[ 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

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?

[dendarii]

[ Miles doesn't even realize Wash is there until he's right on top of Miles, shaking his shoulder. He'd been too busy running over the scenario obsessively, trying to work out a way for him to have won. If he'd gone for the sword instead. Or clung bodily to Sonia. Or - hell, convinced her not to go into town at all. He should have known that Cetaganda would go after her eventually ...

He shakes his head numbly in response to Wash's questions. Really it will depend on what Tarn does to him, but even if he does get hurt defending Sonia he's not going to count those as injuries anyway. ]

I'm fine. Should have done more.

[protocol]

[ He knows those words all too well. ]

You did all you could. [ A squeeze over his shoulder, and he leans down slightly to get a look at Miles at eye level, to gauge him properly. If this were any of his own, he'd ask for a status report immediately, still expect to be lied to because that's how they all are. Miles is apparently exactly the same. Fitting in perfectly, champ. he does seem well enough, though, and he lets go, straightening again. ] Come on -- walk with me.

[dendarii]

[ He had that black eye already courtesy of Byerly, anyway; the rest will heal in time as well. Perhaps the worst indication of his mental state is the fact that he just obediently goes along with Wash here. He's still too numb to function properly. ]

If I'd done all I could, she'd be here. Or I'd be dead. Either of the two.

[protocol]

And I suppose you're singularly responsible for everything that went wrong, too.

[ So fucking dryly because he knows that tone, Miles, he knows. He knows it all too well, hears it in himself all the time, except he tends to be more angry than despondent. ]

If you'd done more, would there have been no casualties, too?

[dendarii]

[ Miles gets angry too, but he's in a low swing right now. The anger will come later.

He trudges through the spring mud, still hardly seeing what's in front of him. ]

Don't be ridiculous. I could have saved Sonia. That was within my power.

[komarran]

[ Duv's taken to spending more time in the woods as needed, primarily to help Daryl with the maintenance of his traps. Spending more time in the wilderness had been good for him whether he liked it or not. It's when he's returning from a trip he spots Miles doing the same, looking worse for wear.

Frowning and with a rabbit slung over his shoulder, he quickly heads towards the man. ]

Allergies? Is that what you're going with? [ he asks with a raised brow. He knows you have a lot of medical problems, Miles. Fess up. ]

[dendarii]

[ That's right, Duv doesn't know yet, being from a time before Miles even had seizures to begin with. He trusts the man, of course, but he just hasn't had the opportunity to tell him. Well. Better do it now, he supposes. ]

Can't you tell? Allergies just suck all the life out of me. Very unpleasant.

[komarran]

[ No, he's from far before he gets to dump Miles into an ice bath. Alas. ]

A recent development? I don't remember them plaguing you on Earth.

[dendarii]

[ He sighs softly. ]

Let's take a walk, Duv. I feel the need to stretch my legs.

[komarran]

[ He frowns, but nods, letting Miles lead the way. ]

I could use the walk.

[dendarii]

Good.

[ And just like that, Miles leads the way. Until they're far enough away from camp not to be overheard. ]

a worse day/wildcard

[shri]

[ She finds him in some quiet minutes, sometime after the news has gotten out, spread through the camp like wildfire, sometime after it's all gone so far to hell that there's nothing left to say, really. So she doesn't bother. Just finishes up her duties as they are and goes to find him.

Instead, she heads to one of the soldiers she's made good with, asks him for a bottle of the mead they favour so much here. Then she goes to find him. Placing the bottle near to his reach before she slips in close. Settles beside him, taking his hand into her own and drawing it into her lap to give him at least of her warmth. Her fingers into a knot with his of steady presence. Offers her side, her shoulder, and whatever else he wants in steadiness where when the world goes slippery unreal, something solid is a relief and to that end, there was nothing else to say and she's just quiet. Just there for whatever he wants, in the end. ]

[dendarii]

[ He's not badly injured. A gash on his forehead above a quickly purpling bruise, a tenseness to his posture that speaks of badly bruised ribs. Somehow he managed to get out of that without breaking any bones; he's not quite certain how, but he's not going to argue with it. Between the physical pain and the mental pain, he's not thinking about much right now.

So she startles him a bit when she finds him. Winces from the flinch as his ribs pain him. Then lets his gaze slip back down again. He'll take that comfort soon, he really will, but ... ]

Ah. Hello, Lakshmi. I suppose you've heard already.

[ He fumbles to reach for the bottle. ]

[shri]

[ She passes it to him so it doesn't fall from his hand. It wouldn't make him much better in the long term. But that was the trick in a war, wasn't it? Survive the short term. Survive the losses and the aches and the miseries. ]

I have, shamshir.

[dendarii]

[ He carefully tips it back into his mouth. Small comforts. ]

Shamshir, eh. [ He doesn't know the word but he can guess from context. ] I was a very poor sword.

[shri]

[ She shakes her head, settles back a little, watching him carefully. Let him drink, let him be miserable. At least it was here, with her, where whatever he decided, she could watch over him. ]

No, you are just one kind. And you do not use a shamshir to cut through armour. You strike at flesh.

[dendarii]

[ Wash has talked him out of the worst impulses, thankfully. Now he just ... waits. ]

I ought to have been able to have done something. I was with her.

Bad Day

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet is on his way back to the medical tent with some supplies when he catches sight of Miles, ill and pale and clearly lying when Ratchet asks. He narrows his eyes slowly and shifts the container of bandages under one arm.]

Allergies. [His expression is the Platonic ideal of 'no-nonsense,' and his tone very dry.] Really.

[dendarii]

[ Hell. It's that doctor Wash mentioned, isn't it? Ironically, the last person Miles wants to see right after a seizure is a doctor. He tries to wave the other man off, despite how obviously ill he looks. ]

Yes. I look terrible, don't I? They're unpleasant.

[asafepairofhands]

[Ratchet hasn't been doctoring humans for that long but he knows what allergies are. He is also looking less entertained by the second, so keep on digging that grave, Vorkosigan.]

It must be, if that's the best lie you can scrape together. Why don't you walk with me for a bit. [This is not actually a request.]

[dendarii]

[ Ugh. He really has no choice, does he? But better to do this somewhere the other soldiers can't hear. He sneaks a furtive glance at them even now. ]

Allergies. No lie at all. But I'll gladly go with you, Doctor.

[asafepairofhands]

How exceedingly kind of you. [Ratchet waits until they're in a relatively private corner of the medical tent before he turns, pops the box open, and hands it to Miles.] Hold that, please. [He only asks after it's actually in Miles' hands and he could have just as easily set it down somewhere, but maybe this way Miles will be less likely to attempt escape. Possibly. Ratchet starts taking packages out of the box and sorting them, the expression on his face mild.]

While we're here, you mind telling me what's actually wrong? Please don't say allergies again, I'll be genuinely insulted.

[dendarii]

[ Not private enough for Miles' tastes, although it is much better. And no one appears to be in earshot ... He just hates having secrets dragged out of him. And he hates being guilted into not running off by holding a box of all things. Dammit. ]

What did you say your name was again?