Welcome to Barrayar Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cordelia Naismith

The one who kicks it all off, Cordelia Naismith is the Betan scientist who escapes Barrayaran captivity once, is released from Barrayaran captivity once, and then escapes Beta Colony's disastrous psychological treatment after the war. When she escapes, she runs to Barrayar to rendez-vous with the man who proposed to her, Aral Vorkosigan.

Answer: Duv Galeni

Duv Galeni is introduced on Earth in "Brothers in Arms" as one of the first Komarrans who joined up with the Barrayaran military service once it was opened to Komarrans. Galeni rises to the rank of Imperial Security Chief of Komarr Affairs at the end of "Memory" when Guy Allegre is promoted to overall Chief of ImpSec. Galeni goes through hell to earn his place on Barrayar, from struggles with his terrorist father to being targeted and framed by someone hoping to exploit anti-Komarr attitudes.

Answer: Mark Pierre Vorkosigan

Mark Vorkosigan hijacks the Dendarii Mercenary Fleet by pretending to be Miles (as a clone this was difficult but not impossible for him), and after he is found out, is brought to Barrayar. He is terrified of Miles' parents, but hadn't realized that they (especially Cordelia) considered him their true son despite not knowing about his existence until he was 22.

Answer: Enrique Borgos

Dr. Borgos is a brilliant geneticist whose lack of business sense got him jailed for fraud back home. Mark, with a loose interpretation of "rules" in general, breaks him out because he has a plan to turn one of Borgos' projects into a major moneymaking enterprise on Barrayar. After a few bumps, the project does indeed become very profitable.

Answer: Tej Arqua

Akuti Tejaswini Jhyoti ghem Estif Arqua (Vorpatril), also known as Tej, is on the run from Prestene with her sister Rish and hiding out on Komarr at the start of "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance". Later, once she has emergency-married Ivan to gain the right to stay in the Empire, both Arqua women move to Barrayar with Ivan.

Answer: Laisa Toscane

Komarran heiress Dr. Laisa Toscane comes to Barrayar in her role as a trade expert, and is originally publicly paired with Duv Galeni, but quickly hits it off with the Emperor himself. Gregor quickly acts to court her, and is successful. The whirlwind nature of Laisa's ascent to Empress on Barrayar baffles and unsettles her parents, who were among the many who did not foresee these events.

Answer: Elena Bothari-Jesek

Elena, while born on Barrayar, has quite the history of how she got there. Conceived through rape by an Escobaran prisoner of war Elena Visconti, she was later claimed by her father Sergeant Bothari after her replicator birth. He never explained about her mother.

Answer: Ivan Vorpatril

Ivan Vorpatril was another Barrayar birth with a story; his parents Padma and Alys had been hiding out behind enemy lines for weeks when Alys went into labor. His father tried to get help but only succeeded in bringing enemy soldiers back to the hideout; fortunately the protagonists managed to rescue Alys before they killed her (the confusion of being assigned only to kill the son, but finding a pregnant woman instead of an already-born baby, had stalled their mission long enough for the rescuers to intervene).

Answer: Dr. Canaba

House Bharaputra, an unscrupulous genetics research facility, employed Hugh Canaba with an understanding that he'd never leave. To leave, he needed cover and support, which Barrayar supplied. His departure was more eventful than expected due to his lies about his most recent project, which turned out to be a living female supersoldier as opposed to a mere "creature" that he referred to.

Answer: Miles Vorkosigan

Cordelia tells her newborn son Miles "welcome to Barrayar," which is where the quiz name comes from, upon his first time home from the hospital after his birth. Barrayar is going to be a difficult place to live for the physically damaged Miles, as Barrayarans consider physical deformity to be dangerous and sinful. Cordelia blesses her son with all her hopes for his looming future.