[ 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

[protocol]

And what's a soldier without a war to fight.

[ A soft sound there, amused. He knows Miles is the same. ]

Cry havoc, and all that. [ Look, technically Shakespeare! ]

[dendarii]

[ Miles tilts his head at that, amused. ]

That makes me Caesar's dead body, Marc Antony.

[protocol]

[ A soft sound. ] Maybe.

[ He closes his eyes briefly, trying to remember. Things from before Epsilon he does remember well, still, but not quite as sharply. ]

I read most of these before enlisting. Memory's not quite as clear.

[dendarii]

And cryorevival has put holes in mine. But I think I have that passage well enough.

Should I help?

[protocol]

[ A smile. ]

Go on.

[dendarii]

[ He hums a bit, picking it back up easily. ]

"And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."

[ He sort of acts it out a bit too, adopting an imperial tone. Not quite appropriate for the scene, but. ]

[protocol]

[ He closes his eyes when he listens, that smile quirking up just a little more at his tone. He doesn't mind it, appropriate for the scene or not, and it does make it easier to remember, hearing it. It triggers a different memory, too, actually studying plays in school. Even back then, he'd known he would have to join the war, someday. Threw himself into everything he did, everything he studied, even this.

Wash opens his eyes again, shifting where he's seated, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. ]

Give me one of those you don't remember, then. [ Let's see if he can patch it up for you, after all. ]

[dendarii]

[ One he doesn't remember, huh. Which one was he having trouble with last month? He frowns a bit, thinking, ]

"Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that ... "

[ Here he loses it, as he lost it before. He bites at his lip a bit in frustration. ]

Damn, that was always my favorite play too. Figures it's the one I have the most trouble with.

[protocol]

[ Wash recognizes that immediately, of course. ]

Richard III, your favorite? [ An amused huff. ] That makes sense.

"Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this sun of York;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths;
Our bruised arms hung up for monuments;
Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings,
Our dreadful marches to delightful measures."

[ Wash doesn't act it out, it is memory for him, after all. He recites it evenly, calmly, with the right cadence -- there is a familiarity, a warm memory to all of this. He misses those days at school, despite the complications of his childhood. He misses going back home to his family after classes, if nothing else. ]

Should I go on? [ Raising an eyebrow. ] This one, I remember well.

[dendarii]

What can I say? I'm a bit self-centered.

[ But he brightens instantly as Wash continues - yes, he remembers it now. That sounds right to him. God, he has so many good memories of reading this play as a child. Despite the factors keeping him in bed stuck reading it to begin with. ]

We'll be out here all day if we start doing that.

[protocol]

We'll hope things don't go quite the same for you as Richard.

And well -- that wouldn't be unusual for us, would it? [ Seriously he keeps. Getting stuck talking with you for hours. Not that he minds. ] I wouldn't mind, either. I've some good memories, with this.

[ He tries not to think of Leonis too much, of his childhood before the war. But they are fond memories. Distant and aching as they are. ]

[dendarii]

[ Somehow it's always a ridiculously long conversation with the two of them. Miles doesn't mind at all, though. ]

Tell me about one. I could use something pleasant to think about.

[protocol]

Things rarely stay pleasant with me, Miles.

[ He'll try, though. ]

Most of these I read before enlisting, like I said. War hadn't reached our system. Spent a lot of my time reading about it, though . . . Studying. Learning. Everything I could get my hands on. [ Tipping his head back slightly. ] I was left alone, mostly, after I transferred schools. Suited me fine. I'd spend my time reading everything ahead of lessons, even the books and plays.

[dendarii]

[ Miles nods slowly at that. He can picture that pretty easily, you nerd. ]

Just on your own?

[protocol]

[ Sue him, he has a massive nerd. He's no specific story to tell, here, his childhood was quiet, aside from the -- one thing. Which, well. ]

After I switched schools, yeah. [ Shouldn't be hard to figure out why that happened. ] Not entirely on my own though. I'd bother my family with it.

[dendarii]

[ Miles brightens again with interest. ]

Who did you have? Parents, siblings?

[protocol]

[ A soft, amused sound. He still likes whenever you brighten up like that. ]

My mother, three sisters. I was the oldest, not that that saved me any from their demands. [ There is a real fondness, there, when he speaks about them. The ache might be obvious, too. ]

[dendarii]

[ Miles considers that rather dreamily - like a man who didn't grow up with siblings. Because he didn't, really, though his cousin and the Koudelkas came close. ]

They completely ruled you, huh?

[protocol]

[ For all of Wash's occasional softness and sentimentality, here he's even softer than he's ever been. A smile, closing his eyes slightly, tipping his head back. ]

Not completely. But mostly.

We'd have our fights, sometimes -- I could be a mean kid. [ Vindictive, even. ] But we were all close.

[dendarii]

Aren't all kids kind of mean?

[ But he grins at that. ]

What are their names?

[protocol]

[ Wash might've been particularly mean. But he won't linger on that. Pleasant things, right? Time for headcanon city. ]

Marianne -- Mia. A year younger than me, I was the closest with her. [ He opens his eyes again, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his eyes down but with a real fondness, there. ] Evelyn and Erin. Twins, five years younger.

[dendarii]

[ Oh. He can just picture that, especially with that fond longing in Wash's voice. ]

You loved them very much.

[protocol]

[ He misses them dearly. Just a nod, here. ]

Yeah.

[dendarii]

... Did they survive the war?

[protocol]

[ Quiet, now. ]

As far as I know.