In Enemy Territory - Shannon West Page 0,11

back should always be wearing bloody stripes in my opinion.” He waved a hand at him dismissively. It was intended to show how little Centarlo bothered him, but the fact Kroman was shaking with rage somewhat ruined the effect. “Get out of here. I see no need for any new uniform, you filthy, whining piece of shit.”

Rasc turned and smiled at the colonel, gave him one more brazen bow, and this time made it outside the office.

“I hate that fucking little bastard,” Kroman said after he left.

“Yes, I see that. But to be fair, his teruga was ragged and did need replacing.”

“Fuck him! Let him go naked for all I care.”

“You better hope that the Governor doesn’t hear that kind of talk, Kroman. He wouldn’t like it. And if you’re beating Centarlo on a regular basis, I’d be careful about that too, or you might find yourself on the other end of the whip.”

“I’m not here to coddle prisoners.”

“You’re not here to abuse them either. You should know the Governor’s mate is very vigilant about ill treatment of the prisoners. They have cameras everywhere, and Larz has people who check them on a regular basis.”

“Are you going soft, Bonnett?”

Kylon gave Kroman a look that made him lower his gaze. “No, I’d just like to keep my rank badges right where they are. You keep this shit up and you’ll maybe lose a couple of yours. You know how Prince Larz is. He bends over backward to be fair, not to mention please his mate.” Kroman made an impatient sound in reply, and Kylon held up a conciliatory hand. “Suit yourself, but you’ve been warned. What did Centarlo do to get whipped anyway?”

“He’s constantly propping up against walls to rest or sneaking around with his cellmate, a Farlian named Setin. The two of them got hold of a human contraband cigarette and slacked off a work detail to smoke it. I checked the cameras and gave him a stroke of the lash for every puff he took on that cigarette. Eight in all.”

Kylon frowned at him and shook his head, but he and Kroman were the same rank, so he couldn’t order him to stop. The trouble was he was afraid Kroman was enjoying beating Centarlo’s pretty little ass a bit too much.

The next day, he’d made it a point to see Larz at first meal and casually mention that he might want to think about assigning another officer to be in charge of Centarlo. He hadn’t given any details, but Larz had glanced at him sharply. No questions were asked, but later that day, Kylon got word that Rasc Centarlo had been reassigned—to work in Kylon’s own damn unit, under his supervision.

No good deed ever went unpunished, as Larz used to say when they were younger. Larz told him it was one of his omak’s favorite sayings, and apparently, he had taken it to heart.

Kylon’s first task had been to send for Centarlo and give him a new teruga and a decent pair of boots. Centarlo’s strangely light-colored blue eyes, wary with mistrust, had considered him carefully as he nodded, thanked him, and then left his office.

That had been a few weeks ago, back when he still thought Rasc and the Farlians would be leaving soon, on their way to some distant prison. And while he’d been under Kylon’s supervision, Kylon had begun to have a bit more sympathy for his friend Colonel Kroman and to understand how Centarlo had driven Kroman to distraction. Centarlo always did seem to be in the middle of any kind of trouble that arose in his unit. He could never catch him, despite the cameras, and it could have been only a coincidence, but Kylon didn’t think so. He knew Rasc was behind the mischief.

And now Larz wanted to send him to the penal colony on Gatifrey to establish some kind of gang for himself. With any luck, and judging by his history, he’d be running a good portion of the prison population in no time. He was already doing it on Laltana.

It was nothing anyone could catch him at, but Earthan cigarettes were now seen so often in the compound, even among the Tygerian guards, that it was practically the new currency. Yet no one could seem to say where they were coming from. Centarlo’s cell seemed to have every prisoner amenity, from Earthan playing cards to Farlian dice games, and a whole store of contraband food items. Larz had the guards shake