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.Aaron continued."That's a lot for a commander to take in.The computers trick you in a way.They don't even let you think that you're playing with lives.They don't take into account that moving dots from one place to enough will cause some of those dots to go dark.”“It's tragic."Aaron shook his head emphatically."No, no.It's exactly the way it should be."Chris turned, confused."Why?"Aaron started to walk down the knoll to towards the disabled vehicle.Chris followed carefully.As they neared, Chris nearly retched at the reek of burned human flesh and oily smoke.He took a few steps back.Aaron slapped his hand against the skin of the vehicle."There's no difference between this," he shouted over the roar of the fire then kicked at the body armor of a dead soldier, "and this."Chris narrowed his brow angrily."How can you say that?"Aaron stepped away from the scene so that he wouldn't have to bellow over the fire."The objective of an army, any army, is not survival of its individual members.Survival is just a variable, a nice one, but totally optional.The objective of all armies is victory.They're supposed to win battles and destroy opposing armies.""I'm not sure if I agree.At the University-"Aaron shrugged."You will, as this goes on.People like us, we have to think like that.The soldier and the tank are the same, they have the same purpose.The media, the academic types, the bleeding heart peace people don't think like that.They don't, not because they're right, but because they've never had to lead troops into battle.They don't stand where we stand.Think about it.When you led the counterattack against House Moore the other day, did you think about the lives of the people you led into combat? Did you change your decisions on your ship when the Black Lotus attacked because you thought about people's lives?”Chris sighed and looked away.“No.”“Exactly! That means you understand,” Aaron crashed his fist into his palm.“You are willing to make sacrifices in order to achieve the greater good.”“Doesn't life have value?” Chris asked."Soldiers have value, but they have value in the same sense as that vehicle has value," Aaron said pointing."Their families won't like to hear that," Chris said."Someone has to write to those people's families and explain to them why their son or daughter isn't coming home.I suspect 'your kid went from one to zero because the dot on my screen went dark' isn't going to reassure them much.""That's why the machines don't write the letters.People do.And those letters always explain that their kid died heroically in service for their lord or religion or country or whatever, regardless of whether he got blown out the back of a vehicle or gunned down while running away.""But that's a lie.How can I think of them as tools to an end, but explain to the families otherwise.It's wrong.""And it's necessary.War is a necessary evil, Kristoffer.It's good people like us who wage it carefully to preserve stability and therefore life.Generals like Pershing, they are vicious men, willing to butcher soldier and civilian.Every soldier knows what will be in those letters.He is prepared for it and so are the families."“Why are you telling me all of this? Why am I even here?”Aaron sighed and seemed to consider the question intently, but silently.Chris frowned and looked away from the dead city.He coughed loudly, impatiently, and rubbed his palms together.“A new war is starting, Kristoffer,” Sir Aaron said suddenly.“While you were hospitalized, word came from Magdeborg.During the funeral for Archduke Peter, Lord Damien denounced Lady Salena and declared war on her,” Aaron added slowly.“When we leave Goteborg, whether we stop Pershing here or not, we will now have enemies on all sides and be fighting against one of the Commonwealth's most powerful armies.”Chris narrowed his brow in confusion.“You haven't heard?”“Only rumors.” Chris said.Odd rumors at that.While Chris was recovering, many of them reached his ears: that there was an attack on the Sten family crypt.Some said Lord Damien was killed, others that Archduke Peter had faked his own death, and even more curious were the ones that claimed Salena had usurped the throne from Archduke Peter's hidden son.None of them made sense, but the more outlandish the rumor the faster it had swept the hospital.“Damien used the funeral to declare war on Salena's regime.”“Civil war? In the Commonwealth? That hasn't happened in-”“An extremely long time, not at this scale anyway.Look, this is going to get bloody and I didn't drag you into anything you weren't already wrapped up in.You involved yourself when you sprung Lord Pershing.You will bear the responsibility of your actions now and in the future.”Aaron looked like he wanted to add more as his jaw worked to try to form the words.but he stopped, rubbed the days-old stubble on his face and looked away from the ruins of Anackborg.The young knight seemed to struggle with his emotions before his face slipped back into the mask of command.Chris tread very carefully.“Why are we still here then? If you and Lord Damien are going to challenge Lady Salena, why continue to spend lives here? Why not let me and my crew go? It should be over [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]