Mark Vorkosigan

Mark Pierre Vorkosigan is a character in Lois McMaster Bujold's sci-fi Series, the Vorkosigan Saga.

Taken from its original location as a sidebar to Miles Vorkosigan

Lord Mark Vorkosigan is Lord Miles Vorkosigan's clone-brother, born six years after Miles. He is created in a plot by Ser Galen, a Komarran terrorist, to replace Miles, assassinate Miles' father Aral and Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, claim the Imperial Throne, and foment chaos and revolution. Miles, under the influence of his mother's Betan upbringing, refuses to kill Mark or even hinder him, and only desires that he come to Barrayar as a true Vorkosigan. Mark, after he kills Ser Galen (who had become both his tormentor and father-figure) refuses, and goes his own way. Mark looks a bit different than Miles because of crude attempts to simulate the effects of the chemical Miles was exposed to in utero that affected the development of his bones (Brothers in Arms)

However, after a few years, Mark resurfaces and infiltrates the Dendarii Mercenaries by posing as Admiral Miles Naismith, planning to send them on a mission to liberate more than 40 clones who are scheduled for body harvesting. The scheme is only semi-successful, as the clones are rescued, but Miles is killed by a needle grenade. While Miles' body is missing (it turns out he is in stasis in cryogenic freeze, put there by people who do not know his true identity), Mark is returned to Barrayar, now uncomfortably situated as Count Vorkosigan's heir if Miles is dead. Mark is able to convince Countess Vorkosigan to allow him to mount a rescue mission—to Illyan's dismay—for Miles. Mark is captured by Baron Ryoval, who subjects him to physical, sexual and mental torture, during which Mark develops an unusual psychosis that he later dubbs "The Black Gang", a group of specialist sub-personalities: Grunt (Mark's sexuality), Gorge (Mark's gluttony), Howl (Mark's masochism), and Killer (Mark's assassin personality). "The Black Gang" protects a fifth personality, "Lord Mark" (Marks own, fragile and newborn personal identity) from the tortures inflicted on it by Ryoval, and after Killer kills Ryoval, Lord Mark emerges to take charge, being the only one who can think outside of one purpose. The Black Gang serve Lord Mark well—using his split personality, he is able to kill the Baron, and sell 90% of his assets to the Baron's rival, Fell, receiving a healthy cut (of a value of approximately 2 million Betan dollars, or 8 - 10 million Barrayaran marks) of Ryoval's estate and ownership of a bioresearch firm that Mark subsidizes to combat the "clone chop shops" of Jackson's Whole. He also attracts the attentions of Kareen Koudelka, the youngest daughter of Count and Countess Vorkosigan's closest family friends. (Mirror Dance)

To distinguish himself from Miles, Mark allows himself to grow grotesquely overweight. Contrary to Miles, Mark is deadly in unarmed combat, having been trained as an assassin, and having developed masochistic tendencies. When he is relatively thinner, he has been described as "a small tank". His romance with Kareen deepened while they were both studying on Beta Colony. Unfortunately, his relationship became strained upon their return to Barrayar when Kareen's parents learned of their sexual relationship at Miles' famously disastrous dinner party. Countess Vorkosigan ultimately stepped in and brokered an arrangement for them. During this time, Mark invested in a business deal with the galactic scientist Enrique Borgos, who had created a new insect livestock he called "Butter Bugs". Initially grotesque, if highly functional, Ekaterin Vorsoissons's design changes made the newly renamed "Glorious Bugs" highly popular. (A Civil Campaign).

Mark's legal status changes depending on which set of laws is applied. There is no Barrayaran tradition or law regarding clones, but as several characters observe during the Saga, "anything done twice on Barrayar is a tradition". Mark is pushed out into Vor society as Miles' brother and, at first, potential heir to the title of Count Vorkosigan. Other Vor may challenge this, if they dare. Under the laws of Beta Colony, the birthplace of Cordelia Naismith, Mark could be considered Cordelia's son, Miles's son, or the son of Ser Galen, depending on how the circumstances of his creation are interpreted. Mark regards himself as a native of Jackson's Whole, where there is no law of any kind other than the "Golden Rule", as in "He who has the gold makes the rules." Thus, on Jackson's Whole, Mark was created with no human rights and could have been killed at any time.

He is a 50% co-owner of the Durona Group, sharing control with Lily Durona. He travels across the galaxy of his far-flung financial empire with his unmarried life partner Kareen Koudelka, who serves as the good cop to his bad cop during business meetings.