Move 3.3 Recap

The morning after the party, Ashari holds a meeting about the team's next plans.

Requested reports: messages involving Alaric, Jedao, Reshad, Sasha, Sulen, and Xiulan

After the party, Xiulan sends a report to Sasha on evacuation plans. There are three different timing scenarios:

1. Timing for an outright emergency evacuation (aka, under attack scenario)
2. Planned evacuation, taking what supplies they can, getting out quickly.
3. If the base needed to be destroyed.

Xiulan recommends keeping sufficient supplies aboard the moths and having people ready to handle the weapons on them. She has flagged a request for information about people who can use the Cantata's weapons. She also asks whether the base has critical supplies other than food. Sasha shares the plan with Sulen, who prepares analyses of needed supplies and team members' skills.

Early in the morning, Jedao sends a report on the known abilities of Heptarch Nirai Kujen to Reshad and Sasha:

Known abilities:

• Immortality by jumping into and possessing other people, range unknown; ability usually drives the host mad in short order unless they are specially chosen to fit an unknown psych profile
• Notably, can survive the death of the initial host body. Unknown whether he can persist in ghost form without a host.

Known skills:

• administration (R&D divisions)
• psych surgery, including drastic personality modification
• calendrical mathematics
• stardrive R&D, specifically as relates to mothdrives
• gate-space mathematics and mechanics
• warmoth weapons R&D, including threshold winnowers (experimental)

Notes:

• I have seen tests and demonstrations of his weapons research and can attest his effectiveness. I am unfortunately unable to assess the extent of his knowledge in mathematics and physics as I lack expertise in those subjects.
• I have strong reason to believe that Heptarch Kujen is responsible for the prevalance of torture in the high calendar ca. 850 (my timeline).
• Kujen is highly risk-averse, and terrible at small-unit tactics even in simulation.

Reshad sends a quick thank-you.

Sasha forwards the report to Sulen and Xiulan. She also sends it to Alaric, with an added question: "can u figure out mechanism? need defense vs. undying ghost. lmk if u want to task Remi/Shess/Cantata to help w/ details." Alaric reflects that this strategy is "obviously inferior to ripping out your heart and placing it in the care of a reputable institution, but fascinating." He promises to work on the problem, adding, "when you say defense do you mean 'prevent hijacking slash infiltration' of individuals or 'best defense is a good offense' where you want to kill the ghost. more than the ghost is already killed." Sasha replies, "def. A. possibly also B, depends on assigned mission + ongoing threat level assessment + difficulty of implementation."

In response to the report, Sulen messages, "In my time the Nirai seemed baffled by the rifts. Perhaps worth considering if this secret heptarch had more information than the Rahal were led to believe." Sasha replies, "Or if he found more information, later. Thanks."

Around 06:00, Xiulan responds to the report with thanks: "Good thing we’re a small unit. You brokering questions or want to meet with involved individuals later?" Sasha, who has been checking the new team members' augments and electronics, replies, "Pls. share questions. Meetings TBA pending briefing. ~S." She dry-swallows a caffeine antagonist, digs a blanket out of her bottom desk drawer, and curls up under her desk to nap.

Breakfast arrivals: Dar, Gerae, Istradez, Jedao, Remi, Reshad, Sasha, Sulen, and the mothlings

Dar lays out a breakfast spread, working quickly and repurposing some of the leftovers from the previous night's party. Istradez looks extremely grateful; he takes duck buns and coffee. Dar offers him a lopsided smile and a little bow. Gerae takes sweets and more coffee. He watches Fluffy and the nestlings on his slate.

Sasha and Xiulan arrive around a quarter past 08:00; Sasha drinks black tea with a stim, while Xiulan chooses green tea. Xiulan quietly introduces herself to Istradez and Gerae. Sasha thanks her for the report on evacuation options.

Jedao follows a few minutes later; he has already exercised, and looks for protein. Remi appears shortly before the meeting is scheduled to start. He has made a sort of mesh torus that allows him to wear the mothlings around his neck. Reshad greets Remi and the mothlings, noticing that he has chosen not to be separated from them.

Sulen arrives, carrying the magenta pseudo-dragon. They add a large quantity of powdered stimulants to a mug of black tea and ask Sasha, "Any updates since last night?" Shrugging, Sasha says, "You saw the reports. Do you have any sense of where they're leaning?"

Before the meeting: Ashari and Seyli; Ashari and Sasha

Seyli arrives for the morning meeting early. Noticing Ashari's agitation, they ask, "Is everything all right?" Ashari tells them, "I'm as all right as any of us are. I don't know who started rumormongering about the emptiness of this timeline, but I suppose it's hard to get people not to talk. You're military, right? It's good to have some more practical people in the mix." With a ferocious grin, they add, "I would never be accused of being practical, of course. Not in public." Seyli confirms, "Ex-Kel," reflecting that they are not about to "throw Sasha out of an airlock like that" for her part in information-sharing.

Ashari says, "Both halves of that are good. We have a few too many foxes...but of course, one fox is a fox too many, isn't that the saying? At least the party gave people a chance to blow off some steam, and me time to make some inquiries." Seyli says, "I'd agree with that statement. It was...unconventional, but I enjoyed the chance to dress up." Apparently pleased, Ashari says, "Good, good. I always appreciate someone who knows how to have a good time. It'll probably be your last chance for extravagance for a little bit." Seyli says, "Not something I indulge in often, but it was...good."

Sasha joins the conversation, bowing hastily to Ashari and nodding to Seyli. She asks, "Is there an agenda for this meeting?" Seyli nods in return and moves away. Baring their teeth, Ashari says, "One: the very empty universe. Two: our need to evacuate the base. Three: a plan for your crew to get the hell out of here. Four: your next mission. Anything you'd like to add?"

Stepping closer to Ashari, Sasha asks, "Are you familiar with the situation involving the heptarch Remi na Kujen?" Eyebrows raised high, Ashari says, "I am not. Pray do tell. I presume, since you are bringing it up now, that it's a matter of some urgency." Sasha explains, "Jedao was in contact with a Nirai who was pushing him to test the threshold winnowers. This Nirai was a ghost, able to possess the bodies of others, and to jump into a new body if the old one was killed. I don't know if he possessed the official Nirai heptarch, or if they shared power in some way. We learned last night that Remi is the person who became, in Jedao's timeline, this ghost Kujen. I don't think Remi is a danger to us. But I think we have to ask why Quill wanted him, and if she knew of this secret heptarch."

Eyes narrowing, Ashari says, "Quill does seem to be collecting heptarchs and hexarchs, doesn't she? You were right to flag this for my attention. I want you to put it to the science team--is there some kind of high-and-mighty calendrical attack that would involve the heptarchs like this, or is this 'merely' timeline meddling?" Sasha confirms, "This ghost might still hold power, in Mishka's day. I will ask." Ashari says, "Good. Anything else? Please say no." Despite their words, they are clearly listening. Sasha tells them, "Nothing that we can't cover during the meeting."

More breakfast: Ione, Remi, Seyli, and the mothlings

Seyli chooses a selection of food and some sweet black tea and takes a seat beside Remi, asking, "Can I help feed them? I had fun last night spending time with them." Ione sits near them, smiling at Remi's mothling necklace. Remi nods to Ione and Seyli, looking a little bit tense. He tells Seyli, "I'm sure they'd enjoy a chance to interact, if you don't find them too distracting." He places the mothling ring in his lap, and a few tentacles reach toward Seyli. Seyli enjoys playing with the moths and feeding them breakfast.

The meeting: an evacuation plan and the next mission

After Ashari calls the meeting to order, Sasha asks, "What timeframe do you envision, for complete evacuation?" Reshad is surprised, but infers that the matter is not yet an emergency. She adds, "Evacuation to where?"

Xiulan asks, "What’s the viability of leaving a monitoring system behind, in case there’s eventually something ‘interesting’ to detect here? Or would the only way to retrieve data be to physically return to this timeline?" Alaric says that in terms of viability, "Ansibles are pretty much out. You might be able to use an invariant tight-beam or laser if your parked a relay at each end, but rifts tend to throw off all sorts of garbage on the EM spectrum and you'd need a pretty powerful transmission to have a chance at punching through. It'd be pretty noisy, but only at light-speed. Maybe some sort of drone, hardened enough to survive the rift transit could work. The question I would have is still whether it'd be a good idea. How thorough of a survey has been done to verify the lack of civilization? Right now it's not clear to me on whether this is just spoooooky emptiness, or whether there are a bunch of radio shells that terminate suddenly." Sasha says, "I am specifically concerned that the threat might be a creature related to the moths. We know that their dimension contained predators, that they can consume energy of many types, and that they are sensitive to small gravitational signals. I find that last particularly worrisome, because I don't know how the fuck to hide that mass is moving."

Ashari says, "Timeframe for evacuation: as soon as we can make it happen after this meeting. I need an estimate from your people as to how soon that will be, so that we can coordinate with the other groups. I myself will be taking the Sedulous Eel with Ankat in command in search of a less dangerous long-term base of operations. Kaliyan will be taking the Typhoon to negotiate with some of our other-rift suppliers. Sasha, your team will relocate to a rift in 1211, in a timeline where Hexarch Mikodez takes power and, apparently, proves how dangerous he is by murdering two of his own cadets. Some of my sources indicate that Quill may have contacted the hexarch or his people; we want to find out what she's up to, and what she hopes to gain. Is the incident with the cadets related? What does he know about the source of the rifts, or about Quill's motives?" Regarding Alaric's questions, they say, "The base's science team could only tell me that we were caught up in a vastly resounding emptiness. We frankly don't have the instrumentation to determine much beyond that, and I'm not sure I want to stick around to find out. What do we know about moth-predators, anyway?"

Sasha asks, "What role do you expect us to play in dismantling the base? And how long is the transit, between here and 1211? What sort of contacts do we have on the other end?" Ashari says, "Unfortunately, completely dismantling the base without leaving a trace for people with the right kind of detection equipment is not feasible in any short timeframe. We especially can't blow it up. So we aim for an 80% job by dismantling and recycling the modular habitat units, and accept that we won't be able to get rid of the last 20% if someone comes sniffing around." They ask Sasha "how long it will take to scrub the local grid," then answer her other questions: "Transit from here to 1211, via a nearby rift, will take approximately three weeks. You will have two contacts on the other end who are not aware of each other. It will be up to you to decide whether to make them aware, although I advise against it. One is an alt named Kesser who works as an analyst/clerk for Hexarch Mikodez's own assistant, Shuos Zehun. The other is a disaffected non-faction freelance assassin--the best type, if you ask me--a woman named Mae." Reshad is intrigued by the reference to Mikodez. She offers, "I'm from a timeline where Mikodez is Hexarch. If there are substantial deviations in history from mine, I might be able to help spot them." Ashari confirms, "Your expertise will be appreciated. Keep Sasha apprised of your observations."

Avoiding eye contact with Ashari, Sulen says, "There are some supplies we should restock on, and items we could make use of, when the base is dismantled. I have a list." Deyna offers, "I can probably handle at least some of the supplies. Unless you need me for something else, of course."

Xiulan reflects that the moth predators might be connected to the "starfish and sharks" of her own timeline. She sends Ashari her report on evacuation planning, observing, "Time estimates are in the first section. Sounds like we can ignore the third option," which would have entailed destroying the base. Sasha displays the summary portion of Xiulan's report on the conference room screens, together with Sulen's lists. She tells Ashari, "Just wiping the base grid would take about half a shift. But that would still leave clues about when and where we're from, and how many people were present. It might be possible for someone to recover our files, though they'd still have to decrypt them. It would be better to overwrite the nodes a few million times with junk data, where we can't arrange their physical recovery or destruction. Of course, at that point we'll see significant degradation of the base's capability. We have a tradeoff between speed and noise, here--say another half shift to a shift if we're quick, and if we aren't worried that something out there might notice the nodes grinding away."

The meeting: the other moths

Maintaining eye contact with Ashari, Sasha says, "The other tradeoff is the moths. We don't know much about the moth predators. The Cantata says the moths wondered why their enemies aren't seen in the heptarchate, though I doubt they would have heard about a ship lost here or there. It's possible that alert moths seem tastier. But a moth that is awake can sense predators, and run. The Cantata says they're faster than the things that eat them. We should unharness the moths on the Typhoon and Sedulous Eel, as soon as we can."

Ashari tells Sulen and Xiulan that they "appreciate the reports," adding, "We'll go for speed when it comes to wiping the grids, and hope that we can get away before anything notices." They say to Sasha, "Tell me, do you or your people have contingency plans if something goes wrong with the moths on the Typhoon and Sedulous Eel? If unharnessing causes one to fall into a coma, or run away, or turn hostile?"

Nodding with respect for Xiulan's planning, Reshad suggests, "If movement of matter is attractive to the predators, what if we jettison a data core after its wipe? Let it draw the hunters, and if they destroy it..." Ashari notes, "We can afford to sacrifice a data core, unless there are scientific or security considerations I'm missing?"

Sasha responds to Ashari's question about contingency plans by saying, "I have considered the appropriate response if any of our team members turns suddenly and unreasonably hostile." Ashari tells her, "I am thrilled to hear about your contingencies. Since time is a consideration, please be specific about the 'appropriate response' in case of a moth emergency. After all, the other two moths are not, strictly speaking, here as volunteers."

Focusing intently on Ashari, Sasha says, "The moths do not have control over the weapons with which they are equipped, nor can they directly affect internal life support. A hostile moth could ram the base, but at that point they are effectively doing our work for us. If they decide to flee while our team is still aboard, it might become necessary to restore the harness for the protection of our team members. I don't fucking like that option, but we have the technical capability. But everything we know about the moths suggests that they are sociable and care for each other. And they are innocent of the heptarchate's crimes. So the question is, Ashari, how many beings would you bind and enslave, because of something that you fear might happen?" Ashari's eyes flicker rose-blue for a moment, betraying their frustration.

Raising his hand, Alaric says, "I've got a question, too. The dubious ethics of complaining about ill-timed slave revolts aside, how sure are we that the moth drives are reliable in the first place? The entire reason for this discussion is that this is apparently a dead universe. The moth harness relies on the high calendar. If there's no people around - or at least no living humans - then the calendrical environment should tend toward invariant conditions, or at leave very unstable ones due to rift-leakage. I'm not a professional strategic planner, but it feels like it'd be preferable to shut the harnesses down in a controlled manner instead of having them fail while running from ravenous space monsters."

Ione looks at Remi and lets a tendril of awareness drift toward him, wondering what he makes of this conversation about the moths, and hoping that by watching him she will support Sasha and Sulen. She detects a flare of alarm and concern for the moths, though Remi is trying to hide his reactions. Jedao remains relaxed while watching the interpersonal conflict play out. Sulen, meanwhile, is sitting very still and fuming at Sasha.

Their voice biting, Ashari tells Sasha, "I understand that you feel an emotional connection to the moths. Kindly remember that you have a job. I'm not saying we should bind the moths lightly. I'm saying that, since they are aliens who rather understandably have motives we can't entirely predict, and since they owe us nothing, it behooves us, for the sake of the team's safety, to be prepared for worst-case eventualities." In a milder tone, they say to Alaric, "Nevertheless, the point you make is a good one. Shut down the harnesses, then, and we'll have teams on standby in case it's necessary, as a desperate resort, to re-engage them." Sasha thinks, This isn't about emotions, it's about the path of the fucking righteous.

Dar listens to the argument, reflecting that weighing the various concerns is above her paygrade. She taps into the grid and requests three heavy-duty servitors to aid in gathering supplies.

The meeting: weapons systems

Ashari says, "I also understand that the Cantata is low on personnel who can man the weapons?" Feigning cheer, Sasha reports, "Seyli and Jedao are fully capable with our weapons systems. I've run through the simulations. Xiulan and Mafyyil have the reaction speed, but may not be familiar with our instrumentation. Deyna would also require a tutorial." Xiulan notes, "I’ve used weapons systems on - and piloted - craft of comparable size, but haven’t had the chance to learn on a moth. More than glad to learn. It’ll be good for us to have the coverage options." Deyna is excited by the thought of learning to use the weapons.

Jedao asks, "I'm familiar with warmoth weapons instrumentation and can take that role, but do we know whether use of those weapons causes harm to, or is objectionable to, the moths themselves?" Reshad says, "Cantata, can you hear me? There's a couple of questions best directed to you." The Cantata greets her through the grid, humming a low chord that the mothlings appreciate: "I don't know if the weapons on the carapace hurt to use. I do think I had some very weird dreams the last time the ship was in combat, but I don't know if that happens when the weapons are used while I'm awake. Perhaps I will have some exciting dreams!" Jedao murmurs, "If only all combat had side-effects as benign as a minor drug trip..."

Alaric says, "The weapons we've got are almost entirely invariant. Missile racks, coherent light weapons, a couple sandcasters and missile countermeasures. It's possible the jammers might affect your senses, but the rest should be a matter of mechanical stress on the ship's structure. Not even much of that since missiles and beams don't have the kick of a coilgun or heavy particle beams, I doubt you'd feel it in the drive bay. My guess would be that the dreams would be the result of the extra manuevering involved. We can do some controlled tests later." The Cantata says, "I would love to be involved in tests! After we do some good sprinting, of course. I was told there would be sprinting because we need to leave this place behind. How hard do I need to sprint?" Appearing nonplussed, Ashari says, "We'll let you know what the timetable is. The sooner the better, really." They add, "After the immediate exigencies of the evacuation are handled, I trust the team will train backup weapons officers. The more redundancy the better, I'm sure. Any other considerations?"

The meeting: more about the next mission

Sasha says, "Ashari, can we loop back to the details of our next mission? I have two sets of questions. First, you said we would have two contacts, an analyst named Kesser and an assassin named Mae. What do they know about us? Are they aware we are part of the rebellion? Have they been in communication with Quill, or do you think she would have contacted the hexarch through other channels? And second, where is the rift we will exit through? Do we know whether it is watched?"

With excess pleasantness, Ashari tells her, "They're aware that we're connected with 'disaffected elements,' and have almost certainly figured out that we're connected with the rebellion, but they don't know which part of the rebellion we're associated with. They are not in communication with Quill; my agents selected them particularly for this reason. That doesn't mean that it isn't possible that she won't have taken action by the time you arrive. As for the exit side of the rift, it is in fact monitored as it exits within scan distance of a listening post held jointly by the Kel and the Shuos. Be prepared to do some fast talking. Kesser has assured us that they can be of assistance once you arrive, but there's always the possibility that something will go south."

Sasha realizes that while focusing on her argument with Ashari she has forgotten to monitor the other team members' reactions. With a false smile, she asks, "What do Kesser and Mae expect us to offer them? And how technically inclined is Kesser?" Ashari says, "Kesser wants information, rather boringly. Mae wants adventure, revenge, or both. Preferably both. My kind of person. Kesser is not a grid diver, more of a strategist, but will have access to grid divers, so that's a consideration."

Sasha jokes that Mae "might be bored by our smooth and sedate operations." She asks, "What kind of information does Kesser want? About what?" Reshad adds, "And revenge on what or whom?" Xiulan asks, "And about what - how much detail do we have there?" She remembers a former colleague who saw "weaponizing trauma" as a useful investigative tool.

Ashari says, "As of last contact, Kesser wanted more information on alternate government systems in other time streams. They were cagey about any other interests, but perhaps they'll be more forthcoming when you get there. As for Mae, there is apparently some sort of recent grudge regarding her last mission for the Shuos. She hinted that she might be willing to 'wreak jungle cat havoc' among more indiscriminate targets for the right incentive." Sasha remarks, "Fucking hells."

Shifting the subject, Sasha asks, "Istradez, were you working for your brother in 1211, in your own timeline? Does this situation with the dead cadets match anything in that history?" Istradez answers, "I was indeed. I suppose since my loyalties are no longer to the hexarch's office, I should mention that the case of the dead cadets was wildly overblown, mainly by the hexarch's own orders. He didn't assassinate them out of fucking whimsy, he had them assassinated because they were at the center of a terrorist plot and it was a threat to public order. And then he decided that it was useful to have people think that he was 'dangerously erratic.'" Sasha reflects that in her experience with Mikodez, this impression is accurate. Sarcastically, she says, "As a threat to public order, I am tremendously reassured." Istradez grins at the image of her confronting his brother the hexarch.

Sasha asks, "How strict is the monitoring, for ships that visit the Citadel of Eyes? Are they going to inspect our living quarters? For that matter, will they let us dock at all, or do we have to rendezvous with Kesser somewhere else?" Istradez says, "You need a security preclearance just to visit. I assume that's part of the point of going to this Kesser person, and even then I think it's highly unlikely we'll be allowed to dock. They would totally inspect our living quarters if we were, though. More realistically, we'll probably have to rendezvous planetside or on one of the ancillary stations." Reshad feels "a sense of pressure" due to her own tangled loyalty to another Mikodez. She notes, "The Citadel's one of the most highly surveilled places in the Hexarchate, in my time. An ancillary station or something else nearby would be wise for that alone."

Sasha sums up, "So either Kesser has the information that we want, or we find a way to extract data from the Citadel of Eyes." She reflects that though Istradez could approach his other self, she doesn't like the risks that entails. She asks, "What about this Mae? Does she have clearance for the Citadel?" Ashari says, "She hinted that she had 'backdoor clearance.'" Groaning, Istradez says, "That means, 'Yes, but it might be revoked if there's any bureaucratic irregularity whatsoever.' Still, it might be worth a try. The Citadel's staff are usually so overworked that backdoor clearances get through more than you'd think."

Xiulan says, "Sounds like it would be best to avoid anything that might raise an alarm at the Citadel if we can. Such as anomalous behavior in front of a rift listening post. So what might minimize attention? Play that we’re Shuos from their timeline, returning from a need-to-know mission and well, they didn’t need to know. Think we could spin that one well enough to get us out of there? Are we likely to need to convince the Kel directly as well? Anyone know anything about protocols for joint Shuos-Kel listening posts? Seyli, any ideas?" Surprised to be called on, Seyli tells Xiulan, "I would think the Shuos would be a bigger issue at hand. The Kel should be easy if we can invoke formation instinct. Failing that, well... You and I can pass for Kel. I would lean on playing up the Shuos angle, that will annoy the Kel I'm sure, and then give them something else to be suspicious about beyond where and when we're from?" Xiulan thanks Seyli for the information.

Sasha reflects that she will "bite the next person who suggests she would make a good fox," and that she prefers to remain in the background during the operation. She says, "Sounds reasonable. Ashari, what are the protocols for contacting Kesser and Mae?" Ashari smiles: "Code word for Kesser is 'artichoke.' Code word for Mae is 'honey badger.' Any other questions?" Sasha asks politely for "the files on our past contact with them"; Ashari agrees. Reshad says, "Your past contacts will help immensely. Do we know what they want of us? Or is that yet to be ascertained? I like the sound of this plan. Use a good dose of Shuos mystery to distract the Kel; perhaps a dose of authority to distract the Shuos."

The meeting: immediate next steps

Sasha says, "Right. Let's get moving. We need a team to gather supplies and assist in breaking down the station--Sulen and Dar, you're the leads there. We need a team to remove the harnesses on the other moths. Remi, I want you focused on whatever we can learn about moth predators, or whatever else might be out there. We'll find the mothlings a couple of babysitters. Jedao, you have the Cantata's weapons, for now. Seyli, Xiulan, I want you in four places, but we haven't learned how to jump time that fast. Will you take backup on the weapons, or go with Sulen and Dar?"

Dar calls out, "I got a question! The other teams - did they get briefed too? Things work better if we work together." Sasha tells her, "We won the first meeting slot, because we're all so well-rested. So the moth team gets an hour to prep." Sulen nods at Sasha's instructions, sending Dar their supply lists. They look at Deyna, hoping she will help with moving supplies. Dar acknowledges Sulen's message via the grid and begins to put away the breakfast things.

Reshad offers, "I can escort the moth-freeing crew--or I can start learning weapons, although that might be best saved for a non-crisis situation." Xiulan says that she will take "backup on weapons": "I went over the specs and systems info you sent, but hands on will be the best next step. Speaking of which, how are we handling calls to fire? Particularly if either of the other two moths have weapons too, who’s in charge of telling everyone to fire - or not - if a hostile is spotted? I’d say those of us on the Cantata, unless someone on one of the others has more experience in the area." Seyli says, "I'm trained on breaking down bases if you need me there, or handling weapons. I honestly doesn't matter where you send me between the two of them, I can handle myself." Jedao tells Xiulan, "I took the liberty of looking at personnel files. Someone trusted should be in charge of fire control. I realize you're not from the hexarchate, but under the circumstances, since I cannot volunteer, I would recommend you for the position. I can handle the actual gunnery." Xiulan says, "I can do that," nodding. Sasha says, "If only the Cantata is involved, it's yours, Xiulan. But we should expect Kaliyan to coordinate combat, on the Typhoon, as long as we're all in contact. She and Ankat are former Kel--we've got the science team." Xiulan agrees, "We’ll link up with the Typhoon when we’re aboard." Sasha says, "Seyli. Let's put you with Sulen and Dar."

Deyna is disappointed not to be part of the initial weapons team, but appreciates Sulen's interest in including her. She asks for another copy of their supply lists. Dar smiles at her sympathetically and shares the files.

Old conflicts and new challenges

The team's next mission will bring them into contact with the hexarch Mikodez, or at least his employees. Istradez and Reshad, who have past experience with Mikodez in his role as hexarch, are both valuable resources and potential liabilities to the team in this situation, depending on the ways they manage the strain upon their loyalties. Of the newer team members, Xiulan is swiftly integrated due to her obvious experience, and Dar is focused on immediate, concrete goals. Deyna is enthusiastic about learning the Cantata's weapons systems; whether she will have an opportunity for training must depend on the team's success in extricating itself from this particular universe.

The issue of moth harnesses highlights divisions among the longer-serving team members. Sasha and Ashari manage brief cooperation: Ashari's commendation prior to the meeting is perhaps the first time they have provided Sasha with direct positive reinforcement. But Sasha's working relationship with Ashari is always competitive, and she specifically resents the suggestion that she has not sufficiently anticipated danger, so their conversation about the moths grows hostile quickly. Alaric resolves the standoff by applying practical as well as moral reasoning (and by offering Ashari a way to shift course without losing face), but the altercation is likely to have significant long-term implications. Sulen hates both the potential for disruption of widespread attacks on the mothdrive and the dynamic of Sasha's interactions with Ashari. Ione correctly infers that Remi will react strongly to the conversation about the moths; though she takes the risk of using her exotic power to glean more information, she does not gather more than his intense concern.

Remi's increasing alienation contrasts with Jedao's growing integration with the team. In an odd counterpoint to the unspoken tension between the two men, Seyli is overcoming their unease with Jedao through newfound affection for the mothlings, Remi's greatest preoccupation.