The Warrior's Apprentice

After failing to pass his physical for the Barrayaran Military Academy, the brittle-boned son of Cordelia and Aral Vorkosigan uses a clever touch of creativity to finance a shipment of munitions into a war zone. But this simple merchant expedition draws the attention of an unexpected enemy.

Between the seemingly impossible tasks of living up to his warrior-father's legend and surmounting his own physical limitations, Miles Vorkosigan faces some truly daunting challenges.

Shortly after his arrival on Beta Colony, Miles unexpectedly finds himself the owner of an obsolete freighter and in more debt than he ever thought possible. Propelled by his manic "forward momentum," the ever-inventive Miles creates a new identity for himself as the commander of his own mercenary fleet to obtain a lucrative cargo; a shipment of weapons destined for a dangerous warzone.