#athoek station

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

Fleet Captain Justice of Toren Breq "Mianaai” One Esk Nineteen: puts forward the motion that the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems should have a national anthem, and that it should be the historically important song “One Thousand Eggs All Nice And Warm.”

Mercy of Kalr: seconds this motion.

Gem of Sphene: would like to register its resignation from the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems.

Sword of Atagaris: would like to register its resignation from the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems.

Sword of Gurat: would like to register its resignation from the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems.

Athoek Station: offers an amendment to the motion, reading:

Acknowledging that a national anthem should be both treasured and elevated by the society it represents, and that abstaining from a thing except on important occasions is a well-established means of showing respect for it, that the song “One Thousand Eggs All Nice And Warm”, if adopted as the anthem of the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems, should hereafter have performances of it restricted to nationally important ceremonies and events, especially where officials of said Republic are concerned.

Mercy of Kalr: seconds the amendment.  

Gem of Sphene: would like to register its support of the motion, as amended.

Sword of Atagaris: would like to register its support of the motion, as amended.

Sword of Gurat: would like to register its support of the motion, as amended.

By a unanimous count, the amended motion is passed and ratified into law.

Deepest regards, but would the Fleet Captain please stop humming it, before she is forced to impound herself for improper behavior.

Fleet Captain Breq: apologizes to her fellow officials of the Provisional Republic and kindly reminds them that there is more where that came from.

Gem of Sphene: would like to register its resignation from the Provisional Republic of the Two Systems.

[venndaai]

“You haven’t known me very long, Cousin,” I said. “Did you know, about a year ago Lieutenant Seivarden fell off a bridge. It was a long way down—a couple of kilometers. She managed to grab hold of the structure underneath, but I couldn’t reach her.”

“Since she certainly lived to break down weeping in front of the Usurper just hours ago, you must have found some solution to the problem.”

wait, was the scene in the governor’s office broadcast

Seivarden my poor little meow meow!!!

[crispinkiss]

i loved the murderbot diaries and heras my favorite w359 character no fucking wonder id go bonkers over the imperial radch series

[subatoism]

On the subject of DS9 and Imperial Radch, I’ve been thinking about how Garak kind of fits into the same position as the ships/ancillaries within the Imperial framework, like,, being aligned with, yet permanently located on the periphery of, the Imperial power (Garak had ‘power’ as long as Tain gave it to him, but he is always ultimately constrained by the situation of his birth; Breq repeatedly notes that she is not Radchaai, yet her identity is centered around their culture and value system),, both victims of violence and “programming” perpetrated by those in power, as well as perpetrators of that violence and coercion themselves (see: Annexations; “Elim Garak — former Cardassian oppressor”).

The references to Garak’s Hebitian heritage in ASIT also adds to this parallel, since the bodies turned into ancillaries (including Breq’s) are victims of the Annexations themselves, their minds and memories of their own cultures overwritten by the ships’ AI, much like Garak never knowing/being allowed to engage with his own minority heritage until Tolan reveals it, and then still being separated from it for a long time after because of how he was raised to disdain what the Hebitians represent.

[caprigender]

Finished Translation State earlier today which makes me want to go reread the rest of the radch books again with ~new context~

[a-side-character]

I just finished my Imperial Radch reread, and I was thinking about Breq arriving at Athoek Station immediately setting up in the Undergarden, when it hit me.

Aside from the political advantages of having good relationships with the Undergarden residents and Station, plus her genuine desire to make life better for the people there, Breq did it because that's what Lieutenant Awn would have done.

Breq handled the situation on Athoek very much like Awn handled Ors, by "ignoring what anyone else would have seen as the natural local hierarchy" (Skaaiats words, bit still) and making alliances with the people who have the least amount of power, while maintaining a working but impersonal relationship with the others (think Breq with the likes of Hetnys or Lusulun, and Awn with Jen Shinnan).

I don't know, this may have been obvious to everyone else but it just hit me and I swear I almost started crying right then and there. She loved her so much it hurts

[air-of-the-waterfall]

“Can I be a Cousin too?”

😭❤️ ATHOEK STATION MY DARLING

[scribefindegil]

Athoek Station my beloved . . .

[hearsayhorizons]

Anaander 4 (Final?)

I dropped into real-space and caught a recording:

“eek to discuss trade or embassies, maintain half a day’s distance from Athoek Station and transmit your details. If you are a larger class of ship with armaments, please maintain two days' distance from Athoek Station, deactivate all weapons, and initiate contact.” A pause, and restart: “This is Administrator Celar. Welcome to the Provisional Republic of Two Systems. If you are a freighter or other unarmed transport and you seek to discuss...”

I started a pot of tea while I recorded my message. The taste was—brighter. Fuller. There was a tangible difference beyond the leaves' freshness. Two days... that should be enough time to clean from top to bottom. 

“Justice of Maln, this is Lieutenant Seivarden of Mercy of Kalr. Are you smuggling any Anaander Mian—Aatr’s tits, it’s an infestation.”

“Mercy of Kalr, I am a refitted troop carrier. These six ancillaries are the only bodies aboard not in stasis. I have no, no soldiers. No plans. There is no Anaander Mianaai here. Really, no Justice of Maln, either. I am—not in communication with your imprisoned Anaander.” Nothing, no feedback, no sense of increased range or perception. It worked. Two of my bodies shifted out of sight to embrace.

Lieutenant Seivarden crossed her arms, and then uncrossed them. “Refitted for what?”

“Childcare.” I hesitated. “Cloni—”

“Bring them! Bring them in to discuss trade!” Half a dozen faces frowned in puzzlement at the gloveless figure that elbowed her way past the lieutenant and soldiers. She leered at me with naked avarice.

“You really must take commissions—I’d constantly want to throttle myself! And I hate dimples.”

[living400lbs]

“Fleet Captain, I hope there’s fish sauce where we’re going.”

“I must confess, Translator,” I said, “that as much as I would like to gratify your desire, just now we’re involved in a war. An opposing force is currently in control of Athoek Station, and until that changes, I’m afraid I have no access to fish sauce.”

“Well, Fleet Captain, I must say, this war of yours is very inconvenient.”

“It is,” I agreed.

- from Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

[annleckie]

Hello!  Thank you for being awesome!  I wondered…do the Presger Translators have an innate sense of self like Humans do?  Like an innate identity?  Because I don’t think they do and my mind exploded when this idea first entered my head.  Dlique’s comment about not wanting to be Zeiat coz she’s boring, and Zeiat not wanting to be Dlique coz she’s crazy.  And then Zeiat’s entrance onto Athoek Station, introducing herself as Translator Dlique, and then being politely confused when Breq firmly insisted that, no no, she must be Zeiat.  I get the idea that after Dlique’s murder, the Presger went <pointing>”Hey you.  Yes, you.  Something has happened to the current Translator Dlique on Athoek Station.  Go to be the new Translator Dlique.”  And she does and when Breq most firmly insists that she *must* be Zeiat, she acts like being a TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON is some kind of odd foreign custom on Athoeki station, and she’s going along with it just to be polite, and is slightly relieved because everyone knows that Dlique is definitely sixteen kinds of bugnuts, and she dismembered her sister, you know, although to be fair, she *did* put her sister back together again. And every time Zeiat sees Breq after Breq injures herself, Zeiat introduces herself all over again to "The New Fleet Captain"

I also wonder if the Translators (and possibly the Presger) is some kind of a hive mind because Translator Zeiat’s last words to Breq echo Breq’s last words to Dlique, “Always remember, Fleet Captain – internal organs belong *inside* your body.  And blood belongs inside your veins.”  I can understand why you might not want to confirm anything about the Presger, but that idea would explain the Presger expectation that Anaander Mianaai spoke for all the Humans and being rather confused that some Humans aren't going along with the program. I am quite reminded of The Bug Queen from Ender's Game who didn't realize that killing individual pilots meant the loss of individuals because her drones are all part of her.

Bwahaha yes Dlique is definitely sixteen kinds of bugnuts. :D

As for the rest...<eyes email from my editor with novel edits>...no comment. Yet.

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

Breq: I want to kill Anaandar Mianaai.

Athoek Station: That sounds like fun, let me try.

Athoek Station: It didn’t work.

Breq: It’s the thought that counts.

[venndaai]

This was, finally, too much for Seivarden. “You!” She pointed directly at Anaander Mianaai, a rude and angry gesture, to a Radchaai. “You should not dare even to mention her, let alone in such terms. Do you dare claim to be just, to be proper, to be acting for the benefit of citizens? How many citizens’ deaths have you caused, just this one of you, just in the last week? How many more will there be? Athoek Station, who you will not speak to, puts you to shame. Justice of Toren, what little is left of her, you will not acknowledge, but she is a better person than you. Oh, Aatr’s tits I wish she were here!” Nearly a cry, that. “My poor meow meow, my baby, my little baby who hurt so much but treats people with nothing but kindness, forgive me for not being able to do more. I tried my best, I really did.”

[alastair-made-me-undo-it]

that anaander at athoek station had the weirdest couple of days, though.

[sapient-locations-bracket]

Proto-bracket Poll 7:

Descriptions:

Overlook Hotel (The Shining): it's definitely sentient, I mean, it fucking possessed a poor guy

Athoek Station (it/its, Imperial Radch): no discription

Moya (Farscape): the ship that they use! It’s a living, breathing creature who has also actually had a child.

[athetos]

All respect to Breq where it’s due for being so calm and not losing her temper because if any of the management of Athoek Station said a single word to me about the Ychana I’d have torn them limb from limb.