Killian glanced up from his task for a moment, listening to the cries and clashes of swords that echoed down from the deck of the ship. He presumed that they'd been boarded by a rival pirate crew, which happened much more often than one might think. The crew of the Jolly Roger were ruthless fighters and had never been beaten, but he wondered if today might be the day for that to change. He looked away from the ceiling above him and continued with his task, carefully peeling potatoes in the murky half-light of the galley. While more men rushed from below to join the fight on deck, Killian made no move to assist. He'd never been allowed to even hold a weapon, never mind fight with one; he wasn't even allowed on deck without express permission from the Captain. He was a slave and his status - or lack thereof - had been made quite clear to him throughout his years of servitude aboard the Jolly Roger.
The battle above continued on for some time and Killian carried out his duties below deck with little care for the final result. If they lost then he'd be killed and if they won then he'd just continue on with no change to his life. He made his way to the Captain's cabin with fresh sheets and began changing the bed, replacing the black silk sheets with red silk. He was so preoccupied with his task, setting the bed as Captain Blackbeard required it, that he didn't notice a figure climb down into the cabin behind him.
"And who might you be?" the person asked and Killian froze. That voice wasn't the Captain or any of the crew; it wasn't even a male voice.
Slowly, Killian turned to face the intruder. She was stunning, a pirate goddess with blonde flowing hair and shining green eyes.
"Well, are you mute as well as a coward?" she asked, raising her sword and placing the bloodstained metal at his throat.
"I-I-I'm not a coward." Killian stuttered, "I'm a deckhand."
"If you're a deckhand, why are you hiding in here?" she sneered, "This is the Captain's cabin, is it not?"
"I'm not hiding, I have tasks to complete." Killian replied, putting as much strength into his voice as he could, "What are you doing in Captain Blackbeard's cabin?"
"I'm moving in." the woman smirked, "Blackbeard is dead and the Jolly Roger is the fastest ship on the seas, I'd be a fool not to upgrade. You may call me Captain Swan and swear your allegiance or go swimming with the sharks - your choice."
Killian gulped, glancing down at the blade at his throat, "It is an honour to meet you, Captain Swan. My name is Killian but most call me Hook, for obvious reasons."
"How inventive." Captain Swan chuckled, lowering her sword and looking over at the shining silver hook that replaced his left hand, "Well, Hook, your services are required on deck. Help my men remove the bodies and then begin cleaning the blood from the deck."
"Yes, Captain." Killian replied with a slight nod. He turned back to the bed and finished his task before he collected up the old sheets and made his way up onto the deck.
Emma watched with amusement and slight disbelief as the deckhand, Hook, finished making the bed before he left the cabin. She'd spent time on ships of all kinds, but it was rare to find a pirate who was so servant-like.
"Right then, let's see what treasures you hid in here, Blackbeard." She chuckled to herself once she was alone, slowly turning on the spot as she appraised the room.
Emma worked her way through every spot of the room meticulously, examining floorboards and paneling to find all of the secret stashes. The treasures littered around the room on shelves and inside books were only a drop in the ocean compared to the treasures in the walls and floor of the cabin.
After making a mental note of the secret spots and hiding them again, Emma pulled down the most recent Captain's log from the shelf beside the desk. She opened the first page and had to catch the small bunch of papers that fell out from the cover. She placed the book down on the desk and flicked through the papers in her hand. She made her way through the papers and put the less important ones down. She froze when she came to the last few papers, a slavery contract for one Killian Jones.
"You. My cabin, now." Captain Swan ordered with a sharp kick to Hook's ribs. He was on his knees, scrubbing the deck clean of blood, intent on not stopping until every plank was perfect.
"Yes, Captain." Killian replied, getting to his feet and following the woman down to her new cabin.
"I've been considering what to do with you all afternoon." Emma admitted with a dark smile, "You're not my crew and you're not able-bodied, so I should just kill you."
Killian swallowed and nodded a little, accepting of whatever fate she chose for him.
"However, you're not exactly Blackbeard's crew either. You belong to the ship. I've seen your papers in the Captain's log, you've got another 42 years of servitude on this ship." she said, "I want to know what you did to have such a long sentence of servitude."
"My father sold my brother and I as slaves. My brother escaped 8 years ago and it was decided by Captain Silver that my time in service would be significantly increased as punishment for my brother leaving." Killian explained quietly, "Captain Silver didn't like it when his property went missing."
"Naturally, no pirate Captain likes their property to escape." Emma agreed as she watched him, "That being said, I'm not cruel and slavery doesn't interest me. You seem hard-working so I have a deal for you."
"A deal, Captain?" Killian asked in surprise.
"Serve one full year in my crew and then you're a free man. I'll tear up these servitude papers and you'll be free to choose to stay or to go." Emma said, "You don't have to take the deal. You can walk the plank or continue on in eternal servitude, but my deal offers you protection and a role in my crew. You'll be one of us, not a slave that the men can bully."
Killian took a moment to consider his options before he nodded, "Aye Captain, you've got yourself a deal." He agreed with a grateful smile.
"Good. Welcome to my crew, Mr Jones. My first mate, Mr Anderson, will inform you of your duties tomorrow." Emma replied with a nod and a slight smile, "Now get back to work, I expect those decks to be free of bloodstains by sunset."