Ice & Blood - 7) Dissent?

The gunshot shattered the arctic silence. Jenkins couldn't force himself to look at what remained of Morrison, who'd dared question a new convoy attack. "Let this be clear to everyone," she announced, pistol still smoking in the frozen air. "Dissent kills us all." The crew stood paralyzed, their captain transformed into something unrecognizable. Blood steamed in the snow, a dark stain spreading toward their boots. Jenkins finally raised his head, his face ashen. "Captain, this isn't..." But she was already holstering the weapon. "Survival requires discipline. Morrison forgot that." The other sailors exchanged terrified glances. This wasn't the woman who'd promised them freedom from the old captain's weakness. This was something far worse - a leader who'd learned that fear worked better than hope. Jenkins stepped backward, understanding that everything had changed. The revolution had devoured its own child.