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forbarrayar2017-03-04 05:33 am
barrayarmods) wrote in forbarrayar2017-03-04 05:33 am
[ march i log: we need medicine ]
Who: Everyone
What: New arrivals, desperate times, whispers down the hall.
When: March 1st - 18th
Where: Barrayaran camp / Cetagandan base
Warnings: TBD
Quick links:
Riverfall
Barrayar: Plague / Camp / Missions
Cetaganda: Plague / Base / Missions
welcome to barrayar.
It's the dark of night when you come to in the foothills. Snow on the ground, chill winter wind whistling -- in fact, it's dangerously cold, and all you have is the clothes on your back.. A steep mountain range towers just ahead, its peaks illuminated by the light of two moons. Whatever you last remember, it isn't how you got here, and you feel oddly jetlagged, slightly queasy.
And you're not alone. There are a few other people close by, all looking equally lost and confused. But before any of you have a chance to figure out what's going on, the soldiers arrive. There's a war on, they say, and you unlucky bastards have just been dropped right smack in the middle of it.
With March comes some relief. The first few days to a week are still bitterly, dangerously cold, but the weather starts to pick up gradually over the course of the next couple of months. It only gets barely above freezing, but after the last month, it might as well be a summer's day.
riverfall
The party last month definitely boosted morale, and certainly brought the outsiders closer to the villagers. They're noticeably friendlier toward the outsiders afterward, although they still give the exotics and their accompanying ghem soldiers the evil eye.
Given the village's covert assistance with the war effort and the fact that the Cetagandans found enough data to include the village in its regular patrols, Riverfall has become sort of a middle ground between the two sides. Coinciding visits don't happen every day, but they can provide opportunities for the two factions to secretly meet. Of course, this always carries a risk…best be sure not to be caught by either side's soldiers. Thanks to Negri, the Barrayarans roughly know the patrol schedule.
barrayar
Temperatures are still pretty low by the time March rolls around, and the first week is considerably cold, but it's steadily getting warmer as the month goes on. By the second week, it's just warm enough to start taking baths again -- and boy is there ever a queue.
On the 2nd, a small troop of soldiers arrives, led by Prince Xav Vorbarra, Olivia and Sonia's father, and Piotr's aide-de-camp Captain Ezar Vorbarra, a distant cousin of theirs. They bring with them a load of relief supplies fom Beta Colony, improving not only their food and medicine situation, but some to pass on back to the Riverfall villagers in return for their help. Anyone lurking around at night might see Ezar talking to Negri from time to time as well, and Sonia seems to be getting up to some kind of mischief where Ezar is concerned.
Prince Xav gives Piotr a very helpful tipoff -- there's a Betan biochemist waiting in the occupied district capital, Vorkosigan Vashnoi, to rendezvous with him on his way back off Barrayar. Xav can't stay long; he needs to find another way off-planet, and Doctor Micah Niadem has been laying low in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, but the risk of their presence being detected grows with every day. It may be easier and safer to smuggle them back to the camp than try to get them back off-planet for now -- and besides, their expertise in astrophysics might prove useful. But Xav hasn't yet been able to make contact through the soldiers occupying the city, so Piotr sends his own scouts.
Piotr, with Xav and Ezar as advisors, is trying to come to a decision about what to do about the Cetagandans' wormhole project. There's no telling what the Cetagandans really intend to do with the wormhole device, but disrupting or destroying their project would mean no way home for the outsiders, and…Piotr no longer feels that to be the most honorable option. That, and the idea of this technology in Cetagandan hands does them no favors. But their intelligence on the project is limited -- Byerly will prove to be a useful intelligent asset, certainly, but Piotr is looking for more informants. Any outsiders willing and able to make connections with any exotics sympathetic to the cause would certainly be appreciated by the General.
plague
Early in the month, some of the villagers begin to get sick -- it looks just like a particularly nasty cold at first. It quickly worsens and spreads to the camp, and by the 7th it is evident there is an outbreak of the Barrayaran flu, an influenza variant that has mutated over the last several centuries. Barrayarans have built up antibodies against most strains, but this is a particularly virulent strain, and with a population that has neither vaccines nor modern medicine, it can be fatal. The recent cold snap and limited food haven't exactly fortified anyone's immune systems, either, and in the first half of the month, about half the population of the village and camp come down with the flu at some point.
Although the virus isn't spreading much more quickly than your average flu, it's still a nasty infection, and the symptoms are difficult to effectively treat without proper equipment of facilities. Some of the relief supplies brought by Prince Xav include surgical masks and gloves for the people working triage to protect them from the airborne illness as much as possible. The supplies also include some analgesics and synergine, but hardly enough to go around. Fevers, aches and chills, coughing, vomiting -- they treat them with what they have once they run out of relief supplies. And for the most part, those with the flu manage to pull through and recover -- but if the flu turns to pneumonia, there's almost nothing they can do at that point. Thanks to the tireless efforts of villagers, soldiers, and some outsiders, the first half of the month sees only a 10% mortality rate between the village and the camp, resulting in only 23 influenza-related deaths.
Sonia is among the first to get sick, but she sweats it out in five days or so and manages a full recovery. Olivia, on the other hand, falls much more seriously ill. Piotr takes great care not to get sick; the camp is already incapacitated as it is.
camp
Camp morale is still buckling under the weight of crisis after crisis, but the arrival of Prince Xav and the improving weather have done a lot to lighten the mood. Xav and Ezar coordiate to distribute the relief supplies even as the flu ravages the camp and village, never a dull moment . Olivia and Sonia haven't seen their father Xav in over two years, and it's a long-overdue family reunion. Piotr welcomes the return of his friend and aide-de-camp Ezar, and Sonia seems to be getting into some kind of mischief with her cousin. And in a quiet moment here and there, Ezar can be seen talking to Negri.
By the morning of the 1st, Byerly Vorrutyer will have abruptly disappeared from camp.
Piotr is trying to keep military operations running as much as he can while half the camp tends to the sick or fall sick themselves. They'd found the traitors, yes, but Piotr's anger is far from satisfied. The food shortage had derailed their power supply strategy, and it's only further pushed back by this current crisis, so large operations are off the table. But Piotr has never underestimated the value of psychological warfare in this war. He has a few conveniently available corpses for hacking up and planting in the Cetagandan base just to shake things up a little, and anyone who can lift a sword without coughing is qualified. Xav does not approve.
missions
The medical assistance provided by the outsiders doesn't go unappreciated, nor without effect. Not every day is a success, but they manage to keep the mortality rate relatively low.
The infiltration missions to plant the severed body parts mostly go according to plan, although Lakshmi and Nash run afoul of some guards. Between the outsiders and other Barrayaran squads, they manage to plant several body parts, and in doing so, inadvertently spread the Barrayaran flu to the Cetagandans.
The outsiders scouting out Vorkosigan Vashnoi manage to stay undetected by Cetagandan soldiers, although they run into exotics on the other side. They manage to get some information about Micah's location, but very little…thankfully, Byerly passes on to Miles much more specific information the exotics were able to obtain.
Here are the unabridged mission results.
cetaganda
The snow piled up around the base starts to gradually melt over the course of the month as temperatures rise. The new wave of exotics are processed and very gently prodded like every group has been, but they've been treated with the same level of civility. The Cetagandans are generally exceedingly polite, but they are becoming a little less patient with the exotics after the recent bouts of violence and escapism.
Despite the Barrayaran flu sweeping the base, military operations must carry on. Zahal might have lost his informants in the Barrayaran camp, but he knows they've been struggling, and wants to implement some more aggressive tactics to hit them while they're down -- and more than that, the dead body parts of his own soldiers scattered around the base have had their intended effect, rattling and aggravating the ghem-General -- even more so when they realize that this was the means by which the plague spread to the base. Whatever organized strategy Zahal starts to pull together is immediately disrupted by the rapid spread of the virus through the base. With Cetagandan soldiers dropping like flies, military operations all but come to a halt on the base.
However, Cetagandan intelligence gets wind of a Barrayar-allied astrophysicist from Beta Colony, a planet renowned for its cutting-edge technological advances, particularly in the field of wormhole science; they may be able to solve some of the pieces of the puzzle. The Betan scientist is apparently hiding out in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, the capital city of the city. The virus has spread there too; Barrayarans and Cetagandans alike are facing the outbreak, although the native population seems to be faring a bit better. The Cetagandans need help bringing medical supplies, so while they're at it, the ghem-General dispatches a few teams to try and sniff out the scientist's location. Meanwhile, in the R&D labs, some of the exotics who have been promoted to lab assistant are helping the Cetagandans to make some advancements, and they're finally let in on some more details about the project.
plague
A few days into the month, some of the soldiers start to show cold-like symptoms -- and then the outbreak of Barrayaran influenza spreads rapidly throughout the base. Unlike the Barrayarans, the Cetagandans have no antibodies for this strain, and even their advanced immune systems cannot defend them against a totally new pathogen. They are infected even more quickly than the Barrayarans and their symptoms escalate rapidly as well, resulting in an alarming mortality rate. Cetagandan soldiers are falling sick left and right. Triage starts in the medbay, but they have to quarantine off another wing of the building just to make room for the rapidly growing population of infected ghem. The airborne virus is spreading through the base at an alarming speed -- save for Byerly, no one on base has ever been exposed to it. The symptoms are severe and while the Cetagandans have plenty of equipment, they have neither an antiviral nor a vaccine for the Barrayaran flu. High fever, vomiting, dehydration, respiratory and sinus problems run rampant, and though they have plenty in the way of synergine and analgesics, the Barrayaran flu quickly leads to pneumonia in most Cetagandan patients, and with their immune systems so completely unprepared, most patients with pneumonia die within 24 to 48 hours. The triage assistants are, at least, provided with surgical masks and gloves and antibacterial gel by the bucket load to protect them from the airborne illness as much as possible. By mid-month, nearly two thirds of the base has been infected.
The medical staff scrambles to put up a quarantine while also working on a vaccine for the uninfected population on the base. Byerly, being the only person on base who has ever been exposed to the Barrayaran flu, offers a blood sample -- potentially containing antibodies to this strain. Some of the Cetagandans' testing methods are a little ethically questionable, but they're trying to work fast. They're able to develop a working vaccine with a projected effectiveness of 70%.
Toward the middle of the month, Amai catches the flu and is laid low for about a week. Diya and Zahal take great care not to catch it -- Diya seems particularly absent lately.
base
Paranoia of infection hovers over the entire base, but some of the Cetagandans are concerned with another upcoming event: the arrival of the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche. What the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche actually is or does seems to be rather vague to the exotics -- she seems to play some role in genetic politics -- but it's known that she's haut, like Diya. The Cetagandans are scrambling to prepare for her arrival with considerable worry about resolving the flu epidemic before she touches down. The Cetagandans are about as close to cultural panic as they get right now. Diya received personal notice from the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche herself.
Starting on the 1st, Byerly Vorrutyer joins the exotic ranks as an undercover agent, looking not only for information but to potentially recruit exotics sympathetic to the Barrayaran cause.
Meanwhile in the labs, the Cetagandans have been letting the exotics get a little more hands-on with their research. Natasha, York and Symmetra have risen a bit in the ranks and are brought in on more specific projects. The ghem ladies are, surprisingly, now looking for volunteers to work in the gene labs too -- personnel shortage, of course.
missions
Even though a few of their own fall prey to the illness, the exotics' medical assistance does wind up being quite helpful, particularly with development of the vaccine. Meanwhile, eavesdroppers are doing their usual business and digging deep in places they shouldn't -- particularly where Amai and Diya are concerned.
The exotics that accompany the Cetagandans to Vorkosigan Vashnoi manage to stay undetected by Barrayaran soldiers, although they run into exotics on the other side. They are able to get some very detailed information about Micah's location, which Byerly passes back to the Barrayarans via Miles.
Here are the unabridged mission results.
Note: Negri and Zahal are available for threads by request only. Please hit up Madi or Ammay respectively for you want threads with either of those NPCs. You can also request a thread with Village Speaker Yakiv Gura if you want, in which case hit up Madi.
What: New arrivals, desperate times, whispers down the hall.
When: March 1st - 18th
Where: Barrayaran camp / Cetagandan base
Warnings: TBD
Riverfall
Barrayar: Plague / Camp / Missions
Cetaganda: Plague / Base / Missions
welcome to barrayar.
It's the dark of night when you come to in the foothills. Snow on the ground, chill winter wind whistling -- in fact, it's dangerously cold, and all you have is the clothes on your back.. A steep mountain range towers just ahead, its peaks illuminated by the light of two moons. Whatever you last remember, it isn't how you got here, and you feel oddly jetlagged, slightly queasy.
And you're not alone. There are a few other people close by, all looking equally lost and confused. But before any of you have a chance to figure out what's going on, the soldiers arrive. There's a war on, they say, and you unlucky bastards have just been dropped right smack in the middle of it.
With March comes some relief. The first few days to a week are still bitterly, dangerously cold, but the weather starts to pick up gradually over the course of the next couple of months. It only gets barely above freezing, but after the last month, it might as well be a summer's day.
riverfall
The party last month definitely boosted morale, and certainly brought the outsiders closer to the villagers. They're noticeably friendlier toward the outsiders afterward, although they still give the exotics and their accompanying ghem soldiers the evil eye.
Given the village's covert assistance with the war effort and the fact that the Cetagandans found enough data to include the village in its regular patrols, Riverfall has become sort of a middle ground between the two sides. Coinciding visits don't happen every day, but they can provide opportunities for the two factions to secretly meet. Of course, this always carries a risk…best be sure not to be caught by either side's soldiers. Thanks to Negri, the Barrayarans roughly know the patrol schedule.
barrayar
Temperatures are still pretty low by the time March rolls around, and the first week is considerably cold, but it's steadily getting warmer as the month goes on. By the second week, it's just warm enough to start taking baths again -- and boy is there ever a queue.
On the 2nd, a small troop of soldiers arrives, led by Prince Xav Vorbarra, Olivia and Sonia's father, and Piotr's aide-de-camp Captain Ezar Vorbarra, a distant cousin of theirs. They bring with them a load of relief supplies fom Beta Colony, improving not only their food and medicine situation, but some to pass on back to the Riverfall villagers in return for their help. Anyone lurking around at night might see Ezar talking to Negri from time to time as well, and Sonia seems to be getting up to some kind of mischief where Ezar is concerned.
Prince Xav gives Piotr a very helpful tipoff -- there's a Betan biochemist waiting in the occupied district capital, Vorkosigan Vashnoi, to rendezvous with him on his way back off Barrayar. Xav can't stay long; he needs to find another way off-planet, and Doctor Micah Niadem has been laying low in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, but the risk of their presence being detected grows with every day. It may be easier and safer to smuggle them back to the camp than try to get them back off-planet for now -- and besides, their expertise in astrophysics might prove useful. But Xav hasn't yet been able to make contact through the soldiers occupying the city, so Piotr sends his own scouts.
Piotr, with Xav and Ezar as advisors, is trying to come to a decision about what to do about the Cetagandans' wormhole project. There's no telling what the Cetagandans really intend to do with the wormhole device, but disrupting or destroying their project would mean no way home for the outsiders, and…Piotr no longer feels that to be the most honorable option. That, and the idea of this technology in Cetagandan hands does them no favors. But their intelligence on the project is limited -- Byerly will prove to be a useful intelligent asset, certainly, but Piotr is looking for more informants. Any outsiders willing and able to make connections with any exotics sympathetic to the cause would certainly be appreciated by the General.
plague
Early in the month, some of the villagers begin to get sick -- it looks just like a particularly nasty cold at first. It quickly worsens and spreads to the camp, and by the 7th it is evident there is an outbreak of the Barrayaran flu, an influenza variant that has mutated over the last several centuries. Barrayarans have built up antibodies against most strains, but this is a particularly virulent strain, and with a population that has neither vaccines nor modern medicine, it can be fatal. The recent cold snap and limited food haven't exactly fortified anyone's immune systems, either, and in the first half of the month, about half the population of the village and camp come down with the flu at some point.
Although the virus isn't spreading much more quickly than your average flu, it's still a nasty infection, and the symptoms are difficult to effectively treat without proper equipment of facilities. Some of the relief supplies brought by Prince Xav include surgical masks and gloves for the people working triage to protect them from the airborne illness as much as possible. The supplies also include some analgesics and synergine, but hardly enough to go around. Fevers, aches and chills, coughing, vomiting -- they treat them with what they have once they run out of relief supplies. And for the most part, those with the flu manage to pull through and recover -- but if the flu turns to pneumonia, there's almost nothing they can do at that point. Thanks to the tireless efforts of villagers, soldiers, and some outsiders, the first half of the month sees only a 10% mortality rate between the village and the camp, resulting in only 23 influenza-related deaths.
Sonia is among the first to get sick, but she sweats it out in five days or so and manages a full recovery. Olivia, on the other hand, falls much more seriously ill. Piotr takes great care not to get sick; the camp is already incapacitated as it is.
camp
Camp morale is still buckling under the weight of crisis after crisis, but the arrival of Prince Xav and the improving weather have done a lot to lighten the mood. Xav and Ezar coordiate to distribute the relief supplies even as the flu ravages the camp and village, never a dull moment . Olivia and Sonia haven't seen their father Xav in over two years, and it's a long-overdue family reunion. Piotr welcomes the return of his friend and aide-de-camp Ezar, and Sonia seems to be getting into some kind of mischief with her cousin. And in a quiet moment here and there, Ezar can be seen talking to Negri.
By the morning of the 1st, Byerly Vorrutyer will have abruptly disappeared from camp.
Piotr is trying to keep military operations running as much as he can while half the camp tends to the sick or fall sick themselves. They'd found the traitors, yes, but Piotr's anger is far from satisfied. The food shortage had derailed their power supply strategy, and it's only further pushed back by this current crisis, so large operations are off the table. But Piotr has never underestimated the value of psychological warfare in this war. He has a few conveniently available corpses for hacking up and planting in the Cetagandan base just to shake things up a little, and anyone who can lift a sword without coughing is qualified. Xav does not approve.
missions
The medical assistance provided by the outsiders doesn't go unappreciated, nor without effect. Not every day is a success, but they manage to keep the mortality rate relatively low.
The infiltration missions to plant the severed body parts mostly go according to plan, although Lakshmi and Nash run afoul of some guards. Between the outsiders and other Barrayaran squads, they manage to plant several body parts, and in doing so, inadvertently spread the Barrayaran flu to the Cetagandans.
The outsiders scouting out Vorkosigan Vashnoi manage to stay undetected by Cetagandan soldiers, although they run into exotics on the other side. They manage to get some information about Micah's location, but very little…thankfully, Byerly passes on to Miles much more specific information the exotics were able to obtain.
Here are the unabridged mission results.
cetaganda
The snow piled up around the base starts to gradually melt over the course of the month as temperatures rise. The new wave of exotics are processed and very gently prodded like every group has been, but they've been treated with the same level of civility. The Cetagandans are generally exceedingly polite, but they are becoming a little less patient with the exotics after the recent bouts of violence and escapism.
Despite the Barrayaran flu sweeping the base, military operations must carry on. Zahal might have lost his informants in the Barrayaran camp, but he knows they've been struggling, and wants to implement some more aggressive tactics to hit them while they're down -- and more than that, the dead body parts of his own soldiers scattered around the base have had their intended effect, rattling and aggravating the ghem-General -- even more so when they realize that this was the means by which the plague spread to the base. Whatever organized strategy Zahal starts to pull together is immediately disrupted by the rapid spread of the virus through the base. With Cetagandan soldiers dropping like flies, military operations all but come to a halt on the base.
However, Cetagandan intelligence gets wind of a Barrayar-allied astrophysicist from Beta Colony, a planet renowned for its cutting-edge technological advances, particularly in the field of wormhole science; they may be able to solve some of the pieces of the puzzle. The Betan scientist is apparently hiding out in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, the capital city of the city. The virus has spread there too; Barrayarans and Cetagandans alike are facing the outbreak, although the native population seems to be faring a bit better. The Cetagandans need help bringing medical supplies, so while they're at it, the ghem-General dispatches a few teams to try and sniff out the scientist's location. Meanwhile, in the R&D labs, some of the exotics who have been promoted to lab assistant are helping the Cetagandans to make some advancements, and they're finally let in on some more details about the project.
plague
A few days into the month, some of the soldiers start to show cold-like symptoms -- and then the outbreak of Barrayaran influenza spreads rapidly throughout the base. Unlike the Barrayarans, the Cetagandans have no antibodies for this strain, and even their advanced immune systems cannot defend them against a totally new pathogen. They are infected even more quickly than the Barrayarans and their symptoms escalate rapidly as well, resulting in an alarming mortality rate. Cetagandan soldiers are falling sick left and right. Triage starts in the medbay, but they have to quarantine off another wing of the building just to make room for the rapidly growing population of infected ghem. The airborne virus is spreading through the base at an alarming speed -- save for Byerly, no one on base has ever been exposed to it. The symptoms are severe and while the Cetagandans have plenty of equipment, they have neither an antiviral nor a vaccine for the Barrayaran flu. High fever, vomiting, dehydration, respiratory and sinus problems run rampant, and though they have plenty in the way of synergine and analgesics, the Barrayaran flu quickly leads to pneumonia in most Cetagandan patients, and with their immune systems so completely unprepared, most patients with pneumonia die within 24 to 48 hours. The triage assistants are, at least, provided with surgical masks and gloves and antibacterial gel by the bucket load to protect them from the airborne illness as much as possible. By mid-month, nearly two thirds of the base has been infected.
The medical staff scrambles to put up a quarantine while also working on a vaccine for the uninfected population on the base. Byerly, being the only person on base who has ever been exposed to the Barrayaran flu, offers a blood sample -- potentially containing antibodies to this strain. Some of the Cetagandans' testing methods are a little ethically questionable, but they're trying to work fast. They're able to develop a working vaccine with a projected effectiveness of 70%.
Toward the middle of the month, Amai catches the flu and is laid low for about a week. Diya and Zahal take great care not to catch it -- Diya seems particularly absent lately.
base
Paranoia of infection hovers over the entire base, but some of the Cetagandans are concerned with another upcoming event: the arrival of the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche. What the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche actually is or does seems to be rather vague to the exotics -- she seems to play some role in genetic politics -- but it's known that she's haut, like Diya. The Cetagandans are scrambling to prepare for her arrival with considerable worry about resolving the flu epidemic before she touches down. The Cetagandans are about as close to cultural panic as they get right now. Diya received personal notice from the Handmaiden of the Star Crèche herself.
Starting on the 1st, Byerly Vorrutyer joins the exotic ranks as an undercover agent, looking not only for information but to potentially recruit exotics sympathetic to the Barrayaran cause.
Meanwhile in the labs, the Cetagandans have been letting the exotics get a little more hands-on with their research. Natasha, York and Symmetra have risen a bit in the ranks and are brought in on more specific projects. The ghem ladies are, surprisingly, now looking for volunteers to work in the gene labs too -- personnel shortage, of course.
missions
Even though a few of their own fall prey to the illness, the exotics' medical assistance does wind up being quite helpful, particularly with development of the vaccine. Meanwhile, eavesdroppers are doing their usual business and digging deep in places they shouldn't -- particularly where Amai and Diya are concerned.
The exotics that accompany the Cetagandans to Vorkosigan Vashnoi manage to stay undetected by Barrayaran soldiers, although they run into exotics on the other side. They are able to get some very detailed information about Micah's location, which Byerly passes back to the Barrayarans via Miles.
Here are the unabridged mission results.
Note: Negri and Zahal are available for threads by request only. Please hit up Madi or Ammay respectively for you want threads with either of those NPCs. You can also request a thread with Village Speaker Yakiv Gura if you want, in which case hit up Madi.
no subject
I beg your pardon?
[ If Tucker was hoping for easy, he'd picked the wrong woman. ]
no subject
I mean, if begging is your thing, we can jump right to that. I don’t mind.
[And how sly his smile was, all egotistical smirk and big brown eyes. So much for being subtle.]
no subject
Ugh. Uncouth cretin. No doubt with the rebels. ]
Do you address all women so carelessly? Be gone before you try my patience any further.
[ And with a dismissive flick of her hand, she turns to walk away before a scene is made. She doesn't need to draw the additional attention, not when there are more important things to see to than warding off this idiot's clumsy advances. ]
no subject
Well, a little. Very few people were worth that much effort. ]
I mean, only the pretty ones.
[Compliments. Chicks dug compliments.]
You know, you’re way too hot for this village. You’re going to start melting the snow in a minute. [Careful. He was careful not to out himself, talking about her and not himself, careful not to admit that he wasn’t exactly from around here either and if he was local, he should have recognized her.
You know, no big deal.]
no subject
[ A glare cuts back towards Tucker as her step halts. An exotic though she might be, and certainly in danger if any rebels should discover her, she's not above setting someone in their place when they need it.
And this young man is sorely in need of a new set of priorities. ]
no subject
Tucker let the smile twitch down, slowly morphing into a frown. The villagers she said, as if they themselves weren't a part of this, of that world. Was she calling him out? Was she calling herself out? He sure as fuck hadn't seen her around camp, but this was his first time here, so there was no way to know for sure.
Fuck, he was feeling paranoid.]
Dude, I'm not a complete asshole. In case you haven't noticed, I know what goes on here. [Of course she didn't notice it; how could she when all he was doing was making horrible pick up lines sound worse than they already were?]
But fuck, you better believe that when I see someone hot, I'm going to say something because what else am I supposed to do around here, huh?
no subject
[ But it's not entirely him she's angry at, is it? No. He's conveniently there and just annoying enough to bring it to the surface, but she's feeling the pinch of helplessness too. After her talk with Lakshmi doubts swirl in her mind, but she knows...
She knows they must be doing the right thing.
They should be doing the right thing.
Quietly, she lets out a sigh, turning away from him again. ]
It's pitiable...we should be able to do so much more for them.
no subject
Sure. He was doing so much for them.
The pretences of who he was slipped from his fingers; she wasn't fighting him so it wasn't worth the effort. Tucker didn't know who the hell she was, and he was starting to find it didn't bother him much. Mysteries weren't all bad; look at Scooby Doo.]
Fucking tell me about it. This shit is just...sad.
[He looked over at her, lashes low, tired. Cold, like the rest of them.] But unless you have a magic wand, I doubt that there's much we can do.
no subject
The people of this planet had precious little to feel cheerful about. And now, with this illness spreading? ]
You're wrong. With the proper facilities and equipment we could make a difference.
[ Her voice drops in volume as she narrows her eyes at Tucker. ]
If the rebels hadn't decided to turn to biological terrorism in their determination to win.
no subject
Wait, what?
[Tucker's gaze snatched to her, confused and not understanding that little comment. Was this something he missed in the brochure on "What to Expect When You're In Another Fucking War" or something, because he didn't exactly remember biological terrorism being listed. Fine print?
Unless it was behind-the-shit things, backroom deals that most didn't know about. But the rebels were exactly that: the plucky underdog battling against a large domineering opposer. How wrong could the rebels have gotten? Hell, did they even have the capability?]
You're talking about a bunch of folks on horseback with swords. Pretty sure they're not slapping germ warfare against the opposing side. [Too much. Saying too much, Tucker. Change the subject.]
Who are you anyway?
no subject
[ Of course not. He's quite obviously not in charge of anything, just another lost soul, like the rest of them brought here. She can't share too much, knowing he will likely take whatever he says back to the rebels, but it's clear she wants to tell him just what crude methods and cunning are capable of doing. ]
...my name is Symmetra. I was brought here much the same as you, I would imagine.
[ Might as well dispense with the illusion that either of them belonged here. Speaking plainly had always suited her best. ]
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Again, these were people living in tents and riding horses. They used fucking swords - which was cool, but lacked the awesomeness of his own. Biological warfare seemed not just a stretch, but a fucking marathon.
But she was like him, dragged over from another world, and his eyes softened a little. What the hell had she been up to before she was kidnapped? You know, other than looking damn fine? How many friends had she been forced to leave behind? They were all bound together in a camaraderie of abandonment that none of them ever asked for.
He shouldn't respond with his own name. Wash would kill him if he knew, and there was the thought of using Church's but she gave hers. And besides, what was in a name anyway?]
Tucker. [There was a pause as he choked back the urge to respond with some poorly placed pick up line, and instead just nodded.] Yeah, inter-dimensional kidnapping does kind of ruin your plans for the month.
[There. Not that it was that hidden to begin with, but it was there, in the open now, and he just looked at her with a cautious glance.] So, why aren't you trying to kill me or kick my ass or something?
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[ It would be the first sensible sentiment he'd shown all day, but it did truly seem to be the case. He did not have a cruel face, nor a hardened killer's eyes. The rebels hadn't gotten to him entirely just yet, then. ]
I came here to see how these people are faring. Not to start another pointless fight.
[ And her eyes shift towards the village at large, rather than remaining on Tucker. A clear sign at least that she didn't expect him to be foolish enough to take her by surprise. ]
...kidnapped. Is that what they told you?
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[This wasn't his first war, wasn't even his second, not really. The way it was going it wouldn't be his last either, and that was an utterly depressing thought. He just wanted to go home to his kid, stop fighting and just...be a retired badass. Something. At least a vacation with him, see his face, live a little.
This wasn't exactly allowing him that sort of luxury. ]
Yeah, they're faring like shit. Maybe if you guys left them alone, it'd get better.
[Because if the Ceta just left, this stupid war would be over. If they just left, maybe they could focus on finding a way back home rather than staying here and fighting. If they went back, resources could be divided up to the right fucking places and this shit didn't have to go on.]
Just how it feels. Pretty sure I wasn't asked for consent on getting dragged all the way out here, leaving my shit hanging back home. Were you?
[Don't think he didn't notice that, Symmetra, the way you're looking off. His eyes were on her, trying to see if it was confidence or trust, then gave up and looked away.] What'd they tell you?
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[ See if that doesn't change his opinions about the Cetagandans some. They intend to do something with this mess, rather than simply just fight. She wouldn't be so supportive of them otherwise.
Satya's brow arches. ]
I don't suppose the rebels made that offer. They'd be far too happy with the additional manpower available to them to consider relinquishing it.
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No way. No fucking way. He would have heard about it if it was.] It's pretty easy to promise shit. Like, seriously, I could promise not to totally imagine you naked later, but that doesn't mean I have the capability to keep it.
[What? It had been a good five minutes since he had said something of that caliber. It was well overdue.
But either way, the sentiment was there: how did any of them know if the Ceta could get them back? How could they even start promising shit when no one knew how they got here in the first place? It was stupid. It was-- it was fucking bullshit! A lie.
He could feel the glare fixing itself into place, because those were people she was talking about. Friends. Ones he was fighting with and for. ] Seriously? It's not about fucking offers; this isn't the worst game show ever made where we get to pick what's behind Door Number One and it's a consolation prize of more goddamn war. They're just trying to stay the fuck alive and have their freedom.
Maybe if your BFFs could take a hint and leave these guys alone, there wouldn't even need to be a war to start with.
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They are not trying to enslave them. They are trying to help them.
[ Satya let out a sigh, her breath fogging in the air. ]
Look around you. These people are starving. Freezing. Dying of disease. The Cetagandans would put an end to all that. Their technology would see these people living in security and peace, with luxuries they've only ever dreamed of. Those that fight? Only do so at the bidding of those who stand to lose power. They don't realize what they are fighting against. I've seen firsthand what the Cetagandans are, and they are not the tyrants the rebels would have you think.
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In turn, Tucker was really great at ignoring other people; time spent with Caboose honed that skill rather easily and very early on. But the things she was saying were impossible to shut out, even though he earnestly tried. He knew about people wanting power as much as he knew about the plucky rebels that didn't seem to have a chance; they were things he had lived with for years.
But scenarios weren't always black and white; they were shades of grey and he fucking hated it. It was a lot easier to despise something that was blatantly wicked than it was to be stuck in the realm of I don't know.]
Watch it; I'm friends with some of those people in power.
[Well, one. Sonia, a princess, but he wasn't sure how much power there was; politics bored the fuck out of him and there were a lot more fun things to do than sit and talk dynasties and power plays. If he wanted that, he'd go back to his Sangheili lessons. Besides--]
Is that what they told you? Because it seems like your guys kind of came in and started telling people how to live, how to be, wanted to take over for them and not give them a choice. Who the fuck made you guys the universal police, huh? You're like a pushy fucking prom date that can't take a hint.
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[ There's less righteous anger in her today than there is a sort of pity. For Tucker. For all these people. The more she sees, the more she is reminded of the communities she's been sent to in the past, on behalf of Vishkar.
They too raised their voices, complained about freedom and choice from the depths of poverty and chaos. They just didn't know any other way. That wasn't their fault. ]
'Freedom' will not put food in their bellies. It will not keep them warm at night. It won't see a better future for their children. And these people deserve better than what I've seen here.
[ Satya's jaw sets tightly. ]
I won't apologize for believing that. I don't think turning a blind eye to ignorance is the best solution.
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[There was the barest of twitches when she mentioned children, something small and slight as his eyes snapped over to her. Children. Yeah, they were the ones suffering the most, weren’t they? And they didn’t ask for this shit, they didn’t ask for a war or to be oppressed or dying. They didn’t ask to be buried in the frozen ground.]
Believe what you want; that’s on you.
[But she wasn’t wrong either. Cold and hungry, what could--]
Look, who’s to say what would happen if you folks left, huh? How can you guess that things wouldn’t get better or that they would be able to feed these folks instead of dropping all their shit into war? I mean… [He waved one arm, waved it at this place around them, waved it while looking up at the sky.]
You don’t know the future. They could wind up better than you guys in another twenty years or something because they have the choice to do it.
And shit. [His brow furrowed a little because the real question was--] Why is this so important to your side? Like, seriously? If these folks don’t want it, why not just say ‘fuck it’ and go? What’s in it for the Cetagandans, because I’m pretty sure they’re not doing it out of the goodness of their heart either.
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[ Her arms fold across her chest as she tips her head, gold eyes searching out Tucker's dark ones. ]
The need to fight anyone would disappear. Isn't that what everyone wants, in truth? An end to the conflict and suffering, once and for all?
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Church, and the thought burned like fire across his heart like a brand.
No more death. No more burying kids. No more Great Wars and civil wars and--]
You know it's impossible to stop everyone from fighting, right? There's always going to be some asshole who just wants a television the size of a billboard and will kill people and start shit to get it. No one can stop that. You can't like, genetically engineer greed out of people.
[Fuck, but a universe where there was no war, where Junior wouldn't have to worry because he was Sangheili, where he could grow up and not have to fear his status. An existence where folks like Hargrove couldn't have fucking trophy rooms with the symbols of his dead friends decorating it like a prideful museum. Shit. One where he wouldn't have to fight anymore and could just vacation with his son.]
What about the people who don't care about art, huh? Who don't want anything you're offering? Freedom and choices are pretty freaking important to happiness, and happiness is what gives shit meaning. You can't just turn them into puppets.
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[ How many times has she been told this? More than she can count. It's one of the first lessons Vishkar taught her. To seek to profit on one's own is selfishness. To attempt to exist outside the community is to doom yourself. Safety can only be found in cooperation, in serving your function to serve the whole. And it is no different here. ]
These people are not 'free'. They answer to their leaders even now, who tell them they must fight to ensure their continued leadership. If they answered to the empire instead, what would change? They would go about their daily lives as they ever did, but without conflict. Without unnecessary struggle. With more resources and a governing body capable of turning this planet into part of a greater whole, protected and cared for.
[ Satya gestures to the village around them. ]
Should they be 'free' to choose to remain in these conditions? Nothing improves for them save the idea of 'freedom', this lie given to them to placate them. Oh, they suffer nobly for the idea of it, so long as they can be convinced that is the truth. But what good does that truly do them?
[ Go on, Tucker. If you've got a convincing argument here, now is the time. ]
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[Once when he was a kid he had watched some ancient, shitty movie, something that had the worst graphics he had ever seen, with easy to see camera tricks and horribly dramatic acting. It had only come on at three a.m. after everything else had been exhausted. It was about ants, radioactive giant ants, but he remembered being fascinated by it so he decided to read up on them.
Turns out, radioactivity would have just killed, a fact that made everything way less cool. But he learned about the nest, about working, about the social constructs. It was boring at the time because he couldn't relate.
Now he just didn't want to. Because, fuck, she made a good point and he hated it.]
There's always going to be someone in command, another C.O., another military, another shitty corporation. And maybe people are fucking selfish, maybe they suck, but if you give anyone too much power, you just have to wait until that shit corrupts them. Someone is going to take over and--well, it's all going to hit the fan eventually.
Besides... [He sighed a little.] What's the point of having a voice if you're not allowed to say what you want? Why not just open your doors to the ones who want to leave, and let the rest just decide their own fate? You get to save the folks who want to be saved, the war can fucking end, no more people have to die, and your conscience is clear?
[Gloved hands slid into his pockets as he looked away. This was all moral debates, important over ideas, but the real hook here was--] Going home. Is that a hope, or a possibility?
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[ Though her lips thin in displeasure almost immediately. That brings up her previous point rather nicely. ]
We might be closer still if not for the abhorrent tactics of the rebels. Leaving diseased body parts all over our base in the hopes of killing whoever they can with this sickness?
[ He seems to have the people's best interests at heart. Surely he can understand what is so terribly wrong with someone who considers that a fair method of fighting back. ]
These are the people who want to decide the fate of this world. Even if we were to remain a part of the conflict, how can you support that sort of depravity?
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