The Culture Wiki
Register
Advertisement
This article is a stub. You can help the The Culture Wiki by expanding it
Aviger
Personal details
Fate
Killed
14th century CE
Physical details
Sex Male
Species Pan-human
Agent
Allegiance Kraiklyn's Free Company

Aviger was a man employed by Kraiklyn's Free Company during the Idiran-Culture War.[1] He was killed on Schar's World while assisting Horza's attempt to secure a Culture Mind for the Idiran Empire.[2]

Biography[]

Kraiklyn's Free Company[]

Main article: Raid on the Temple of Light

Aviger was the oldest member of Kraiklyn's Free Company by the time of the raid on the Temple of Light during the Idiran-Culture War. He shared a cabin with Jandraligeli aboard Clear Air Turbulence. Aviger provided cover for the main force with a plasma cannon during the unsuccessful raid on the Temple of Light.[1]

The Company moved on to Vavatch Orbital. They landed on the abandoned Megaship Olmedreca hoping to steal its bow laser for Clear Air Turbulence. Aviger went with Kraiklyn and Jandraligeli when the group split up.[3] He survived the Megaship's crash and greeted Horza, disguised as Kraiklyn, upon the Changers return to the ship on The Ends of Invention. Aviger thought Wubslin was seeing things when the latter thought a man and drone hanging outside the docking bay looked suspicious; Wubslin turned out to be correct, they were Culture agents after Horza. Unbeknownst to all but Horza, Culture agent Balveda had already infiltrated the group masquerading as a new recruit. As the escape got under way Horza ordered Aviger to dump overboard all of Balveda's gear he could find because they might contain a bomb.[4]

Schar's World[]

Main article: Raid on the Command System

Horza's identity was revealed by a captured Balveda once Clear Air Turbulence. Aviger believed the Changers were extinct and initially did not believe Horza's claim of being one. Like the others Aviger accepted Horza's ascension to command for the interim.[4] At Schar's World, Horza spoke with "Mr. Adequate", the Dra'Azon overseer, and gained access to the planet. Dorolow claimed to feel the Dra'Azon's presence and fainted; on Aviger's suggestion, he and Neisin took the unconscious woman to the mess to lie down.[5]

The Company landed and found the Changer caretakers dead; an Idiran raiding party killed them before moving into the tunnels. Aviger was doubtful of Horza's plan to take the entire Company into the tunnels to search for the Mind, and was rueful of the prospect of engaging Idiran soldiers despite Horza's assurances that would not be necessary. Nonetheless Aviger chose to accept Horza's commands rather than argue.[6]

The Company descended into the tunnels and were engaged by the surviving Idiran soldiers, Quayanorl and Xoxarle, as they emerged from the tunnels into station six. Horza ordered Aviger to stay back in the tunnels with Balveda. Dorolow's death left Aviger embittered toward the Changer.[7]

The deaths of Dorolow and Neisin at station six caused Aviger to draw parallels between the Kraiklyn's lacklustre leadership and Horza's. He became visibly frustrated with the Changer. Aviger took this out on a critically wounded, and thought to be dead, Quayanorl. The human first kicked the Idirans head. Before the Company departed for station seven Aviger shot the Idirans head for good measure. Quayanorl survived. The Company captured Xoxarle and proceeded to station seven.[7]

Discontent[]

En route to station seven, Xoxarle feigned unconsciousness in preparation for an escape. The Company knew the soldier was seriously wounded and sought to sustain and revive the Idiran. Aviger suggested using an anti-coagulant on the Idiran's wounds but Horza replied the ones available were useless on Idiran physiology. Aviger helped move Xoxarle to sit by the tunnel wall as a skin-spray and alcohol solution was poured down soldier's throat; they hoped this would combat any internal bleeding in the digestive tract.[8]

Xoxarle sprang into action while its captors' guard was down. Aviger was thrown against the tunnel wall but was otherwise unhurt. Unaha-Closp ended the prisoner's rampage but not before Clear Air Turbulence's mass sensor was destroyed. Aviger and Wubslin restrained the soldier's arms again.[8]

At station seven Aviger inquired about the state of mass sensor in Horza's suit. It had been damaged at station six. Aviger was not convinced when the Changer claimed the only matter was the interference from the train's nuclear reactor. Aviger wanted to return to Clear Air Turbulence rather than search the tunnels in the trains. Horza ordered Aviger to guard Xoxarle.[8]

Xoxarle's Keeper[]

Xoxarle began lulling Aviger into a false sense of security. The Idiran talked at length of Idiran history and war stories. Aviger paid less attention while his prisoner was speaking; instead he daydreamed and thought about what he might do if, somehow, he was the only one left to capture and deliver the Mind. Aviger left his laser switched off. In the meantime Xoxarle worked to slip its bonds.[2]

Xoxarle's opportunity came as the station six train, activated by Quayanorl, approached station seven. The soldier stopped talking and asked Aviger to scratch one of its eyes, which it claimed was irritating it. Aviger was suspicious but having "secured" Xoxarle's assurance that nothing was amiss he moved to comply. The Idiran struck the human unconscious when the distance closed to arms length.[2]

Aviger was carried unconscious by Xoxarle until the Idiran had killed Yalson. Xoxarle judged it no longer useful to hold the human and crushed Aviger's skull with its foot.[2]

Psychology[]

Aviger developed a pessimistic prediction of the outcome of the Idiran-Culture War. He grasped the importance of the combatants' ideologically motivations, and expected the war to not only consume the entire galaxy but continue beyond that point when there was no longer any recollection of the original motivations.[6]

Physiology[]

At the time of his death, he was smallish with brown skin and little hair. Aviger could do supple manoeuvres with his arms and legs.[1]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Consider Phlebas, chapter 4
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Consider Phlebas, chapter 13
  3. Consider Phlebas, chapter 5
  4. 4.0 4.1 Consider Phlebas, chapter 8
  5. Consider Phlebas, chapter 9
  6. 6.0 6.1 Consider Phlebas, chapter 10
  7. 7.0 7.1 Consider Phlebas, chapter 11
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Consider Phlebas, chapter 12
Advertisement