Mass Effect: Manipulation/Preferential Treatment

Preferential Treatment
It was early morning when they came to drag Skinner before the commandant. Bleary-eyed, he found himself looking into Zefort's eyes.

"So. It appears you were telling the truth," Zefort said. "There were five of them - four asari and one human."

"Does this mean I get to go free?'

"No."

'You said-"

"I said you could go free if you helped us kill them. But two of them survived. And meanwhile, my most experienced general is dead."

That woke Skinner up. "Who were the survivors?"

"The T'Nair whelp. And the human."

Oh shit, Skinner thought.

"I want you to think very carefully before you answer my next question, because if you lie, and I find out you're lying, I will make sure that your death is very long and unpleasant. This is understood?"

"I did not set up your men to be killed," Skinner insisted.

"They are dead because they followed my orders, which were based on intel that you provided," Zefort paused contemplatively. "I am thinking that you have feelings for the woman, this Char'ron."

Skinner burst out laughing. "You can't seriously think I care about that..."

Zefort made a gesture, and one of the guards struck Skinner hard in the back of his head.