Bothari, Konstantine

Surname:	Bothari
Given Name:	Konstantine
Aliases:
Place of Birth:	Barrayar

Details

Konstantine Bothari was the born the son of a prostitute and a father he never knew. His mother used to sell him to her customers. He escaped from his mother and his poor background when he became twelve and was able to beat-up his mother's clients.

He soon entered the Imperial Military by lying about his age.

Unfortunately he became attached to Ges Vorrutyer who used Bothari to rape and torture his victims. Bothari was forced to do this while both sober and while heavily drugged with whatever took Vorrutyer's fancy.

After becoming a Sergeant he was attached to Captain Vorkosigan aboard the General Vorkraft. Vorkosigan sensed what had happened to the Sergeant and did his best to help him.

The Sergeant held no love for Vorkosigan a fact proven by his imprisonment for striking him. He did have great respect and loyalty for his captain though, a fact not realised by the polical officer--Radnov--who attempted to suborn Bothari into assassinating Vorkosigan. Bothari merely stunned Vorkosigan and then reported the incident to the first officer, Korabik Gottyan, who promptly imprisoned Bothari to prevent him interfereing in his own plans. Bothari was eventually released when Vorkosigan regained command of his ship.

While Vorkosigan had done much to restore the Sergeants sanity it was not enough. To make matters worse, Bothari was again assigned to Vorrutyer.

While forced to be Vorrutyer's torturer during the Escobar campaign, Bothari was forced to rape an eighteen year old Ecobaren soldier, Elena Visconti. Although thoughroughly insane by this time, Bothari fell in love with her and begged her off Vorrutyer. He took her to his cabin and treated her medically. He played out a charade, in which she was his legal wife, something that must have terrified Visconti on the occaisions she was conscious.

Shortly after this time a second prisoner was taken to Ges Vorrutyer. Bothari was once again instructed to rape this victim, only to discover that it was Captain Cordelia Naismith whom he had met on the General Vorkraft. At the last moment his loyalty to Aral Vorkosigan overrode his insanity and forced Bothari to refuse the order. Vorrutyer, realising he now had a handle with which to pressure Vorkosigan, tried to rape Cordelia himself at which point Bothari slit Admiral Vorrutyer's throat with a knife.

To prevent Bothari taking the blame, Aral Vorkosigan hid him in his cabin for almost a week, most which time Bothari spent sedated and in the comany of Captain Naismith, who was also hidden there.

After the retreat from Escobar, Bothari was honourably discharged from the Military on medical grounds and had his memory of Escobar and everything that transpired there erased. While not perfect this was all Aral Vorkosigan could manage at the time to prevent Bothari from being executed for murdering his superior.

At Aral's recommendation Bothari entered service as an Armsman to General Count Piotr Vorkosigan.

When Cordelia Naismith became Lady Vorkosigan, Bothari, unable to trust himself, attached himself to her to have her be his conscience. In his own words he became "Lady Vorkosigan's Dog".

Having discovered that a child had been conceived by the Elena Visconti and that that child was at ImpMil in a uterine replicator, Bothari decided to adopt the child, which was genetically proven to be his. He arranged for the proper care for the child, in the form of mistress Hysopi and intended to be a normal father for the child.

Bothari distinguished himself during Vordarian's Pretendership by first helping secure the Boy-Emperor Gregor and returning Lady Vorkosigan to Aral Vorkosigan. He distunguished himself a second time by helping Lady Vorkosigan, bodyguard Droushnakovi and Lieutenant Koudelka, rescue the uterine replicator containing Miles Vorkosigan from Vordarian's troops. In the process he helped rescue Lady Alys Vorpatril and acted as midwife at the birth of Ivan Vorpatril. While escaping from the Imperial Residence, Bothari beheaded the Pretender Vordarian at the order of Lady Vorkosigan.

After the Pretendership General Vorkosigan, angry at Bothari's loyalty to Cordelia and not himself, transferred Bothri to Aral Vorkosigan's household where he was permanently assigned the job of bodyguard to the newly born Miles Vorkosigan.

During the next seventeen years Bothari became a very dear and loved companion to Miles Vorkosigan and a great influence in the young Vorkosigan's life, while still doing his best to raise Elena, his daughter, and be a perfect father to her. He saved Miles Vorkosigan's life three times during this time, twice from General Piotr Vorkosigan and once from Miles himself.

Bothari died at the hands of Elena Visconti in the Tau Verde system in the company of Miles Vorkosigan and his daughter Elena. His death could easily be considered a suicide, as he did nothing to defend himself, although he easily could have.

Bothari is buried, at his own wish, at the foot of the grave reserved for Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan.