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Speaker:

The title for the leader of any village in the Dendarii Mountains. Serg Karal is the Speaker of Silvy Vale when Miles first visits, and is replaced by Lem Csurik when he returns ten years later. (MM, M)

Sphaleros:

No first name given. A ground-captain in Imperial Security, he comes to the Vorthys house to assist Nikolai after he calls Emperor Gregor for help when Vassily and Hugo try to remove him. He escorts everyone in the house to Vorhartung Castle to meet with Gregor personally. (CC)

Sprague, Joan:

A commodore in the Escobaran military and Irene's boss, she is a steady-eyed older woman who is a psychiatrist. After interviewing Cordelia, she recommends further therapy. Her reports arrive too late to prevent Cordelia's disastrous homecoming at Beta Colony. (SH)

Star Crèche:

The Cetagandan haut caste's gene bank, which contains the genetic information on every haut-lord and lady. It is what the haut use to procreate, with great ceremony and detailed contracts between the two parties. Births are carried to term by uterine replicator. The Empress has the ultimate approval over every new child, and she can decide to terminate contracts as well. Any child born becomes, in effect, the property of the father's constellation (i.e., clan). (C)

Stauber, Georish:

The baron of House Fell, he is a surprisingly old, fat, jovial man, balding with liver spots and a white fringe of hair, and red cheeks. Baron Ryoval is actually his older brother, who had Stauber's clone killed before he could be transplanted. Stauber is very interested in the Betan rejuvenation treatment Admiral Naismith is rumored to have undergone. He trades information to let Miles and the Ariel leave Jackson's Whole unmolested. Later, he assists Mark, who is posing as Miles, to broker a trade for Miles's cryo-chamber with House Bharaputra. He is also the founder of the Durona Group, and knows Lilly Durona quite well. After Ryoval's death, Mark negotiates a Deal with Stauber that gives House Fell control of House Ryoval's complete assets in exchange for letting the Durona Group go, along with a significant payment to Mark as the negotiating agent. (L, MD)

Steady Freddy:

No last name given. The public's nickname for the Betan president. Lots of people did not vote for him and like to say so. Cordelia accidentally kicks him in the groin during her homecoming on Beta Colony. (SH)

Strangle vine:

A hardy weed that grows wild on Barrayar's southern continent. Ekaterin suggests that Doctor Borgos modify the butter bugs to eat it, providing him with a potentially lucrative market. (CC)

Stuben:

No first name given. A lieutenant in the Betan Expeditionary Force, he is the chief zoologist of the survey expedition on Sergyar. Shorter than Aral, with shoulder-length brown hair that is later cut very short for the rescue attempt. When Cordelia orders him to head back to Beta and report about Barrayar's plans to invade Escobar, he disobeys and launches a rescue mission for her instead. (SH)

Stunner:

An energy weapon firing a beam that knocks a target unconscious upon impact. A stunner produces a central beam with a surrounding nimbus that can affect one to three victims. A near-miss may cause tingling or numbness. It doesn't cause permanent harm unless a victim has an underlying health problem like a heart condition. Recovery symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and headache, which can be minimized by administering synergine. A stunner's range is undefined, but is at least line of sight. Space armor or half armor with a built-in nerve disruptor/stunner shield net protects against it. (All)

Suegar:

No first name given. A prisoner for three years in the camp at Dagoola IV, he has seen much and is now starving and borderline insane. A self-styled prophet, he carries a torn piece of paper that he calls scripture, which he got during the fighting at Port Lisma. He is looking for someone he calls "The One," who will help all of the prisoners escape. Miles seizes on this to formulate a plan, and enlists Suegar