Lois McMaster Bujold's "Labyrinth" is a novella set in the Vorkosigan universe - one she created to hold the adventures of her hero Miles Vorkosigan.

While on a mission to the corrupt planet Jackson's Whole, Miles discovers Taura - the failed result of a genetic experiment to create a super-soldier. Taura is eight feet tall, capable of great violence and her fangs and claws give her an appearance that is more than a little frightening; but Miles senses a gentleness and sensitivity in Taura and takes pity on her mistreatment and imprisonment. He also needs some of the genetic material hidden in her calf to complete his mission. When Miles is captured, he and Taura form an unlikely couple as they plan their escape.

A version of this story appears within the novel "Borders of Infinity", but I had forgotten most of it in the five years since reading that collection, so it seemed fresh to me. In any event, the story stands on its own.

It shows off Miles's spirit of adventure, his resourcefulness, and his character. In later stories, Taura shows fierce loyalty to Miles because he was faithful to her. He not only saw past her outward appearance to the beauty within, but he kept his promise to rescue her.

This is a brief but significant story in the saga.