forbarrayar | [ june ii log: the underestimated power of the forces of the unseen ]

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[ june ii log: the underestimated power of the forces of the unseen ]

Who: Everyone
What: Let's go steal us a spaceship.
When: June 18th-30th
Where: the Barrayaran camp, the Cetagandan base
Warnings: TBD

Quick links:
Barrayar / Cetaganda / The Hijacking

TIMELINE
6/28 Hijacking of the Star Gate, Haut Sei's death

barrayar
Things are as tense as ever in the Barrayaran camp, but at least morale is on the rise -- in a way. While Piotr's decision to help the outsiders as part of his plan to strike back at the Cetagandans hasn't been the most popular, ever since Vorvolk's summary demotion and dismissal from Piotr's general staff, few are bold enough to put forth criticisms of the General Count, especially considering his plan now has Emperor Dorca's endorsement. House Vorkosigan has always been deeply loyal to the Emperor, and that loyalty is repaid in kind with confidence, though it isn't necessarily shared by the Emperor's son. Yuri still has his own objections, and he certainly has no love for the outsiders, but he recognizes Piotr's brilliance as a military strategist, and rather than continue to stir malcontent in Vorvolk's wake, he has decided to fall into line with his father in backing the plan.

It isn't just the Emperor's endorsement, either. In the wake of Vorkosigan Vashnoi and the despair its destruction had wrought, the soldiers crave some direction, something to rally behind -- anything to get back at the Cetagandans. And those soldiers who have known the outsiders since the start…well, many of them are just as sympathetic as Piotr, some of them even more so. Piotr makes a public speech in his camp on the matter to drive up morale, and points out to both his and Dorca's troops that they have an utterly unique opportunity: hit the Cetagandans in a way no one has done before, and nip in the bud what could be the biggest threat of the war to date. "We won't let there be another Vorkosigan Vashnoi," Piotr declares to his troops, impassioned. "Not as long as I walk this planet. The Cetagandans may have already left its scars on Barrayar, and the war may rage on still, but we can ensure their ambitions go no further than this world -- and if this does not bring us honor, what else will?"

The speech is to great effect, but to anyone paying close enough attention, it's clear that what's really keeping Piotr upright these days is Olivia. The destruction of his own district's capital dealt an especially hard blow, but he's not a man who can afford to buckle now.

Vorkosigan's District is wracked with a heat streak, the sun beating down on them from the cloudless sky. Rain is rare, and while it's cooler up in the mountains, it's still hot as hell. Make sure you're drinking enough water, maybe take a cold bath or a dip in the creek, and…don't stand too close downwind of the stables.

The Barrayaran camps have spent the last few weeks communicating with Micah and the outsiders on the other side, preparing for the hijacking of the Star Gate. They pull together a modest cache of weapons and do their best to ready themselves, but when the night of the 28th comes, all they can do is make do with what they have. Sonia, unbeknownst to Olivia, Piotr, or anyone else, disguises herself as a soldier and slips into the rank and file at the last minute. There's a small panic among the top brass when they discover the Princess missing, but after the fight, when the dust starts to settle, soldiers who were in the shipyard report having seen the Princess there -- and that not a single one of them was able to stop her from getting aboard the Star Gate ship.

cetaganda
The atmosphere around the Cetagandan base is increasingly conflicted. Sei carries out her gene therapy experiments as always, and in Diya's stead she runs the genetics research project with ruthless efficiency and, apparently, increasing pressure. Amai is perpetually uneasy ever since she was drafted (blackmailed) into working against Sei, and there are murmurs that Sei is frustrated over some of her coms not going through properly.

Zahal is catching some serious flak from central command for resorting so quickly to nuclear measures on Vorkosigan Vashnoi; it was clearly not an order he received or even requested, and his superiors aren't happy with that. Coupled with Diya's recent passing, he's not so much his usual composed self these days. And with no clear direction after Vorkosigan Vashnoi, the soldiers are getting restless and antsy.

By the 25th, construction on the Star Gate is complete, and Micah is working with the exotics to execute their plan, loosely codenamed the midnight shift, in conjunction with the Barrayarans. They've been providing directions about how to proceed with regards to sabotage and preparing for the hijacking on the 28th. In their off hours in the lab, they've been constructing dozens of small, short-radius EMP charges to be planted in the other ship sin the shipyard.

Sei is murdered by Jasper on the evening of the 28th, before the hijacking begins. Lapis did tell Amai that they'd take care of things with Sei, after all. But because things go to hell so quickly that by the time they have a chance to process the site of Sei's death, the responsible parties are already long gone. Amai also seems to have gone missing, except she isn't really missing -- having been blackmailed into helping with the hijacking, she had no choice but to go with them. Her career might has well have a DNR order on it at this point.

In the aftermath of the hijacking, the base is in a logistical shambles, despite them having taking comparatively much fewer casualties than the Barrayarans. However, beyond the initial emergency response, Zahal's response has been disorganized, enough that they don't manage to immediately get any ships off the ground to pursue the hijackers.

the hijacking
The unabridged mission results are located here.

The Barrayarans don’t descend from the mountains until after dark, their faces smeared with mud to keep the light from reflecting off their skin. Ezar and Piotr lead the infiltration force, while Yuri and Dorca lead the assault on the shipyard perimeter. Casualties in a mission like this are inevitable -- it's just a matter of how many.

While Byerly and Lakshmi are infiltrating along with the rest of the security task force, another force is taking out the shipyard perimeter security. An initial wave of soldiers takes out the perimeter guard, while a second wave fans out through the shipyard to dismantle internal security, including any inner guards. Sonia sneaks herself in on the mission, disguising herself as a soldier in uniform and sticking with the second wave. They're able to secure the shipyard more or less successfully, but it's at the cost of quite a few bodies, and their hold is shaky at best, especially with alarms being triggered after the security task force fails to disable internal security.

Meanwhile, Micah and Kaidan are working on the anti-aircraft protocols, Julian and Pearl are destroying the gene samples, Nash and Symmetra are destroying the research, and Tarn and Lapis are trying to create a diversion. Unfortunately, it doesn't entirely succeed, and with the alarms going off, it makes everyone's job harder. Sisko and Deanna move in with the second wave into the perimeter so they can get started on re-engaging the flight mechanics.

It doesn't take long for things to get bad, and the ghem soldiers begin to close in on the shipyard. There are Barrayaran assault teams both inside the base and in the shipyard, among which are Wash, Miles, Vex and Tucker. The Barrayarans are fighting fiercely, but they're still vastly outnumbered, and they push the perimeter into the shipyard, forcing the rear guard further back. Timing for the Star Gate's departure is starting to run out. Thankfully, though, despite the delays, everyone manages to get to the Star Ship just in time for takeoff -- except for Vex and Tarn.

Micah detonates the EMP charges in the Cetagandan ships as they take off, but they've only planted 23 devices. Luckily, the Barrayarans took initiative and brought along some bombs to plant in the shipyard, like they do. The Barrayarans provide cover fire until the the Star Gate ship clears, and once it does they begin to fall back, taking even more casualties as they pull out. The bombs that go off shortly after their retreat take out another 22 ships, leaving the Cetagandans with only 5 immediately available -- but plenty enough to go after the Star Gate ship.

The Barrayarans retreat back to the mountains, many of them wounded, and at least a hundred of their small army died in the attack on the base, including both Lakshmi and Tucker. The Cetagandans' attention is sufficiently occupied right now, which is good, because now more than ever the Barrayarans need a chance to recoup.

The Star Gate ship breaks orbit, but it's only a matter of time before they'll be pursued. In addition to Micah, both Sonia and Amai are aboard the ship when it lifts off, and later Negri is discovered to have somehow stowed aboard while no one was looking.

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"I imagine you would," he says fondly. He's still a bit dizzy from the relief of seeing her. Also from the blood loss, but this is more cheerful to contemplate. As dire as the situation is. As upset as she clearly is to see him wounded.

He winces a little as she lifts the cloth to what remains of his hand, but - it's all anticipatory. Which he realizes as soon as she actually moves to touch it. Ah. Dead nerves. "I can't feel anything," he murmurs, watching her with morbid fascination. He feels like he's watching her bandage someone else, not himself. "You won't hurt me worse than I am already. I trust you, Sonia."

Sonia pales further when Miles tells her he can't feel any of it, panic and nausea lurching in her stomach again. But it's when he tells her he trusts her that she has to squeeze her eyes shut for a moment, even as she carefully tries to wipe away the excess blood from what's left of his hand. She's never felt a weight like that before, to have someone's trust in a situation like this, a place she doesn't belong, something she's aware of even if she had flown directly into the face of it. She swallows, forcing her eyes back open, looking up at Miles's face instead of at his hand. Giving him the synergine had been the right thing to do, at least.

"It's going to be alright," she says, her voice hitching and a little thick, but otherwise firm, but it's just as difficult as before to tell just for whose benefit these assurances are. She drops the bloodied cloth to the floor with fluttering hands, not sure what else to do with it, and reaches for the gauze. "You're going to be alright. You'll go home, and you'll get this fixed up -- if not on Barrayar, you'll go to Beta Colony. They'll fix you up so good you won't even be able to tell the difference."

It's possible he's just been clipped with a stunner instead, but he can't tell at this point; better to assume the worst and be done with it. He's still kind of out of it from everything that's happened, anyway, though the synergine is bringing light back into his eyes. Breathing. Focusing. He's here, Sonia is here ...

He shifts his arm a bit, awkwardly lifting it up so that she can wrap his hand more easily . Still watching with morbid fascination as his poor hand disappears under a soft cloud of white. "You're right. I've had worse. Hell, I've been cryorevived before." He gestures awkwardly at his neck scars with one hand. "I'm just glad I got a chance to see you again."

"You've been cryorevived?" That genuinely takes Sonia by surprise, but then, she's never noticed those thin white scars under his collar before. She can only afford to give them one close look before she has to force herself to look back down at what's left of Miles's hand. She forces out a shaky laugh. "I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised."

She's seen plenty of nasty injuries, born witness to executions of the slowest kind, but she's never had to do this herself. Her hands tremble slightly as she grasps his arm by the wrist and starts to wrap around his bloodied hand, grateful for the chatter. She needs the talking right now. She's feeling awfully nauseous.

"You might be the only one," she says wryly, giving him just a quick rueful smile before she returns to her work. "But -- I'm glad. I wanted to see you again. I wanted to make sure you got home safe."

She wanted to make sure he got home, period.

"One more strange thing in my life, right?" He laughs a bit in turn as she continues to wrap him up. "I'm grateful, though. It let them replace the rest of my bones with synthetics."

Surely his stunted stature is indicative enough of why that would be necessary. Did he ever explain any of that to her? Maybe not. In any case, the synergine is working and she seems cheered by his words, so he blathers on. It helps that he's not really in any pain right now. Not physically, anyway.

"You wanted to throw me into the wormhole," he says, repeating himself. "It's all right. I'll not resist. I've decided to return of my own accord, anyway."

"Only as a last resort," Sonia says, managing to keep her tone light, because Miles is still bleeding through the bandage and she needs something, any kind of levity to hold onto. Miles is good for that.

She looks up for a moment, blinking. "Oh? Well -- good. What made you change your mind?"

Ah. Speaking of levity, Miles sobers at that. "Vorkosgan Vashnoi," he says, lowering his voice to a murmur. "Not being able to prevent it." Indicating how little power he has here after all. Yuri will be a worse challenge, and he might very well fuck it up. Hadn't this bombing been early anyway?

That actually makes her pause in the middle of wrapping Miles's hand, her stomach clenching uncomfortably. She looks up at Miles, her face a little pale around the edges. She can't be upset that he knew and never told her. She doesn't even know that she is. She didn't want to know, and she still doesn't think she wants to know. And considering that Miles is from the future, shouldn't it be no surprise at all? But she still feels that pang of shock ripple through her.

"You knew?" she whispers. War is full of atrocities, especially this one, but Sonia still never thought she'd see Vorkosigan Vashnoi leveled and glowing in the dark.

Sorry, Sonia. He's not being especially comforting right now, is he?

"I knew," he murmurs. "It still glows in the dark in my time." Technically he owns a fair chunk of that blighted land, for all the good it will do him. Handy when swindling himself a spaceship. Less so for anything else. "I thought I had more time to do something about it."

There, let her think that's the entire reason for him to stay. He wanted to stay and save the city and nothing else.

Sonia feels the sting of tears in her eyes again just thinking about it, heat rising in her cheeks. She shouldn't cry, she's -- well, she's not done mourning Vorkosigan Vashnoi, doesn't know when she'll ever be done mourning Vorkosigan Vashnoi, but now isn't the time. She blinks them back rapidly and goes back to bandaging Miles's arm, trying to double over where it's still bleeding through. Dammit, she must have done it wrong...

"Well, I'm glad you came to your senses, then," she says quietly, just loud enough to be heard over the chaos outside. "Barrayar needs you in your time, Miles."

Or he's just too bloodied for a simple bandaging to do much. Part of his wound was cauterized, thankfully, or this would be much worse. But he continues to ... well, drip a little. Sorry, Sonia.

"I've come to understand that," he murmurs, looking up at her. "You helped me realize it too."

"I did?" The words are out of her mouth before she realizes how stupid they are, considering all the energy she'd expended trying to persuade him that he needed to go home. She closes her mouth and ducks her head, tightening the bandage around Miles's hand, careful not to constrict it too much. If he can't feel it...he can't tell her if it's too tight.

"I'm glad," she says again, softly. She winds the gauze further up his arm and tucks it in as neatly as she can to secure it. She looks worried still, more about the fact that Miles can't feel it at all, but he'll be alright. He'll be fine, as long as he gets home. She looks back up at his face. "Miles, when you get back...will you do something for me?"

"You did," Miles says warmly. He leans forward a bit, to rest his forehead against her shoulder. All the affection he can give her with his hand mangled and his other hand occupied with keeping himself upright. It's all the energy he has right now, anyway.

But she's asking him something now. A request? He'll do anything she asks. "Of course," he murmurs. "What do you need?"

Sonia puts her arm around MIles's shoulders to support him and keep him close, silently wishing she could do more, but at least he isn't in pain. She wishes that were as comforting as it should be. She's immensely relieved, at least, that he's going to do the sensible thing and go home. She presses her cheek to the top of his head, her voice partially muffled by his hair.

"Will you give my grandson a hug for me?" She half-smiles, maybe a little sadly, but he can't see. "I know you can't tell him who it's from. I imagine you and Byerly won't be telling anyone about all...this, but..."

Small comforts where they can find them. That's all they have right now, so he can only be grateful for what he can get. So he leans back against her, half-lidding his eyes.

And - god, Ivan. He has to laugh at her request even knowing she means it seriously. "Of course I will," he says, with a bit of a smile. "I'll tell him everything. He won't believe me, but I'll try."

"Really?" Sonia pulls her head back to blink down at him quizzically. She doesn't know what sort of man her grandson is other than what Miles and Byerly have told her -- all good things -- but she imagines it would be a hard pill to swallow for anyone. "Is that safe? Won't talking about all this make you sound, um...quite mad?"

Miles waves a hand. "He already thinks me mad," he says. "This will be no different than normal."

"But what about people besides my grandson?" Sonia presses, her brow furrowed. "Couldn't that lead to trouble? Or...do you plan on only telling him?"

"Him and my family, mostly," he says. It's kind of comforting to plan this out; something to focus on that isn't death or injury. "They'll believe me. From there..." He sort of throws up his hands. What can he do, really? "I suppose it depends on whether I return to a world that's changed."

Sonia's quiet for a moment at that, pondering the thought. As hard as Miles's life has obviously been, she wants him to go back to the life he had. It's very important to her, for whatever reason. It just feels...urgent.

"Do you really think you'll be going back to something different? I mean...what if it's just a different timeline, or something?"

Better the life he had than anything else, really; he doesn't survive any other permutation the way he is now. Even a Piotr with softened prejudices due to Miles' performance would have negative repercussions on Miles' safety in the long run.

"I've no idea," he murmurs, looking down at the floor. "And no way of knowing until I get there."

Sonia hadn't really thought about it until now, honestly. In her mind, it seemed like the only sensible outcome was that they'd all go home, back to the way things were, and that would be it. It just...hadn't occurred to her that things might be different for Miles. For Byerly. She falls silent again for a little while.

"Are you afraid?"

He should be comforting. But here, nearly at the end of all things, and with both of them hurting, all he can manage is honesty. "Terrified," he admits, his voice a murmur. "My existence is - an incredibly delicate set of circumstances. I'm sure you can imagine."

Not the specific circumstances, no, but - one needn't know much about the future to know a mutant's life is difficult at best, even for a count's heir.

Sonia doesn't need the details to imagine, no. Her arm tightens around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she says quietly, just barely audible over the clamor outside. "But I'm still glad you're going back." She manages a smile, a little shaky. "I'm sure it'll be alright, Miles."

Will it be all right? Really? He's going home yes, but ... It's agonizing knowing what he's leaving behind too. Even though he can't do anything else for them now. Instead, he just leans against his great aunt for a moment, drawing his breath in slowly.

"It will have to be," he murmurs. "I wish you could come with me."

There's no possible way, of course. The effect on the timeline would be catastrophic.

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vorbratta - 2017-07-23 03:37 (UTC) - Expand

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