Illyan

Illyan is presented here through the consequences of his breakdown: it marks the beginning of the recent events Miles Vorkosigan must explain and accounts for his departure from the post of Chief of ImpSec.

Breakdown and Loss of Office

When Miles recounts the past months to Elli Quinn, he begins with Illyan’s breakdown and identifies it as the reason Illyan is no longer Chief of ImpSec. The account establishes the breakdown as a turning point in the leadership of Imperial Security, though this passage does not describe its cause or circumstances.

Place in Miles’s Account

Illyan’s breakdown provides the starting point for Miles’s explanation of how he acquired his new job. Miles moves from it to the other events of the past months, including Laisa and Duv Galeni, his confrontation with Haroche, his seizure treatment, and Gregor’s offer. Illyan is thus central to the chain of circumstances Miles recounts, even as the passage focuses on Miles’s explanation rather than Illyan’s own experience.