A Quality of Mercy

[The Deadliest Warrior]

The Marro soldier's bare skull was twisted in a forced grin, his lips pulled back to tearing point, as Agent Carr angrily slammed his fist on the desk between himself and his Marro prisoner. "Let go of his mouth, Drake," he muttered. Sergeant Drake Alexander pulled viciously on the Marro's stretched lips before he let go, slamming the Marro's face down onto the desk. The Marro sat weakly up, its face incapable of showing emotion but the pathetic clicking noises it made conveyed obvious terror.
"Now I don't know if you think this is a game," Agent Carr said, leaning into a small radio as he spoke. The radio spat back out Carr's words into the language of the Marro, an eerie string of clicks and high-pitched squeals. "We have prisoners held by Utgar's forces and we know that he's just executing them! You will tell us where our captured men are held... now."
The small, concrete room echoed Carr's words as they were translated by the radio. The Marro sat there, its breathing ragged and face torn and bloody, oozing green fluids from under the eyes. The Marro leaned forward into the radio and rasped, "So I tell you where your men are. So you take them and leave me to Utgar... I promise you the works you've done on me now are mere fractions of Utgar's creulty. My lips are sealed."
Agent Carr sat back in frustration, his deep breaths a mockery of the Marro's painful respiration. Drake stepped forward and clenched his hand into a fist, but Carr held his hand up and Drake stood back. "Fine," Carr said. "Let's talk then, and see what comes of that."
The Marro lowered his head and retched in pain. Shakily, he looked up at Carr but said nothing.
"I come from a beautiful world," Carr continued. "The same world as the sergeant back there. Blue skies, green plants, and a pure goodness among all people. We built. An empire on peace, a nation of understanding. I was brought here" (Valhalla) "to satisf y the need for a level-headed soldier. War is truly an awful thing, but sometimes you need to step up and defend your people from a foe willing to destroy them. That's how we see you and your men, barbarians... the horrible Hun."
"You talk just to demonize me?" the Marro spat.
"What world are you from?" asked Carr. "What spurs you to battle, what hope for home do you have?"
"Hope." the Marro's tongue slurred the word like it was one of an alien language. "Home is a swamp where the only safety is your Hive. The spiders and the insects are big enough to kill a soldier like you. The air is noxious, but that's the smell I love. And the peace and love you accept for your society is not present in mine. Clan wars, family feuds, bitter hive wars lay in store for me if I make it back... but that's the way I like it. Your home sounds as awful to me as mine must sound to you."
Drake coughed behind the Marro. "What are you doing, Carr?" he asked.
"You have something to look for after this war?" Carr asked. The Marro nodded. He coughed in pain and shook uncontrollably.
Carr sat back in his seat in front of the desk and sighed. "I don't suppose you'll tell us where our men are," he said.
The Marro remained silent.
"I have come to know a joy alien to myself today," said Carr. "But who am I to rob that hope of joy from another?" He stood up, sword drawn, and approached his captive. The Marro flinched as he raised his sword over his head. The blade swung down and slashed through the shackles binding the Marro to the chair. "I give you the gift of hope, and the moral obligation to give hope to others," Carr said. "Don't let me see you again." He roughly pushed the Marro soldier out of the doorway and out of the Jandar outpost.
"What the heck was that?" Drake spat as Carr sat back in his seat.
Carr looked up at Drake. The Marro's blood was all over the floor, the desk, the worn-out chair. "You heard me," said Carr. "Who am I to deny someone the hope of joy?"
Drake opened his mouth to argue but Carr cut him off. "I reckon you'd best be getting on guard duty... Syvarris won't be happy if he's kept waiting past his shift."
Drake stomped out the door in a huff.
******
Several months later...
Sergeant Drake Alexander raised his pistol and fired at the charging Grut, dropping him. One of his Airborne Elite lobbed a grenade into the mass of swarming Marro, ducking as the explosion tore through the air.
"Syvarris! Syvarris! Covering fire!" shouted Drake at the elf-prince, who was being overwhelmed by Deathreavers. The elf nodded and turned, running from his attackers.
Suddenly a shot slammed into Drake's helmet, knocking him to the floor, hard. His vision spinning, a Marro warrior with.a plasma rifle stood over him, aiming down at his fallen foe. The Marro's face was scarred and bruised months later, and Drake recognized him instantly. The Marro hesitated and lowered the rifle. "We all have moral obligations," the Marro clicked at Drake, who didn't understand him without the translator. "I give you the gift of hope, and the possibility of joy in your world." The Marro looked away and rushed off.
"Drake!" Syvarris rushed over and helped him up. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." Drake groaned, rubbing his head. "Sometimes you get a wake-up call, that you're dealing with a power beyond your control. There's something to be said about a quality of mercy."

[RealistWriter]

Wow. This story is amazing! Is it a one-shot, or are you planning to expand?

[The Deadliest Warrior]

Thanks a bunch! I don't really see where this could expand, I just wanted to put out a story that captures the emotional appeal to warfare...

[The Deadliest Warrior]

Anyone else read this?

[TGRF]

Rather good, the writing itself is great. I'd have to read it a few more times before I gave you my opinion on what is said though.

[The Deadliest Warrior]

Originally Posted by The Grim Reaper's Friend

Rather good, the writing itself is great. I'd have to read it a few more times before I gave you my opinion on what is said though.

Thanks! Can't wait to hear what you have to say.

[William099]

Originally Posted by The Deadliest Warrior

Anyone else read this?

I read it and thought it was very powerful and quite well done!! Good work!

[Joseph Sweeney]

Wow, that was awesome! Are you going to wright more?

[Spencerr]

Hi..Its a fantastic creation...so from where did you get the idea to write such story..are you always write such type of stories..?great work..

[TGRF]

Originally Posted by The Deadliest Warrior

Thanks! Can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Okay. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, or for the wrong thing, or too deep, or something. It's obvious something is said... it's just barely beyond my reach. As I said, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Perhaps some enlightenment? I'm trying to figure out what you're saying here.
~TGRF.

[The Deadliest Warrior]

Originally Posted by The Grim Reaper's Friend

Okay. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place, or for the wrong thing, or too deep, or something. It's obvious something is said... it's just barely beyond my reach. As I said, maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Perhaps some enlightenment? I'm trying to figure out what you're saying here.
~TGRF.

Too often we're lost in the glorious war HeroScape presents; it's inconsequential, and ultimately repeatable. So what if Drake dies for us? We can play with him another time... but for the soldiers in Valhalla, an emotional aspect of mental frustration is always present, and I thought it a breath of relief to take a step back from the hate and butchery and look at a moment (if only just that, a moment) of kindness, compassion, mercy. A life for a life. A quality of mercy.

[Arch-vile]

That was a beautifully written story that carries an important message, TDW. I'm glad to have read it.