Prompt: The Heart Goes Last
A skyrate’s life, especially that of a captain, is a lonely one.
My crew are a bunch of misfits - a mixed bag of seasoned sailors and bumbling outcasts. They are committed to our mission, but they know well that this is short term. I certainly don’t give a damn what they do with themselves after all is said and done.
Gerrit is a faithful quartermaster. He supports my leadership, and he talks me out of shit ideas. He is faithful to the end. But we both know that there will be an end.
This life does not lend itself to love. That is why Rule 7 of The Code forbids romantic affairs both in and out of the ship. Should any of our enemies discover that our hearts are soft, they will use that to their advantage.
I had a romance back when I was a gunner. She was an apprentice carpenter from Oporto. When our ship was attacked, I protected her over our treasure. The enemies seized the opportunity and left us desolate in the open skies.
The captain was generous enough to spare my life, but the shame was heavier than the oak wood that replaced my right hand. When we landed in Anglia, I chose to stay behind and start all over.
Today, the reason for Rule 7 works among my crew. There is no other life for us than this one, so we are forever ship mates.
In the life of a skyrate, the heart goes last.
Thank you for reading! This post was inspired by radicaledward’s writing prompt. I’ve been a little dry in inspiration for my Sky Pirates story, so this prompt was helpful in developing a little back story for one of the major characters.
Shout out to Scoot for helping me find the original note! I use the Substack webpage, and I’m still figuring out some of the mechanics of the website. If you’re following my notes, you have seen my struggles in navigating the save features. The Substack community always comes in clutch with helpful tips. :)
Space pirates!! Love it!!