"Chief on deck!"

We all scrambled to get into an organized line, something that the old american army used to do when their captain or even commanding officer was "on deck". We weren't on a ship, but we just kept to that wording so we wouldn't have to change what to say no matter where we were. We still had to sound somewhat professional, being the clans militia since there was no more government. Government had been abolished in 2436, and militia was the only thing left for the clans to protect themselves.

"Alright men, today is what you've been training your whole lives for. Amy! Bring in the buckets!" A scrawny looking brunette came in, carrying in her  hands a few silver buckets. Another girl, taller, followed her in as well and in her hands were some brooms complete with dustpans and some mops.

I heard the guy next to me begin mumbling to his friend, and I saw that Samuel heard nothing of what he said. Eventually three or four guys started to chuckle and I assumed that whatever that guy had said had spread.

"What was that, soldier?" Samuel came and stood in front of one of the new recruits, putting his arms behind his back.

"I mean no disrespect, sir, but being chief doesn't mean you put your militia on cleanup duty. We aren't the maids who come and clean up your sorry ass." I saw the new recruit smirk out of the corner of my eye, and eventually there was a loud smacking noise. I flinched inwardly.

"You do not disrespect your Chief. You can thank Cane for your new maid ship for today. You are all ordered to clean up around here, I want to see no speck of dirt left. The maids have the day off today." There was a silent pause as Samuel came and stood in front of me. His face held a nice smirk, probably waiting for him to strike me or bloating about his great success at getting the men mad at me. Little did he know that they knew exactly what he thought of me, therefore it didn't earn him respect with them. If anything, now he was less of a leader and more of a lowly rat. But he didn't need to know that just yet. "Well, what are you waiting for? Amy, Jessica, drop the buckets and sticks and go do what you wish. My men have it from here."

The two girls nodded, and we all rushed to pick something up to clean with. God knows what would happen if one of us didn't have a dustpan, much less a bucket to do something  with.

-----

I was in the cafeteria bathroom, scrubbing inside one of the toilets with a toilet brush that one of the maids was gracious enough to give me. "Samuel may act like he's chief, but that doesn't mean that we can't help out our men with some of our old cleaning tricks." She said as she handed me the brush, and I smiled in response. I didn't know exactly what caused Sam to hate me, or why he was still Chief when most people didn't like him. Maybe it was because his own father was still here, but who knows.

I heard the bathroom door open and close, and I paused in what I was doing to listen in. The mystery person went to the sink and turned the faucet on, and I listened to them as they washed their hands. Shrugging, I continued cleaning. It didn't seem like there was any danger here.

"Cane, are you in here?" I heard the new recruit who Samuel slapped speak, and I stood with the scrubber in my left hand as I opened the stall door with my right. It was a nice change to get out of what I was nose deep into cleaning.

"Yeah, I am. What's up, Derek?" I took my yellow gloves off and set them neat one of the sinks, watching as he took off his blue apron. He was on kitchen duty, helping the kitchen maids cook.

"Why is it that Sam hates you so much?" He placed his apron next to another sink on the opposite side of me and turned a sink on, splashing his face.

I shrugged as I turned the sink water on myself, washing my hands and splashing my face with cool water as well. It was pretty warm and sticky in the bathroom, and I had to have one way to cool off.

"I'm not really sure as to why he dislikes me so much. We were pretty great friends when we were younger, running and training together." I shrugged again, grabbing the gloves I had set down and pulling them back onto my hands.

"I honestly think that you should've been chief instead of that bastard. He thinks everything is just playing into his hands. Does he even know that most people don't like him?" I looked at Derek who was staring at himself in the mirror, studying the red welts left behind from before.

"I don't think me being chief would've helped the situation. I wanted to be out on the battlefield, I couldn't just abandon being a captain. I don't trust Thomas to lead my team, either. He sucks as a leader. Better off on his own, in my opinion." I turned and grabbed my scrub brush, heading back into the stall that I had been working on.

"Cane, I just want you to know that we'll find your dad, and Chelsea's too." I paused before I pushed the stall door open, and gave Derek a slow nod without looking at him.

"Don't worry, I know we will."