Schlock Mercenary/Heartwarming

The tale of a band of gravity-cannons-for-hire traveling the galaxy to meet fascinating life-forms and kill them ... and there are still those moments which make us go awwww!

"Lota: "King Lota thinks it is a little too big."
 * This strip, where Liz asks Nick the right question: http://schlockmercenary.com/d/20100618.html
 * And later...
 * After Brad detonates his disabled tank to keep it from causing thousands of deaths, they erect a 25-foot tall statue of him in a Credomarian park.

Schlock: "Brad's best friend thinks it's almost big enough.""

""My captain needs me to be something I'm not.""
 * Schlock himself demonstrates the other side of the Description Cut.
 * "What if, for at least the next couple of weeks, we put all our life-or-death expertise and energy into building something wonderful... something that will outlast our stay here?"
 * "Playing Goddess of War and protecting the most beautiful bald head in the universe is supposed to be my job. Thanks for standing in for me."
 * Sergeant Schlock demonstrates his friendship and loyalty here....
 * Tailor gets one partway through this comic that is passed by pretty rapidly but really highlights his growing character and loyalty past just his duty.


 * The truth of the Toughs' mindwipe finally coming out, and Tagon's total trust in "amorphous psychopath" Schlock's verification.
 * The comic in general has a twisted sort of heartwarmingness about it; in spite of being about a group of scruple-deficient mercenaries, as the above-linked strip shows, friendship actually plays a big part and is sometimes the only thing the Toughs can really rely on. They may not be able to trust the person paying their commission and the guy with the altruistic motive for being on their side is almost certainly up to something, but they know damn sure they can rely on their friends.
 * SNAP!
 * One for the entire universe: The footnote that describes inertiics mentions that inertiic engineers get free passage anywhere out of appreciation for the fact that their skills save thousands of lives daily.
 * Petey not only was happy to host Theo and Bunni's wedding, but he went to exceptional lengths to make sure it was the perfect wedding. For a god-koala-AI, he still looks after and cares for his friends.
 * Tagon grumbles that any death benefits for the Toughs come out of the captain's pay ... but a note reveals that he was the one who put that into the charter, because it averts a We Have Reserves attitude and "it is inherently noble...."