Merchant Navy of Barrayar
The Merchant Navy of the Empire of Barrayar is the fleet of Barrayar civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the Empire of Barrayar. The merchant navy is therefore responsible for transporting cargo and passengers during peacetime. In time of war, the Merchant Navy is as a whole requested to operate as an auxiliary to the Imperial Service, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materials for the military. The Merchant Navy itself is not a military organization, nor is it an auxiliary to the Imperial Service during peacetime, and merchants themselves are not military personnel. The ships are owned by various shipping companies, mostly Komarran ones. Most of the shipping operations in the Barrayaran Empire are run as a family business, especially on Komarr, with family members located in key ports or in key positions, and with marriages cementing relationships between commercial dynasties. These close-knit families have allowed financially sensitive information to be kept within the Barrayaran-Komarran business community, with many transactions kept within trusted family networks. The merchant navy complex of Barrayar includes also construction industries, both of Komarran and Barrayaran origins. However, albeit there are several Barrayaran corporation of significant size, the large majority of this economic sector is based on Komarr.
The whole set of the Merchant Navy moves cargo and passengers between planets and within the Empire, operates and maintains long-range cargo ships, freighters and support craft, ferries, excursion vessels, and other spacecraft. Being a conglomerate of numerous civilian corporations, the places of origin of spacecrafts vary widely; the large part of the spacecrafts operated by merchants from the Empire is built within the Imperial borders, but Illyrican, Betan or other planets ships are not uncommon in the merchant fleets and convoys. The Government of the Empire of Barrayar maintains fleets of merchant ships via organizations such as the Military Defence Reserve Fleet and the Imperial Merchant Fleet; the Government employs approximately 5% of all Barrayaran merchant transportation workers.
Legally, activities relating to merchant shipping in the Empire of Barrayar are regulated by the Code of navigation. Structurally, the Navigation Code is divided into preliminary provisions and three parts, specifically: navigation, criminal and disciplinary provisions and transitional and complementary provisions. The Merchant Navy of Barrayar is overseen by the Ministry of Public Works, Posts and Communications and, for what regards the escort to convoys, by the Imperial Service. In order to lawfully carry out trade, a merchant (both independent trader or powerful corporation) must obtain an Imperial Merchant Charter from the Department of Transportations, which allows it to operate. Not all Merchant Licenses offer the same terms, as some offer more powers and more trade concessions to particularly favoured concessionaires.
Former military officers with extensive space-borne experience (such as former starship commanders, first officers, chief engineers, etc.) are permitted to apply directly for a senior officer license without holding a lower prerequisite license.
Although not technically a part of the Merchant Navy of Barrayar, any foreign merchant craft transiting through Federation space falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation.
Merchant ships
The basic and lowest level of organization in the Merchant Navy is the individual merchant ship. These vessels are privately owned, but must be maintained at a certain level to qualify for registration with the Merchant Navy and the permission to operate. Ships operate independently and in their own interest most of the time; however, each ship must be available to take State-ordered cargoes when requested, and, in times of crisis, accept orders from the Imperial Service.
Civil ships
Civil ships are privately-owned interstellar craft operating along licensed routes. Although the majority of interstellar spacecraft are merchant ships, there are many ships registered to individuals, families or trading cartels, the latter owners distinguishing for registering ships outside merchant registries. All privately-owned interstellar craft operate along routes licensed to them (Barrayar-Komarr, Barrayar-Sergyar, Komarr-Sergyar or beyond the Empire) by the central authorities. The route licences must be bought and must be renewed after a fixed time, usually several years.
Exactly who captains a civil ship is entirely up to the owners. In many cases the owner is the captain. With the larger fleets, the owners appoint a captain who is effectively an employee.
Space liners
A space liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across Nexus and planets. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (e.g., for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). The category does not include dedicated cruise ships where the voyage itself, and not transportation, is the prime purpose of the trip. Space liners are are often designed with thicker hull plating than is found on cruise ships, and have large capacities for fuel, food and other consumables on long voyages.
Cruise ships
A cruise ship is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages both around intra-system and inter-system voyages. Usually transportation is not the only purpose of cruising, especially if cruises are intra-system trips. Traditionally, a cruise starship is built to a lower standard than a typical space liner ship.
Operators of cruise starships are known as cruise lines, which have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager (although subordinated to the Captain).
Personnel Transport ships
The concept of Personnel Transport ship (designated as PTP) covers the general notion for jump-capable passenger liners less than 100 meters long, carrying up to 250 passengers, being distinct from the concpet of "luxury liners", which refers to larger cruise ships, specifically designed for commercial cruises purposes.
From a foreign authorization-based point of view, the only limit that Barrayar places on the PTP classification, other than size and capacity costraints, is that a ship has to operate under a license from the specific planet where it claims its home port, be the planet part of the Barrayaran Empire or not. The relevant planetary administration is held responsible for ensuring that the ship satisfied safety regulations, and also for levying appropriate fees and dues from it.
While the administration of the Barrayaran Empire is partially organized along centralized criteria, each foreign planet has almost complete free hand to determine its own regulations and fees and have their small passenger liners recognized and designated as PTP by Barrayar (while logically these limits do not exist if the recognition by Barrayar is not sought). Some Nexus planets are known for offering cheap licenses and lax regulations (e.g. the Jackson Whole) and some PTPs are known to hold licenses from multiple home ports: by presenting a license from another port, the ship's captain could permanently avoid fulfilling his or her responsibilities.
Due to the basic limits on the designation, the PTP category includes almost every small ship with a passenger license, whether it is a long-range shuttle, freighter, or an outright star cruiser. They are, however, divided between "line-operated" ships and "independents." Lines typically provide regular inter-system services within a single sector; independents included every individual captain whose ship was licensed to carry passengers.
Luxury Liners
The luxury liner designation (Luxury Liner, Private or LLP) is applied to privately-owned civilian cruise and/or liner starships over 100 meters long with more than 250 passengers. The designation includes purpose-designed passenger ships, but it also includes ships using converted freighter hulls.
Luxury liners are often regarded as a subtype of the broader passenger liner classification. For self-defense, they are typically armed with plasma cannons and deflector shields, not military-grade, but sufficient to deter all but the most determined pirates and slavers.
Crew
Merchant Navy vessels differ from the Imperial Service counterparts in several aspects, the most significant being smaller crews, little to no heavy weaponry, and an advancement system based on professional licenses rather than formal military rank.
The Merchant Navy keeps a similar rank structure to the space-borne hierarchy of the Imperial Service, and many of their personnel in the higher ranks are former Officers or senior NCO's. Generally speaking, Merchant Navy personnel are considered Reserve personnel and hold a reserve rank 1-3 grades below the rank level they hold in the Merchant Navy. This arrangement was made to facilitate a rapid increase in Imperial Service's cargo and personnel transport capability during war and other times of crisis. If an emergency is declared, any nearby Merchant vessels can be immediately activated to help in whatever way they are needed.
Ship crews work under the eyes of the officers. Other duties aboard ship are performed by the ship's carpenter, the cooks, the stewards, the quartermaster who steers the ship, and the below-decks crew, often referred to as "greasers". Space-faring vessels with more than 12 passengers or crew are required to have a doctor aboard. As a strict rule, no ship enrolled in the Barrayaran registers can have a foreign Commander, and and at least the 50% of the crew must be from the Empire. In each section (Deck, Engines, Sickbay and Commissariat), the percentages must be observed as well as in the overall crew.
Crew hierarchy
The hierarchy of crew members is as follows:
- Commander;
- Chief Engineer, Ship's Doctor and Director of the health service;
- Chief Mate and Second-in-command, Second Chief Engineer;
- First Mate, First Engineer Officer;
- First Doctor, First Commissioner;
- Second Mate, Second Engineer Officer;
- Second Deck Officer, Second Commissioner;
- Third Deck Officer, Third Engineer Officer;
- Third Officer, Third Commissioner;
- Student Mate/Engineer Officer;
- Boatswain, Chief Petty Officer;
- Second Boatswain, Master at Arms;
- Cook, Storeroom Petty Officer, Mechanic, Carpenter, Charger, Electrician;
- First Cloakroom Petty Officer, Typographer, Office Assistant;
- Deckhand, Machine Sailor, Servant;
- Second Cook, Washer-man;
- Youngsters and Ships' boys.
The pilot during the period in which they serve on board is treated as the chief mate. Merchant officers get their promotions after a 2 years service period and after 6 months of studies and exams at the authorized centres. All ship departments answer to the Ship's Commander. Within each department there exists a department head and upwards of two additional licensed officers (sometimes more on larger vessels). Licensed warrant officers and crewmen comprise the remainder of departmental personnel.
Ship's Commander
A Ship's Commander (referred to as "Captain") commands and manages all ship's personnel, and is in charge of the ship's accounting, payrolls, and inventories. The captain is responsible for compliance with immigration and customs regulations, maintaining the ship's certificates and documentation and compliance with the vessel's security plan. The captain is responsible for responding to and reporting in case of accidents and incidents, and in case of injuries and illness among the ship's crew and passengers.
A ship's captain must have a master's license. A candidate for an unlimited master's license requires several years of space-going experience as a deck officer and must have completed various nautical studies.
The captain ensures that the ship complies with local laws and complies also with company policies.
The captain is ultimately responsible, under the law, for aspects of operation such as the safe navigation of the ship, its cleanliness and space-worthiness, safe handling of all cargo, management of all personnel, inventory of ship's cash and stores, and maintaining the ship's certificates and documentation. One of a captain's particularly important duties is to ensure compliance with the vessel's security plan. The plan, customized to meet the needs of each individual ship, spells out duties including conducting searches and inspections, maintaining restricted spaces, and responding to threats from terrorists, hijackers, pirates, and stowaways, as well as dealing with Imperial Service escorts to convoys. The security plan also covers topics such as refugees and asylum seekers, smuggling, and saboteurs.
The captain is also responsible for satisfying requirements of the local immigration and customs officials. Immigration issues can include situations such as embarking and disembarking passengers, handling crew members who desert the ship, making crew-changes in port, and making accommodations for foreign crew members. Customs requirements can include the master providing a cargo declaration, a ship's stores declaration, a declaration of crew members' personal effects, crew lists and passenger lists. The captain acts as a liaison to local investigators and is responsible for providing complete and accurate logbooks, reports, statements and evidence to document an incident.
Deck Officers and Mates
There are a wide variety of licenses for deck officers, with restrictions of range and tonnage. Spacer licenses range from large to small vessels. Smaller charter boat operators may have a charter boat license or a certificate. Licenses without such restrictions are called "Unlimited". The grades of unlimited licenses are:
- Master's License for Commanders and lower grades. A Master Spacer is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the unlimited commander of a commercial vessel. It is the highest level of professional qualification amongst spacers. The holder of a restricted Master's certificate is not referred to as a "Master Spacer". An unrestricted master's certificate is colloquially called a "Master's Ticket" or simply "Master's".
- Chief Mate's License for Chief Mates and lower grades.
- Second Mate's License qualifies the holder as Second Mate or Third Mate.
- Third Mate's License qualifies the holder as third mate.
The Deck Department is considered the "line" department of a merchant space craft. Personnel of the operations department oversee all active space operations of the vessel, to include space navigation and ship administration. Licensed officers comprised a hierarchy of "Mates" who also serve as the chain of command for the vessel, answering to the Commander. The Chief Mate of a merchant craft fulfils all the regular duties of a military Executive Officer.
Ship's security
On board security operations are handled by a variety of organizations, ranging from the ship's crew to the Service Security, the latter especially if the ship is operated by the government or it is assigned important and/or sensitive tasks. The Security Officer (usually ranking Chief Mate on larger ships) is responsible for the safety and security of the ship and its passengers, crew, and cargo. Typically he and his subordinates are the only officers on the ship trained in the use of weapons beyond the conscription training. Most sailors never learn how to use one, since they have little need for weapons.
Merchant Security Response Teams
Merchant Security Response Teams are comprised of between five to ten merchant crew members who are trained in small arms weapons use and shipboard security tactics. The purpose of Merchant Security Response Teams is to serve as an anti-piracy force in the event of a hostile boarding of a Merchant Navy space vessel. On merchant vessels which carry an actual Security Department, licensed security personnel normally comprise the Security Response Team. On smaller and unarmed vessels, Security Response Team duty is considered a collateral assignment, held by merchant crew members in other career fields who have completed an appropriate security response qualification course.
The Security Response Team qualification is divided into two levels: Security Response Team Leader and Security Response Team Member. Both qualifications must be held into order to become either a Licensed Merchant Security Officer; Imperial Servicemen who have served beyond their conscription period are considered being licensed as Security Response Team Member and some branches are considered to be licensed as Security Response Team Leader. This license apply only to honourably discharged soldiers for reasons other than medical ones. All combat-branches officers are considered being licensed as Licensed Merchant Security Officer.
Security Liaison Officer
Alongside the ship's security organization, every ship which travels far abroad and enjoys a military escort convoy has a Security Liaison Officer. A Security Liaison Officer is essentially a fleet cop, charged with maintaining peace and order among crew and passengers, keeping a surveillance over illegal or treacherous activities or suspicious persons, and a quiet and discrete surveillance for potential disaffection among the Emperor's subjects. Although he is not part of the ship's security strictu sensu, he is obliged to render all possible assistance to the ship in physical emergencies, coordinating evacuation or rescue with the military escort.
Cargomaster
The Cargomaster is the ranking executive and financial officer of a commercial convoy (which usually is a limited-term corporate entity), and as such bears most of the responsibilities of a military admiral, but without the military discipline in support. The Cargomaster also has the task of being the designated interface between the commercial interests, and the Barrayaran military escort.
The Cargomaster of a convoy is the hub of the expedition. He (or she) has he role of conducting day-to-day business, taking care of the minutia of commerce and managing risks in conflicts of trade. Many Cargomasters maintain a tightly controlled network of contacts and spies where possible, so that within hours of arriving in a familiar destination they have full knowledge of local trading conditions and can act accordingly. Furthermore, most Cargomasters favour a “hands on” approach to their work, never fully trusting knowledge they cannot confirm themselves.
Careers
Merchant Navy careers begin either with an initial sign-on to a merchant vessel as an basic crew member or through appointment to the Merchant Marine Academy for training as a licensed space mariner. A special class of merchant employee also exists for vessels employing civilian departments (such as waiters, barbers, and other service personnel) who are hired through local employment advertisements and not under Merchant Navy contracts. Civilian scientists and doctors may also be appointed as Merchant Navy officers through a special merchant direct commissioning program, although it is quite uncommon except for physicians.
The Imperial Merchant Navy Academy (IMNA) is the official undergraduate body which trains and educates authorized merchant officers. The Academy is supervised by the Department of Transportations, but it is run and founded by the major shipping and merchant organizations, including the Komarr Shippers' Syndicate, and it has several compounds. It is based in Solstice, Solstice Sector, Komarr, but has some facilities also in Vorbarr Sultana, Vorbarra District, Barrayar, and in Capital City, Sergyar. Academy Students are trained in space engineering, navigation, ship's administration, space law, personnel management, international customs, and many other subjects important to the task of running a ship. To be eligible to enter the Academy a candidate must:
- Be of proven good moral character.
- Be at least 18 years of age and less than 25 of age.
- Be a citizen of the Empire of Barrayar.
- Meet the physical, security and character requirements necessary for military service.
- Submit a completed application and qualify scholastically.
It should be noted that the IMNA is an umbrella organization established in order to easier control educational services provided by private investors; on the other hand, jump-space pilots are trained into different educational facilities, which fall outside the scope of the Imperial Merchant Navy Academy.
Curriculum
Freshmen start in early summer where they begin a two and a half week indoctrination period. This period is functionally run by older students but is overseen by officers of the Imperial Service who are part of the Commandant of Midshipman's staff. This high stress period involves physical training, marching, and an intensive introduction to regimental life at the academy. After the indoctrination period is completed, the academic year begins. In early fall (the exact date varies), first-year students officially become part of the regiment upon taking the oath of office into the Imperial Service Reserve. Until "recognised" later in the academic year, plebes continue to be required to adhere to stringent rules affecting most aspects of their daily life. After earning it, the plebes are recognised giving them the title of Midshipmen, which gives them more privileges.
For part of junior years, students work as cadets on regular merchant ships. Midshipmen are typically paired two to a ship, one engineering cadet and one deck cadet. Midshipmen work and function as part of the crew and gain an opportunity for generous amounts of hands-on experience as well as the opportunity to travel abroad to many different foreign ports. The average midshipman travels to 20 planets during this period. Toward the end of the last year, midshipmen prepare for exams to be licensed as either Third Engineer Officer or Third Deck Officer. All merchant officers must be licensed by the Space Forces.
Academy students focus on one of two different ship transport areas of education: transportation or engineering.
Transportation students learn about ship navigation, cargo handling, navigation rules and space law. There are currently six different academic majors available to midshipmen. Three of them are referred to as "Deck Majors" because in addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in the major field of study: Space Transportation, Logistics and Intermodal Transportation, and Operations and Technology; upon successful completion of the examination students are issued a Third Deck Officer License.
Engineering students learn about the function of the ship's engines and its supporting systems. The other three majors available curricula are referred to as "Engine Majors"; they are: Engineering, Engineering Systems, and Engineering and Shipyard Management. "Engine Majors" sit for and upon successful completion of the examination are issued Third Engineer Officer Licenses. Operations and Technology majors, also referred to as "Shoppers", are eligible to seek and obtain certification as "Qualified Members of Engine Department". Engineering Systems and Engineering Systems & Shipyard Management graduates are also qualified to sit for the Engineer In Training examination.
Life after graduation
Midshipmen have a wide variety of options upon graduation. Graduates of the IMNA are required to fulfil their obligation on their own by providing annual proof of employment in a wide variety of occupations for a specified period of time. Graduates may choose to fulfil their service obligation by working as licensed officers on Barrayaran merchant vessels, as civilians in the maritime industry, or as active duty officers in the Imperial Service for a period of at least 6 years.
Speaker for the Merchant Captains
The Speaker for the Merchant Captains is the representative of the Merchant Captains. Representing the powerful merchant guilds which are key players in the Barrayaran export economy and shipping lanes, the Merchant Captains wield significant influence and thus the Speaker is held in great esteem. The Speaker is often one of the wealthiest sole individuals in the Empire of Barrayar, dwelling in the Merchant Guild Headquarters complex on Komarr. The Speaker also commands the Merchant Security Force Ltd., the security wing of the Merchant Fleets.
Goods Transit Commission
The Goods Transit Commission is a body within the Ministry of Transportation that is tasked do monitor and plan the goods movement within the Empire of Barrayar. The Commission is a technical body which receives constant data from passing starships from their ingress to to their exit from the star systems controlled by Barrayar. The Commission would then calculate and note, the ships' location and the path they took to get to the worlds the ships delivered their cargo to and, when needed, issue proper instructions.
Imperial Merchant Fleet
The Imperial Merchant Fleet is the organisation directly owned and operated by the Government of the Empire tasked to supplement private and military space assets in order to ensure the transport of certain necessary goods in bulk whereas privateer companies are not available or they are not economically interested for the particular shipping. As such, the Imperial Merchant Fleet forms a vital economic link for the Empire and for its foreign policy. The Imperial Merchant Fleet is not a profit-driven private mercantile company, but rather it is a supplement for market failures or inefficiencies.
Unless there's an emergency of some sort requiring high speed and a potential military response, the Logistics Command lets the Imperial Merchant Fleet transport goods and people. Even in grave emergencies, the Imperial Merchant Fleet often follows right behind the military assets in bringing goods, medicines (especially to Sergyar in past decades) or military support to a garrison under attack.
Organisation
The Imperial Merchant Fleet ultimately answers to the Council of Ministers. Actual direction of the Imperial Merchant Fleet falls to the Ministry of Public Works, Posts and Communications. Daily command of the Imperial Merchant Fleet is vested in a Merchant Admiral; currently, Merchant Admiral Samuel Yarborough holds the position. Quite often the Merchant Admiral has previous military experience, but it is also common that the post serves as the pinnacle of a successful mercantile career for a civilian captain. The Merchant Admiral is responsible for seeing that the Imperial Merchant Fleet fleet is properly and efficiently deployed, for ensuring that all ships are sufficiently maintained and staffed, and for evaluating requests for Imperial Merchant Fleet assistance and prioritising them. To help him with these tasks he has a staff consisting of several Merchant Vice-Admirals and lesser officers, bureaucrats, and functionaries. The Merchant Admiral is head-quartered in Solstice City, Komarr; his headquarters facilities include a large starport and extensive starship repair bays. The Merchant Admiral is also the chief of the Department of Transportations.
The Imperial Merchant Fleet organisation more or less follows "astrographical" lines. The ships which serve a particular system or foreign sector comprise a particular Imperial Merchant Squadron. Each such Imperial Merchant Squadron is commanded by a Merchant Vice-Admiral, to whom the captains of the Imperial Merchant Squadron's ships report. Usually a Imperial Merchant Squadron remains in its designated territory, but on occasion it is necessary to assemble several Squadrons for an important task (such as supplying the Imperial Service ships in time of war). Independent merchants may be called upon to serve under the Vice-Admiral of their sector in emergencies and usually report any rumours of pirates or navigational hazards to his office.
= Defence Reserve Fleet
The Defence Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" starships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the Empire of Barrayar during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises. The Defence Reserve Fleet is the reserve branch of the Imperial Merchant Fleet and it is commanded by a Merchant Vice-Admiral.
Starship Designators
| Ship Type and Registry Designators | ||
|---|---|---|
| Designator | Ship Type | Notes |
| CTS | Civilian Transport | This designator is assigned to privately owned civilian craft smaller than 75 meters long. |
| REV | Research Vessel, Non-military | These ships are usually operated under the authority of the scientific government branches and are used by scientists. They do not usually carry any military personnel. |
| CTL | Civilian transport, Non-military | This designator is assigned to privately owned civilian craft greater than 75 meters in length. |
| PTC | Personnel Transport, Civilian | This Designator is assigned to Crew transports and passenger liners owned by government branches or corporations. Some craft with this designation are under the authority of the Merchant Navy. |
| FTC | Freighter, Civilian | Assigned to freighters not under the authority of the Imperial Service; a large part of spacecraft with this designation operate under the authority of the Merchant Navy. The rest are owned by corporations and other government branches. |
| GSV | Science Vessel, Non-military | Assigned to govenrment science/research vessels. |
| PTP | Personnel Transport, Private | Assigned to privately-owned civilian cruise and/or liner starships under 100 meters long with less than 250 passengers. |
| LLP | Luxury Liner, Private | Assigned to privately-owned civilian cruise and/or liner starships over 100 meters long with more than 250 passengers. |
Uniforms
The uniforms of the Merchant Navy vary depending on the particular shipping company, time period, and type of Merchant vessel. Generally speaking, there is no no standard merchant uniforms and most merchant officers and crewman simply wore civilian clothing during the course of their duties. The Imperial Merchant Fleet issues standard uniform regulations for vessels and crews under direct contract with the Imperial Merchant Fleet or during wartime. Shipping companies, as well as private cargo and freight companies, have often neglected any established uniforms, allowing their crews to wear practical clothing as desired. However, Komarran cartels have their own technical uniforms.
In 2971, the Department of Transportation issued the first standardised “Merchant Service Dress” uniform which applied mainly to officers and was used for shore or ceremonial functions. The uniform consisted of a jacket with upwards of four sleeve stripes to denote professional license. Staff officers wore coloured tabs between each stripe. Regular merchant crewmen wore either a uniform with no sleeve stripes or simply civilian clothing. The uniform is mainly used by merchant vessels under contract with the Imperial Service or the Department of Transportation; merchant fleets and private corporations rarely employed this style of dress.
Social features
Due to the very large amount of time spent abroad, on board of space-faring vessels or on foreign planets, merchant mariners are usually separate from their originary social environment, even if they are of Komarran origin - the merchantmen and traders communities have enjoyed an high status since the very beginning of Komarran history, but this status set them apart.
A spacer is a person who spends most of his or her life in space ships or stations. The term is not generally pejorative, and spacers refer to themselves in his fashion. In general terms, spacers are the most cosmopolitan among social strata in the Empire of Barrayar.
Space-born
Space-born people are relatively few, but singular, and in the eyes of ground people they often form a disparate and odd collection of people: misfits, strangers, and other ill-omened folk. They share the feature of being born in the belly of a vessel that has spent years charting the space or shipping goods, or aboard an ancient orbital satellite. Especially in interior and "backward" areas of Barrayar, space-born people are often considered to be somehow tainted, or at least associated with the many dangers of the outer space.
Those who live their lives on trading spaceships become inured to some extent to the isolation reality of the commercial and shipping travel, and to living in entirely artifcial environments and never knowing the feel of solid ground beneath their feet. In many cases, spaceborn people's physical features are drawn and their skin pallid, and they may have minor deformities, or an oddness of speech, gait, or general appearance that sets them apart from others. Some, although outwardly normal, carry a strange air about them, a perceptible something "not quite right" about them that may make others, especially those not used to them, uneasy.
A significant part of spaceborns are raised on huge space station-asteroid mining installations, refit stations, or research platforms, but the majority come from a variety of backgrounds aboard an active star vessel. The largest starships which travel through the Nexus are vast, city-sized spacecraft. On such huge star vessels, crew, passengers, and merchant guilders coexist in cramped environments.