Koudelka, Celment

Surname:	Koudelka
Given Name:	Clement
Aliases:	Kou
Place of Birth:	Barrayar

Details

Celment Koudelka, who despises his first name and is always referred to as Kou by his friends was born the son of a Green Grocer.

He entered the military at an early age and served as an ensign under Captain Aral Vorkosigan on the General Vorkraft.

During the mutiny lead by the political officer Radnov, Koudelka was shot by Radnov with a nerve disruptor and suffered serious damage to his nervous system. After the mutiny was put down, ensign Koudelka was given medical treatment back on Barrayar to replace his damaged nerves. The treatment was mostly successful although Koudelka would forever have reduced mobility and would walk with a limp.

When Admiral Vorkosigan was appointed regent, he insisted on having Koudelka as his secretary, promoting him to lieutenant.

Shortly after his promotion, to aid Koudelka in his movement, Cordelia Vorkosigan presented the lieutenant with a sword-stick. Although not a Vor he is allowed to carry the sword-stick by Imperial Decree in the form of Regent Vorkosigan's Voice.

Lieutenant Koudelka was in the ground-car with Admiral Vorkosigan during the first failed assassination attempt on the latter.

Koudelka remained borderline suicidal due the stigma attached to any form of disability on Barrayar until he became closely aquatinted with Ludmilla Droushnakovi (Drou).

While coitally engaged for the first time, on a couch in Vorkosigan house, they witnessed the second assassination attempt on Admiral Vorkosigan and aided in the capture of Evon Vorhalas, the would-be assassin.

The relationship between Kou and Drou remained unsteady and was finally resolved during the Vordarian Pretendership.

During the Pretendership, Koudelka, initially kidnapped by Lady Vorkosigan, Droushnakovi and Sergeant Bothari, became a reluctant hero when he smuggled Lady Vorpartil and the new-born Ivan Vorpatril out of the enemy-held capital.

After the Pretendership he and Dourshnakovi married. They have four daughters, Olivia, Kareen, Delia and Martya.

He remains with the military and now holds the rank of Commodore.