[ Wash is very aware that he has all the leverage, and he will damned well use it if he feels like he has to -- but he'd rather not. He nods. He honestly was just going to stop there, to say just that much, but. ]

Before arriving on Barrayar, the last time I saw York was when I was assigned to scavenge from his corpse. [ A breath. He still won't explain Maine, but. ] In the years between our timelines, Maine's tried to kill me -- [ god, how many times? ] -- repeatedly.