2 Why Do We Fight?
The Echidna nicknamed Skullbash looked out upon the plains of Africa. He felt pity for the souls here who had been hit by the Alliance nukes so early in the war. The bombs had been aimed at every part of the world, toward every one who was not a member of the Alliance. Many countries had been able to stop the bombs aimed at themselves, but non-superpower countries–including all of Africa–had been wiped off the globe. Now, members of the Alliance, clad in radiation suits, inhabited the area and were ready take the rest of the world. Skullbash and his squad had been given radiation suits and sent to take what had once been Sierra Leone, while other squads were closing in all over Africa.
One of the Echidnas asked, "Why do we fight?"
Skullbash turned to look at him. He was new to the field, and had not yet been given a nickname. His number was 12-D. Skullbash raised an eyebrow.
"Have you been taught what the Alliance has done, boy?"
"No, sir."
Skullbash gestured to the near-empty land. "Do you know why this land is so empty, when the human demand for land is so high?"
12-D shook his head.
"It is because a human organization, known as the Alliance, made this place uninhabitable and killed all its people."
"Why does the Alliance fight?"
Skullbash was about to groan when he realized he didn't know the answer. He told 12-D so.
"Do the humans we work for know?"
"I don't know."
"Why don't you ask them?"
"Perhaps later."
"I think we should know before we fight any more. If we communicate, we may be able to solve this nonviolently..."
Skullbash wanted to scream. When he had been trained, he was told to obey all orders, no questions asked. When someone was wanted dead, they were killed. When someone was wanted interrogated, they were captured. But this was sheer lunacy...
"Didn't you listen to what I just said? This Alliance killed these people unprovoked. They wiped all life from this continent. Whatever their reasons, that is reason enough for us to fight."
Every Echidna in the 16-man squad was watching 12-D with expressions of amazement. No one had ever asked one question except "What do you want?" and "Where do we go?" This was unheard of.
"There has to be a reason. They must want something really bad if they'll kill this many people for it."
Skullbash wanted to scream. But he wasn't leader of his squad for nothing. Breathing heavily, he said,
"Tell you what. When we kill this group, you can inspect their bodies. Maybe you'll find something."
Of course, Skullbash had simply intended this to crush all hope of solving the mystery. He never expected the search would actually turn something up...