Challenge #02107-E284: Picking Sides

“You’re fired from the War. In fact, you’re entire adrenaline-crazy species is fired from the War!”
“Umm... I don’t think that’s how that works.” -- Anon Guest

"Breach of contract," howled Admiral Nagisok. "I've been criminally mislead. You were supposed to excel at war."

"Yeah, we do," said Human Sam.

"LIES!" Nagisok pointed out to the battle map, where thousands of points of light were blinking on and off. "You've made this war far worse than it ever had to be. You're fired."

"Uhm," said Human Sam. "I think there was a misunderstanding here. We... don't end wars a lot. Especially when there's geurilla tactics going on. Those can drag on for years. Hell, there was this one time? On the Asian continent--"

"Do not," sighed the Admiral. "Explain to me in simple terms how the tactics alter the course of the war, and why you have to make it drag out like this instead of ending it expeditiously."

"Okay," Human Sam started ticking off points on her fingers. "One: You want to be able to inhabit the planet after we win it, so that stops us using nukes, orbital impact, germ warfare, and just plain old poison. I mean, we could make the planet a barren, uninhabitable, blasted landscape, but you won't let us. Two: that leaves us with bombs, booby-traps and guns. You won't let us trap the place. You don't want us bombing the infrastructure. That leaves us with guns. Three: guns require someone to hold them and fire them on site or we run the risk of harming innocent civilians with automated ordinance. Not that you seem to care." Human Sam glared at the Admiral, indicating this was a point in his disfavour.

"They are on that planet illegally," said Admiral Nagisok. "Their lives are forfeit."

Human Sam didn't ask by whose rules. She already knew. "They don't seem to be aware of that law and we swore off shooting innocents some centuries ago. All of that leaves us with going down on the ground, killing all the hostiles and evacuating all the unarmed citizens to safer digs. That. Takes. Time. Do you understand all this, or do I have to use smaller words?"

Admiral Nagisok matched her glare for glare. "Get out of my war."

Human Sam smirked. "Thought you'd say that. Turns out we have a competing contract in the immediate vicinity. Seems this peaceful little farming world is being attacked by a power-mad despot stupid enough to hire Humans who can understand GalStand. We got their story, we got their contract, and you have forty-eight hours to get outta dodge before we end your war and turn you and all your ships into a bright smear in the sky." Human Sam showed him the contract. "Do you understand that, little Admiral? Or do I have to use smaller words?"

The one advantage with fighting a ground war is that one can decide on the damage one does, and how quickly one can repair it. After all, one of the other things Humans were great at was Humanitarian Aid.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / AlgolOnline]

If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!

Send me a prompt [24 remaining prompts!]

Support me on Patreon / Buy me a Ko-fi

Check out the other stuff I'm selling