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Mike Thornside walked towards the room where they were keeping Kroytla 'prisoner'. He sniffed a little and shook his head. At least Wychin wasn't going to kill it immediately, but Mike had gotten to somewhat like the sectoid. As much as one whose life had been made a living hell by their kind can. He had never really been one to hold one person responsible for the acts of others, favoring individuality.
The problem was, the aliens appeared to be entirely focused on making the individual not matter much.
He stopped as he heard something clatter, and walked into the room. Harrison was standing over Kroytla, smearing something on the sectoid's face and jeering. Mike cleared his throat loudly; Harrison ignored him.
"Squaddie Harrison!" Mike shouted, and the other turned his head quickly, then chuckled.
"Hey Mike, just giving this . . . traitor . . ." Harrison shoved the mud he was holding at Kroytla again. ". . . what it deserves."
"Stop it Harrison."
"Why? Give me one good reason." Harrison kicked Kroytla visciously in the side, and Mike closed the distance between them in five quick steps, grabbing Harrison by the shoulder and spinning him againsta wall.
"I ordered you to . . . Squaddie. Do you have a problem with that?" Mike put a lot of the anger he was feeling into the voice. Anger at the Ethereals for messing with people's heads, anger at Wychin for not realizing an Ethereal had been controlling Kroytla, and anger at the whole frigging mess. Harrison shoved at Mike's arm, but Mike slapped his other hand on the man's chest. "I said, do you have a problem with that?"
"No . . . sir."
"Get out of here." Mike shoved the squaddie at the door roughly, and watched him leave with an angry stomping. He turned to Kroytla. "You okay?"
{That was unnessary.} Kroytla winced. {Why did you do that?}
"Because it's not fair for them to beat up on you for what the Etheral made you do." Mike sat on his heels and looked up. "Right?"
{I pulled the trigger, Mike.}
"Uh huh, yet I wasn't punished at all for hitting Soph that one time." Mike smiled. "See, Wychin had to decide whether you were friend or enemy the first time. He's not exactly fond of aliens."
{Obvious.}
"But he has to realize sooner or later it can happen to any one of us and he can't just kill people forced into shooting at him *after* they're release from the psi control." Mike shook his head at Kroytla's expressionless face. "Also, you know, I don't like seeing friends get killed."
"Friends?" Sophia was in the doorway. "Mike, I never would have guessed. When's the wedding?" She was grinning, but it faded. "Harrision is out there trying to make you sound like a traitor yourself."
"I want this to be kept reasonable." He swallowed, and shook his head. "We are not animals. We aren't . . ." He clenched a hand, and looked up. "It's one thing to take no prisoners. It's another to take prisoners and torture them."
"It's not torture, according ot Harrison." Sophie walked into the room. "So, what are you gonna tell Wychin?"
"I don't know yet." Mike shrugged. "I'll play it by ear."
". . . insubordination, assisting a known traitor. . ." Harrison was rattling through a list, as Mike stood before Wychin and McManus, Sophia standing to one side. Wychin looked thoughtful, but McManus looked bored.
"I get the idea Harrison." Sam Wychin sighed and shook his head. "Look, Mike, I really wonder if you're wanting to do this with yourself."
"Sir?"
"Why," Wychin shook his head. "did you stick up for the bug?"
Mike looked at the floor, andlooked up. "Well, sir, I'm remembering the horror stories of previous wars. How prisoners were treated like animals or not paid any attention at all. I always thought we could get better about it." He looked at Harrison. "It was fine with me when we took no prisoners, because things are always simple that way. Once you start, though, you have to be merciful."
"Why merciful?" McManus looked ay Wychin, frowning a little at the question.
"Because, sir, when the enemy knows you take no prisoners, or prisoners are treated unfairly, why bother surrendering?" Mike raised a hand. "Then, you have a different sort of enemy, on the individual level. They know you won't be merciful, so why surrender? Fight to the last man, take as may with you as they can. Kamikaze." He shook his head. "Think on it, sir . . ."
"I plan to, Sargent." Wychin nodded. "Dismissed."
Sophia caught up with him after leaving. "They're giving Harrison a talking to about proper procedure. I think he's ready to melt into the floor."
"Hmm." Mike nodded. "I wonder what Wychin is thinking about this . . ." He shrugged and took out a notepad, sitting against the door to Kroytla's room, stretching his legs across the hallway floor. "If anyone needs me, I'll be here." He opened a notebook and started studying notes.
Written by "Mike Thornside"