"I don't have time for this, Lieutenant but I will take the time if you insist on being difficult." He waved the remote unit in Adrian's face. "The Tech Commander would love to do this himself. I understand the two of you have history together."
"The Tech Commander is a fool, sir."
The Admiral threw his head back and guffawed. "You're right. The man is a little toad. Totally unsuited for his position." The laugh disappeared as quickly as it came.
His face was motionless as he brought the remote unit up and there was a gleam of something in his eyes. It was only a split second, a wince, a brief look of regret, but one noticed by the sharp eyes of his First Officer. Then Verel's eyes hardened and his lips thinned in resolution. The only people who would have enjoyed this, he had already sent out of the room. No one else needed to witness this. It was the only thing he could do for this stubborn man.
He slid one of the controls to the first position and pressed the remote unit. There was no reaction of pain or clenching of teeth, it was only a mild warning.
Verel's voice was one of irresistible command."He is your superior officer. You will address him with respect."
"A rank bought by political connections requires no respect." A sneer curled Adrian's lips.
Verel circled him like a tiger ready to swipe a gash of red across his victim's body. "So you're not entirely ignorant of political realities."
"They’re irrelevant." Adrian twisted his wrists in the tight cuffs, trying to ease the pain and the spreading numbness. His chest was tight.
The Admiral shook his head. "You're deliberately being a fool, Lieutenant."
"I'm a prisoner in an officer's uniform."
The illusions fell away, leaving the ugly truth.
"You don't mince words."
"I deal in facts."
"Are you trying to say I don't?" The edge of warning in the Admiral's voice was clear.
"You deal in political expediencies."
"I ensure the Safety and Security of the Empire."
Adrian finally lifted his eyes to look at him. "Rhetoric."
"You don't believe in the Empire?"
After a few challenging seconds, as they took each other's measure, Adrian looked away. "I believe in myself."
This is an interesting battle of wits between these two. I wonder how far the Admiral believes his own rhetoric, given that he's quite capable of seeing through the Tech Commander.
Well, the torture and prisoner part here is not really to make Adrian do what he wants. Adrian is already doing that.
But he knows that it is only a facade on Adrian's part. The intent is to keep him off-balance with the goal of breaking him.
Just like someone bowing to a bully. The person isn't doing it willingly, even if no gun is used to force them. Bullying has the same effect as using a gun in the mind of the person being bullied. The person is still resistant on the inside and that is the point where Adrian is now and the Admiral knows it.
Keeping him prisoner is because he is considered a traitor. He is a prisoner. If he were not useful, he would either be executed or on a prison planet.
The torture is a psychological game, a technique that is in common use in their universe, just like the retraining and punishment cells ideas of Blakes 7.
This is also why I've always considered Blake a weak leader. He needed to use bullying and lies to get Avon to follow him. That's not the mark of a good or strong leader. It's only the mark of a bully and tyrant.
I would avoid joining the military if they use torture as a standard method of punishment. It only make people do and say what you want (they'll confess to anything for example), and if they break his spirit, they won't exactly left with the creative and brilliant mind they value him for.
Yes, which always made me wonder about Federation society because it seemed like that was common and accepted practice there. Of course, if that is all they know and everyone accepts it, they wouldn't have the same reaction that we would.
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"I don't have time for this, Lieutenant but I will take the time if you insist on being difficult." He waved the remote unit in Adrian's face. "The Tech Commander would love to do this himself. I understand the two of you have history together."
"The Tech Commander is a fool, sir."
The Admiral threw his head back and guffawed. "You're right. The man is a little toad. Totally unsuited for his position." The laugh disappeared as quickly as it came.
His face was motionless as he brought the remote unit up and there was a gleam of something in his eyes. It was only a split second, a wince, a brief look of regret, but one noticed by the sharp eyes of his First Officer. Then Verel's eyes hardened and his lips thinned in resolution. The only people who would have enjoyed this, he had already sent out of the room. No one else needed to witness this. It was the only thing he could do for this stubborn man.
He slid one of the controls to the first position and pressed the remote unit. There was no reaction of pain or clenching of teeth, it was only a mild warning.
Verel's voice was one of irresistible command."He is your superior officer. You will address him with respect."
"A rank bought by political connections requires no respect." A sneer curled Adrian's lips.
Verel circled him like a tiger ready to swipe a gash of red across his victim's body. "So you're not entirely ignorant of political realities."
"They’re irrelevant." Adrian twisted his wrists in the tight cuffs, trying to ease the pain and the spreading numbness. His chest was tight.
The Admiral shook his head. "You're deliberately being a fool, Lieutenant."
"I'm a prisoner in an officer's uniform."
The illusions fell away, leaving the ugly truth.
"You don't mince words."
"I deal in facts."
"Are you trying to say I don't?" The edge of warning in the Admiral's voice was clear.
"You deal in political expediencies."
"I ensure the Safety and Security of the Empire."
Adrian finally lifted his eyes to look at him. "Rhetoric."
"You don't believe in the Empire?"
After a few challenging seconds, as they took each other's measure, Adrian looked away. "I believe in myself."
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But he knows that it is only a facade on Adrian's part. The intent is to keep him off-balance with the goal of breaking him.
Just like someone bowing to a bully. The person isn't doing it willingly, even if no gun is used to force them. Bullying has the same effect as using a gun in the mind of the person being bullied. The person is still resistant on the inside and that is the point where Adrian is now and the Admiral knows it.
Keeping him prisoner is because he is considered a traitor. He is a prisoner. If he were not useful, he would either be executed or on a prison planet.
The torture is a psychological game, a technique that is in common use in their universe, just like the retraining and punishment cells ideas of Blakes 7.
This is also why I've always considered Blake a weak leader. He needed to use bullying and lies to get Avon to follow him. That's not the mark of a good or strong leader. It's only the mark of a bully and tyrant.
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