“Right, Buccaneers!” The captain walked up and down the line of soldiers, her hands tucked behind her back. “I’ve heard that you Bucklers are fixing to join the war in Aerturnis. What on Eden would possess you to want to do that?” The captain stopped in front of one of the ‘Bucklers’, the ground force of the Caleahan Buccaneers.
He sneered back at her.
“I’m being serious. I want a response from each of you would be ‘Spartans’ on why joining in that cluster fuck is so important to you. You’re good men, and I need you manning those towers and keeping our city safe.” She caught a glimpse of one of the younger buccaneers further down the line snicker and look to his friend beside him. “Something funny, Gruffudd?”
“No, ma’am.” He looked to attention, staring forward.
“I thought not.” The captain looked across the marina, musing at the sunlight glistening off the crystal blue surface of Lake Caleah. “We’ve offered a small number of soldiers to our neighbour in their war. Not ours. You won’t be earning any glory. You’re not protecting your families or friends. You will likely die, and on foreign soil away from your home. Before any of you go, you will be required to give your reasoning in writing, and I will be personally seeing to each of your requests. Any of you give me a piss-weak response or I think your heart ain’t in it, you’ll be staying here. And as much as your wives probably want you gone so they can fuck the milkman to their hearts’ contents, it has to be your reason. Not theirs.”
The soldiers laughed, but quickly fell silent once more, offering their respect to their commanding officer.
“Submissions are due by 6pm tomorrow. You’re dismissed.”
The soldiers saluted her back as they left, one-by-one, to the barracks.
Today's prompt: spartan
If you'd like to participate too, the contest can be found here: @mariannewest/day-1576-5-minute-freewrite-sunday-prompt-spartan