barrayarmods: (Default)
For Barrayar mods ([personal profile] barrayarmods) wrote in [community profile] forbarrayar2017-04-02 02:25 pm

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

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!
lovernotafighter: (What the everloving fuck?)

Tucker needs to shut up

[personal profile] lovernotafighter 2017-04-05 09:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Tucker probably should have been put off by the dismissal. He wasn't, but he probably should have been.

Instead he walked a little more into the tent, eyes flickering to the desk before back at him. He needed to control his temper, needed to get shit in line, but it was hard when all he wanted to was run over to the other side and get her back. He couldn't. He promised he wouldn't, which meant--

Whatever. The guy deserved to know.

"Pretty sure she can't help me with this whole 'Sonia getting fucking captured by the enemy' problem like you can." There was an easier way to drop the bombshell. Probably. Maybe. Too late now, as he pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms over his chest.

"But, hey, if you want me to go talk to her instead, I will."
oldvor: (pic#10679826)

[personal profile] oldvor 2017-04-06 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Piotr's head snaps up immediately, and right then, in an instant, the entire weight of his attention is focused solely on Tucker, his eyes sharp and hard. He has half a mind to deck this idiot just for the cheek, but it's not a big enough half. Every inch of Piotr is tensed.

"What?"

It comes out a low, rough sound that also sounds a hell of a lot like you'd better start talking real fast now, Tucker.
lovernotafighter: (All sides are my good sides)

[personal profile] lovernotafighter 2017-04-07 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
Everyone always wanted to know how. Details. He got it, he did; things made sense with details, allowed for things to start taking action, but fuck was he sick of telling the tale. Reliving it. All this shit.

But while he could get away with it from most people, he couldn't here. There would be no leeway, no wiggleroom, no comfort. And hey, at least Piotr wasn't shoving him face-first into the mud like certain unnamed teammates of his.

"We were at Riverfall, right?" The fingers at his right hand curled into a tighter fist. Shit. "Cetagandan patrol popped in, and we tried to sneak out, but it didn't work that way. The saw us, there was a fight, bunch of people died--" he knew the number, memorized it, but he didn't want to say it. "-and they made off with her."

Vague. The whole thing was vague and if he wanted details, Tucker could give them in a better fashion, he was pretty sure, but for right now, this was all he could do.
oldvor: (pic#10679797)

[personal profile] oldvor 2017-04-11 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"Made off with her?" Piotr repeats, his voice dropping into a low snarl. Not good enough, Tucker. Not good enough at all. He wants details, numbers, who was carrying what weapon, what the fuck happened. "What about her armsman? What about my armsmen? The Cetagandans -- how many were there? Did any of my men make it out of that alive?"
lovernotafighter: (Bad Touch)

[personal profile] lovernotafighter 2017-04-15 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
He wanted to be afraid of this, but he couldn't be. The snarl did nothing to change Tucker's expression; it had that lowkey anger that wouldn't fade, turned inward. The questions were valid ones, but they pissed Tucker off just the same; he wasn't asking if she was hurt; he was asking about numbers.

"Eight soldiers, two Vorkosigan armsmen, and I know you didn't ask, but twelve villagers died, too." A little bitter, a little pointed. He couldn't help it. "I think she was just stunned, and..." I don't fucking know.

oldvor: (pic#10679826)

[personal profile] oldvor 2017-04-17 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"Two of my armsmen are dead?" Piotr swears viciously, largely in Barrayaran Russian, but it probably isn't hard for Tucker to get the gist of it. It might have been a minor skirmish to the Cetagandans, but this is a hell of a blow. Good armsmen are even harder to come by than good officers. He turns on Tucker, eyes blazing, terrifyingly intent.

"You think she was just stunned?" That isn't enough of an answer, not for Piotr. "Are you certain? There was a bloody shootout -- how do you know she wasn't injured?"

lovernotafighter: (W-T-FUCK)

[personal profile] lovernotafighter 2017-04-19 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
The fact that those were the first words out of his mouth, comments on his armsmen, sparked the inferno was Tucker’s rage. His eyes narrowed and finally, he was learning some Barrayaran Russian, even if it was from the wrong person.

“Yeah. They are.”

And that was the most restraint he could show, and that? That was only because of the respect he had for Wash and his warnings. But then Piotr kept needling him and – fuck that. Fuck all of it.

“Dude, seriously, I wasn’t close enough!” His voice rose, annoyed, pissed and Piotr, at the Ceta, and everything. “If I was close enough to see if she was fucking injured, don’t you think I would have dragged her fucking back with us no matter what!? We did what the hell we could!”
oldvor: (pic#9429947)

[personal profile] oldvor 2017-04-21 01:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Piotr is already tired of listening to Tucker talk, rage boiling in his chest. He doesn't like Tucker -- didn't like him even before he met him, Piotr knows enough, has seen enough to know he doesn't like this jackass spending time with Sonia. Piotr is going to break something, very shortly. Better that it not be Tucker's face.

"Then we're done here," he snarls at Tucker, his mind already turning quickly, abstracting away the details and fitting them into their situation, the plan, and God, he's going to have to tell Olivia. Someone's going to have to tell Olivia. "If that's all of you've got, then we're done. Get out."
lovernotafighter: (Swish Swish Stab)

[personal profile] lovernotafighter 2017-04-22 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not my fault.

He wanted to say it, to yell it, wanted to believe it himself, but he knew Piotr didn't care about whatever he had to say. That would only set the pot to boil, start more arguments, would get this going and make it worse. Wash warned him about what he had to do to be on the rescue mission...

...so Tucker, wisely, kept his mouth shut. For once, he put his own ego aside, shoved it back, and just nodded. This wasn't about him; it was about her, and Piotr was the one who could get her back.

"I just want to be there when you go to get her back." I fucking care about her, dammit. But he wasn't sticking around for the answer; instead he was turning on his heel and walking out the tent, afraid to wait around for a denial.