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Perosteck Balveda
Personal details
Born
13-14th century CE
Fate
Autoeuthanized
c.1813 CE
Buried in Juboal
Relative(s) Gimishin Foug (distant descendent)
Physical details
Sex Female
Species Pan-human
Agent
Allegiance Culture
Organization Contact
Agent
Allegiance Culture
Organization Special Circumstances

Perosteck Balveda (Full Name: Juboal-Rabaroansa Perosteck Alseyn Balveda dam T'seif)[1] was a Culture citizen. She was a Special Circumstancer during the Idiran-Culture War.[2]

Biography[]

Early Life[]

Balveda was born in the late-13th or early-14th century CE. She spent two decades living with her mother, then some years living indulgently. One or two years after that Balveda joined Contact for 17 years before transferring to Special Circumstances. She had been in SC for four years by time of the incident on Schar's World during the Idiran-Culture War.[3]

Sorpen[]

Main article: Raid on Sorpen

During the war, Balveda was the Culture representative to the Gerontocracy of Sorpen. She was not able to convince the Gerontocracy to stay the execution of Horza, a captured Idiran agent whom she uncovered. However, an Idiran force from The Hand of God 137 arrived and rescued Horza. Balveda used a memoryform plasma weapon to wound at least one medjel before being captured by the Idirans. Her companion knife missile self-destructed to avoid capture.[2]

When The Hand of God 137 came under attack from the GCU Nervous Energy, Xoralundra ordered an Idiran soldier in full battle armour and a laser carbine to execute her.[2] Balveda killed the soldier and waited in the cell. Once Nervous Energy captured the ship she was released by combat drones.[4]

Vavatch Orbital[]

Horza escaped the capture of The Hand of God 137 and proceeded to carry out his mission: to capture the Culture Mind hiding on Schar's World. Balveda underwent a relatively minor change of appearance and dispatched to Vavatch Orbital to stop the Idiran agent. Although there were many possible routes for Horza to go, the decision to send Balveda to Vavatch Orbital was endorsed by Fal 'Ngeestra, a Referer, who believed following Kraiklyn's Free Company was the best option. In any case, Balveda was the only sufficiently capable SC agent in range. Balveda deployed to Vavatch supported by another agent and drone with orders to stop Horza.[5]

Balveda took the name Gravant and introduced herself to Kraiklyn's Free Company's on Vavatch. After the unsuccessful raid on the Megaship Olmedreca, the Company was understrength and her offer to join was accepted by Kraiklyn. She made a favourable impression on Kraiklyn who believed she had the qualities to be his executive officer. She was aboard Clear Air Turbulence in one of The Ends of Invention's Smallbays when Horza arrived disguised as Kraiklyn. A Culture microdrone identified the Changer just as he entered the Smallbay, giving too little warning for Balveda to implement a means to incapacitate Horza.[4]

Horza recognized Balveda, quickly reversed Kraiklyn's decision to recruit her, and had Yalson escort the agent off the ship. However, as the Company attempted to depart the other agent de-pressurized the Smallbay and Yalson had no alternative but to bring Balveda back aboard. Horza had the Culture agent brought to the mess hall where he stunned her before ordering her unconscious form restrained. The Changer then had Aviger eject the agent's gear. This was not totally done until the ship had dramatically exited The Ends of Invention. The bomb inside her kitbag unwittingly prevented the pursuing police ships from catching the Company.[4]

Prisoner[]

The stun effect wore off quicker than expected. Upon awakening Balveda revealed Horza's true identity to the Company and the real reason why they were headed to Schar's World, namely in pursuit of a Culture Mind for the Idirans. The agent agreed to accompany the Company and not cause trouble, and her nominal imprisonment amounted to being restricted from the ship's bridge, and confinement to quarters during the night and when Horza was giving briefings in the mess hall about the mission and the war. A strip search and the scans by available on-board equipment failed to discover the memoryform plasma gun disguised as a tooth.[4]

Schar's World[]

Balveda complicated Horza's strategy once Kraiklyn's Free Company arrived on Schar's World. Killing her might fatally damage the hold he had over the Company, and he had come to like the agent. He could not afford to leave her and a guard detail behind on Clear Air Turbulence. The Changer decided to take Balveda into the System where he could keep an eye on her without dividing the little manpower at his disposal. A restrainer harness would imprison Balveda when necessary.[6]

Horza carried Balveda down into the System with his AG-equipped suit. She requested he shoot her if for any reason he had to let go of her, rather than endure the ten kilometre drop down the elevator shaft.[6]

References[]

  1. Consider Phlebas, Dramatis personae
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Consider Phlebas, chapter 2
  3. Consider Phlebas, chapter 11
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Consider Phlebas, chapter 8
  5. Consider Phlebas, State of play: two
  6. 6.0 6.1 Consider Phlebas, chapter 10
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