[Dokchara]
“You didn’t think it was necessary to tell me you were carrying a ticking time bomb?”
“It’s a recent development, you want me to see into the future? Also, it’s honestly more effective like this since I was only planning on using it once anyway. Wouldn’t want to risk frying the grid with that thing or letting the enemy repossess it.”
Dominique had set aside all logic and used the multi-million dollar rail cannon as an improvised bomb, just casually tossing near the far-end of the outpost and waiting for the failing inner mechanisms to initiate a rapid unplanned disassembly and cause a distraction. We didn’t even need that much cover in theory, we just needed to get to the control room to get full authority of the building.
Even with the shockwave traveling through and around tens of [feet] of reinforced concrete, it was still almost enough to topple me. Dominique had punched into the wall in sync with the detonation and tore open a passageway, right behind a pair of Grahtonian guards. They didn’t even get the chance to turn around before getting grabbed and smacked together, knocking them both out.
We saw a few Grahtonians running in the distance, unaware of our intrusion thanks to the distraction. The explosion had happened at their most fortified position, the main entrance, so it wasn’t a surprise that they called everyone in expectation of a full frontal assault. Dominique took on a leisurely pace, dispatching any stragglers that saw him with a gun he took from the first couple takedowns, firing in sync with the blaring alarms and minimizing blood splatter where possible before shoving the bodies into any nearby rooms.
We swerved into an office to avoid a large passing group of Grahts, they must have been on break and had just gotten ready to aid the rest with the false alarm. The alarm was dulled in this room to a level where normal conversation could be held.
“...It’s a bit unnerving how none of these guys bother surrendering. Like, even if I push a gun into their back, they still reach for their weapon. Is it a cultural thing?”
“Well, I don’t think there’s ever been a record of a Grahtonian wilfully surrendering. Or any race, really. I remember you told me about killing people who surrender being a war crime, but your people are the only ones to even have rules like that.”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
“No rules? At all? Nobody thought it was necessary to say that innocent people shouldn’t be killed?”
“Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of good samaritans with lofty ideals, but when it comes to galactic-scale warfare… If even one side gives no regards for boundaries, nobody is going to bother doing so. Using a less cruel weapon in a fight could lead to less than a one percent difference in casualty numbers, but that can still mean hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead just because you wanted to be the better person. They aren’t even aware that surrender is an option.”
“Right, that statement still has to be made. Listen, Dok… As long as you’re working with me, I need you to make an effort to follow our rules if you have the leeway to. I know you fuckin hate these guys, but, there are more important things than putting a bullet in every guy you see.”
“Dom, you don’t know the full story. These people took everything away from me. My family, my world, my future… Moqango are generally non-committal people, but I've spent pretty much all my independent life working towards bringing these assholes back to spacedust.”
“And I’m telling you that you will get much further and receive much more support from us humans if you don’t leave a path of destruction everywhere you go.”
…
“My parents fought in the war against the Grahts. Went MIA along with their entire squad… Do you think I’d be considered lucky if I actually found them alive, hooked up to a drainage system and living the past 15 years in non-stop agony? Is that lucky, Dom? Holding on to the hope that they're still out there, being rewarded with scarred minds and broken people in place of what used to be the most important people in my life?”
“The Grahts in this building are not the ones you’re after-”
“How the hell would you know?! What makes you so sure that I wouldn’t randomly pardon one of the creatures that ruined my life when I’m handing out mercy like it’s candy?!”
“Because I recently just flipped through the entire life of one of the most dangerous and high ranking soldiers on this planet? And he had no clue that any of the shit you’re telling me about even happened?
Sigh
Dok. I promise that we will find every single one of those scum that did this shit, and when we do, yeah, sure, nobody’s gonna hold whatever you do to them against you! Matter of fact, I’m sure a recording of it would be a massive hit with the humans after everything is revealed! But, until then, take prisoners. Spare medics. Don’t kill non-combatants. Those people, they aren’t part of your revenge. Don’t make yourself part of someone else’s.
…
Alright, c’mon. We should have been moving for a while now.”