Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 263: The Nature of Justice



Bruno ensured that the full number of rounds was loaded into his Mauser C96 "Red 9" semi- automatic sidearm. The weapon itself was fed via a stripper clip through the chamber and directly into the internal ten round magazine.

However, Bruno had a tendency to always keep a loaded weapon on him at all times. This was in addition to a knife, a watch, and a multi-tool of some kind. Because of this, the rounds were already well within the internal magazine of the weapon, and he pulled the charging handle back just enough to confirm a round was chambered.

After doing this, he stepped out from under the cover of the balcony above him, and into the rain. Despite the torrent downpour from the heavens, the streets of Sarajevo were filled with soldiers and civilians alike.

Why was this the case? Because today was a day where the people would witness justice unfold. Bruno smirked as he thought of the lyrics from a song he had rather enjoyed from his previous life.

"Justice ain't no lady, she's a twisted, battered whore..."

And boy oh boy was this the truth if Bruno had ever heard it. The man pulled out his last cigarette as he stuffed the empty container back in his coat pocket. After doing so, he lit the device and took a long drag, thinking about the matter in depth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

In his past life, during the 21st century of western civilization, people had been living a peaceable life, far enough away from the cruelty and violence of humanity that they had forgotten many realities of this world.

They lived in a state of illusion, one of their own making where they believed that people were generally good, and that evil could be reasoned with, and changed. And in this state of naivety and outright stupidity, they convinced themselves that justice served the purpose of rehabilitating a criminal after he had been convicted of violating the law.

This, of course, was incorrect. Justice was never intended to serve the interests of the criminal, rather, its sole purpose was to ensure that society, and the people within it, were compliant with the rule of law. You could not reason with a man who lived a life outside the law. There were few, if any, circumstances where you could convince him to follow the rules that we have all agreed to adhere to in a civilized society.

And without that compliance, you got the law of the jungle, and that was a very dark, scary, and violent place. See, it was ultimately the law, and nothing but the existence of a law that differentiated humans from animals.

Sure, we had opposable thumbs, and supposedly our species was more intelligent than the others that we ruled over on God's green earth. Albeit, Bruno had some severe doubts if that was the case. Even so, the existence of laws, and the fact that we adhere to them, is what made us civilized, and not animals.

Because of this, one must always get rid of those who lived outside the means of the law. Whether that was to confine them in a place with others like themselves who simply could not behave themselves. Or to do what Bruno was about to do.

Justice did not serve the interest of the criminal; it did not function as a means of rehabilitation. No, she served the crown, and had always been a tool to punish those who violated the Kaiser's laws. And today these wrongdoers had just done that.

As an instrument of the Kaiser's will, and his sword sent to the Balkans, it was naturally Bruno's place to give his sentence. And it was time for the public to be know what had been done, as well as every soldier who gathered to witness the commotion.

Bruno stood before the men being condemned to death and spoke of their crimes, in a heated and passionate manner, one that was rather unusual for a man who was often as cold as ice.

"You have gathered here all today to witness the execution of these criminals. Until now, they have behaved admirably as soldiers in his Kaiser's Army. Veterans who bear the Valorant marks of their forbearers who fought the Red Menace in Russia ten years ago and drove them to extinction.

Today, however, these men have gone from soldiers to criminals, as they conducted mass murder against the inhabitants of a local town. An act of retaliation on behalf of our allies who were ruthlessly gunned down by the cowardly militias.

This retaliation was neither requested nor approved. Nor has any intelligence suggested that among these monster's victims were the perpetrators responsible for the initial crime which provoked this heinous response.

A wise man once said that waging war against good people is bad for the soul. And I tend to agree with this statement. It is because these men wear the uniforms of soldiers representing his majesty, Kaiser Wilhelm II's will, and are within my own chain of command that I have decided to personally take responsibility for this incident.

Today, I play the role of judge, jury, and executioner. And find these murderers guilty of all crimes as they have confessed to me. And as their general, I hereby strip them of their ranks, titles, and honors in the name of the Kaiser, and sentence them to death. May God have mercy on your souls, for you shall find none from me..."

After saying this, Bruno turned around and withdrew his pistol from him his holster, quickly aiming it down range and plugging a round into the skulls of each of the culprits in as many seconds. After doing this, Bruno holstered his pistol and walked away from the scene of his execution without the slightest trace of emotion on his face.

Either way, the message was clear, as it had been in the east at the beginning of Bruno's military career. War crimes would not be tolerated against civilians. No matter who you were, you would pay the price should Bruno come to learn of your guilt.

Especially if you were a soldier in his army. After this, word quickly spread of Bruno's actions, and the Balkans began to change slowly, but surely for the better. Which was perhaps the best one could ask for, given the circumstances.