By: Peldak Senate
Date: 19 AP
Peldaks are born and bred to fight. This simple reality was proven long before records began, and has been continually reinforced over our long history.
Most of us release our aggression through enlisting in the military, entering the arenas, or through contact sports. The occasional brawl, which have even been known to break out on the Senate floor during particularly heated debates, are yet another accepted, if not exactly desired, outlet for peldak violence.
But in the years following the sayran’s uplifting of our people, the Senate has observed a popular new trend among our kind: Mercenary work.
It comes as no surprise that the weaker races -the cirathans and monsoorai- would seek the aid of refined peldak muscle. It even makes a certain kind of sense for peldaks to sell their martial skill in the pursuit for adventure and profit. Should the peldak in question conduct himself with the honor and courage expected of one sharing our blood, mercenary work can even be a positive experience.
But the morality of mercenary work is different from that of a soldier. In past millennia, conflict was simple. If you fought for Pelda and the Army of Light, you were good. If you fought against us, you were bad. Cut and dry, easy for the layman to understand, no need for complicated thinking.
To these aliens, not all wars are black and white.
Say two groups of aliens wage war over shipping rights. Who’s the villain? Who’s in the right? It’s a conflict of interests, one that has no connection to the peldaks. Being employed by either side is valid, so long as they’re willing to abide by basic morality.
Which leaves a rather large question. If each side of a conflict is valid, and there’s so many peldaks looking for mercenary work, then what happens if two peldaks find themselves on opposing sides? The answer, as we’ve observed time and again these past two decades, is that they’ll inevitably start trying to kill each other. The added pressure of wanting to show off in front of aliens means they won’t stop fighting until one side is dead, though we’ve seen plenty of cases where everyone eventually expires from their wounds.
This is unacceptable; a complete waste of peldak life. Compared to the lifespan of aliens, our numbers aren’t so easily replaced. We can’t afford to waste lives in conflicts that don’t matter to us or our interests.
The Peldak Senate has therefore adopted this resolution: The Cessation of Brother Wars.
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Provision 1: The Senate, supported by the Lord Protector, hereby recognizes the cirathan customs union known as the Pel League, and the monsoorai state of Asean, as allies. They are a natural extension of Pelda’s influence.
Provision 2: Any peldak hired as a mercenary working against the interests of Pelda, or her natural allies, will be declared an enemy of the state, and their rights under civil law will be forfeited.
Provision 3: Mercenary work under Pelda’s natural allies, and in conflicts where neither side are our allies (AKA: third party conflicts), carry no such restrictions and are to be encouraged. As foreign policy is the sole domain of the Lord Protector, the Senate endorses neither side of third party conflicts.
Provision 4: Should peldak mercenaries find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict, killing will be considered a crime no different than if it occurred on the streets of Pelda. Upon the murderer’s return to peldak territory, the appropriate fines and punishments will be leveled against the murderer. Conditions such as self-defense and accidents will be considered just as any normal murder trial would.
Provision 5: Killing will only be a crime if committed against a brother or sister peldak. Aliens do not apply to this resolution. Executing unarmed or defeated foes, and abusing civilians, are still punishable offenses under peldak civil law.
Provision 6: If two peldak mercenaries meet on opposite sides of a conflict, it is not the expectation of this Senate that the two should abandon their contracts and leave the battle, nor do we expect the peldaks to ignore each other and slaughter their alien opponents. Instead, the two will engage in an ordered, controlled, non-lethal duel. Any duel described in the peldak duel code is acceptable, and the defeated party is honor-bound to accept the results. There are over 40 authorized duel formats detailed in the peldak duel code, each with their own specific rules and conditions for victory. The linking commonality is that none of them will result in death or disfigurement of the participants.
Provision 7: Should the victor engage in behavior that violates civil or moral law (such as attacking non-combatants), the results of the duel become void. The defeated party would have an obligation to stop that behavior, even if he must kill the victor to do so.
Provision 8: Cirathans are cowards and lose heart quickly. After a duel, the victorious peldak must immediately offer the defeated party’s cirathan allies a chance to surrender. If any manage to find their spine long enough to refuse, they become combatants. Monsoorai are not subject to this provision as their culture forbids surrender, and are therefore unlikely to accept.
Provision 9: If, somehow, on the rare occasion, the stars align and a peldak mercenary is losing a fight against alien soldiers and is at risk of being killed, the peldak mercenary on the opposing side is not required to step in and help him. Should a peldak die by alien hands, the opposing peldak is not legally or morally responsible for his death.
Provision 10: The Senate will send copies of this resolution to alien states so they may understand the rules associated with hiring peldak mercenaries. They will never find a stronger warrior, but that strength becomes irrelevant if he happens to come across a rival peldak and loses a duel. Should a peldak mercenary abide by this resolution, and then be killed or harmed by his employer in retaliation, the Lord Protector will consider that an act of war against Pelda.
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Finding a loophole in the exact wording of this resolution will not be considered a valid defense in court. The sentiment behind this resolution is to save peldak lives while not putting too many restrictions on mercenary activities.
The spirit of the law matters more than the letter of the law. Do not listen to alien voices, especially cirathan ones, attempting to convince you of working against your common sense.
God bless.