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[use_everything]

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[use_everything]

[There's a faint, exasperated noise over the line. He expected an argument, but not such a weak one.]

Then she's recruited. This is not a matter of life and death. Those don't matter here; this is a matter of threat and damage. There's far worse things that can be done to a man than merely stopping his breath. There's a catalog of them.

I no more want you to face them than I do Miles. Frankly, there should be pairs for all of us.

[vorbarra]

[ With a hint, just a hint, of sharpness-- Gregor is not easily cowed these days-- ]

This is not and will not become Barrayar. For one thing, ensuring my safety to the extent that it normally is is both impractical and infeasible. We have limited resources and, as we just established, no way of anticipating when this will resolve. There's other tasks for you to be occupying yourselves with. In emergencies, I can contact any of one you.

[ Funny how the moment he has to justify his reasoning, it all snaps together for him. ]

[use_everything]

[It's funny how silences can have edges to them. Especially with the lack of context clues in expression and body language. The chrono ticks a few seconds off before a let out breath and a slightly tight tone signals an acquiescence.

It was a poor idea, but ... the had fewer better ones. They had no network, no real manpower so to speak. Lucifer could wear them down as easily with inaction if they overstressed themselves.]

The links should remain open, all of them, to at least a tiny degree. That would take no effort and we've all the control to maintain privacy around it, I believe.

[vorbarra]

[ Gregor has his own silence, but a shorter one, and less edged. Just uncertain. ]

That seems a reasonable concession. If you or anyone else has no protest to the shift in the status quo.

[ He'll... God. Attempt not to be insufferable with Miles to the extent that it spills over to him. ]

[use_everything]

[It's funny that he thinks Miles isn't as subtle as the fireworks display on the Emperor's birthday.]

I have none, though you make a point, it should be a unanimous vote.

[vorbarra]

[ That's Miles. Everyone knows what they sign up for by having a link with Miles. Unseemly emotion coming from Gregor is another matter entirely, and deeply embarrassing to him. ]

She really is getting to us, [ he says dolefully, vainly trying to redirect his thoughts. ] Although, if Lucifer doesn't know about the link already, he can't be far from figuring it out. He's... tapped into the universe, or something like that.

[use_everything]

Tapped into the universe?

... Do you think he is what he claimed, truly?

[vorbarra]

He's convinced of it enough that the truth might not matter. A belief so strongly held, with power to back it up...

I can't say we're any better.

[use_everything]

[The laugh wasn't much more than a burst of air, barely catching a vocal chord.]

True enough. We call it governance. Though it's the reason we identify by crests and not paint, I suppose.

[vorbarra]

[ It's so rare to hear even that much that Gregor is subtly encouraged, eyes brightening just a little. ]

I do find it hard to criticize too strongly, for all my distaste for it from the top of the system. Democracy seems so... lacking in accountability.

[use_everything]

And a bloody organizational mess at the best of times.