Still… Barrayar was already short on women. The thought of them going off and getting killed in the military wasn't a pleasant one. But…
I suppose I ought to mention this to Miles—the next time I see him.