Saga is the main source of my philosophical/intellectual feelings on violence being *literally* the stupidest, most self-destructive invention of nature, and this chapter sets the groundwork for that theme in this series. Its connection to Marko is its most obvious form, but with each new re-read I find a new corner it occupies.
In this one, Marko breaks his vow for the first time, in order to protect his family from the arrival of Landfallian soldiers. He does so for well-established reasons. "Talking it out" with people geared toward violence as a means to every end (or an end itself) is incredibly risky or outright naive. Trying to convince soldiers *not* to kill you when that's, like, their whole deal?? Get outta here. Convincing a freelancer sent to kill you *for money* not to do so is similarly ridiculous (though Marko didn't know The Stalk was a freelancer at first).
Here, he knows violence, or the threat of it, is simply an attempt to speak their language. Language as a theme for compassion and anti-violence is another long tangent. When the soldiers shoot Alana during the ensuing firefight, Marko goes totally nuts and starts lopping off limbs and such.
*The* most important visual motif of Saga comes in here, with the Red Panels. Whenever addictive violence is indulged, or whenever violence is enacted as a facet of someone's nature, a red background (I believe it's actually a crimson shade, which is fitting for obvious reasons) takes over each panel. This happens here with Marko. This visual motif is in its infancy here, so it's more meant to be connected to the blood spilled and fire (not all that dissimilar from Alana's outburst panel from Chapter One), only later (I think) turned into a recurring image later, and turned to a more vibrant, consistent shade.
Either way, Alana stuns Marko with her stun weapon before he can actually kill anyone, and they escape. He later remarks on violence and says the most important sentiment of the entire series: "Violence is stupid. Even as a last resort, it only ever begets more of the same. Conflict always has consequences. Always."
This theme is punctuated by an act of violence that starts a cycle of violence that Marko is so terrified of: Prince Robot IV kills The Stalk. This act has ramifications of nuclear-bomb proportions for this series and the characters involved. It's one of those things that we don't see until much, much later. Great!