abstract
| - Fletcher Giaja was the Emperor of the Cetagandan Empire, the chief of all haut-men and son of Lisbet Degtiar, the former empress who died shortly before the beginning of Cetaganda. As emperor, he had a veto in all matters pertaining to haut and the direction of the genetic project embodied in the concept and functioned as the main interface between haut and ghem. A formidable opponent, he was nonetheless deeply pragmatic about relations between the Empire's satraps, and between the Empire and other galactic governments. He also had a good deal of insight into human nature, and was not without a certain ironic sense of humor: When the question came up of how to reward Miles Vorkosigan for his help recovering the Great Key arises, he awarded Miles the Cetagandan Order of Merit, a medal which simultaneously satisfied Miles's deep need for recognition and also ensured he would be discreet about the episode back on Barrayar, where the medal would raise many eyebrows.
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