The Last Ship Season 5

Episode 1~ Casus Bell

He was tired of war. The harshness of it all. The weight that always seemed to fall upon his shoulders. Duty, they called it. Doing his duty. Was he doing his duty when he let Quincy die? Was he doing his duty when he watched Greece fall? Or when China became the place from which the lessons of the past were forgotten, and genocide rained supreme? Duty, all of it. He'd saved the world twice now and still there was no end in sight. The battle for peace was a never ending one for they would never learn that it cannot come from the point of a sword. He was beginning to wonder if Vellek was right after all. To find peace one must never become angry.

He stared at the smoke filling the horizon. That was all he could do, stare. There was little else he could do. This far from shore it was silent and he was thankful for that. As much as he longed to be in the thick of the fight, to do something! He could not hear the screaming. That was always the worst, the screams. He felt many things in that moment. Fear, yes. Anger, most certainly. Those were his friends! Michener, Michael, Oliver, and they were dying! For the first time in three years he was not alone. He had a fleet beside him! He felt that he could finally have things his own way. He could teach others to carry the flag, then retire. And here it was again, someone messing up his plans! Messing with his life! He was sick of it!!! How many more times did he have to defend his home? Protect that which had lied to him, cheated him, tried to kill him on several occasions. Why did he continue to serve?!?! "Where else can I go?" He thought.

He wanted his peace, and yet he was only truly happy in the fight. He was asked once if he missed the war. He didn't want to admit it, but in his heart he knew the answer. He was a warrior. The outcome didn't matter to him as much as the battle itself. He knew he would find victory. He did his best work alone. Because that is all he ever would be. He was destined to face every opponent without the benefit of a fleet, his entire nation's fate resting on his shoulders. He was The Last Ship standing and he would do his duty.