Koudelka (Barrayar)

Koudelka is a last name of several minor characters in Lois McMaster Bujold's sci-fi series, the Vorkosigan Saga.

Clement Koudelka

Clement "Kou" Koudelka served as an Ensign aboard the General Vorkraft under Captain Aral Vorkosigan during the novel Shards of Honor. He was hit by a non-fatal nerve disruptor fire and eventually had his nerves replaced with artificial nerve replacements. This "tin foil nervous system", as he described it, could not give him full mobility and he required various artificial aids. These included a walking cane, for which Cordelia Naismitha shrewdly substituted a swordstick as a confidence booster.

Facing a life of poverty on the limited pay of an invalid ex-Ensign, he was surprised to find himself promoted to Lieutenant and made personal secretary to the Lord Regent, the aforementioned Aral Vorkosigan. Still severely emotionally traumatized by his injury, given Barrayar's intolerance for any disability or deformity, he met Ludmilla Droushnakovi when she was seconded to the Regent's household and immediately fell in love with her, but was too ashamed to woo her.

Despite this, sparks flew and the two enjoyed a fleeting tryst on sofa in Vorkosigan House, highly approved of by Cordelia but a subject of shame to both native Barrayarans. Koudelka was especially ashamed to have, in his words, "dishonored" a woman who, as a trained bodyguard of Amazonian physique, could break him in half even if he was not disabled. Behind her own social conditioning, of course, Droushnakovi did not feel at all dishonored, but was equally incapable of communicating this.

In the heat of the War of Vordarian's Pretendership, Cordelia was able to persuade them to overcome their inhibitions and follow their instincts. "Kou" married his "Drou" at the end of the novel Barrayar.

He was eventually promoted to Commodore, and he and his wife continue as Aral and Cordelia's closest friends. This friendship was tested when Mark and Kareen became a couple and indulged their adolescent instincts while on Beta Colony. Cordelia squashed their objections during a meeting at Vorkosigan House, partly by re-introducing them to the sofa on which they had enjoyed their own first moments of passion.

Ludmilla Droushnakovi

Ludmilla "Drou" Droushnakovi was the personal bodyguard to Princess Kareen and later to Regent Consort Cordelia Vorkosigan and then eventually reassigned to child Emperor Gregor, who knew her as "Droushie". She married Clement Koudelka and eventually had four daughters with him.

"Drou", who like her husband despises her given name, is not only a fully trained bodyguard, expert in martial arts and weapons, but is tall and strong besides. During submission wrestling contests at Vorkosigan House she knocked out a male Barrayaran soldier in under 10 seconds, although her social conditioning got in the way until Cordelia told her to stop holding back.

As an Imperial bodyguard she was also required to learn every possible escape route from the Palace in case of emergency, and was made aware of the locations of secret caches of money, false documents and weapons set aside to aid an escape. This knowledge was equally useful in breaking into the Palace when it was occupied by Count Vordarian.

Naturally Drou trained her daughters in the same martial arts she learned, as a defense against the male dominated society they lived in. This training enabled Olivia to take down three hoodlums attempting to harm her intended, Lord Dono Vorrutyer, compared to one by Ivan Vorpatril who was also on the scene.

The Koudelka Girls

Koudelka and Droushanakovi had four girls on boy-crazy Barrayar. This was especially unusual as Galactic technology allowed a child's [...] to be chosen by the parents, resulting in an excess of boys for the generation Miles and Ivan were born to. Kou and Drou's hidden agenda was to marry into the higher echelons of Barrayaran society.

Delia

Delia is the oldest and most socially adept. She eventually became engaged to Duv Galeni. Duv was initially unaware of this, but his social and career prospects, not to mention his good looks, made him a prime target. He was also off-limits to Vor women because of his Komarran roots. Delia simply determined that "he's the one" and set AbOUT making it happen. As her sister told Miles, "Some fellows you have to hit with a brick to get their attention. Some you have to hit with a big brick."

Olivia

Olivia appeared ready to marry Count Dono Vorrutyer at the end of A Civil Campaign. Thanks to her mother's training, she was able to rescue him from a group of hoodlums who intended to reverse the [...]-change operation that turned Lady Donna into Lord Dono. Lord Dono had petitioned the Council of Counts to confirm him as heir to his late brother Count Pierre on the grounds that, as Lady Donna, Dono had been running the District on Pierre's behalf, Pierre being mentally incompetent to do so. The thugs were working on behalf of Richars Vorrutyer, a cousin eager to take The Title himself. Thanks to help from Miles Vorkosigan, and Richars' disgrace after the aborted attack, Dono's petition succeeded.

Martya

Martya became fond of Dr. Enrique Borgos, the biogeneticist principally responsible for Butter Bugs. She seems a little cynical about her sisters' obsessions with the Vor. During the events of A Civil Campaign Kareen was forbidden to have any contact with the Vorkosigan household, but Martya was not. She delighted in frustrating Kareen's efforts to use her to find out about Mark. She was also quite brusque with Miles Vorkosigan on several occasions.

Kareen

Kareen, the youngest, is principally important in the Saga as the companion, business partner, and lover of Mark Vorkosigan, Miles Vorkosigan's clone brother. She first met Mark when he was introduced to Vor society at a ball while Miles was missing and presumed dead. Mark found himself thrust into the role of heir apparent. Their first dance together was the eponymous Mirror Dance, where each partner simply reflects the movements and gestures of the other. Her way of defending her man's honor and fortune is to throw anything handy at the threat, even if the only things handy are a few dozen tubs of bug butter.

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