[Unlike you, Maketh almost snaps. It's not true, though. She doesn't like admitting it, but Sweets has some intelligence of his own. He reads people. Doctor Brennan's intelligence is easier to deal with.]
What exactly is it you think I'm going to do, hmm?
[It isn't an answer as much as a warning, tone certain and stare just as focused; he's not good at the whole intimidation thing, vastly preferring to play good cop when working with Booth, but Booth isn't here. Brennan and Zack are, and as much as they can take care of themselves--anyone who might try to hurt Brennan especially will find that out the hard way--Lance is the only one of them with much talent for dealing with other people. That means it's his job to protect them as much as he can in Booth's place, and keeping them out of being potentially used as pawns should it be convenient is one of the ways he's going to do so.]
[That is so not his job; he's supposed to be the sympathetic one, so when Booth scares a suspect they end up telling Lance their stupid, whiny murderer story and implicate themselves, and he and Booth get drinks and close the case.]
I would consider a threat from Doctor Brennan, if she offered it. She seems clever enough to come up with something lasting. You--
[She tips her head to the side.]
You would use the law against me, in your world. But that has no meaning here and I have seen no evidence that you have the stomach for truly effective measures.
I don't think making so many assumptions is all that wise.
[Although she's not... Entirely incorrect, especially on those whole 'truly effective' and 'lasting' comments, he also wasn't bluffing. It would be meeting an immediate threat with an immediate response, though, nothing before or after.]
For instance, had you threatened to have someone shoot me in a nonlethal capacity - Mello, perhaps? - I would have considered it seriously. I doubt you'd have the stomach to kneecap me or shatter the bones in my hands, though he'd probably enjoy it.
[Most people would, given the option. Maketh just looks at him, annoyance clear. He's being obstinate. Trying to threaten her, failing at it, and then failing yet again when she offers him suggestions.]
It would be a necessary evil, wouldn't it? And one you'd have to commit to fully or it wouldn't matter at all.
[She smiles at him, not kindly.]
I'll make another assumption. I assume I could survive almost anything you could think to do with your own two hands. You're not nearly as clever as the men I served with.
[He watches her in return as she speaks, his eyes narrowing slightly; he is not about to get into an intelligence competition with someone he's never met and who isn't even here, nor is he going to bother arguing about what she could survive or not. It's a creepy thing to even discuss in begin with, and besides, he likes people thinking he couldn't possibly be dangerous in a fight. Except for that it makes his threats sound really pathetic, anyway.
So instead he scoffs, taking a sip of his drink.]
Wow, I'm actually amazed you can be this bad at reading people.
[Great, he's lumped in with 'most people.' Thanks.]
I prefer to call it warning. Or even just giving advice.
[Or threatening. Whatever.]
Although I did make the mistake of thinking you might consider that there are options other than resorting to violence.
[Which she's right on; he'd only do so in extreme circumstances. But he has no problem dealing with issues in more social and political ways, and has a whole array of options on how to do that if necessary.]
Correct. That was your mistake. I do hope you won't make it again.
[Oh, there are certainly other things he can try. But none, Maketh thinks, that would ring quite as true as a blunt object to her extremities. Doctor Sweets can read people, certainly, but he doesn't have enough political pull to be truly dangerous.
You really think violence is the most effective way to deal with someone?
[He ignores her question entirely in favor of one of his own, tone clearly incredulous, because there's something about this that bothers him--besides the obvious--and he can't quite make it out just yet. Maybe it's that people with that attitude cause his skin to crawl, or maybe that he can't believe that the effectiveness wouldn't have worn off in a world seemingly centered around it. Maybe something else, or multiple things.]
Except it isn't, at all. Short term, sure, and obviously if death is permanent then that's a different matter, but you don't change anyone's mind with violence. All you do is scare them into complying for awhile, if even that.
[The emotional and mental damage can be long lasting, but violence itself--or the threat of it--is an unreliable, short-term 'solution' at the very best. He's never really understood why anyone would use it unless they enjoy it, but maybe that's just it.]
Don't be naive. [Her tone is a little sharper at that, more serious.] People adapt to the situation they find themselves in. If survival requires compliance, then they will comply. The warlords have proven that a thousand times over.
[Lance takes a longer drink from his glass at that, to give himself a moment for the flare of anger to pass after her first comment.]
That compliance lasts exactly as long as the threat does. And, if that threat goes on for too long, people get tired of living in fear.
[Whether individuals or groups, intimidation only lasts so long.]
Even if it works infallibly--which I doubt--in your world, why would you assume it would here? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but most of the people in this place don't scare easily.
Yes, yes. One falls and the next rises to take their place. It's the way of things. My mother's people based their culture on it. Only the strongest may live. I think they had the right idea, most of the time.
[She laughs again. Softer than before.]
Because it already has. The gods are still in control. And we are not stronger.
[She bares her teeth.]
But we are clever, Doctor Sweets, and we have conquerors on our side. General Skywalker ended a war in my world. Did you know that? I suppose Hux started another, but I try not to hold that against him.
[Most of that response he can't even follow, mostly because he has a feeling the conclusions and points she took away from what he said are not at all the ones he was trying to make. He also disagrees with her last statements about being here, and about why having someone who stopped a war matters--not that it's a bad thing--but the comment about Hux is what he decides to actually respond to because yeah, about that--]
He also apparently destroyed five planets, but I presume you don't hold that against him either.
[As utterly ridiculous as the concept sounds, Lance could tell that Hux was being completely truthful about it. And if he'd told Lance, surely Maketh knows as well.]
Yes, he did that. He violated every code of combat and he slaughtered civilians without giving them the chance to surrender.
[There's no getting around that fact. It just is.]
He's also one of the best engineers in any world, and we need that far more than we need moral righteousness for events that cannot be changed or atoned for.
[Lance rarely finds himself at a loss for what to say, but he does for several seconds at that; no only can he not find words, but he can't even sort out exactly how he feels. It's not exactly the hazy mental shock he's more familiar with, but like everything he feels has gone so intense that it's circled back around to zero.]
So if someone's useful enough it doesn't matter what else they do. Right. Great priorities, especially for someone claiming to be concerned with the well-being of people here; is there anything you wouldn't be willing to ignore if you thought it might benefit you?
[His fingers are trembling slightly against the sides of his glass, but he doesn't notice.]
I don't care what anyone has done before they came to this place, so long as they keep these people alive. I would include Kallus and the Inquisitor among my Guardsmen if they appeared here today and I would do it gladly because they are useful, Doctor Sweets. Their efforts would save lives and prevent suffering.
[Even though the Inquisitor smiled while he killed her men. Even though Kallus killed her. It's a simple philosophy. What's been done in the past cannot possibly be changed and so there is no use agonizing over what might have been. People are what they are right now, standing next to her. That's the only thing that could ever matter.
Maketh lifts her chin, eyes narrowed.]
Survive or die. The only thing I won't ignore is slavers, Doctor Sweets. They breathe this air and they'll die choking on it.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2017-08-07 11:45 pm (UTC)What exactly is it you think I'm going to do, hmm?
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Date: 2017-08-07 11:51 pm (UTC)[It isn't an answer as much as a warning, tone certain and stare just as focused; he's not good at the whole intimidation thing, vastly preferring to play good cop when working with Booth, but Booth isn't here. Brennan and Zack are, and as much as they can take care of themselves--anyone who might try to hurt Brennan especially will find that out the hard way--Lance is the only one of them with much talent for dealing with other people. That means it's his job to protect them as much as he can in Booth's place, and keeping them out of being potentially used as pawns should it be convenient is one of the ways he's going to do so.]
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Date: 2017-08-07 11:54 pm (UTC)It occurs to her then that the Doctor is trying to threaten her.
Oh. That's utterly pathetic.
Maketh laughs quietly.]
Have a drink, Doctor Sweets.
[She orders another shot, laughing under her breath.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:02 am (UTC)I already have a drink.
[It isn't sullen in the slightest; he is completely unaffected by not being taken seriously. Completely.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:07 am (UTC)You're not very good at this part, Sweets. You ought to be better at threats.
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:11 am (UTC)[That is so not his job; he's supposed to be the sympathetic one, so when Booth scares a suspect they end up telling Lance their stupid, whiny murderer story and implicate themselves, and he and Booth get drinks and close the case.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:21 am (UTC)You ought to, considering your line of work.
[And where they currently find themselves.]
I would consider a threat from Doctor Brennan, if she offered it. She seems clever enough to come up with something lasting. You--
[She tips her head to the side.]
You would use the law against me, in your world. But that has no meaning here and I have seen no evidence that you have the stomach for truly effective measures.
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:31 am (UTC)[Although she's not... Entirely incorrect, especially on those whole 'truly effective' and 'lasting' comments, he also wasn't bluffing. It would be meeting an immediate threat with an immediate response, though, nothing before or after.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:38 am (UTC)[She drinks her shot without flinching.]
For instance, had you threatened to have someone shoot me in a nonlethal capacity - Mello, perhaps? - I would have considered it seriously. I doubt you'd have the stomach to kneecap me or shatter the bones in my hands, though he'd probably enjoy it.
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:43 am (UTC)[That makes no sense to him; he gets the idea conceptually just fine, and it certainly is the case for some people, but--]
Do you really think squeamishness would be the problem, instead of it being a moral issue?
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Date: 2017-08-08 12:50 am (UTC)[Most people would, given the option. Maketh just looks at him, annoyance clear. He's being obstinate. Trying to threaten her, failing at it, and then failing yet again when she offers him suggestions.]
It would be a necessary evil, wouldn't it? And one you'd have to commit to fully or it wouldn't matter at all.
[She smiles at him, not kindly.]
I'll make another assumption. I assume I could survive almost anything you could think to do with your own two hands. You're not nearly as clever as the men I served with.
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:02 am (UTC)So instead he scoffs, taking a sip of his drink.]
Wow, I'm actually amazed you can be this bad at reading people.
[Especially with her world being how it is.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:09 am (UTC)Am I? Perhaps. But I think you could do it in the moment, if you really had to. Most people would.
[She taps her shot glass against the bar.]
Don't threaten me with nothing, Doctor Sweets. It's bad form. If you're going to bother, make it good.
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:22 am (UTC)I prefer to call it warning. Or even just giving advice.
[Or threatening. Whatever.]
Although I did make the mistake of thinking you might consider that there are options other than resorting to violence.
[Which she's right on; he'd only do so in extreme circumstances. But he has no problem dealing with issues in more social and political ways, and has a whole array of options on how to do that if necessary.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:26 am (UTC)[Oh, there are certainly other things he can try. But none, Maketh thinks, that would ring quite as true as a blunt object to her extremities. Doctor Sweets can read people, certainly, but he doesn't have enough political pull to be truly dangerous.
Not yet, at least.]
Was there anything else, Doctor Sweets?
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:33 am (UTC)[He ignores her question entirely in favor of one of his own, tone clearly incredulous, because there's something about this that bothers him--besides the obvious--and he can't quite make it out just yet. Maybe it's that people with that attitude cause his skin to crawl, or maybe that he can't believe that the effectiveness wouldn't have worn off in a world seemingly centered around it. Maybe something else, or multiple things.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:38 am (UTC)It generally is. I don't know why this surprises you.
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:45 am (UTC)[The emotional and mental damage can be long lasting, but violence itself--or the threat of it--is an unreliable, short-term 'solution' at the very best. He's never really understood why anyone would use it unless they enjoy it, but maybe that's just it.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-08-08 01:55 am (UTC)That compliance lasts exactly as long as the threat does. And, if that threat goes on for too long, people get tired of living in fear.
[Whether individuals or groups, intimidation only lasts so long.]
Even if it works infallibly--which I doubt--in your world, why would you assume it would here? I'm not sure if you've noticed, but most of the people in this place don't scare easily.
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Date: 2017-08-08 02:06 am (UTC)[She laughs again. Softer than before.]
Because it already has. The gods are still in control. And we are not stronger.
[She bares her teeth.]
But we are clever, Doctor Sweets, and we have conquerors on our side. General Skywalker ended a war in my world. Did you know that? I suppose Hux started another, but I try not to hold that against him.
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Date: 2017-08-08 02:22 am (UTC)He also apparently destroyed five planets, but I presume you don't hold that against him either.
[As utterly ridiculous as the concept sounds, Lance could tell that Hux was being completely truthful about it. And if he'd told Lance, surely Maketh knows as well.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 02:29 am (UTC)[There's no getting around that fact. It just is.]
He's also one of the best engineers in any world, and we need that far more than we need moral righteousness for events that cannot be changed or atoned for.
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Date: 2017-08-08 02:45 am (UTC)So if someone's useful enough it doesn't matter what else they do. Right. Great priorities, especially for someone claiming to be concerned with the well-being of people here; is there anything you wouldn't be willing to ignore if you thought it might benefit you?
[His fingers are trembling slightly against the sides of his glass, but he doesn't notice.]
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Date: 2017-08-08 02:53 am (UTC)[Even though the Inquisitor smiled while he killed her men. Even though Kallus killed her. It's a simple philosophy. What's been done in the past cannot possibly be changed and so there is no use agonizing over what might have been. People are what they are right now, standing next to her. That's the only thing that could ever matter.
Maketh lifts her chin, eyes narrowed.]
Survive or die. The only thing I won't ignore is slavers, Doctor Sweets. They breathe this air and they'll die choking on it.
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