Sergyar
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Sergyar is one of the three planets that comprise the Barrayaran Empire in the Vorkosigan Saga. The other planets are Barrayar and Komarr. The entire planet has been said to be the personal property of Barrayran Emperor Gregor Vorbarra.
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[edit] Discovery
Sergyar was first discovered by Barrayar shortly before the Escobar War. It is the site where Cordelia Naismith and Lord Admiral Aral Vorkosigan first met when her Betan Astronomical Survey ship landed a party to explore and catalogue the planet and its biome, unware of the Barrayarans earlier territorial claims on the planet.
[edit] Strategic Importance
Sergyar is strategically important because it is a link from Komarr to Escobar, and then Beta Colony. This opens up trade in the wormhole nexus significantly for Barrayar. It was the site of massive caches of ordinance and other materiel for Barrayar's abortive attempt to invade and conquer Escobar.
[edit] Native Life
Native life on Sergyar seems to have a general radial symmetry, with most lifeforms having six limbs or appendages. While there are no known native sentient life forms, there is a diverse ecology. Various species mentioned include large predators referred to as 'fuzzy crabs' that hunt in packs, and their 'hexapedal' herbivorous prey - large, six-footed grazing animals.
Smaller creatures, radial in design, seem to fill the ecological niches filled by insects on Earth. There are also mentions of airborne lifeforms, similar in appearance to jellyfish, that float through the atmosphere, supported by gas-filled sacs, that descend from above to leech blood from larger, moribund lifeforms. The gas is mostly hydrogen, and will explode if exposed to fire.
In later books, there are mentions of a Worm Plague on Sergyar; its survivors have puckered, swirling scars on their skin.
[edit] Naming Scheme
According to the naming scheme of Barrayar, the particle "-yar" likely means "planet", "world" or something similar. Thus, Sergyar was named for Crown Prince Serg, the one-time heir apparent to Emperor Ezar Vorbarra and father of now Emperor Gregor Vorbarra. Prince Serg died in the Escobar War.
[edit] Government
The seat of its government is a settlement dubbed "Chaos Colony." In the later series, Count Aral and Countess Cordelia Vorkosigan govern Sergyar as Viceroy and Vicereine, respectively. A steady flow of immigrants from Barrayar and Komarr have made new homes on Sergyar, many of which as the former residents of the Vorkosigan District.
