[ catch-all: barrayar ]

[forwardmomentum]

Who: Miles, Ivan and Gregor of the Vor Boy Band feat. Lady Alys and you, probably
When: gestures vaguely at May
Where: Barrayar
What: all Ingress trips to Barrayar, whether it be Vorkosigan Surleau, Vorbarr Sultana, or anywhere else on Space Russia
Warnings: TBD

Welcome to Barrayar, the planet that was cut off from the rest of the Nexus after its only known wormhole connection collapsed, leaving its meager starter colony population stranded. 700 years in total isolation saw the loss of their advanced technology and a regression to a pre-industrial and feudal society, until a new wormhole route to Barrayar was discovered and propelled them from horseback to spaceflight in the space of a single generation. Its terraforming is still incomplete, the landscape characterized by the mixture of imported Earth green plantlife and the reddish native flora of Barrayar. After a couple of generations, Barrayarans are growing more and more accustomed to galactic peoples and cultures, though they're still a little wary of outsiders, and an old and long-entrenched cultural paranoia of genetic mutation means they can be a little hostile or mistrustful of people who bear visible disabilities or who don't look quite human.

Comments

MAMERE. i mean lady vorpatril.

[whatdidisay]

When he first set foot back in Vorbarr Sultana, it had felt like a dream. Solid land under his feet, open sky. His regular near-twenty seven hour day. But the more he spends here -- the longer he's here -- the more that the Moira feels like the dream. Unreal, fading in his mind's eye until he thinks it's a half-remembered reality. But then he'll move, he'll think of someone he met there, and the memories come flooding back.

He's taking his mother to Vorbarr Sultana this time, figures she should have a chance to see what the future of the place looks like. Something that isn't still being rebuilt from the Pretendership, the Vorbarr Sultana she controls in a different way than the rest of their family, but controls all the same. Lady Alys Vorpatril is a woman no one should cross.

They're currently on the Star Bridge, and Ivan gestures to where the Imperial Residence is. "Gregor's done a pretty good job with everything. And I don't mean that lightly, and he'll probably deny it when asked, but--" He's a good Emperor. Probably the best they've had since Dorca. Which just makes Ivan wonder what epitaph they're going to put on his name when he's dead and gone. Gregor the Great?

[hostessing]

This isn't the Vorbarr Sultana she remembers. Almost an entire generation has passed her by judging by the date she's seen in passing. The face of the whole planet is changing and growing and it's clear the future is bright. Her generation's sacrifices in their primes had meant more than she could have hoped for.

It's relieving to see everything still standing and Gregor's reign succeeding, but the more she's here, the more she's made aware that this isn't home. It's Barrayar, but she can't stay here. As flawed and scarred as her period of Barrayar is, it's the one she needs to return to in order to make sure all of this is possible. She knows her role in this, the one she's to take on once Gregor is old enough.

She keeps pace with her son and glances towards the motion of his hand before nodding. "I was hoping that would be the case when I saw him. It's different seeing it." The culmination of all their effort focused on one young man. It's remarkable it all came together.

[whatdidisay]

Those of a more poetically inclined nature than Ivan Vorpatril might find something touching to say about sacrifice, but Ivan's well aware of the cost, thanks very much. Why dwell on it when he's had his yearly reminder a month or so ago? He turns back to his mother, and for a worrying second Ivan doesn't recognize her until she sharpens in his mind's eye into his mother as he knows her before that fades and he's back facing his younger mother.

Right.

"I don't remember much of it being different growing up, but I guess that means Uncle Aral did alright, too."

[hostessing]

She's starring out over the edge of the Star Bridge, taking in every little bit of detail she can about Vorbarr Sultana of the future. How long will they be able to visit here? How long should she be here? Whatever device was able to bring them back home, she's unsure if it has the ability to alter anything with how out of place she is here. It's the second time in her life she's felt this way, the first being her arrival on the Moira.

"If you didn't notice any difficulties then he did his duty." As Aral always would do for the Imperium. "Did you spend much of your adulthood here?"

[whatdidisay]

"I'm pretty sure a Vorkosigan would impale themselves on their sword before failing their duty," Ivan mutters, before going back to his mother's question. "All of it, mostly. My first posting right out of the Academy was to Ops HQ and I didn't do much traveling. Except for the trip to Cetaganda and my year-long posting to Earth."

It hasn't been a bad life. Ivan's certainly never felt the need to complain about anything other than the close proximity of his relatives and the ability of one of those to drag him into trouble.

[hostessing]

She gives Ivan a mild look at his first comment, but lets it slide. So he's spent most of his adulthood in the capital as well. Center of Vor politics and perhaps not the safest for Ivan though it seems he's done well for himself despite the risks. How much shielding has she been able to provide him?

"You haven't told me much about your time on Cetaganda or Earth. Gregor's informed me some about the latter." 'Some' being unspecified for a reason. She wants to see what Ivan is drawn to talk about first.

[whatdidisay]

It's a true statement, Mamere. And Ivan knows his mother knows that as well as him. He'd wanted ship duty when he was younger to take him far away from his mother, but he can't exactly complain about the comforts living and working in the capitol have given him.

Er. "Er." No, he can't start off with well I got kidnapped on both of them. "What did he say about Earth? Was it something to do with Mark? Because I don't care that Miles is going around calling him his brother, he's still a creepy, murderous clone."

[hostessing]

She watches Ivan expectantly for a moment as if silently urging him to say something more when she realizes no, that's what he wants to start with. Well after his hiding of Elizabeth, she can't say she's too surprised.

"I'm assuming that has to do with him kidnapping you?" she asks mildly. Because yes, Gregor had informed her quite a bit about Mark and Ivan.

[whatdidisay]

"Oh, yeah. I mean I got kidnapped on that trip to Eta Ceta as well, but not by a clone."

Um. Might not have been the best thing to start with his mother.

[hostessing]

That gets her full attention and she pauses to consider what just came out of son's mouth.

When she speaks, it's in an even-paced tone. The calm before the storm. "You were kidnapped during a diplomatic mission to Cetaganda?"

[whatdidisay]

This is Ivan. This is Ivan gently and willingly throwing his dearly beloved cousin under the bus that is Lady Alys Vorpatril. Family loyalty counts where Ivan is concerned, and counts for a lot. But he's taken a lot of hits for Miles and, well, it's his mother.

"Miles' fault. Sort of. They thought I was the brains of the operation, but Miles is the one that dove into trouble head first."

[hostessing]

Miles is a Vorkosigan and with that comes certain expectations. She's not surprised to hear that he had a heavy hand in this, but the look she's giving Ivan tells him quite clearly that he is not absolved of guilt that easily.

"Did you go along with his plan?" she asks, still side-eyeing her son.

[whatdidisay]

How to explain his cousin to his mother, who hasn't experienced it yet. "Miles doesn't really give you an option to go along with it or not. You just have to run after him, making sure that when he does get into trouble there's someone to help pull him out of it. I promised Aunt Cordelia, you know. To try and keep him from getting into too much."

It clearly did not work.

[hostessing]

"Cordelia expected you to keep her son in check?" A small sigh. No, she's not surprised one bit. Miles is fortunate Ivan's been able to do that though she's not keen on what it means for her son. "Did she have you promise to keep yourself out of trouble as well?"

Asked, but she already knows the answer to that.

[whatdidisay]

"I don't know if expected is the right word. She probably knows I can't." As for him getting into trouble? "Oh no, she knows she doesn't have to make me promise that. S'damn hard to do with my cousin around, though."

He tries so hard, Mamere. So, so hard.

[hostessing]

"I suppose it would be expected with his parents." As much as she loves Aral and Cordelia and owes them greatly, she is starting to see quite a bit of them in their son. And not only the good parts. "Please tell me he hasn't been bringing you into trouble since you've arrived here."

[whatdidisay]

"Trouble happens here whether you want it to or not, Miles or not." Like that time they stumbled across a dead body. Or really just, everything about everything else that's happened in the months they've spent here. "Something nice happens? Automatically turns into something terrifying later."

[hostessing]

Her brows furrow as she takes in their surroundings. If that's the trend, she suddenly doesn't feel like they should be anywhere near this 'Vorbarr Sultana.' "Then what's going to happen here?"

[whatdidisay]

"Not sure. It doesn't normally go bad until the middle of the month -- don't ask me why." He doesn't know, and anyway that sort of thing is best left for Miles to figure out instead.

He's just here to do the heavy lifting, Mamere, not the heavy thinking.

[hostessing]

Luckily for Ivan, she wasn't planning on asking. That sort of information she would expect upfront if he knew it unlike the prying she has to do with his personal life.

"Is there any way to avoid it?"

[whatdidisay]

"Not that I've figured out." And believe him, he's tried. That should be a point in his favor, shouldn't it?

[hostessing]

She frowns and tightens her hold on his arm. Suddenly there are several more reasons why they shouldn't overstay their welcome here and she glances up at the sky as if it might come crashing down on them any second.

"Is the ship safe?" Or at least safer.

[whatdidisay]

Ivan, normally the first to complain the moment his mother approaches clingy, allows it -- one of his hands going to cover her's. "Depends, I guess. The heating failed once, and we all nearly froze to death. The captains try, but they don't know their own ship and they weren't expecting all of us to show up."

[hostessing]

"I don't understand how anyone can call themselves a captain and not know their ship or expected crew." The whole system on the Moira was a mess and wouldn't pass for a second in the Imperial Service. "Should we stay here long if things could go awry?"

Which is to say, they should be heading back the way they came, thank you very much.

[whatdidisay]

"Be glad you weren't around for the first few months. I thought Miles was going to take it over just out of sheer aggravation." Now he's not sure if that's better or worse than where they are. Worse, maybe, because once Miles got going he didn't stop. Ivan doesn't expect that to have changed after... whatever it was.

But everything goes fuzzy there, sliding away from under him, and his face wrinkles slightly. "This is Vorbarr Sultana, Mamere." Where else are they supposed to stay?