Move 20 Recap

Outside Medical: Alaric, Iawa, Istradez, Mikodez, and Sulen; messages with Ashari and Sasha

Around 05:80, Sulen decides that the mothling and the gun Mikodez printed would be useful for intimidating the station administrator. They message Ashari and suggest confronting the station administrator in person. Ashari answers, "I trust you to read the situation. We'll do it your way." Sulen responds, "I appreciate the trust." They send Sasha an oblique message, instructing her to give the doctored evidence of heresy to Virmad.

Mikodez notices that Crowned-With-Eyes is making more noise; he asks Alaric why this might be. Alaric points out that moths seem surprisingly social, and probably have ways to communicate that don't involve sound as well. Mikodez then says to Istradez, "Look, Cousin Imsayed, I found the Vraselian pseudo-dragon!" Istradez' eyes are unfocused, and he's slurring his words. He says, "Zehun stopped you from adopting birds already, Miki. I really don't think they're going to approve a dragon." Mikodez wonders whether the "birds" referred to a private Kel detachment. Istradez appears to fall asleep again.

On the Wasp: Ashari and Virmad

Meanwhile, Ashari asks Virmad whether he learned anything useful from Teo. Virmad says he "would describe Teo as scrupulous in terms of his immediate duties but perhaps doctrinally lax." Ashari observes this could be useful, then tells Virmad about Sulen's plan, adding, "Take Sasha and Ankat with you on the way out, safety in numbers, you know how it goes."

In the Visitors' Quarters: Alaric, Ankat, Iawa, Istradez, Mikodez, Sasha, Sulen, and Virmad

Ankat, Sasha, and Virmad meet their fellow team members outside Medical. Sasha leads the way to the visitors' quarters, humming to the mothling, who responds cheerfully. Sasha clears the visitors' quarters of surveillance and traps the bug on Istradez' lokwor. Ankat stands by the door, keeping an eye out for station personnel.

Sasha prints an air pistol for Sulen and affixes a sticker that will tell the station's recycling program to crush the object. When she offers the pistol to Sulen, they respond, "Wonderful. Now we have two." They set the bag holding the mothling and Mikodez' gun on a table; the mothling flutters out. Sasha asks Alaric to look after the mothling, and examines the weapon Mikodez printed, noting the lack of ammunition. Alaric shepherds the mothling away, observing, "It seems like we're past the point of where guns would be useful." Sasha, who argued this point with Sulen earlier, snaps, "There's a reason we've stopped fucking around with ammunition delivery." She tells Sulen that she is about to destroy Mikodez' gun, and they should take the air pistol. Sulen, who seems highly stressed, answers, "Yes, good, fine. Just get that boy back to the Wasp and then, I strongly advise you, lock him up." Sasha worries about what Ashari will do to Mikodez.

Mikodez asks Alaric, "So when are we going to make Crowned-with---Noodles deliriously happy by reuniting it with its kin? Do we know if this station has full-grown moths of its own?"