[ may ii log: we're a broken people living under loaded gun ]

[barrayarmods]

Who: Everyone
What: Victory quickly curdles when the Cetagandans go nuclear -- literally.
When: May 18th - 31st
Where: the Barrayaran camp, the Cetagandan base, Riverfall Village
Warnings: TBD

Quick links:
Barrayar / Cetaganda

barrayar
The jubilant atmosphere in the Barrayaran camp doesn't die out, but it does shift back into the sense of intense focus on their next task, their exhilarating victory driving them forward. The attitudes toward the outsiders are gradually lightening -- the fact that two of them rescued Princess Sonia has gone a long way toward fostering good will. While Prince Yuri and Colonel Vorvolk are still staunch their position of mistrust, Dorca is now openly showing support for Piotr's decision, tipping the balance of politics among the top brass -- which always has a trickle-down effect. But it's a slow spread, and while some of the other soldiers have turned entirely grateful to the outsiders for their part in the attack, for most of them they're only just starting to tone down the hostility. But the shift in atmosphere, however gradual, is clear: the outsiders are starting to fall back into favor with the soldiers.

Vorvolk himself still remains unconvinced, and in the downtime between briefings, can be seen frequently in conference with Piotr, and they don't often look to be in agreement. The fact that the body of Falco Vorkalloner, one of the more vocal anti-outsider dissidents, was found dead shortly before the attack only throws things into hotter contest: although as far Lakshmi and Sisko, the ones to discover the body, reported to him, it appeared to be an accidental death. Colonel Vorvolk remains suspicious considering the timing, but a funeral for Vorkalloner complete with death offerings is held on the 19th. If one is positioned correctly in certain circles, too, one may overhear more talk about the increasingly tense succession politics – talk, say, about finding Yuri a new wife so he can produce another heir. Yuri, perhaps surprisingly, seems reluctant, and harshly bites off the subject every time it comes up.

Lapis has requested a note be delivered to Sonia through the villagers, and Sonia rushes to show it to Piotr. While the gene therapy trials weren't news – and subsequently dire conclusions could be drawn from it – any deals with Jackson's Whole are news, and dangerous at that. If the Cetagandans release the outsiders' gene complexes to the Jacksonians, they might as well be releasing them into the wild: there'll be no hope of permanently recovering them. Piotr is going to want the his handlers to pass on this information to their informants so that they can keep an eye out for any new developments or ways to sabotage the deal.

Scouts are sent to Vorkosigan Vashnoi to further coordinate their efforts with the civilian underground resistance in the city and move on to the next step in their plans to retaking the city. The attack on the base had been meant to force Zahal to withdraw some of his troops from the city, and it works – except that according to Barrayaran intelligence, by May 21st he has recalled the entire occupying force from Vorkosigan Vashnoi.

At approximately three o'clock in the morning on May 22nd, the night sky goes ablaze with a sudden flash of light. The sound of the explosion doesn't follow for another minute, but even at night, the mushroom cloud is clearly visible from the mountains. And even at night, given the vantage point, it's clear that this means only one thing: the Cetagandans have just bombed Vorkosigan Vashnoi.

There's nothing left of the city -- the Cetagandans went nuclear on it, obliterating the city and all its inhabitants and leaving nothing but an irradiated crater behind. Morale in the camp takes a sharp U-turn after the total destruction of the district's capital. Not only were they on the verge of successfully retaking the city, it's the capital of the district, and a symbol of hope for many of the soldiers, especially those from the district -- or it was, anyway. Now there's nothing left of it. Everything they've been working toward for the last few months, everything they've struggled toward -- simply gone.

The soldiers all react in different ways. Most of them are furious, angry like a wounded beast, despairing but only more determined to eliminate the Cetagandan threat to them. Many of them weep openly in grief or despair -- lost family and friends, a lost home -- and some are simply stunned into numbness at so dramatic an escalation. The Barrayarans are badly thrown, and they need to regroup before Cetagandan strikes again.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

cetaganda
Thanks to the Barrayarans' extremely effective sabotage, there's no hope of getting the main or backup power generator back in operating oder until their next supply drop arrives with reinforcements -- still weeks away. Most of the base is without power, which also means no running water, no refrigeration, and no way of recharging their weapons' power packs. As much is being done by daylight as possible, including pre-preparing meals -- still a mix of MREs and fresh food, but especially the latter, as they have no way of keeping it from spoiling, but when they run out of fresh food from the Grow Labs, the base's denizens are stuck with MREs and rather unpalatable ration bars. Thankfully, the water treatment plant has a considerable buffer, so while they may not have running water, they do at least have some manually retrievable potable water for the time being. Hey folks, if you ever wondered what it's like for the Barrayarans roughin' it up out there in the mountains, here is a tiny fraction of what that's like.

On the night of the 20th, Diya is discovered dead. According to Sei, she was attacked and killed by Natasha -- for what exact reason, Sei cannot claim to know, but this clearly marks Natasha as a dangerous entity. Natasha flees the base that night in a hijacked groundcar, leaving no one to fast-penta and no witness but Sei and Ba Talim, and -- even though it would be an affront to suggest it -- haut and ba are immune to fast-penta. An elaborate but solemn funeral is held for Diya on the 21st. It's about what you've probably come to expect of Cetagandan functions, but the mood is distinctly different. There is still a lot of poetry reading. When not in uniform, Zahal now dresses in mourning colors.

The one building that does still have power is the building containing the medbay and gene labs, powered by the secondary backup generator that clearly exists for that express purpose: if all else fails, protect the interests of the Star Crèche. However, even with the base's population reduced, there are still thousands of people who need power, and Zahal is in a heated argument with the haut over redirecting power from the secondary backup generator to other vital base functions. The secondary backup generator does not possess the capacity to power the entire base, but some of its power could definitely be rerouted to select other areas. By May 21st, the barracks and mess have limited power -- just barely enough to get running water and the most basic of kitchen functions running. A little bit of power is rerouted to one of the undamaged research buildings for continued research on the Star Gate Project, since it's of nearly as much interest as the genetics research.

By May 21st, Zahal has recalled the entire occupying force from Vorkosigan Vashnoi. This means a couple thousand soldiers have now returned to the base, but they're still badly undermanned. Reinforcements are slated to arrive along with a supply drop at the start of next month, but until then, it's time to make do. Some of the repairs can at least be started manually, so any off-duty soldiers and willing and able bodies will be asked to lend a hand to start fixing up some of the base now that it's more cleaned up.

At approximately three o'clock in the morning on May 22nd, the night sky goes ablaze with a sudden flash of light. The sound of the explosion doesn't follow for another minute, but even at night, the mushroom cloud is clearly visible from the upper perimeter of the base. And even if you don't have the vantage point to see it for yourself, it doesn't take long for word to get around: the Cetagandans have just bombed Vorkosigan Vashnoi.

Apparently Zahal was able to pull together enough resources to drop a nuclear bomb on the city, utterly destroying it and everyone in it. Judging by the surprise of the rank and file, this was not a long-planned maneuver, but a direct response to the Barrayarans' attack. It isn't the sort of measure they're supposed to resort to so quickly -- the city itself is a valuable resource, and it gave them leverage -- but Zahal is furious.

Between Diya's sudden death and the bombing, the atmosphere around the base is suddenly tense and uneasy. While the Cetagandans have hardly felt threatened by the exotics, after Natasha's supposed recent actions, there's a growing mistrust. The victory might go to the Cetagandans, but it doesn't really feel like it.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

Comments

[latkje]

Some people would say those are the same thing. [ Stupidity and optimism. ]

And that [ he says with some certainty ] is a stupid way to run an empire. Salting the earth you hope to conquer. [ There were really very few things in this world or his own that Nash could still summon moral indignation over. But senseless death was one of them. ]

And if their objective is simple, craven murder, well— [ he made one of his vague gestures, and took another drink. ]

[vorrutyer]

Their objective was revenge.

[ He gestures for the bottle. He needs it desperately. ]

Vorkosigan Vashnoi is Piotr Vorkosigan's city. They're punishing him for winning the war.

[latkje]

[ He hands over the bottle. Nash is agreeable in that way. ]

Revenge is stupid, too. [ It's an automatic response. He has experience in this area. ]

But you don't think they'll attack us here. [ Not like that, anyway. Nash had never considered vulnerability from the air. He also noted the (several) reversals Byerly had made from their previous conversation— the Barrayarans could win the war after all. At least the affection for drink hadn't been feigned. ]

[vorrutyer]

Revenge is stupid.

[ He toasts that with the bottle, and takes a deep swallow of it. ]

And I imagine they'd attack us here cheerfully if they had the intel and the resources for it. But we're too agile and well-hidden. So instead, they murder innocent civilians.

[latkje]

[ He nods. ]

Were they suspicious you couldn't give away the location of the camp?

[vorrutyer]

[ A beat, as he eyes Nash. Then a swig. A shrug. ]

I made sure they thought I was an idiot, and fed them a lot of confused misinformation. I got lost on my way there, all that.

[latkje]

Playing into their existing prejudices, no doubt. [ It wasn't a bad strategy, from the options he could see. Risky, though.

He stretches backwards, as if that might give him a better view. ]

I told you I was a bad interrogator. If I was better at it I wouldn't have so much to drink.

[vorrutyer]

Mm. But you're proving to be a damned fine conversationalist.

[ He gives the man a little salute, lifting the bottle in recognition of his skills. ]

Well, in vino veritas, as they say, so I have to ask - I'm curious. What's your reaction to this latest development? Are you ready to fight the good fight now?

[latkje]

[ He tilts his head in acknowledgement. ]

Honestly? I had decided to fight before then. [ He didn't really need a good reason, the tug of circumstance was usually enough. ] This will make it easier, though.

I'm afraid I won't be as useful as I usually am. They'll have to give me a sword.

[vorrutyer]

[ A nod of short, vicious satisfaction. ]

Good.

[ Then: ] What do you need to be as useful as you usually are? Just a sword, or something more?

[latkje]

[ Some recruitment scene this is. ]

You can't get me my magic back.

[vorrutyer]

Ah.

[ He touches his chin thoughtfully. ]

Perhaps not right away. I can work on it, though...But it'll take a while. Yes.

[latkje]

Really? [ That wasn't the answer he was expecting. He quirks an eyebrow. ]

And how would you go about doing that?

[vorrutyer]

Via the Cetagandans.

[ A small shrug. ]

They've developed technology for the restoration of - hm - some of the outsiders' more unusual capabilities. I'm assuming you're referring to literal, rather than metaphorical, magic.

[latkje]

Metaphysical, perhaps. But the real thing, not the finger hexes they use in the village.

[ He shrugs. ]

Maybe it would work.

[vorrutyer]

It might. Though, well - Unfortunately, there's some trouble with the line of causality here, I'm afraid. We'll need to get at the Cetagandans to get the powers that'll help you get at the Cetagandans...But perhaps an opportunity will reveal itself.

[ He ends this lightly ironic patter with something that cuts at the core of what he cares about: ]

But tell me, my dear man - what does this magic let you do?

[latkje]

It depends. You don't have magic at all here, do you?

[ He leans back a little bit, pushing two of his fingers together. ]

If my left hand was working right, I could mend a broken bone, or put a man to sleep. Or steal the breath of life from him, given the time to work the spell. [ He pauses. ] About thirty seconds, for that one. The sleep spell's quicker.

[vorrutyer]

[ There's a quick flicker in his eye. In spite of his careful attitude of unconcern, he's a bit disturbed by that. ]

You could kill someone instantly? Without even touching him?

[latkje]

There are many ways to do that. [ Nash just learned another one today. ]

You have to be reasonably close by. Usually, that means they get a shot at you before you can pull off the spell. That's why mages travel with men who can guard them. Or in the rear ranks of an army.

[vorrutyer]

[ A hesitation, and then a small shrug. Yes - in the grand scheme of brutality, a spell that brings death is less horrid than a nuclear weapon, isn't it? Fair point. ]

So you're a mage? That's your job?

[latkje]

No. [ He shakes his head, and that small hesitation, reaches for the bottle. ]

I am the bishop's left hand man. The one that the other hands aren't supposed to know. [ There's your metaphor. ] But a hand is much less useful when severed from the body of the state.

[vorrutyer]

[ Ah. By blinks just a little in surprise - less at the content of the confession than at the trust it implies. And so after a brief moment, in deference to that trust, Byerly admits - ]

Yes. I do understand that. I'm certainly not important enough to be a hand of the Emperor - I flatter myself to think that perhaps I'm a follicle on one of Barrayar's hairy knuckles - but...I do understand. And I know what it's like to be severed. [ A beat, then - ] Tell me - if Barrayar and Harmonia came into conflict, who would win?

[latkje]

[ What a curious question. He's not stupid enough to think he has the whole picture of Barrayar— the events of today have proven it. So he sticks to the textbook: ]

The Harmonian army is certainly strong enough to take on a small band of horsemen with no magic. Though I would think they'd try to take this camp by sabotage, not by brute force. [ That's what he would recommend doing, anyway. The established presence of outsiders in the camp would make infiltration fairly straightforward. ]

But we have been repelled by inferior forces with superior spirit before. We have nothing like Cetaganda. But you still plan on winning this war, right? [ He'll drink to that. ]

[vorrutyer]

Ah, yes. That's the intention.

[ His lips quirk up in a wry little smile. Then he sighs, and leans back. ]

In the thirty years after Barrayar's victory over Cetaganda, this world will build up its military resources. It will enormously build them. In thirty years, we'll strike back - conquer Komarr, conquer Sergyar, establish an empire. Become a military force that frightens even Cetaganda.

[ He looks over at Nash, tilting his head very slightly to the side. ]

In the event that the wormhole stays open, and in the event that Harmonia has access to Barrayar and vice versa...Well. You might want to put a little word in your Bishop's ear that conflict with us is a bad idea. And I'll happily put a word in my Emperor's that the same is true. [ A little shrug. ] I detest violence, you see.

[latkje]

My bishop shares your distaste for violence if not your taste in liquor. [ It was one of the things that made his lifetime of servitude more tolerable. But he couldn't promise more than that.

He squints, piecing through the rest of that revelation. ]

I didn't take you for a prophet. It would explain the drinking.