PIRATE BORG — THE INNER FIRE · WEEK 4
The merchant brig has lost.
The pirates cross the rail.
Then their captain sees a woman standing among the defeated crew.
She sees him too.
Neither moves.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“You stayed.”
WOMAN:
“You left.”
Mara stares at her.
MARA:
“The girl.”
CHIBI:
“What girl?”
MARA:
“The harbour. The soldiers. Her aunt.”
Chibi looks again.
CHIBI:
“Oh.”
The little girl who once had to choose between her father and her home is no longer little.
She is standing beside her wounded captain.
Her crew stands behind her.
And the pirate captain facing her is her father.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“I thought you were safe.”
WOMAN:
“I was nine.”
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“I know.”
WOMAN:
“No. You know the number.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
He takes a step towards her.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“Come with me.”
She looks at him.
Then at the pirates.
Then back at the sailors beside her.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“You’re my daughter.”
WOMAN:
“Yes.”
He extends his hand.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“Come.”
For a moment, everyone waits for her to choose.
Just as they did when she was nine.
She looks at his hand.
Then at the wounded men behind her.
Finally, she looks back at her father.
WOMAN:
“And them?”
The captain frowns.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“What?”
WOMAN:
“Them.”
She nods towards her crew.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“They’re not part of this.”
WOMAN:
“They are part of me.”
Silence.
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“They’re your crew.”
WOMAN:
“Yes.”
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“I’m your father.”
WOMAN:
“Yes.”
He waits.
WOMAN:
“Both are true.”
The captain looks at the captured cargo.
Food.
Water.
Medicine.
Canvas.
Rigging.
Everything his own crew needs.
WOMAN:
“If I come with you, what happens to them?”
PIRATE CAPTAIN:
“We take what we need.”
WOMAN:
“And leave them what?”
He says nothing.
WOMAN:
“They won’t make port.”
Behind him, his quartermaster speaks.
QUARTERMASTER:
“We need those stores.”
The woman looks at her father.
WOMAN:
“They’re your responsibility.”
She gestures towards his pirates.
Then towards the sailors behind her.
WOMAN:
“They’re mine.”
The captain looks at both crews.
His daughter speaks one last time.
WOMAN:
“If you want me in your life…”
“…this is the life you found.”
His quartermaster steps beside him.
QUARTERMASTER:
“We can leave them enough to make port.”
“We lose half the prize.”
The captain says nothing.
QUARTERMASTER:
“Or we take everything.”
Still nothing.
His crew waits.
Her crew waits.
His daughter waits.
Finally, the quartermaster looks at him.
QUARTERMASTER:
“Captain?”
Mara looks at Chibi.
Chibi looks at Mara.
Then both slowly look towards you.
MARA & CHIBI:
“And what would you do?”
YOUR CHOICE DECIDES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
Tell us in the comments what the captain should do.
The world will remember your choice.
BLACK FLAGS, DEEP WATERS
A living world remembers what you decide.
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