New Boots

[Maj Vaos 0]

Korix turned to the marine, a small smile on his face as he tugged on his leather gloves. "Tell me, what is the ultimate power?"

 

The marine looked towards the legate, surprised he was speaking to him. "Having control?"

 

Tipping his head sideways, "I see the Colonel teaches her men well. Yes, I suppose control is power. The power to give life, death, pain, pleasure." He looked at the lizard, who lay writhing on the cold metallic table.

 

"You see there are many different ways to torture." Korix turned slightly. Next to the table, a tray of silvery instruments sparkled under the lights. "The yellow-shirts, they prefer to use brute force and pain to get what they want."

 

Smiling ever so slightly, the marine tried to hide his enjoyment in that little barb. "The marines, ironically," Korix ran his fingers over the instruments. "They tend to be a little more creative in their methods. Take the Colonel for example; she's a master at psychological torture. And damned creative at that... if not a bit vindictive."

 

Unsure the marine simply nodded, not quite sure what the Legate was up to. "And you?"

 

Korix smiled. "Me, I tend to be creative with my torture, never quite the same thing."

 

Taking a sharp, dangerous looking object in between gloved fingers, Korix pressed it into the soft, white scales of the lizard's underbelly. "See how he writhes in pain when I apply too much pressure to a soft spot?"

 

The marine responded with a nod.

 

"What does that imply?"

 

"That you intend exploit that weakness to your advantage?"

 

As if the question was rhetorical, which it was, Korix conitnued without responding directly. "It means he has a lot of nerve centers here and that in all likelihood, it's an erogenous zone as well."

 

Placing the instrument aside, Korix ran smooth, leather wrapped fingers along the white underbelly. Stroking it gently with the grain. The lizard, despite itself, hissed happily. "Nature, you see, has a funny way of undermining the will of the man."

 

Lifting an eyebrow, the marine queried, "You intend to seduce the scaley into telling you what you want?"

 

"Don't be ridiculous; I already have one reptilian slave, and he'd be jealous."

 

On cue, Korix suddenly changed the direction of his stroking, the leather glove raking the scales against the grain, pulling them back; the lizard hissed angrily.

 

"I am sorry, did that hurt?"

 

A tail lashed towards him, catching the marine in the leg. "You scaley little basta..."

 

“Now, now," Korix said gently. "No need for name calling. I think our reptillian friend is aware that he came from eggs and that he has scales, and that he's as good as dead. It's only a matter of how much pain he endures before he dies. Which really ruins all the fun for me."

 

"I mean once he knows he's going to die, it really ruins all the fun in killing him."

 

The marine couldn't help but look at the Legate like he was going insane. "Then you don't want to torture him?"

 

"Oh, I am going to torture him all right..."

 

Perplexed, "I am confused."

 

"Of course you are," Korix said devilishly. "You see there are several reasons to torture someone. Either you’re just a sadistic bastard who's into that kind of thing, you really hate them, or you want something out of them. Or a combination of the three."

 

Shaking his finger in the air as he talked, "I however, while certainly having been accused of being a sadistic bastard, just want information out of him. So doing those really horrible tortures really isn't a good idea. He can't talk if he's in a pain induced coma, or dead."

 

Stroking at his chin for a moment as he stopped near the foot of the bed, he looked towards the lizard. "How about this, you scaley bastard: you tell me what I want and those three friends of yours in the freezer don't get made into soup. Or purses maybe..."

 

The marine stepped back, watching the Legate at work. The lizard hissed angrily, his forked tongue coming in and out of his mouth many times. "Why would I tell you anything, we're all dead as you said."

 

"See what I mean about once they know they're all going to die?"

 

Returning to the scaled one, "Not exactly. I didn't really plan on killing you. Making your life miserable, sure. But it's a lot more fun to see you alive. Perhaps sold into slavery... maybe to a zoo?"

 

"Whats the difference then, either way no matter what I tell you, I suffer."

 

"In the words of my human compatriots, yeah pretty much," Korix smiled broadly. "Buuuut, I've given you a choice now. You can save the lives of the three others, and be better than us horrible Imperial oppressors, or you can stoop to our level and save your own humility by making me kill you."

 

The Lizard shifted uncomfortably in the restraints. "You leave me little choice..."

 

"That was the idea," Korix pointed out.

 

"But how do I know you'll keep your end of the bargain."

 

"You don't, except you do know I won't hesitate to leave your little friends in the freezer, or perhaps have matching luggage made out of the lot of you."

 

"And maybe a pair of boots too." He turned to the Marine. "Don't you think he'd look fetching?"

 

"Maybe some new gloves as well, Legate. Made from his belly."

 

"Oh, very good," Korix said, "I see the Colonel didn't skip the lesson on how to accessorize as an evil Imperial Bastard."

 

"She has a whole chapter on you, Legate."

 

"I am sure she does," he turned back to the Lizard. "Now what's it going to be?"

 

"Very well, I will tell you what I know..."

 

Sometime later the Legate and the Marine left the interrogation lab, walking next to each other. "So tell me, sir. Do you really intend to release the other three prisoners?"

 

"And miss out on an opportunity to get new boots?"