[ For as much as he's inevitably found himself throwing his lot among the Barrayarans, there is so much they do and so much about them that still stirs a distinct -- not just dislike, but disgust. Infanticide. The horrors that Piotr would go on to permit, not to mention Yuri. Their cultural attitudes on sexuality, on women in particular, are especially ridiculous to him. It's not like biases are completely erased in his own world, far from it, but while Carolina wasn't technically his commanding officer she was still the finest leader and fighter that Wash has ever known. Not to mention, most of the women Wash's happened to get to know in his life are entirely capable of kicking his ass.
Things have been bad in the camp, yes, but not quite so bad. Carolina's been allowed to fight, in some regards. Lakshmi has as well. Lucy was with him, when they raided the Cetagandan base. But of course, these have always been exceptions, not the rule, and the Vorbarra soldiers have been a very stark reminder of that. No honor, well, Wash might disagree with that, still sees honor as some intangible, impractical thing, but that men are fragile? That's definitely true.
He hears that crying, too, doesn't turn his head to look down at him, still keeping his eyes trained on the others. They're nervous now, angry and anxious, trying to hide their obvious embarrassment, but still perhaps drunk and foolish enough to think they could still try at something, and Wash doesn't mean to let them out of his sight until they're turned away and whimpering back to lick their wounds. ]
More and more are in need of reminders like that, these days. [ The Emperor's own soldiers, weren't they? Not all of them, but some, and doesn't this reflect well on their officers. An idle spin of the knife still in his hand. ] Do you think that one remembers, yet?
[ Just the lightest push. She's probably done enough. ]
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Things have been bad in the camp, yes, but not quite so bad. Carolina's been allowed to fight, in some regards. Lakshmi has as well. Lucy was with him, when they raided the Cetagandan base. But of course, these have always been exceptions, not the rule, and the Vorbarra soldiers have been a very stark reminder of that. No honor, well, Wash might disagree with that, still sees honor as some intangible, impractical thing, but that men are fragile? That's definitely true.
He hears that crying, too, doesn't turn his head to look down at him, still keeping his eyes trained on the others. They're nervous now, angry and anxious, trying to hide their obvious embarrassment, but still perhaps drunk and foolish enough to think they could still try at something, and Wash doesn't mean to let them out of his sight until they're turned away and whimpering back to lick their wounds. ]
More and more are in need of reminders like that, these days. [ The Emperor's own soldiers, weren't they? Not all of them, but some, and doesn't this reflect well on their officers. An idle spin of the knife still in his hand. ] Do you think that one remembers, yet?
[ Just the lightest push. She's probably done enough. ]