[ april i log: if home is where the heart is ]

[barrayarmods]

Who: Everyone
What: The sun finally comes out in proper spring, the labs are full of excitement, and Piotr prepares for real war. Your princess is in another castle.
When: April 1st - 18th
Where: the Barrayaran camp, the Cetagandan base, Riverfall Village
Warnings: TBD

Quick links:
Riverfall
Barrayar: Camp / Missions
Cetaganda: Base / Missions

TIMELINE
4/5 Eavesdropping Eta
4/6 Eavesdropping Sigma
4/8 Eavesdropping Mu
4/10 Mystery Plot
4/11 - 4/12 Resources: Weapons & Equipment

riverfall
The locals are celebrating the much-welcome coming of spring, and it is a warm one. Pleasant mountain breezes carry the far-off scent of the ocean, and bit by bit, the Barrayaran flora is beginning to bloom. Wildflowers spring up all over, adding a lively splash of color to the camp and village on the backdrop of Barrayar's rust-red native flora.

While the villagers aren't exactly hosting a festival, the entire village is pitching in to sow the spring crops, delayed by the cold freeze. But they lost a quarter of their population to the flu, and they're short on hands. So Barrayarans and outsiders alike come to the village to help, the villagers welcoming them into their homes for the night, as it's a half a day's hike between the camp and the village. While it isn't quite summer yet, the village children are already starting to splash around near the waterfall, inviting others by way of playfully splashing water on them as they pass by.

After the battle, however, the mood in the village turns to ash. With another dozen dead to bury, they've lost almost half their population in the last few months, only 48 of them left, and some of their homes were damaged or destroyed by plasma fire during the fight. Mercifully, their fields were untouched, but the village is littered with bodies, the site of a massacre. Barrayaran soldiers carry off their own dead as well as the Cetagandans, while the villagers burn death offerings beyond the fields.

barrayar
Morale is finally on the rise with the brightening weather, especially with their food stores replenished and the full recovery of the flu in the camp. Their numbers are down, but the Cetagandans' are even worse, and the tactical situation has changed. With half the Cetagandans' force either dead or out of commission, a window of opportunity presents itself. Piotr decides that need to recapture Vorkosigan Vashnoi -- if the city weren't occupied, then Micah's kidnapping by the Cetagandans could have been prevented. The base is an easy target right now with its defenses down -- until reinforcements arrive -- and the reconnaissance they'd done on the base's power generators a few months ago will finally be put to use. They may have a chance at using this to drive the occupying forces out of the city, too.

But they don't have a chance of successfully taking hold of the city without the rest of Piotr's army. About a month before the first outsiders arrived, the location of Piotr's previous camp was discovered by the Cetagandans, and the army split in two to return to fallback locations. The plan was always to rendezvous as soon as possible and reunite the army, and they need to rejoin forces now more than ever. Scouts are sent off into the mountains, looking to make contact with their comrades, and they're in luck -- the other half of Piotr's army, currently led by Major Rifkin, one of his missing general staff.

The last few months haven't been kind to the Barrayarans' supply of weapons and equipment. There's no way they could launch a successful assault on the base with their meager supplies, so Piotr sends several parties to make contact with the underground civilian resistance in Vorkosigan Vashnoi and stock up, then smuggle the weapons out of the city.

They're also low on weapons and equipment, which means Piotr is sending several parties back to Vorkosigan Vashnoi to stock up. Piotr and Ezar have contacts in the city, valuable allies who are part of the underground civilian resistance. They can provide the goods -- but one of the teams will be responsible for making sure the weapons are smuggled safely out of the city with the assistance of other members of the civilian resistance.

With Micah in Cetagandan hands, they are no doubt making progress on the Star Gate Project. Piotr, however, is convinced of Micah's sympathies, and their work could still be to their benefit -- or at least, to the outsiders'. And if nothing else, Micah would be the ideal candidate for sabotage should it come down to it. But for now, Piotr is interested in keeping Micah alive. Micah is a personal friend of Prince Xav's as well as a sympathizer, and their care was entrusted to Piotr, a matter of honor. So for now, his orders to his informants are merely to keep a close eye on Micah and their activities, even befriend them, but not to let slip their true sympathies to Barrayar. And now, with Sonia held captive, Piotr wants more than ever to make new informant contacts on the Cetagandans.

camp
Morale is on the rise, steady and surely. People are feeling good, enjoying the sun and warmth, a relief and a blessing after the weeks of cold and near-starvation. And so the soldiers do what Barrayarans always do when they're in good spirits: they drink. Evenings spent around bonfires playing cards or chest, drinking wine and mead, and they're a lot friendlier to the outsiders these days. Even the new ones have proven themselves with all the aid they gave during the epidemic, so if you're invited over for a drink and a game with the soldiers, don't be too surprised.

Of course, sometimes get taken a little too far, and some soldiers start up some drunken swordfight contests, which probably seemed like a great idea at the time. But you know what they say: it's all fun and games until somebody accidentally gets stabbed in the side. Piotr quickly shuts this down, and anyone involved, outsiders included, is likely to receive punishment, probably in the form of manual labor despite any hangover. The camp is down by over thirty men after last month, but on the (slightly morbid) bright side, at least this means that the outsiders finally get two tents to themselves, which is good considering the warming weather.

After the Princess's capture, however, the mood starts to shift back downhill. They're still not remotely ready to launch their attack on the Cetagandan base, let alone rescue Sonia. Both Piotr and Olivia are in vicious spirits; if you thought Piotr's previous demeanor was dour, he was a ray of frigging sunshine in comparison to now. Now he's furious, frustrated, and he has even less patience for time-wasting bullshit than usual.

missions
Overall, the outsiders' contributions to the spring planting on the village farm is helpful and greatly appreciated: they're able to fully sow their fields, and with the weather, they're hoping for a good summer harvest. However, no one should let Carolina around farming equipment ever again.

Hunting parties were sent out to stock up on food stores, with overall success. Some of the outsiders are proving themselves to be pretty competent hunters, much to the Barrayarans' appreciation.

Scouts were sent out to comb through the Dendarii Mountains for the other half of the army. With some help from the outsiders, William and Wash in particular, they're able to make contact with the other half of Piotr's army to coordinate and reunite their efforts.

Several parties were sent into Vorkosigan Vashnoi to make contact with the underground civilian resistance, which has a strong presence there, and smuggle weapons out of the city. There's a dangerous chase by Cetagandan patrols, but ultimately they're able to make it out of the city safetly and successfully return with the goods.

On the 10th, a Cetagandan patrol unexpectedly shows up in Riverfall when Sonia, Gavalas, and several others are there. A fight breaks out across the whole village, resulting in more than 30 casualties, including two Vorkosigan armsmen, and the Cetagandans successfully capture Sonia back to their base.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

cetaganda
Zahal is furious at Piotr's successful biowarfare attack on his base, however accidental. It's devastated his ranks, and while they still outnumber the Barrayarans about forty to one, it's still a serious blow. The ghem-General decides that they need to force a forfeit, and they'll have to do it as quickly as possible, before Vorkosigan can strike them while they're down. The Cetagandan patrols double down and start swarming the mountains in search of the guerrilla camp.

The Star Gate Project is well underway with Micah on board, who is cooperating for the time being, though not happily. Most of their waking hours seem to be spent in the lab, though they're around the mess at mealtimes. They are certainly interested in the work -- it's totally unprecedented -- but their true sympathies lie with Barrayar, and they are entirely uncomfortable working for the Cetagandans. They're currently focusing their research efforts on possible power supplies and solving the problem of what, exactly, is getting people from the wormhole to the planet surface. To speed things along in the lab, the Cetagandans are asking for more help with their research -- anyone with any relevant knowledge is highly encouraged to step forward. And any informants for the Barrayarans are being instructed to keep an eye on Micah, too, as well as their progress on the project.

The Handmaiden of the Star Crèche is seen about the base, for certain definitions of seen -- she travels exclusive in an opaque luminescent force bubble, often escorted by one or two of her ba servitors. At the beginning of the month, Haut Sei announces the gene therapy trials they're conducting: if you're one of the exotics who lost genetically inherited powers, or were made human from some other type of being entirely, you are invited to participate in a new, experimental kind of gene therapy. Why participate? Well, they're aiming to restore any lost powers you might have had, although there's no guarantee of success, and such an experimental treatment does, of course, come with risks. But what's a little reward without risk?

base
The base feels unusually dreary in the wake of the epidemic, and with thousands of dead, it's impossible to have a service funeral for each of them individually. And so dozens of collective funerals are held, each of them solemn and steeped in ornate ceremony. The Cetagandans take their dead as seriously as anybody, and no nonsense will be permitted during the funerals. The base is only operating at half capacity, with only about 5,000 soldiers ready for active duty. Zahal has put in a request for reinforcements from Vorbarr Sultana, but that request has yet to be answered.

Haut Sei officially assumes her authority on base as Handmaiden of the Star Crèche, although Diya is, in name, still the head of the genetics project. Sei's ba entourage is most often seen in her company, but occasionally Ba Talim, one of her most faithful, may be seen on its own around the base, possibly on errand for its lady.

Diya is somewhat more present around the base now that the plague is over, but she still most frequently found in the labs or the gardens, and often in the company of Haut Sei, always in her force bubble, making Diya look strangely naked in comparison. The ghem around the base who have recovered are marking earnest attempts at brightening the morbid atmosphere that's settled over the base by decorating the barracks areas with fresh art -- literally freshly engineerd botanical creations, or sometimes hybrid biological-zoological creations…ah, Cetagandan art.

Princess Sonia is taken into custody on the 10th and housed in a cell. The Cetagandans offer her relative freedom to move about the base if she'll only give them her parole; she stubbornly and furiously refuses for the first several days, but the misery of being stuck in a cell by herself gets to her and she reluctantly agrees. Micah, the Cetagandans' other captive, though less strictly guarded, can most often be found in the labs and the mess. Although they're getting to know some of the exotics extrauniversals, they're still ill at ease here and not thrilled to be here. It isn't entirely clear, though, whether Micah's long hours in the labs are by their choice or at the Cetagandans' behest.

missions
The mess is shorthanded, and the exotics' help is much appreciated. A few of them even manage to impress the Cetagandan mess officer a little, who clearly takes the craft very seriously. (They all do.) A few of you, though…you can stick to dishwashing duty, thanks.

As is now established tradition among the exotics (because anything done twice on Barrayar is tradition, and they have done this way more than twice), several people go eavesdropping. On the 5th, Kurt and Pearl overhear Zahal receiving an Imperial writ to turn the entire Star Gate Project over to the Star Crèche. On the 6th, Jasper and Symmetra are caught listening in on a very personal conversation between Diya and Sei, and Diya's overambitious hopes for herself. On the 8th, Byerly and Lapis eavesdrop on a curious conversation between Ba Talim and Diya, hinting that the decision to cull Diya may have been somewhat personal after all.

In the labs, things go more or less alright, although things keep breaking or exploding. A plasma power pack explodes in the lab with Jasper and Whirl (which may or may not be Whirl's fault), though Jasper saves Micah from serious injury. In another stroke of spectacularly bad luck, one of the Necklin rods they've been using for testing falls and crashes down into one of the lab areas, and it's thanks to Natasha that Micah sustains anything more than minor injury.

On the 10th, a Cetagandan patrol unexpectedly shows up in Riverfall when Sonia, Gavalas, and several others are there. A fight breaks out across the whole village, resulting in more than 30 casualties, including two Vorkosigan armsmen, and the Cetagandans successfully capture Sonia back to their base.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

Note: Negri, Diya and Gail are available for threading by request. Please hit up Madi (Negri & Diya) or Ammay (Gail) if you'd like some CR with the ghem-Lieutenant!

Comments

MISSIONS: BARRAYAR

[barrayarmods]

SCOUTING: RESISTANCE

[barrayarmods]

It's several long days of hiking through the woods, and you might get lost from time to time -- though everyone's paired with at least one soldier who knows the area. Hopefully, you won't run into too much trouble with the elements before you can make contact. Just...don't eat any of the native flora.

RESOURCES: WEAPONS & EQUIPMENT

[barrayarmods]

You know the drill: Teams Alpha and Bravo are to make contact with their specific people and smuggle weapons through the city to the rendezvous point to meet Team Charlie. Have fun with that car wagon chase!

(Feel free to freeform this up with however many threads, however you'd like to thread out the action!)

MISSIONS: CETAGANDA

[barrayarmods]

EAVESDROPPING

[barrayarmods]

Ah, the now time-honored tradition. You know what to do, folks.

(If you need any NPCing at the end of your threads, let me know.)

RESEARCH: SPECS & POWER SUPPLY

[barrayarmods]

Jasper and Whirl join Micah in the lab to assist them in their engineering research. Even if two aren't familiar with the technology, the Betan scientist is happy to have the help, even if they are still a bit wary of the extrauniversals. When they show up, Micah looks up from an assortment of pieces spread over a work table and manages a small smile.

"Hello -- here to help?"

RESEARCH: STAR GATE

[barrayarmods]

Natasha and Deanna join Micah in the lab to assist them in their astrophysics research. Even if neither of them are experts on five-space mathematics, Micah can still use the extra hands for equipment or, failing all else, as sounding boards. This Necklin field problem is really getting to them.

They brighten when they see Deanna, although they don't yet know the other one. "Hello, Deanna," they say, a little less shy than they might otherwise inclined to be in the presence of total strangers. They look at Natasha. "But I don't think we've met before. Doctor Micah Niadem."

MYSTERY PLOT: YOUR PRINCESS IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE

[barrayarmods]

The fight breaks out so quickly, it's hard to tell just how it starts, but you can be almost certain the Cetagandans fired the first shot. Though there are only twenty of them, plus Natasha and Tarn, they're much better armed with nerve disrupters, plasma arcs, and stunners, and few of the villagers have weapons of their own -- and the Barrayarans are armed only with swords and bows. The center of the village rapidly descends into a chaotic battle zone as Barrayaran and Cetagandan forces collide, but the Cetagandans have clear orders to take Sonia alive.

(This is another very freeform PVP-style event -- feel free to thread PVP or among yourselves against NPCs as you like, go wild!)

CLOSED TO MILES & TARN

[vorbratta]

God, everything is shot to tell, and Sonia can't quite calm the panic in her chest. She's hardly ever been in the heat of a battle zone, always kept so carefully away from it -- by her armsman if not by her sister and Piotr. But she couldn't get any closer to it than this.

Two of Piotr's armsmen are already dead, and Gavalas had fallen right before her eyes -- stunner fire, thank God, she might have crumpled right there if he'd been killed -- she makes an abortive attempt at grabbing the nerve disrupter from Gavalas's stunned hands, but the Cetagandan soldiers are bearing down on her, as is one of their outsiders, a terrifying-looking woman who looks every bit as ruthless as the rest of them. More, maybe. Sonia stumbles back until she breaks into a blind run, trying to find cover, to hide, something.

Her lungs burn from the combination of smoke in the air and sheer panic as she runs, hoping to outpace that woman, but Miles is close by, he's right there --

"Miles!"

NPCS: BARRAYAR

[barrayarmods]

Sonia Vorbarra (4/1 - 4/10)

[vorbratta]

Sonia's still struggling with the news of Byerly's betrayal -- it had devastated her beyond words, coming from someone she'd come to trust so much -- but the lightening weather helps, and so does having things to do. She spends as much of her time in the village as she can, helping them with their small community farm. It's not her forte, exactly, but she knows a little at least, and she's willing to teach any outsiders a few things.

Mostly she's just trying to keep her chin up, be as visible and chipper in the camp as possible, because if she can, then maybe she can help keep morale up. These days, she'd like to think so. It gives her something to focus on.

The most celebrated pastime among Vor is drinking, and Sonia is no exception. When the soldiers break out the wine and the mead, the Princess joins right in, eager not only to blow off some steam after the last few very stressful months, but also to distract from the still-open wound that is Byerly's betrayal. Whether you get fun drunk Sonia or sad drunk Sonia is a real toss up, but Sonia's alcohol tolerance is deceptively high, and if you challenge her to a drinking contest you might actually lose.

Piotr Vorkosigan

[oldvor]

They're at a critical point, strategically speaking. The sort of opportunity that could make or break the the rest of their efforts here in Vorkosigan's District. If they can kick Zahal's forces while they're down – if they can retake Vorkosigan Vashnoi... These are Piotr's primary concerns these days, among what the Cetagandans are up to. He's reluctant to try and pull Micah out of there for the time being; with their sympathies, they could be used to sabotage the project if need be, but right now, there are too many dependent on the success of that project to go that far just yet. Once he figures out how to safely make contact with Micah via one of his informants, they’ll have a better tactical grasp on the situation.

Until that utter shitshow in Riverfall happens, and then everything changes. It makes their tactical situation that much more complicated, and beyond that – beyond all that, it was family who was taken. Family, and the granddaughter of the man he's sworn his life in service to, a ward appointed under his protection. If you think you've seen Piotr Vorkosigan angry before, think again: hardly anyone has ever seen him this furious, this full of murdeous rage, and even some of his general staff are avoiding him when possible.

a. out on the farm (4/1 - 4/10)
The General Count is perhaps the last person one would expect to be seen mucking it up with the villagers in the fields, and yet here he is for just a day, the one day he can afford to spare to help. Because he may be Vor, he may be well above this kind of work, but the villagers have sacrificed and lost plenty on their account, in their steadfast loyalty. This is the least he can do to repay them.

And Piotr never is bothered by getting his hands dirty, literal dirt included. He even seems like he might be in something of a good humor, or as close to one as he gets. The sun and the work, the change of pace, seem to be doing him good.

b. first impressions (closed to tucker)
The ragged party from RIverfall is only just now returning to the camp as night falls. Piotr is in the war tent with a handful of his staff, bent over maps, tactical diagrams, and has yet to hear any word of what's happened in the village – of his dead soldiers, his dead armsmen, the villagers slain – of Sonia's capture. He is merely in his usual severe mood in the war tent tonight, no worse, when Tucker arrives.

c. post-mission debriefing
Piotr expects reports after missions – often from his own men, but those outsiders helping are as good as soldiers in the field, even if they aren't officially Imperial Rangers. And sometimes the outsiders have different perspectives, notice different things his own men might take for granted. They're not a dull lot, he can say that much by now. And so any outsider who steps into the war tent to deliver a report will be heard out by Piotr – even if the debriefing in question isn't the most successful.

He's also still on hunt for potential informants on the other side with increasing intensity. With Micah in Cetagandan hands – and after the 10th, Sonia too – it's more critical than ever that they have as many eyes on the inside as possible. And while no one can be truly trusted, the outsiders on the Cetagandan side may have the most reliable sympathies.

d. wildcard

Armsman Kuzma Gavalas

[put_upon]

Kuzma Gavalas is Barrayaran bred and born. He might not be Vor, but honor is no less important to him. He knows what dishonor is, what it looks like, what it sounds like. He has never known before what it feels like.

The heavy stun had knocked him out until well after the fighting was over, when villagers and soldiers alike were dragging him to his feet as he came to consciousness. And by then, it was too late. The Cetagandans had taken the Princess, and he had failed utterly in his duty to protect her.

He hadn't shirked his responsibility to tell the Countess, and she was rightfully furious. Better her than the Emperor, maybe, in the most immediate sense, but Gavalas flinches inwardly at the thought of bringing this news to Emperor Dorca, the man to whom he's sworn, the man to whom he has entrusted Sonia's life for well over a decade. He briefly considered ritual suicide – death before dishonor – but no. While Sonia still lives, there is hope. To die now would be to do her a disservice, to deprive her of his service entirely. That, and he's fairly certain she'd never forgive him if he did.

The nature of the relationship between an armsman to his charge is somewhat complicated and quintessentially Barrayaran, and after fifteen years, the bond between them was just as much family as it was in service. For Gavalas, it isn't just the dishonor of failing to protect the Princess – it's almost like losing a daughter. And so, despite his determination to soldier on, find a way to get her back, Gavalas is undeniably despondent and weary anywhere he's seen about camp. He helps the village with cleanup as much as he can to assuage his guilt, but it eats at him still, and though he tries to occupy himself by filling in for Piotr's two dead armsmen, he is at an utter loss with his charge suddenly gone.

Olivia Vorkosigan

[truevor]

Olivia spends most of her days in tents, and now that the winter has started to lose its bite it’s more regrettable. The hours that she does spend in the tents, she spends with the flaps opened to the air to at least do something about the smell. They should move soon, she thinks, and makes a note of it to bring it up with Piotr. If she’s needed — and only when Piotr isn’t there is she — she is easy to find.

After, however, the passive expression on her face clears off in favor of one deeply, truly angry. Whatever emotion beyond anger at her sister’s kidnapping has left her with, it’s not visible to those who casually run into her. But those who need to meet with her in the days after, or who wish to do so, will find something like concern or remorse on her face when she thinks no one is looking, before it’s wiped away.

There are other plans to make.

When Olivia is not in tents herself, she’s by the practice ground, watching the soldiers and any outsiders go through whatever types of fighting it is that they wish — occasionally commenting on someone’s form. It’s with the outsiders, however, that her attention turns, and anyone using a form that isn’t directly related to sword fighting will get her attention. The really unusual ones will get a question: “Where did you learn that?”

NPCS: CETAGANDA

[barrayarmods]

Sonia Vorbarra (4/10 - 4/18)

[vorbratta]

The last thing Sonia wants anyone to know right now is how terrified she is.

She isn't very good at hiding it, not when it's this powerful. She's never had to be, always had her sister or her brother-in-law or her bodyguard shielding her. Not now. Not this time. This time she's alone, a hostage, a prisoner, however nicely the Cetagandans try to frame it. People had died in that fight in the village. Died trying to protect her. It was a waste -- it was all a waste. She hates this.

a. holding cell (4/10 - 4/14)
The cell is surprisingly generous. It isn't that large, but it's a little less sterile and cold than their usual cells, and with a vividly decorated folding privacy screen. That’s something other prisoners don't get. Another thing other prisoners don't get is a two-man guard just outside her cell around the clock, denying her any chance at real privacy. The privacy to allow herself to be scared and cry.

So instead she tries to do what her sister does, compose herself of stone and iron, make herself impenetrable. But she doesn't know how, has never known how Olivia does it. It's something she learned in the war, and something she made very certain Sonia never did. She tries not to cry, tries to make herself as closed-off as possible and tells every Cetagandan who comes by her cell to piss off, regardless of whether they're bringing her food or come merely to talk. The dirty and blood-spattered clothes she'd been taken in have been since disposed of, and since Sonia refused every civil offer of Cetagandan-style robes -- fitting for her station, they said -- she sits instead in a set of insignia-less Cetagandan fatigues. They fit her just fine, but they still don't look quite right on her. She doesn't want them. She thinks she'd have sat there naked instead, given the choice.

They've offered her relative freedom around the base if she'll give her parole, but she won't give it to them. It drives her mad that they haven't fast-penta'd her yet -- surely they will -- but she refuses to budge at all, as if that will somehow preserve her dignity. But she's miserable alone in this cell, pacing restlessly when she can't maintain the statue treatment, trying not to think about what the Cetagandans might do if Piotr doesn't give them what they obviously want.

b. on parole (4/14 - 4/18)
After four days, she can't take it anymore. The miserable solitude is too much for her to bear, and they still haven't fast-penta'd her, so on her birthday she caves. She gives her parole.

Sonia is still confined to a cell even after she's given her parole, at least at night. She isn't as free to move about as their promise had suggested. She has to ask to be let out, and they'll only let her go as far as the common areas on the base -- the gardens, the mess, the common areas of the barracks, and if she's anywhere outside, she's being escorted by guards. They mostly leave her be inside the common areas, though there are always guards at the entrance.

So the Princess meanders around sometimes, mostly the gardens and the mess, with a dour silence about her that's as ill-fitting as the fatigues. She has a face made for smiling, but here, on this base, she's lonely and quiet and scared. She's always been curious about the outsiders on the Cetagandan side -- the exotics, as the ghem call them -- but after her experience with Tarn in the village, she's a little hesitant. She has no idea what the rest of them are like.

Miles Vorkosigan | OTA

[dendarii]

Around Camp

[ Miles could really not be happier to see the return of the warm weather. He's outside as much as he can be, helping out with chores or taking the horses out for a ride. Of course, now that spring is here his old allergies are bound to harass him again, but thankfully his run more towards the anaphylactic-shock-from-eating-things than sneeze-until-you-want-to-die allergies. He's sniffly but not too put out by it, really.

So on any given day you're likely to find Miles outside, patiently drilling with some of the soldiers. And enjoying the first breaths of warmth. ]

Ah, I knew it would warm up eventually. [ He says, sitting on a log between exercises. ] Isn't this planet beautiful?

A Bad Day

[ Sometime before the disaster in Riverfall, Miles suddenly excuses himself from whatever is going on to go walk off into the woods. Flower picking, needs to be done right now. Or something. When he returns afterwards, he's rather gray and sick looking, though he waves off his current state to most people who ask. ]

Oh, no. I'm fine. My allergies kick up this time of year, you see.

[ Nevermind he's got a smear of mud along the side of his face from where he'd taken a nose dive into the ground. God, he has got to get his seizures under control. He was lucky that he was able to get out of sight for this one; he might have one right in the middle of camp next time. ]

A Worse Day

[ And then Sonia is kidnapped. He was there, dammit, but he couldn't do anything about it. He walks back into camp in a daze, unable to do anything other than reel from the horror of it. Sonia, captured by Cetaganda. Probably in an effort to get Piotr to surrender. But he knows the man, knows he can't, and fears terribly for the princess's life. (Did this happen in the original timeline? He doesn't remember. If it was in the history books at all, he's forgotten.)

While not significantly injured, Miles is roughed up, courtesy of fighting like a wildcat the whole time. Clothing torn, lip split, and blood spattered everywhere. Some of it his, most of it not. Not that he cares. ]

I was right there. [ And he'd been too slow, too small, too weak. ]

OTA

[ Anything else? Miles will be around camp and RIverfall throughout the first half of the month. Prose also 100% okay, so feel free to respond with prose if you prefer it to brackets! ]

literally the worst day???

[protocol]

[ The party returning to the camp had drawn attention -- and Wash is a little slow to see to the commotion, until he realizes who's among the returning. No one looks too injured, at least, not at first glance, and it's Tucker he gets a hold of first, demanding a situation report, his heart completely sinking when he'd told him the news. Sonia. Sonia. He hadn't been there. Why hadn't he been there.

He pushes aside the ache, the pain, the creeping guilt that comes with memories twenty years old, makes fucking sure that Tucker is going to stay put, at least for now. He checks in with Maine, with Carolina, asks them both to help keep an eye on Tucker, too, makes sure they're all unhurt, and then it's a beeline straight for Miles. ]

-- Illyan. [ Clasping a hand over his shoulder, to get his attention, he looks barely there. Of course he does. God, it was Sonia. ] Are you hurt?

Duv Galeni | Barrayar | OTA

[komarran]

Hunting

[ With how badly he failed last time he attempted to hunt, Duv can’t help but feel proud of himself for improving since then. He has Daryl to thank mostly for that along with his own hard work in following through with practice. The bow training has helped and he can wield it without fear of harming someone with a stray arrow.

The fact that he manages to hit moving targets is what brings on a burst of adrenaline. He’s helped in other ways around camp, but it feels good to help with the basic survival of the group. Finally proving himself as useful in something that Barrayarans are far more familiar with.

He has his bow in his hands, at the ready should any other game run past. Alert, he glances around at the rest of the hunting party, some he recognizes from the previous venture out and others new. His attention is diverted quickly by the sound of a twig breaking and he’s scanning, trying to determine if that was from one of them or an animal. ]

Did you hear something?

Around camp

[ The energy around camp being on an uptick helps him to feel a little more relaxed though he refuses to let tension completely leave him. Trust has been built, however flimsy, and he can’t forget that he’s an outsider in the middle of Barrayar. Being Komarran doesn’t do him any favors, but he’s worked hard to prove he’s loyal and willing to get his hands dirty. It’s in his best interest that Barrayar comes out on top in this invasion.

When he finds himself out of things to do, exhausted as he is by keeping his hands and mind busy, he slumps down by one of the camp fires and motions towards one of the flasks of alcohol being passed around. ]

Could I see that?

Wildcard!

[ Feel free to pester him wherever, he will be both at Riverfall and camp throughout the month being a huge nerd. ]

[shri]

[ She isn't one to drink, it hadn't been something that was particularly seemly for a Queen to do - and there was nothing she took more serious than that. Not so much because she didn't like that feeling but - more that she did not like being out of sorts near those she could not trust. Time, and war, hadn't changed that very much. The people she could trust grown even smaller.

But after the last few days, the bottle seems a mighty comfort. Still, her sip is small, slight, before she passes it to him. ]

Far be it for me to question it, but seeing isn't what is usually done with alcohol.

Byerly Vorrutyer, OTA

[vorrutyer]

Cetagandan base, before the 10th
[ Byerly is as insouciant as ever. Lounging around, plucking away at violins and harps...Occasionally doing some real work in the labs and in the kitchens, though he manages to somehow make this work look rather disreputable and half-assed even though he's as productive as anyone else. He always welcomes company - will, indeed, generally call someone over with a broad flirtatious wink, or a little call of - ]

You there.

Cetagandan base, after the 10th
[ After Sonia is captured, it's admittedly more of the same. Flirting, laughing, making eyes at people. But he doesn't play music any longer; the instruments are set completely to the side. Nor does he attempt art. Instead, he seems to have become even lazier, lounging in the gardens and in hallways - although no one who's truly idle would be quite that ferociously watchful. His eyes don't miss anything at all. ]

Riverfall Village
[ He can be found in Riverfall a few times: once on the 6th, and once on the 12th. He's there on the former date for his dead-drop with Miles. He seems relaxed and cheerful, chatting with the villagers, although he's always cognizant of when a former comrade approaches - because they might be there to kill him, after all. He won't necessarily run away, but there's clear wariness behind the smile.

On the 12th, that's completely abandoned. His cover, after all, doesn't matter any longer. The only thing that's important is getting Sonia out. So his prior wariness is abandoned in favor of recklessly arranging meetings with his Barrayaran contacts. ]

Wildcard
[ let me know if you want something else ]

Riverfall, 6th

[dendarii]

[ Miles is right on schedule, as always. That shiner By gave him has purpled up quite fantastically, but he doesn't mind it; hell, it gave him a bit more cred with the rest of the soldiers. In some way Byerly did him a favor.

He gets up from where he'd been leaning against a tree and flashes Byerly a grin. ]

Well? How goes the arrival?

Lavernius Tucker | Barrayar

[lovernotafighter]

A. Camp - Let's get a drink

[For awhile, things are looking up. While he's still annoyed at some of the practices of this side of the war, he likes the people, especially people that can party. So yeah, it's not that unusual to see him around the campfire, drinking with the rest, laughing and telling dirty jokes, and maybe he had a bet on that drunken swordfight or two.

Look, a guy has to have some fun, somehow.

Either way, it's not going to take much to get social or get in trouble; take your pick.]



B. Camp - After the Mystery Plot


[It had happened quick, fast, and he hadn't been close enough, good enough to save her. The old familiar feelings of Fucking Fix It At All Costs swarmed him, the need to screw the rules and get her back taking over his thoughts; all rationale vanished in place of that. Risks were bullshit, forgotten because they had Sonia and--

That's war, Tucker. Not everyone makes it back.

For as much as he hated Felix (and he did, he hated him so much), he had said one right thing at least, one thing was ruthlessly true amid a garden of lies. But they had gotten Wash and the Reds back (sort of), which meant he could get her back, too, as long as he didn't give up, as long as he took the stupidest chances and just did what came natural. Of course he could this, and it might be by himself, it might be with others, but he was freaking sick of losing people.

He wasn't going to lose her, too. He wouldn't.

So he stormed through camp on a mission: get supplies and go.The rest he would figure out on the way.]


C. Riverfall - Things Could Be Better


[Fuck. This. Place.

He knew he shouldn't be here, he had no fucking business being here after what the village had been put through, after losing Sonia. Tucker had defended those he could, but people still died and their princess was still gone, stuck with the enemy where they were doing who-knows-what to her. He looked at Ma Gura's place with a fleeting glance, before walking away. The appetite he wanted to have was gone, the memory of sharing buns with Sonia bitter as it slammed into him. This whole thing just fucking sucked.

Whatever, he'd deal with those later. Right now, he was worried about finding clues, finding stuff out, trying to formulate a plan because there had to be something.

So ignore the aura of general Pissed Off-edness that surrounded him; sure he promised Wash he wouldn't go off on his own, but that didn't mean he wouldn't try to figure some shit out if he could.]


D.

[Wildcard and open!]

B

[protocol]

[ There's a commotion when a party of soldiers comes back from the village, and Wash would normally just maybe glance over and not bother too much about it -- but there's something happening here, an energy in the camp, something anxious and somber as murmurs pass from soldier to soldier. He makes his way over, and there's Carolina, Maine, Miles -- and Tucker, all looking exhausted, and like they've just been through a fight.

Shit.

Carolina and Maine look alright, can take care of themselves, and after a quick glance at Miles ( no visible injuries aside from that black eye he's still nursing from earlier ) he heads straight for Tucker -- or he tries, only to have Tucker storm right past him. He grabs him by the arm, drags him in front of him. ]

-- Tucker. [ There's that CO voice, his expression stern, but then immediately softening, his brows knit in concern. ] What just happened?

[natalia_vdova]

[Closed to Byerly, Beginning of the Month]

[Natasha hasn't been avoiding him, per se. She's just been a little awkward, doesn't look at him if she can help it, but even that isn't entirely cold. She just doesn't quite know what to do with him, what to make of him, thinks of him far more often than she's comfortable with and that bothers her.

But Wash had told her to play nice with him and she'd said she'd make it work. So she was. She didn't really know what to do, precisely. Someone else might have walked up to him and asked to have a talk or something else notoriously boring. But, well, they were spies. The thing she settles on can only end poorly, but at least it's an attempt.

Which is to say she finds him late one night, a bottle of wine dangling from one hand and two wineglasses that look a little too fine to have been borrowed from the kitchen in her other. She's in a dress she'd bought in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, deep red, and the Cetagandan trend of ornate facepaint traded in for red lips and dark accents around her blue eyes. For once, the effect isn't for him, but because he'd disarmed her before so that slipping on a layer of armor is the only sane response.

There's a knife strapped to her thigh, and even standing there with a curve of a smile that's half wicked and half conspiratorial she's not sure if it's supposed to be a threat or an invitation.] I don't suppose you'd be inclined to join me for a drink? I'm not sure I know anyone else that might appreciate it.

[The bottle dangling between her fingers happens to be a very excellent bottle of Vorkosigan wine, which the Cetagandan kitchen staff had insisted simply couldn't be had here, that first meeting when they'd danced and then discussed wine and tea. It's not an apology. It's just- something.]


[Closed to Wash, post-Kidnapping]

[Natasha isn't handling things well, to put it mildly. She didn't know Sonia, but she doesn't have to. That's not the point. The point is watching her, being close enough to see how scared she'd been, but not close enough to do something about it. Feeling like she'd failed. She'd gone along because it had been clear that something was going on, but she'd thought it was simply tightening restrictions on Riverfall, had planned to slip a note to Wash to update him on the situation in one of their drops. In the end, she'd done that anyway, but it was in a much more bitter mood, the note instead left at their arranged meeting spot so he could find her somewhere that wasn't here.

She saw it going to pieces, but not in time to do anything. And once the shooting started there was nothing she could do to stop it except try to get the villagers out of the way as much as she could, sometimes by stunning them before someone used a nerve disruptor. Try to get to Sonia, get her away. She wasn't fast enough. It's not the first time she's felt the weight of what she lost here, but it's the first time that it's felt so crushing. This was the sort of thing that she was made for, that she could have done on her own almost without blinking, once upon a time. But without a gun, without her tools, with her skills but none of her the things that tipped the scales in her favor? It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

She's waiting out in the forest, jittery, all nerves, a burn up the side of her arm from where she'd been too close to a plasma rifle. It's mostly topical, but the skin's an angry red. She'd brought her bag from the base, planning to hide it somewhere around here, somewhere she could get to it once she got Sonia out-- But for the moment she fidgets with her fingers, eyes darting, Waiting. If Wash was expecting her to be the rational objective one, he's going to be very disappointed.]


[Open]

[Before the 10th, things are normal enough. She even volunteers to help out in the kitchen and seems to enjoy it well enough. A smile on her lips more often than not. She can be found in the gym most mornings and evenings, either dancing ballet or working with weights and sometimes practicing forms for the peace of mind.

After the 10th, she gets a little scarce, though she still shows up for her rotations in the gene lab without fail. Her edges soften a bit after a couple days, like she remembers how to catch her breath or remembers the stakes. She doesn't sleep much, but that's normal enough for her, isn't it?]


[I will totally write starters for people so if you want something just hit me up at natalia_vdova and I will work something out~]

[vorrutyer]

[ Well, if that isn't the most inviting and beautiful thing he's ever seen in his life - shapely in deep crimson, with curves in all the right places...And Natasha looks pretty good herself. But, oh, he does only have eyes for that bottle of wine...

A bottle of wine that might go to better purposes than simply getting poured down their throats. Byerly taps a finger against his lip a moment, wheels in his head turning. Indeed, he hardly even gives her a nod of greeting before he's already starting to scheme. ]

Tell me, my dear, what would it take to bargain that bottle out of your hands to put into my own personal stock?

[ Rude to ask, he knows. Beyond rude. But - Micah's passion is alcohols, no? And he...might be able to trade that for a bit more loyalty, a bit more information... ]

[asafepairofhands]

{your princess is in another castle}
Ratchet is in the medical tent.

Regardless of what time it is, how much time has passed since the initial attack, or how long it's been since you've seen him stop and take an actual break that isn't eating a couple of bites of food or drinking half a glass of water standing up, he's there and working. He's blood-spattered and worn but there's a sort of intensity in his face burning through anything else he's feeling, leaving him upright with clear, sharp eyes and steady hands despite how long he's been on his feet. He's exhausted and in pain and stressed and aching with the dual leaden weight of too much to do and not enough time to do it in to keep everyone alive but he hasn't faltered yet. Honestly, he might be the most comfortable he's been since he arrived here--this, at least, is far more like home. If you aren't helping or actively bleeding to death, interrupt him at your peril.

{wildcard}
If there's anything else you'd like to do or if you'd like me to write a specific starter, let me know!

Hope this is okay!

[lovernotafighter]

Assignments. He knew what this was, a babysitting task, something to keep him out of trouble when he was a shorting electrical socket threatening to burn himself down and out. Tucker didn’t want to go to the med tent, but it was insisted that he help out again, like he had during the flu. He hadn’t been particularly bad at it then, but there were no guarantees now when his head was a whole other base away.

Well, two bases, because this had him thinking about home as well as her.

Shit. He had been told to find a…Ratchet? What the fuck with these names? And report to him. Cool. Fine. He couldn’t actually leave right now anyway considering the amount of eyes he had on him. So he stood at the front tent looking around, as if that was going to solve anything.

“Hey, is Ratchet here?” And if he wasn’t, he could totally leave and no one would be the wiser. He tried, right? That’s all that counted. Please don’t make him do actual work. Please.

Symmetra | Cetaganda/ota

[symmetricks]

Are we doing the right thing?

It's a question you never want to find yourself asking, and for the longest time? Satya hasn't. She's accepted what seemed to be the truth and been quite happy assisting the Cetagandans in what seemed a noble cause. But certain cracks in the facade have been appearing over time, and now? She cannot be sure. If she cannot be sure, she should not be acting at all. Action without conviction is pointless.



[Labs]

Of course, they still need to construct a way off the planet, and she does not know how to slow her own rate of work, not even suspecting what will happen when the Cetagandans have access to every world the exotics have come from. So her work in the labs alongside Pearl and the newest helpers to the project continue, though she appears more focused on her work than ever. Conversation isn't very likely, save in those small breaks between. What is there really to be said?



[Barracks/Gardens]

A far easier time to encounter her is, as ever, during more relaxed periods. She continues to practice yoga quietly in the barracks, in an effort to clear her mind of these troubled thoughts, though she still manages to look somewhat disgruntled when finished. Pacing has become more commonplace as she struggles with her conflicting thoughts, and not even visiting the gardens seems to be granting her any kind of peace.



[Riverfall]

There is perhaps one person whose word she does trust, who seems too inept to lie. And she slips out to the village of Riverfall in the hopes of encountering him again. That is not her only goal, however. She's also rallied what goods can be spared in the hopes of making sufficient offerings to the locals. She no longer mentions that they are from the Cetagandans. After that fiasco with the princess? She doubts anything will work towards healing a wound so freshly struck.

riverfall

[protocol]

Wash hasn't been sleeping.

Not since Sonia's been captured. Not sleeping is usual for him, of course, but he's still human, he has limits, and this is stretching it even for him, especially when he's not exactly been idling around camp. He's been pulling his weight, he did his part in Vorkosigan Vashnoi ( and managed to fuck things up slightly less badly this time, at least ), kept to the arrangements with the informants, and god, he's tired. Tonight, probably, is when he'll have to give in. He's just being stubborn, because he knows what he'll see when he does.

Symmetra in the village is a welcome if unexpected sight. He does like talking to her, but being here after the recent battle . . . She's taking a risk, if she's recognized, but she's probably still here to help, as she always is. It's obvious how exhausted he is when he comes up to her, but that slight smile is genuine, no matter how tired it might be.

"You're here again," he says. The smile fades, though. He's tired, and also might've been helping the villagers bury their recent dead. Only so much room for cheer -- and he does wonder what Symmetra thinks of the recent battle. "How've you been?"

washington | barrayar & riverfall

[protocol]

i - riverfall, pre-kidnapping | friends of mineral town

[ Wash as it turns out, doesn't know jack shit about farming, and most of how he can help out here is manual labor, and that honestly suits him just fine. As much as he misses the technology he's used to there's something he's always liked about putting his hands to work, and sure it isn't playing around with modding a gun or disassembling a rifle or fiddling with electronics, but apparently moving heavy things, leading work horses with plows and sowing the fields suits him just as well.

Whether you're working alongside him or just passing by, he's for once somewhat warm and given to conversation -- putting Wash to work is apparently equivalent to putting him at ease. He's taking a short break, grateful for the warm weather and not quite needing a coat, wiping the sweat from his brow as he settles himself somewhere off the fields, leaning next to some unused cart. ]

I don't even know what this place will look like, come harvest. [ A tired but genuine smile, and he'll offer the waterskin he's carrying to whoever's nearby. ] I've gotten used to it being just barren and cold.

ii - post-kidnapping | no sleep til barrayar

[ And after the battle, it's an entirely different story.

Wash has always seemed like a tired man around camp, always working, always busy, always training and seeming at least a little fatigued but finding a way to snap to attention and alertness anyway whenever there was an actual task at hand. After the battle in Riverfall, though, this only gets worse. However little sleep Wash might've been getting before it's clear that he's getting none whatsoever now instead, and even though he looks worse and worse for wear, he somehow manages to keep himself going, and keep himself busy. This is going to go on for at least three or four days after the 10th, and he's pretty much always going to be seen spinning a knife in either his right hand or his left, just an idle habit, something to keep his hands busy, something he does genuinely as a comfort.

And whatever he's doing around camp or might be helping you with, any comment about how tired he looks is going to be met with a sharp snap of his head in your direction and a narrowing of his eyes. While he's still spinning that knife. Sorry about that. ]

I'm fine. [ Tersely. And of course, absolute bullshit. ]

iii - further post-kidnapping | horsies!

[ He does eventually rest, and he looks a little less like an actual zombie, then.

For the rest of the month he'll be be his usual brand of tired, but there's something different with him, still, like he's always distracted. He's more of a functioning person now, at least, still almost always with that knife, but he does put it away so as not to startle the horses when he's at the stables. He's still not a great rider of any kind, but he knows his way around the horses now thanks to Beth and a few others, and usually he likes just spending a bit of time here just because he's so fond of the horses. Now, though, he's here with some sugar lumps snuck from the village or the mess for a particular horse. Sonia's own. Moonfire. ]

There there now, girl. [ His voice is soft, quiet, offering the treat in his palm as he reaches up to stroke over her neck. ] I'm pretty sure she misses you, too.

iv - for miles | such terrible things as dreams are made of

[ He's only human, and after almost four days without sleep, his body finally gives in.

It's only after everyone else in the tent is asleep, and he knows what will happen when sleep finally finds him, but god that doesn't make it any easier, doesn't make him any more ready for it. It's the same as every other time he forces himself awake for a longer than he usually would, and when his eyes finally close he's asleep for a good few hours -- until he wakes with a start in a cold sweat, something seizing hard in his chest, and it's only years worth of practice and control that keeps him from fucking screaming.

Instinctively he wants to get up and leave, walk it off alone like he always does. But he did make a promise, one that he manages to remember. He wills himself to find Miles, crouching down by his bedroll, and his hand is shaking when he clasps it over his arm to try and wake him. Wash can't quite find the words, right now, but what Miles would be able to see of his face in the dark is wide-eyed and drained of color. It's probably clear enough, just why he's come to find him. ]

v - w-w-w-wildcard

[ Wash will be around camp and the village in general, so really if you want anything feel free to do whatever or hit me up at dragonpunch or valonqar#1048@disc if you'd like me to write something up for you! ]

iv

[dendarii]

[ The screaming had already awoken him, though he'd rolled over blearily and blinked at his corner of the tent. It's not until Wash clasps his arm that he puts the pieces together. Ah. That was Wash's voice, wasn't it? He rolls back towards him, looking up into the other man's face.

Dear god. He's never seen Wash look that bad. Even while discussing his past ... The man wasn't kidding about memory, was he. ]

Wash?

[ His tones are low, whispered. ]

Tarn [Cetaganda]

[sparkwhisperer]

[closed to Diya 4/15]

Tarn hasn’t exactly been a model guest to the Cetagandans. Snapish and prone to violent outbursts, he’s already made more than one enemy in his time here. He’s determined to be as difficult as possible, even if he’s barely a real threat in comparison to his true form. If Tarn had it his way, he would level this base and all who inhabit it.

But, when news of the gene therapy trials reaches Tarn, his interest is immediately piqued. Perhaps for he can play along just enough to get some of his ability back…

With his newfound motivation, he’s keen to gain a bit of trust of those in charge. Helping to capture the Barrayaran’s princess is a good start.

He waits a few days for the base to settle before seeking out Diya. There are prerequisites to gene therapy that Tarn has yet to meet, but surely they will make an exception. He’s eager to test the waters.

Tarn approaches her in the garden, lacing his hands neatly in front of him, looking as proper and polite as he can muster. He even focuses his attention on a flowering bush rather than Diya herself, as is appropriate in this strange culture

"Lady Diya. I trust this morning has treated you well.”

He feels sick, but he needs this gene therapy. He needs to feel like himself again.

[eugengineer]

Ah, how quickly some people turn when there's something on the table for them. It's embarrassingly transparent, really, especially after his equally embarrassing conduct during his physical examination. Diya regards him with a small, neutral smile and just the slightest tilt of her head. How irritating that of all ghem customs, the exotics seem to have picked up on that one in particular.

"It has been peaceful." Undisturbed, even, until Tarn came along. She can already tell that whatever it is he wants, he's not going to get. Not from her. "And yourself?"

york [ barrayar; closed to lakshmi ]

[infailtration]

It took about a couple days after he was back on his feet from the flu, but York is finally feeling well enough to train again. He's settling back into his usual routine now, runs around camp and bodyweight exercises and sparring with his friends... thing is, he's gonna need to learn Barrayaran weaponry and doesn't have a teacher yet. There are plenty of soldiers to ask but there's one person he'd prefer to learn from. Someone he's seen in action and trusts slightly more than the random soldiers that are training when he checks a sword out from the armory.

He goes looking for Lakshmi -- word is she was on patrol so he lingers by the guard station with the next shift, waiting. The soldiers eye him suspiciously and are probably talking about him in Barrayaran, but he hasn't picked any up yet. Oh well. He's probably had worse said about him in the past.