[ 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

Riverfall-ish, 12th? lmk if this works or if i should change anyth!

[protocol]

[ Wash doesn't arrive on schedule. He always arrives early.

This is early even for him, though, paranoid to a fault as always, but in this he feels more than a little justified. Byerly's communications with him hadn't exactly been ordinary, and normally Wash wouldn't be goddamn considering it even slightly even having affirmation of his loyalties from Miles -- but after what's happened recently, well. He's throwing caution to the wind. He's given his word to Miles that he won't run off on his own to the base, but this isn't quite that, isn't it.

He has a prearranged meeting with Natasha, too, but more news can only be better, and Wash is under the assumption now that Byerly probably isn't aware he's working as a handler himself, best to keep it that way. Miles likely doesn't know Byerly's arranging to meet him, even. Wash is exhausted and entirely looks it when he shows up at their meeting spot in the woods, hasn't slept since the Sonia, just returned from Vorkosigan Vashnoi, but he pushes himself through, as always. Byerly's twisty instructions had led him to the base of a small cliff, and he checks around it, just instinctively, for something, anything. It's a little too neat of a setup for an ambush.

But there's nothing, and eventually he's satisfied enough to just -- wait. Leaning back against the cliff, one arm folded over his chest, idly spinning a knife in the other. Sorry about coming armed, Byerly, but at least he's showing you the knife. It'd stay hidden usually, but his lungs still feel twisted up in a mix of awful anxiety, leaden and heavy with guilt. Keeping his hands busy is something that eases it, even just a little. ]

perfect

[vorrutyer]

[ On-schedule, at the appointed time, an acorn drops from above and hits Wash on the head.

Byerly leans down over the cliff. He looks a bit the worse for wear - he has a twig tangled in his hair, and there are scuffs on his hands. The journey up to the clifftop was not easy for him - not least because he looks a little greenish in his current position. Byerly Vorrutyer is deathly afraid of heights, you see. ]

Let's talk.

[protocol]

[ Tired as he is, Wash always snaps to attention the moment there's anything he associates with danger, and his response to something being dropped at him is instinctive, reaching up quickly enough to deflect it with his free hand -- ambidextrous, you see. It bounces off his forearm, and Wash manages to catch it as it falls.

An acorn. He glances at it, lifts an eyebrow, tosses it somewhere over his shoulder as he pushes himself away from the face of the cliff, looking up -- and there he is. Byerly fucking Vorrutyer. Looking just a bit nauseous. ]

If you're going to throw up, give me a little heads up to get out of the way, Vorrutyer. [ So dryly, staring up at him, still spinning the knife in his hand. ] I'm not that kind of guy.

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly eyes that motion suspiciously and drawls in return - ]

Fair trade, then. If you're going to throw that knife at me, give me a little heads-up to get out of the way. Let's stake our words on this bargain, shall we?

[protocol]

[ Wash does have no intention of hurting him here, but Wash is the last person to ever blame someone else for being cautious. He looks up at him, taking another step or two back, and with another easy spin of the knife in his hand drives the blade into the trunk of a nearby tree.

There. Unarmed ( though only because there aren't enough knives in the armory to go around ), with the knife where Byerly can see it. He extends a hand vaguely upwards in his direction. ]

Shake on it?

[vorrutyer]

Mm. Pass.

[ He gestures to his situation - hanging over the edge of the clifflet - and reflects on how he very, very, very much does not want to shift his weight. ]

We'll do it Barrayaran-style. One's breath is one's soul. By staking one's word on it, one stakes one's soul. I'm sure Miles has given you that speech before, no?

[protocol]

[ No, actually, but he'd picked it up from just the look in his eyes whenever he gives his word on something. Wash has made him similar promises in turn, and he always intends the same seriousness, but the whole Barrayaran honor thing doesn't really mean much to him personally. ]

If you want oaths, Byerly, I'd rather something a little more substantial than I won't vomit on you by surprise, my word as Vorrutyer.

[vorrutyer]

Is that so?

[ He purses his lips. ]

Which part is giving you pause - the fact that the oath is centered around vomiting, or your lack of faith in the Vorrutyer name?

[protocol]

[ He's managed to learn quite a bit about different Vor families in Barrayar. Not that much about yours. He's tried, but even Duv had been resistant to a few questions. ]

The former. Your family politics don't interest me.

I've no intention of killing you or even hurting you here. Caution's understandable. If you want to exchange oaths, give me something that doesn't involve your nausea.

[vorrutyer]

We could run the whole gamut of bodily fluids. [ He overcomes his acrophobia enough to give a theatrical flutter of his hand. ] I shall not vomit, piss, or shit on your head.

[protocol]

[ Sigh. Any other day he'd play along with for at least a while longer, but he's fucking tired, Byerly, tired and distressed beyond measure. You're supposed to be on his fucking side. ]

If I wanted to kill you I'd have just waited for you up there. I've been here for more than an hour, and you wouldn't have been able to see me.

I'm just here to fucking talk, Byerly, and I don't want to deal with any of your fucking bullshit. There's more pressing matters at stake, aren't there?

[vorrutyer]

Are there?

[ His smile doesn't falter. His eyes gleam, though, and his stare is hard and unblinking. ]

What do you think is my stake in those matters, Washington? Tell me about your beliefs about my status. In detail.

[protocol]

[ He doesn't want to play that game. Has Miles spoken to Byerly about him knowing yet? God, who knows. It doesn't matter. He's here to find out more about one thing. Wash stares up at him, his eyes hard. ]

Sonia Vorbarra.

[vorrutyer]

[ The smile drops away. His voice gets cooler and firmer. ]

Tell me what you believe about me, Washington.

[protocol]

Piotr Vorkosigan sent you as his agent to Cetaganda.

[ Flatly, and an echo of what Byerly had said to him before in the alley, if he'd remember, because Wash always does. God, fucking Vorkosigan Vashnoi. That had been stupid, so incredibly stupid. ]

And Miles was appointed your handler.

[vorrutyer]

And if that is true -

[ Cagy, always cagy. All the amusement is gone from his face now. All the dissolution, all the mockery, all the vagueness. He looks like an entirely different person like this. Hard-eyed, laser-focused, eyes intent, face alert. It's a disconcerting transformation - a slight rearrangement of his features, a mask cast to the side, and he's nearly unrecognizable. ]

Then it is clear what my highest priority is.

[protocol]

[ It's not, honestly. Not to him. Because Wash is still paranoid, still cautious, because he still thinks Byerly is more than clever enough to turn on a dime. The problem Wash has is whether or not he would, but that he doesn't have a read on his motivations, yet, on what drives him, on who he is. He trusts him, here, but it's a trust out of necessity. It's trust in Miles' judgment, more than Byerly himself. Though maybe Wash might yet still regret it.

The shift in Byerly's expression is apparent. No smile, here, no easy mockery. Not quite as nauseous, either. And Wash, in turn, despite days without sleep, looks sharp and alert, moving to fold his arms loosely over his chest. His posture is relaxed. His eyes aren't. ]

Why am I here, Vorrutyer? [ And how's that tie into your priority? ]

[vorrutyer]

To help me with it.

[ His voice is precise. Firm. ]

To get her out of there.

[protocol]

[ Good. Whatever his beliefs about Byerly's ultimate motivations, if he can trust in this, that'll be more than enough for now. ]

How about that, then?

Your word for mine. That we'll both do everything we can, for her.

[vorrutyer]

[ There's something deeper in his face, then - an anger, or a desperation, or something. And it's telling how little he hesitates. There's no pause, no uncertainty, no weighing his options, no trying to see how he can wiggle out of committing himself. His response is immediate. ]

I give my word that I will do anything for her and give anything for her. My life, if need be.

[protocol]

[ He notices that. And instinctively there's some analytical part of his mind that wants to piece it apart, that remembers it, stores it. Right now in the moment, though, Wash is the same, a kind of frustrated desperation in his own eyes, and he will give his own word, of course. But Byerly is Barrayaran, and there's no reason to not get that extra insurance. ]

Say the words, and then you'll have mine. [ Miles has said it exactly the same each time. He knows that's important. ]

[vorrutyer]

My word.

[ His lips press together. ]

My word as Vorrutyer means nothing. My word, staked on my oaths and my loyalty to my Emperor.

[protocol]

[ Again, that part of his mind can't help but catch onto that. Pry at it, even now. Loyalty, is that what Byerly boils down to, in the end? Loyalty to his emperor? To his home? A word as Vorrutyer meaning nothing. Something about his family, perhaps, that he needs to dig further about -- or just what he'd mentioned before, the first time they spoke, about how he was disinherited?

It doesn't matter now. He pushes that aside. ]

My name means nothing, either. [ It's an alias. A codename. Another lie. ]

You have my word. I will do everything, give anything I have to, to keep her safe.

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly's eyes flick down to meet Washington's. And he drives at once at what he thinks Washington most values. Not loyalty - something deeper. Holier, he suspects. ]

Your word on your love for your comrades. Your word staked on your feelings towards them.

[protocol]

[ And Byerly is right.

But he does challenge him, here, staring right up at him, his gaze unfaltering. ]

Haven't I told you I've killed comrades before?