For Barrayar mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
barrayarmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
forbarrayar2017-02-18 03:21 pm
barrayarmods) wrote in forbarrayar2017-02-18 03:21 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- #barrayaran camp,
- #cetagandan base,
- #riverfall village,
- *amai ghem-soren,
- *diya d'zefyst,
- *gail ghem-estif,
- *olivia vorkosigan,
- *piotr vorkosigan,
- *sonia vorbarra,
- agent washington | protocol,
- daryl dixon | pigsfeet,
- kaidan alenko | standsentinel,
- lakshmi bai | shri,
- lapis lazuli | mirrortide,
- lavernius tucker | lovernotafighter
[ february ii log ]
Who: Everyone
What: Traitors exposed, celebrations had, sleight hands passing cards under the table. And so begin the preparations for what is soon to come.
When: February 18th - 28th
Where: Barrayaran camp / Cetagandan base
Warnings: Torture (interrogations thread)
Quick links:
Riverfall
Barrayar: Barrayaran camp / Party / Missions
Cetaganda: Cetagandan base / Moon-poetry party / Missions
The harsh weather rages on, which temperatures still averaging far below freezing, and the wind is still strong. But things are a little less dire for the outsiders, and for the exotics -- well, they have their own chills to deal with.
riverfall
Riverfall village is your typical Dendarii mountain village, which means it's small, humble, and mostly poor. This is the most rural of the rural around here, a little backwater even by Barrayaran standards. Most of the villagers live in houses of wood and stone built themselves or by ancestors. Despite the cold, there are plenty of people outside at any given time -- working, mostly, because the daily grind stops for no one, but even the occasional group of children taken over by fits of cabin fever. The village is built up against a rocky mountain face, from the top of which the eponymous waterfall flows into the river that borders the west edge of the village and continues down the mountain. The place isn't exactly hidden, but if you don't know your way around, it'd be hard to find without a native guide.
The villagers are wary of the outsiders at first, even more than the soldiers had been -- the rural Dendarii are as superstitious as they come -- but, slowly convinced of their good intentions, start to warm to them. They're a blunt, hardy people, largely uneducated and tending toward the most extreme of Barrayaran sensibilities, but they are undeniably fierce. The General Count trusts them, so they'll be more or less civil (by Barrayaran standards, anyway), but you might catch the occasional scrutinizing, watchful stare. With Cetagandans in camp and exotics among them, they border on hostile, especially those who are visibly nonhuman. They keep their heads down enough to keep from getting into trouble with the soldiers, but they do not like you at all.
Not everyone in Riverfall speaks English -- Russian is everyone's first language, and only about half the village has any passable command of English. Thankfully, the village's Speaker Yakiv Gura speaks English, if heavily accented. They're clearly stretching to the limit to help the camp, but to the Dendarii, there's no higher act than one in the Count's service, especially when it comes to fighting this war.
barrayar
Even after scoring themselves a little extra food, morale in the camp is at an all-time low. The miserably dangerous weather hasn't let up, food is still heavily rationed, and everyone is still at least a little tired, cold, and hungry all of the time. It doesn't help that they've lost a few soldiers in the last couple of weeks, and in Riverfall, too, some villagers have died of the cold despite their relative warmth and safety, mostly children. This is hardly the first harsh winter they've faced, but that doesn't stop the inexorable loss that comes with it. Some villagers may be somberly putting their loved ones to rest in the village graveyard when the outsiders are in town.
But Piotr finally calls Negri out as a spy sent by his aide-de-camp Captain Ezar Vorbarra, partly to deliver a message and partly to test Piotr, because Ezar loves coy bullshit. However, he does learn that both Ezar and Prince Xav Vorbarra, Olivia and Sonia's father, are en route to Vorkosigan's District with relief supplies from Beta Colony secured by Xav's ambassadorial connections and tireless lobbying. Once Piotr judges it safe to release this information, it bring with it a bit of hope -- and to seal the deal, Piotr and Olivia arrange a celebration of sorts in the village.
Finally outing the ring of reason in the camp helps to bolster morale, too. Vorhalas is interrogated, and the names of his co-conspirators are revealed: Lieutenant Boris Vortala, who killed himself in disgrace shortly after his fast-penta interrogation at ghem-General Zefyst's hand, and their commander Captain Aaron Vorbataille. Vorbataille has, of course, already started to make his escape -- but with the help out of the outsiders, he won't get very far. Once Piotr is satisfied with Vorbataille's interrogation as well, both men are put to execution, but not by beheading as Doctor ghem-Miko: the sentence for treason is death by public starvation and exposure, and in this weather, it doesn't take long. They are publicly and emphatically denounced as traitors with no honor to speak of, sending a very clear message. Although this might seem like a gruesome sight to the outsiders, to the Barrayarans this is simply how it goes, and very few of them are sorry to see these traitors suffer, particularly as Vorhalas was the one responsible for their food shortage in the first place.
Reports from those soldiers and outsiders who were in the village at the same time as the Cetagandan field science team present the General Count with another troubling problem, however: the implications of the Cetagandans building a device that could control this phenomenon are terrifying, particularly to this threadbare resistance movement. But sabotage seems hardly a worthy solution, either. This is the only lead they have on sending the outsiders home, and so many of them have already put their lives on the line for the cause of a planet that otherwise nothing to most of them. There would be no honor in robbing them of their only chance to return home. But whether they should continue to allow the Cetagandans to proceed with their research or try to find a way to copy their plans themselves, a dubiously possible venture at best, weighs heavily on his mind. It only complicates his strategic concerns further, but by his military orders in the next couple of weeks, at least one thing is clear: he wants Cetagandan bodies.
camp
Morale is critically low among the soldiers, particularly after a few casualties during a recent skirmish with a Cetagandan patrol, but spirits definitely begin to lift with news of relief. The soldiers are now more or less accustomed to the outsiders' place in the camp, and they're even starting to become a little friendlier toward them, particularly those who've been involved in the war effort. They might invite outsiders to play card or dice games with them, or share a conversation over an admittedly meager meal, or better still, bond with them in the true Barrarayan form: over a lot of alcohol.
Negri has more or less built himself a niche in the camp, and doesn't look like he's going anywhere any time soon. But he isn't the only spy around. They desperately need a man on the inside, particularly with the troubling news about the wormhole device, and right now, that man is Byerly Vorrutyer. Starting next month, Piotr is sending him on assignment to infiltrate the Cetagandan base under the cover of a cowardly collaborator.
party
By the time they have the party on the 21st, the villagers have warmed up to the outsiders a little, but they don't really bond until the party. With what little they have to share, they scrape together as much of a feast as they can: not much, but by this month's standards, any hot meal prepared with fresh ingredients seems absolutely decadent. And because this is Barrayar there is, of course, plenty of liquor, that Barrayaran moonshine maple mead not the least among them, and there's no shortage of wine or vodka, either.
The hillfolk light lanterns all around the village and raise large tarps to cover the open center of the village where they usually hold gatherings. Inside, protected from the wind and lit by the bonfire and braziers placed around the perimeter, it's actually almost warm. Every villager who's ever laid hand to an instrument seems to gather there to play music all night long, an energetic mix of lively folk music and raucous drinking songs. Anyone with any musical talent would be welcome to join them as well. There's plenty of dancing, too, very little of it formal or complicated, but everyone's having a good time for the first time in weeks, maybe months, and the mood is infectious. By the end of the night, morale seems to have risen overall, and people in camp have something real to look forward to. The partygoing visitors are put up in warmed tents within the tarped village center or in the villagers' homes where they have room. Come morning, they'll head back, but for just one night, it's almost like there isn't even a war on.
missions
Outsiders have been assisting with moving supplies between the camp and Riverfall all throught he rest of the month, and it mostly goes smoothly. Vorbataille is caught on the 20th, although he and Vorhalas aren't publicly executed until a few days later, when Piotr is satisfied with the intelligence he's extracted. By the time he gets Vorbataille's name out of Vorhalas, the traitorous Captain has already fled -- but thanks to Carolina, Duv and Zarya, he's dragged back to camp for his interrogation.
That evening, Maine and William have the misfortune of encountering a dragon -- Darkstalker is on a mission with a Cetagandan patrol, and they run right smack into each other. A fight breaks out, but ultimately Darkstalker and the Cetagandans come out on top, and the outsiders and Barrayarans are forced to retreat -- but not before managing to kill a Cetagandan soldier or two, just barely escaping with one of the bodies.
Miles finds himself in a terrible position when a guard patrol shift goes horribly wrong in a skirmish against some Cetagandans, resulting in the death of their squad leader and a very ugly aftermath.
Zarya, William, Beth and Miles are in Riverfall with some Barrayaran soldiers on a supply run when a Cetagandan field science team arrives with a few exotics in tow. This is a rare chance to learn more about the Cetagandans' scientific exploits, and among other things, they find out that whatever it is that brought them here, the Cetagandan scientists are convincede it has something to do with the wormhole that collapsed 700 years ago.
The unabridged mission writeup is here.
cetaganda
The Cetagandans are a notoriously tight-lipped bunch, but they're blowing away most of the smoke surrounding their wormhole science research. As has been alluded, they're currently working on a device to harness the phenomenon that brought all the exotics here in the first place, and hopefully find a way to send them all home with it. They invite any exotics with scientific expertise to a series of interviews about neurology, astrophysics, and mechanical engineering. None of the advisement they receive helps to solve one of their most critical problems -- that of generating a Necklin field to match the one that must have surrounded each exotic -- but it certainly puts them closer to their goal, particularly in the area of neurology, and they're hardly going to stop there. But it's clear that the mathematicians and astrophysicists on base don't have sufficient expertise to solve the most complex equations before them. But on the brighter side of things, in the interest of this scientific exchange, they're letting the lab techs help a little more beyond just grunt work.
Meanwhile, the genetics project that seems so strange and arcane to the exotic carries on, largely behind the scenes, although Diya is increasingly at odds with her husband and even some of her senior staff, particularly the precocious Amai ghem-Soren. But there is very real purpose behind it -- and far more than just one -- and Diya d'Zefyst is a woman of great ambition. And more than anything else, she is haut.
Unfortunately, the relative peace on base is abruptly broken when Daryl, Lakshmi and Wash all manage to escape in a wild breakout attempt on the 25th. York and Ratchet are left behind, and as a result, some of their privileges revoked. They're now being watched a little more closely as a result.
base
Overall, despite simmering tensions under the surface and the miserable weather, life on base seems to be going more or less smoothly around them. The Cetagandans have had some recent victories against the Barrayarans, so morale is high. Unfortunately, after the breakout they begin cracking down on security with the exotics -- going back to treating the exotics a little more like they did when they first arrived. They aren't under guard, but after the 25th, they are being watched.
They still maintain that insistent veneer of civility, however, breaking only in cases where they feel the need or security risk is significant enough. The ghem on base remain overall cordial and courteous to the exotics as they ever were, which is to say considerably and always with a touch of smug superiority. With her success at the party earlier this month followed by her performance in the moon-poetry garden, the often-sequestered Amai ghem-Soren is seen more around the base.
moon-poetry party
The moon-poetry party is about three hours long and steeped in ceremony, each participant taking their turn to recite. This is, apparently, not a recitation of one's own work, but rather selections of classical Cetagandan poems, and in so referencing something culturally ubiquitous, each makes a statement in its mere selection and juxtapositions. If you pay close enough attention, you might notice that each participant has very subtly coordinated their outfits to further complement the theme of their recitation. Although there is a definite dignity to the party, it doesn't take much to pick up on the fact that this is yet another arena ghem use to try and socially one-up one another. Among the participants are both the Chief Medical Officer Colonel Faro ghem-Naru and Doctor Amai ghem-Soren, whose performance was especially well-received, the theme apparently being something about subtle passions.
missions
The science interviews with the exotics go more or less well, although not quite so hopeful as the Cetagandans were hoping. They do, however, learn some things about FTL travel in other worlds as well as other kinds of neural implants.
On the evening of the 21st, York, Natasha and Kaidan accidentally bear witness to what is clearly some kind of travesty: clearly a human being, but both overgrown and underdeveloped, and exhibiting powers of hydrokinesis and psychic empathy, referred to only as a ba.
On the 23rd, Jasper, Lapis, Pearl and Darkstalker accompany some soldiers and a field science team to Riverfall village, coinciding with a visit from some outsiders and soldiers. They encounter some outsiders while there but also pick up a bit on what it is the Cetagandans are doing -- that the Necklin field problem still remains their biggest problem, and they've been getting conflicting orders from the higher ups lately.
The unabridged mission writeup is here.
Note: Negri and Zahal are available for threads by request only this round. Please hit up Madi or Ammay respectively if 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: Traitors exposed, celebrations had, sleight hands passing cards under the table. And so begin the preparations for what is soon to come.
When: February 18th - 28th
Where: Barrayaran camp / Cetagandan base
Warnings: Torture (interrogations thread)
Riverfall
Barrayar: Barrayaran camp / Party / Missions
Cetaganda: Cetagandan base / Moon-poetry party / Missions
The harsh weather rages on, which temperatures still averaging far below freezing, and the wind is still strong. But things are a little less dire for the outsiders, and for the exotics -- well, they have their own chills to deal with.
riverfall
Riverfall village is your typical Dendarii mountain village, which means it's small, humble, and mostly poor. This is the most rural of the rural around here, a little backwater even by Barrayaran standards. Most of the villagers live in houses of wood and stone built themselves or by ancestors. Despite the cold, there are plenty of people outside at any given time -- working, mostly, because the daily grind stops for no one, but even the occasional group of children taken over by fits of cabin fever. The village is built up against a rocky mountain face, from the top of which the eponymous waterfall flows into the river that borders the west edge of the village and continues down the mountain. The place isn't exactly hidden, but if you don't know your way around, it'd be hard to find without a native guide.
The villagers are wary of the outsiders at first, even more than the soldiers had been -- the rural Dendarii are as superstitious as they come -- but, slowly convinced of their good intentions, start to warm to them. They're a blunt, hardy people, largely uneducated and tending toward the most extreme of Barrayaran sensibilities, but they are undeniably fierce. The General Count trusts them, so they'll be more or less civil (by Barrayaran standards, anyway), but you might catch the occasional scrutinizing, watchful stare. With Cetagandans in camp and exotics among them, they border on hostile, especially those who are visibly nonhuman. They keep their heads down enough to keep from getting into trouble with the soldiers, but they do not like you at all.
Not everyone in Riverfall speaks English -- Russian is everyone's first language, and only about half the village has any passable command of English. Thankfully, the village's Speaker Yakiv Gura speaks English, if heavily accented. They're clearly stretching to the limit to help the camp, but to the Dendarii, there's no higher act than one in the Count's service, especially when it comes to fighting this war.
barrayar
Even after scoring themselves a little extra food, morale in the camp is at an all-time low. The miserably dangerous weather hasn't let up, food is still heavily rationed, and everyone is still at least a little tired, cold, and hungry all of the time. It doesn't help that they've lost a few soldiers in the last couple of weeks, and in Riverfall, too, some villagers have died of the cold despite their relative warmth and safety, mostly children. This is hardly the first harsh winter they've faced, but that doesn't stop the inexorable loss that comes with it. Some villagers may be somberly putting their loved ones to rest in the village graveyard when the outsiders are in town.
But Piotr finally calls Negri out as a spy sent by his aide-de-camp Captain Ezar Vorbarra, partly to deliver a message and partly to test Piotr, because Ezar loves coy bullshit. However, he does learn that both Ezar and Prince Xav Vorbarra, Olivia and Sonia's father, are en route to Vorkosigan's District with relief supplies from Beta Colony secured by Xav's ambassadorial connections and tireless lobbying. Once Piotr judges it safe to release this information, it bring with it a bit of hope -- and to seal the deal, Piotr and Olivia arrange a celebration of sorts in the village.
Finally outing the ring of reason in the camp helps to bolster morale, too. Vorhalas is interrogated, and the names of his co-conspirators are revealed: Lieutenant Boris Vortala, who killed himself in disgrace shortly after his fast-penta interrogation at ghem-General Zefyst's hand, and their commander Captain Aaron Vorbataille. Vorbataille has, of course, already started to make his escape -- but with the help out of the outsiders, he won't get very far. Once Piotr is satisfied with Vorbataille's interrogation as well, both men are put to execution, but not by beheading as Doctor ghem-Miko: the sentence for treason is death by public starvation and exposure, and in this weather, it doesn't take long. They are publicly and emphatically denounced as traitors with no honor to speak of, sending a very clear message. Although this might seem like a gruesome sight to the outsiders, to the Barrayarans this is simply how it goes, and very few of them are sorry to see these traitors suffer, particularly as Vorhalas was the one responsible for their food shortage in the first place.
Reports from those soldiers and outsiders who were in the village at the same time as the Cetagandan field science team present the General Count with another troubling problem, however: the implications of the Cetagandans building a device that could control this phenomenon are terrifying, particularly to this threadbare resistance movement. But sabotage seems hardly a worthy solution, either. This is the only lead they have on sending the outsiders home, and so many of them have already put their lives on the line for the cause of a planet that otherwise nothing to most of them. There would be no honor in robbing them of their only chance to return home. But whether they should continue to allow the Cetagandans to proceed with their research or try to find a way to copy their plans themselves, a dubiously possible venture at best, weighs heavily on his mind. It only complicates his strategic concerns further, but by his military orders in the next couple of weeks, at least one thing is clear: he wants Cetagandan bodies.
camp
Morale is critically low among the soldiers, particularly after a few casualties during a recent skirmish with a Cetagandan patrol, but spirits definitely begin to lift with news of relief. The soldiers are now more or less accustomed to the outsiders' place in the camp, and they're even starting to become a little friendlier toward them, particularly those who've been involved in the war effort. They might invite outsiders to play card or dice games with them, or share a conversation over an admittedly meager meal, or better still, bond with them in the true Barrarayan form: over a lot of alcohol.
Negri has more or less built himself a niche in the camp, and doesn't look like he's going anywhere any time soon. But he isn't the only spy around. They desperately need a man on the inside, particularly with the troubling news about the wormhole device, and right now, that man is Byerly Vorrutyer. Starting next month, Piotr is sending him on assignment to infiltrate the Cetagandan base under the cover of a cowardly collaborator.
party
By the time they have the party on the 21st, the villagers have warmed up to the outsiders a little, but they don't really bond until the party. With what little they have to share, they scrape together as much of a feast as they can: not much, but by this month's standards, any hot meal prepared with fresh ingredients seems absolutely decadent. And because this is Barrayar there is, of course, plenty of liquor, that Barrayaran moonshine maple mead not the least among them, and there's no shortage of wine or vodka, either.
The hillfolk light lanterns all around the village and raise large tarps to cover the open center of the village where they usually hold gatherings. Inside, protected from the wind and lit by the bonfire and braziers placed around the perimeter, it's actually almost warm. Every villager who's ever laid hand to an instrument seems to gather there to play music all night long, an energetic mix of lively folk music and raucous drinking songs. Anyone with any musical talent would be welcome to join them as well. There's plenty of dancing, too, very little of it formal or complicated, but everyone's having a good time for the first time in weeks, maybe months, and the mood is infectious. By the end of the night, morale seems to have risen overall, and people in camp have something real to look forward to. The partygoing visitors are put up in warmed tents within the tarped village center or in the villagers' homes where they have room. Come morning, they'll head back, but for just one night, it's almost like there isn't even a war on.
missions
Outsiders have been assisting with moving supplies between the camp and Riverfall all throught he rest of the month, and it mostly goes smoothly. Vorbataille is caught on the 20th, although he and Vorhalas aren't publicly executed until a few days later, when Piotr is satisfied with the intelligence he's extracted. By the time he gets Vorbataille's name out of Vorhalas, the traitorous Captain has already fled -- but thanks to Carolina, Duv and Zarya, he's dragged back to camp for his interrogation.
That evening, Maine and William have the misfortune of encountering a dragon -- Darkstalker is on a mission with a Cetagandan patrol, and they run right smack into each other. A fight breaks out, but ultimately Darkstalker and the Cetagandans come out on top, and the outsiders and Barrayarans are forced to retreat -- but not before managing to kill a Cetagandan soldier or two, just barely escaping with one of the bodies.
Miles finds himself in a terrible position when a guard patrol shift goes horribly wrong in a skirmish against some Cetagandans, resulting in the death of their squad leader and a very ugly aftermath.
Zarya, William, Beth and Miles are in Riverfall with some Barrayaran soldiers on a supply run when a Cetagandan field science team arrives with a few exotics in tow. This is a rare chance to learn more about the Cetagandans' scientific exploits, and among other things, they find out that whatever it is that brought them here, the Cetagandan scientists are convincede it has something to do with the wormhole that collapsed 700 years ago.
The unabridged mission writeup is here.
cetaganda
The Cetagandans are a notoriously tight-lipped bunch, but they're blowing away most of the smoke surrounding their wormhole science research. As has been alluded, they're currently working on a device to harness the phenomenon that brought all the exotics here in the first place, and hopefully find a way to send them all home with it. They invite any exotics with scientific expertise to a series of interviews about neurology, astrophysics, and mechanical engineering. None of the advisement they receive helps to solve one of their most critical problems -- that of generating a Necklin field to match the one that must have surrounded each exotic -- but it certainly puts them closer to their goal, particularly in the area of neurology, and they're hardly going to stop there. But it's clear that the mathematicians and astrophysicists on base don't have sufficient expertise to solve the most complex equations before them. But on the brighter side of things, in the interest of this scientific exchange, they're letting the lab techs help a little more beyond just grunt work.
Meanwhile, the genetics project that seems so strange and arcane to the exotic carries on, largely behind the scenes, although Diya is increasingly at odds with her husband and even some of her senior staff, particularly the precocious Amai ghem-Soren. But there is very real purpose behind it -- and far more than just one -- and Diya d'Zefyst is a woman of great ambition. And more than anything else, she is haut.
Unfortunately, the relative peace on base is abruptly broken when Daryl, Lakshmi and Wash all manage to escape in a wild breakout attempt on the 25th. York and Ratchet are left behind, and as a result, some of their privileges revoked. They're now being watched a little more closely as a result.
base
Overall, despite simmering tensions under the surface and the miserable weather, life on base seems to be going more or less smoothly around them. The Cetagandans have had some recent victories against the Barrayarans, so morale is high. Unfortunately, after the breakout they begin cracking down on security with the exotics -- going back to treating the exotics a little more like they did when they first arrived. They aren't under guard, but after the 25th, they are being watched.
They still maintain that insistent veneer of civility, however, breaking only in cases where they feel the need or security risk is significant enough. The ghem on base remain overall cordial and courteous to the exotics as they ever were, which is to say considerably and always with a touch of smug superiority. With her success at the party earlier this month followed by her performance in the moon-poetry garden, the often-sequestered Amai ghem-Soren is seen more around the base.
moon-poetry party
The moon-poetry party is about three hours long and steeped in ceremony, each participant taking their turn to recite. This is, apparently, not a recitation of one's own work, but rather selections of classical Cetagandan poems, and in so referencing something culturally ubiquitous, each makes a statement in its mere selection and juxtapositions. If you pay close enough attention, you might notice that each participant has very subtly coordinated their outfits to further complement the theme of their recitation. Although there is a definite dignity to the party, it doesn't take much to pick up on the fact that this is yet another arena ghem use to try and socially one-up one another. Among the participants are both the Chief Medical Officer Colonel Faro ghem-Naru and Doctor Amai ghem-Soren, whose performance was especially well-received, the theme apparently being something about subtle passions.
missions
The science interviews with the exotics go more or less well, although not quite so hopeful as the Cetagandans were hoping. They do, however, learn some things about FTL travel in other worlds as well as other kinds of neural implants.
On the evening of the 21st, York, Natasha and Kaidan accidentally bear witness to what is clearly some kind of travesty: clearly a human being, but both overgrown and underdeveloped, and exhibiting powers of hydrokinesis and psychic empathy, referred to only as a ba.
On the 23rd, Jasper, Lapis, Pearl and Darkstalker accompany some soldiers and a field science team to Riverfall village, coinciding with a visit from some outsiders and soldiers. They encounter some outsiders while there but also pick up a bit on what it is the Cetagandans are doing -- that the Necklin field problem still remains their biggest problem, and they've been getting conflicting orders from the higher ups lately.
The unabridged mission writeup is here.
Note: Negri and Zahal are available for threads by request only this round. Please hit up Madi or Ammay respectively if 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
He's already moving, already at the door, counting in his head. Cetagandan patrols are fairly precise, not enough to time perfectly but they keep to their routes strictly enough, and the extra time they just spent freeing one more person than planned is going to throw them off slightly, but it's nothing that Wash can't account for. He lifts a hand, a signal for them to wait, just a bit longer before it'll be the safest time for them to move out into the hall, but when he looks back at them Daryl is moving right for the unconscious guards.
Daryl pulls something from his clothing, some kind of weapon, Wash doesn't see it but he sees him slit their throats. He and York had talked about this, about whether or not they can trust the guards they take out to stay down, but in the end they'd concluded that they'd still rather not kill people unless they have to and they'll be out of there easily enough. He doesn't have any real objections to what Daryl does, it's probably safer this way, anyway, in case they wake up and sound an alarm, but then Daryl cuts off one of the guards ears.
Unnecessary. It reminds him of people taking trophies, in the battlefield, pieces of alien armor hanging from their belts. But he doesn't know this man, now isn't the time to voice his disapproval, and at the very least it's assurance enough that he probably knows how to fight, if it comes down to it. He and York could probably cover for Daryl to escape with Lakshmi if they had to. A glance at York, back to Daryl as he stands after pocketing his prize. ]
York's got our six, so you're going to help her. [ Gesturing at Lakshmi -- it isn't really an order, but Wash's tone doesn't leave much room to argue. ] Stay close. Patrols are close enough together that if we get caught by one, that might be all it'll take.
Ready. [ Not a question, a statement, still running that count in his head, one hand raised, curled into a fist, a signal to hold and wait. Three, two, and he's gesturing them forward with him, staying low as he moves, eyes trained forward, trusting York to have their backs. So far, so good, and when they get to Ratchet standing watch at the corner Wash reaches up to tap him on the shoulder, not saying a word, a signal: we're here, we're behind you.
A few minutes late. Hopefully it won't cost them. ]
no subject
[Ratchet's voice is low and casual as he stands, leaning against the wall at the corner with his arms crossed. He sneaks a brief look back and catches sight of the lot of them, looking tense and hunted, Daryl spattered with blood.]
What the hell happ--no, forget it, never mind. We're cutting it close, but we should be clear.
no subject
Try to wound them seriously, if not kill. Wounded men use more resources than dead ones.
[ A little twitch of disgust for them, any of them. How she'd felt for the United India Guards transfers as easily to this here and now.
After that, the rest goes simple, she drops low, her breath straining where she's still in pain, but she's moving and she will not complain, now or ever. Rather she falls into step beside Daryl, moving up as they do. The soldiers don't have anything useful on them, so far as she can tell. A sword she might be good with, even a gun, but not these. These weapons were beyond her knowledge.
The second they stop, she's quickly shoving her face into her shoulder to keep her cough quiet. Knows how this go, and after all, she got in here, didn't she? Up until it went to hell, and she would get back out. ]
no subject
[ It's a low hiss of a whisper, as he grips the stunner and falls into his place at the rear. Although he'd been prepared for it, he hadn't wanted any casualties, and feels like Daryl's actions were unnecessary -- the guards wouldn't have woken until they were long gone, and for being found missing there's no difference between unconscious and dead. But done is done. They have to focus on getting out now.
The five of them are remarkably quiet as they make their way to the exit with Wash in the lead, peering around every corner. York is just starting to think that they're going to pull this off, they're going to get out without alerting anyone, when a soldier comes out into the hall right in front of them, walking the opposite direction of patrols. 'Great,' he thinks, 'we're going to die because this guy had to pee.' There's nowhere for them to go and he sees Wash dart forward to silence the man, but it's too late. He's seen Lakshmi, recognition shining in his wide eyes. He knows what they're doing and turns with a frantic shout, bolting back down the hall.
York curses under his breath, but the fact is the door to the outside is just ahead. They can still make it, hopefully get to the tree line while the guard is assembling. That's the best case scenario, at least.
He can already hear boots pounding towards them and finds himself wishing for his armor, for his trackers, for Delta. But he doesn't have those things, so he focuses on what he does have -- two good legs for running. The cold hits him like a truck when they do get outside, and he grits his teeth against it and pushes forward into the snow. He moves up beside Ratchet, close behind Lakshmi, ready to scoop her up if she falters.
There's a shout behind them, and then the distinct sound of Cetagandan weapons fire. He turns and lifts his stunner, firing only to find he's out of range. Shit. Running it is.
So much for getting out without a commotion. ]
no subject
Wash is already running forward, but the guard's already bolting, shouting, and Wash turns back at the small crowd of people gathered right behind him, looking at York, a knowing look passing between them. There's no point in going after the guard, their cover's already blown. They need to get out, fight their way out if need be, and they need to do it quickly before they get too swarmed. So much for their planned route, it isn't about avoiding patrols, anymore, now it's just about getting the fuck out of here as soon as possible. ]
We're moving! Now! [ He's raising his voice, there's already people heading their way, and Wash keeps leading them until they finally get outside. He curses under his breath, there's the tell-tale sound of shouting soldiers, of weapons fire, there's too much distance they still need to clear. They weren't going to make it. They weren't going to fucking make it.
They have to. ] Keep moving -- this way, come on, this way.
[ They need to keep moving. Lakshmi might have trouble, but there's Daryl to help her, at least, and between him and York they could probably provide some cover, but they just need to keep fucking moving, clear as much ground as they can before more and more soldiers arrive. Too late, he can hear the shouting from the direction they're headed in, and Wash curses under his breath, stopping dead in his tracks, the gears turning in his head over the mental map of the base he's drawn in his mind, they're moving here, okay, no, we can still make it, we just need to keep moving. ]
Back here, back here. Keep moving. York, [ Just calling back to him, as they hurry through the snow, ] York, you have a stunner?
[ From one of the guards that Daryl disarmed. Wash is not saying it directly, there's no use in that, but they've talked enough over their plans to know that if it came down to it, they'll stay and fight and just -- try their best to cover Lakshmi's escape. ]
no subject
And then he hears something different -- a cracking, zapping sort of sound, almost like a Sangheili gun. On instinct he shifts again, making sure he's directly between Lakshmi and the base, and glances over his shoulder to see something bright hitting the snow directly behind him and exploding in all directions. It easily had three times the range of the stunners, unluckily for them.
He doesn't feel an impact, per say, just a horrific searing pain that blossoms in his calf and shoots up and down at once. Infinitely worse than a knife or a bullet. He actually screams as his leg gives out and he crumples to the snow -- what the fuck was that? He tries to move, to get back up, and his nerves shriek in agony.
And that's when he knows he's not going to make it.
He manages to turn around, gritting his teeth and breathing through the pain as he lifts the stunner and aims at the oncoming guards. ]
Run! I'll cover you!
no subject
Can you shoot, in this much pain? [His voice is crisp--no judgment in it, only simple expedience.] I'll take the stunner if not, but if you want me to brace you I can do that too. [He looks back at the rest of the group, relieved that none of the rest of them stopped, watching them get closer and closer to the treeline with his hand tight on York's shoulder.]
no subject
Ratchet, go--
[ He's cut off by a choked sound of pain, because holy fucking shit that hurts. And Ratchet is showing no sign of getting up... York's not sure if he's upset or grateful but he doesn't want Ratchet to get shot too. And he's the one with the Cetagandan weapons training. ]
I can hack it. Get behind me at least.
[ Then he's shooting, the soldiers coming into range of his stunner, another plasma arc shot exploding over his shoulder, closer to the other three than them. Fuck. He's not willing to glance over his shoulder again, not willing to stop shooting to check on his friends but no one screamed so hopefully that horrible thing missed them. ]
no subject
She just can't do anything for them if she's dead, and instinct goes all the same, when she hears the strikes come too close. Yanks Daryl, close to her, in part because she knows she can't get out of here herself, in part because he has his shiv and that's at least something, and because it comes as habit. Pulling people behind her. Gives out the next second, dizzy and the cold freezes her where she feels like a bundle of sticks all hitting each other at eveyr angle. Then leans forward, trying to see where in this mess the others had gone. Thought she'd heard York scream but -
Her hand stays gripped to Daryl's sleeve in an attempt to clear her head, feels her legs shake under her and forces down another coughing fit as she looks around. When she can't see York, she can see Washington. Pitches her voice, used to calling out over worse even as her voice is doing its best to give out. ]
Washington, we have to move, now. We can't stay here -- !
[ Not devoted, but sure in the fact that they can't come back to save them if they're all in that cell together. ]
no subject
That was always going to be a possibility. He and York had talked it out -- fatalistic, but realistic, they needed a plan if it happened. Ratchet was apparently capable in combat, but not like the two of them were, and Lakshmi, clearly capable as she is, would be in no condition to it. If it came down to it, they were going to hold their ground, fight, and buy time for Lakshmi to escape. If she needed someone to help her, Ratchet could. But it's still impossible to tell how much could go wrong, no matter how they plan, no matter how much they fret and worry, no matter how many damned times Wash goes over the patrols in his head, wandering the corridors, counting by the seconds as he watches guards pass in the halls.
Everything always goes to hell so fucking quickly. One guard walking the wrong way, and there's nothing they could've done about that. Luck. Luck of the draw. No amount of preparation would have helped. One unlucky moment and then their smooth, silent escape is turning into running and yelling, rushing people forward, move move fucking move we need to keep moving, the sound of guards shouting in the distance. They've made it outside, at least, and they're far enough ahead that if they keep pressing, they can make it to the tree line. Just like they planned. Make it to the trees, break line of sight, divide if they have to, group up again as soon as possible. One moment it looks like they might have a chance, the next it looks like everything is falling apart and they're going to have to fight, and then there's a scream, loud and harsh, York buckling to the snow.
Wash immediately whips around -- he's been leading the group, for the most part, and Ratchet was closer behind, already falling back with York, no, fuck, no, they need to get out, they need to all get out. He looks back to Lakshmi struggling along, Daryl close by her side, and it's clear from the way she leans on him that she needs the help. There's Daryl for her, though, there's Daryl, Daryl seemed capable enough and she clearly trusts him, he'd be able to get her out, and Wash is already starting to move back for York even as the sound of plasma and stunner fire starts ringing out.
Lakshmi's voice, calling for him, calling his name, ringing loud and clear somehow even though it's hoarse, she's still not well but she knows how to cry out over a battlefield. He hears the words, we have to move, we can't stay here, he hears them but he doesn't hear them. There's York, half-collapsed in the snow, Ratchet trying to help him up but they're both down, now, York firing back, and --
( Another recovery beacon. There's been too many, Wash isn't surprised, anymore, doesn't know how he's supposed to feel about it. He answers the call and heads right for the coordinates. There's something going on, here, someone going after them, picking up the pieces and putting it together, and whose fucking crumpled body does he have to walk up to but York's. Already cold, he hadn't gotten there too quickly, it'd taken some time, bullet wounds in the side, different from the others. He crouches down next to him, activates the protocol for Delta to report, and the feeling in his chest is empty, hollow, he can't even bring himself to really fucking mourn, anymore. Add another one to the list. )
It's York's voice that snaps him out of it, when Wash is already trying to head back for him, York not even daring to look back at them, keeping his eyes back on the guards closing in as he fires to keep them at bay. Get out. Get out, it's fine, get out, and he's right Wash knows he's right but he can't, he fucking can't, there's York in front of him asking him how long he has left, asking him if he ever got him back, for the others, for me, running back and telling him, Carolina, Carolina is there, Wash, she's there, she's fucking there, we need to go.
He turns to Lakshmi, to Daryl. ]
-- Come on. [ His voice raised loud enough for them to hear. ] We need get to the tree line, you have her, Daryl, you have her?
[ Wash forces himself not to look back. He can come back, he promises himself, he fucking lies to himself he knows it's a lie but it'll have to do for now. He can come back, just after he gets Lakshmi and Daryl out in the clear, after he makes sure they're safe, he can come straight back. ]
no subject
[Don't look back. Don't try to help the helpless. Don't be a hero. Just run. Go. Escape and live and keep on living, keep on stubbornly refusing to die.]
[Daryl can't bury the entirety of the urge to help, though. Wordless though he is, he reaches over to the queen and grabs her in a bridal carry. She's light or he's strong or the adrenaline is doing all the work, it doesn't matter. He does his best to run with her frail body in his arms.]
no subject
Rather she grunts, surprised and then accepts it all the same. Fighting him over it would just slow them down. So instead she makes it easier. Wraps an arm over and around his shoulder, peers over it to watch his back for anything coming for them. The least she can do is to cover them. Her other hand gripping to the front of her shirt in case she needed to yank him this way or that. Breath straining and her throat sore from shouting but - later, later, later. It was all things that could be worried about later. ]