Legal Note: I do not own any of the characters associated with Pirates of the Carribean or Teasure Planet. I do not have any legal right to use them or any other proprietary words originating from these movies. This story was done just for the fun of it. Not for profit. If you like it please tell me. If you don't like it please tell me why with particulars but not excessive detail.

Summary: Our heroes are to be honored by the Empress but traveling in a time of war is a dangerous business. Can Jack, Amelia, Delbert and the children defeat the agents of the Mhinm and survive the rigors of a remote moon? Will they make it to the Capital to receive the honors from the Empress' hand or will they be lost to the ages?

Welcome to Azha
Prologue: Long Live Captain Sparrow

Amelia looked wildly over her shoulder. Her wounds throbbed with pain but there was her duty and her family to think of. It was like a nightmare. Everything she could do wouldn't be enough. The old ship just didn't have it in her to go any faster and they had no weapons to fight a frigate with.

"Mr. Brraadtt," Amelia yelled over the roar of the protesting engine. "Clear that pop gun for action! If they take us, it won't be without a fight."

Everyone on deck stared at her. Delbert. The children. Everyone. Brraadtt snapped out of it though and scrambled to the ancient L3 on its swivel amidships. Just as he pumped the priming lever a huge explosion rumbled from the frigate. Instantly all eyes snapped aft. A fireball rose from the stern of the warship. Feedback sent viridian arcs from mast to mast. Small figures leaped from the rigging into the void. Better to die cold and alone than to fry in an electric hell. The flames aboard the frigate spread fast. More explosions blossomed into fireballs as the ready racks for the guns detonated. The frigate was being torn apart even as Amelia and the rest watched. With a final deafening thunder clap the massive warship exploded in a cataclysm that sent a shock wave rolling over Amelia's ancient vessel nearly capsizing it.

Amelia pulled herself back to her feet and stared aft hoping to see the man that had saved their lives. The frigate was gone. Only a debris field and lingering clouds of smoke remained. They were safe. Oh yes. They were safe at last. But Jack... Jack was dead. Long live Captain Sparrow. Jack was dead.

Chapter 1: The Summons

"Ma'am?"

Amelia looked up from the paper she was reading and Delbert from his book to find their maid Ona waiting quietly by the door. The Dopplers were not rich but Delbert insisted on keeping Ona. She had been his maid before the adventure with the Legacy and Flint's Trove and truthfully Amelia was glad for the help.

"Yes, Ona?" Amelia asked. "What is it?"

"Two naval officers here to see you, ma'am."

"Really?" Delbert asked.

"Naval officers?" Amelia frowned. She dreaded visits from the young pups that were so eager to meet her after the rescue of Delbert and the scientists from the Mhinm. The banquet at Situla was one thing but these youngsters hanging on the bell rope all day was quite another. "Did they say what they want?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ona said nodding her head. "It's some official business. They told me no more."

"Oh." Amelia frowned again. She looked at Delbert who was now frowning too. Official business could mean a number of things. She'd just been reading how stretched the Empire's resources were. They hadn't been ready for another war before the recent attempted sneak attack by the Mhinm. Ships were still being refitted and crews were being scraped together from barely trained recruits. It was feared they might need to resort to press gangs again. Not the least worry was the shortage of experienced officers. Amelia feared she would be called back. It wasn't that she was afraid for herself. She simply did not want to leave Delbert and the children. Delbert looked at her worriedly.

"I suppose I must see them, Ona." Amelia stood and tugged the hem of her jacket to flatten out the wrinkles. Delbert stood out of form but continued to hold his book in one hand while he stared at the door.

Ona returned a moment later with two very young ensigns. One of which was clearly on light duties recovering from wounds. He was a Basheevee. Both his arms were gone and he was missing half of one eye. Fortunately, all that would grow back but until then he was making do with his tentacles. The other was Pajakian and looked as though she had just stepped out of a drill manual. Both were in spotless full dress blues and both saluted smartly. Amelia returned their salute and gestured them into the room as Ona departed.

"We have the honor of addressing Captain Amelia Doppler?" Asked the Basheevee.

"You do, Ensign." Amelia replied. Funny how it was so easy for her to slip back into Naval form at the drop of a hat. Long years of service will do that to a person.

"Thank you for receiving us, Captain. I am Ensign Lh'aer'ri. This is Ensign Alamimo." The Basheevee indicated his companion. "It is our honor to present you with this."

The young Pajakian stepped forward stretching out a supple, chitinous hand to Amelia with a rolled parchment baring the Imperial Seal. Amelia briefly examined the seal before breaking it and opening the parchment. Only long training kept the shock from her face but she still felt faint. She glanced to Delbert and gave him a slight smile that only he would notice. His ears instantly perked forward.

"I'm summoned it seems." Amelia eyed the two ensigns. "You are to be my escorts?"

"We are, ma'am." The Basheevee looked embarrassed. "We were all that could be spared at the moment."

"Tut." Amelia dismissed Lh'aer'ri's embarrassment and turned her eyes back to the document. "You know where we are going?"

"Yes, ma'am. To the Capital." The Pajakian, though young, sounded confident.

"The Capital?" Delbert inquired.

"The Empress wishes to present the Honor of the Guard to me." Amelia gave him a warm smile. "Not only that. She wishes to award you the Order of the Compass. They haven't presented one of those to a civilian in more than a hundred years, darling."

"Order of the Compass?" Delbert sat down heavily as though someone had just clouted him over the head. "And you. She's awarding you the Honor of the Guard. That's only one step down from the Legion of Fire."

"Yes. Unfortunately you have to be dead to get that one, Delbert dear." Amelia was smiling in spite of herself now. "Jack and Anamaria are each to receive the Imperial Nova with ribbon and the crew of the Smollette is to be awarded Fleet Honor."

"When... When are we to receive these honors?" Delbert stammered.

"Our ship will depart tomorrow at mid day. We'll have just enough time to pack." Amelia scratched her chin. "I think it would be best to start with the children's luggage first."

"The children?" Delbert yelped.

"Of course, darling." Amelia gave him a puzzled smile. "Don't you want them to see their parents receiving two of the highest honors the Empire can award?"

Delbert knitted his brows and set down his book with a dawning smile. "Yes. Yes I do. It's a wonderful idea!"

Packing for the trip began at once. The children were rounded up and between Ona, Amelia and Delbert they were nearly done by the time the doorbell rang. Ona went down to answer it only to return a moment later with a worried and disgruntled look on her face.

"What's the matter, Ona?" Delbert asked. Amelia looked up from the little dress she had been folding.

"It's Captain Sparrow and Ms. Anamaria, sir," Ona said.

"What of it? Why did they ring?" Delbert looked over her shoulder to see if the two guests were in the hall.

"They were accompanied," Ona said with a disapproving frown. "Again."

The Dopplers exchanged a glance and followed their maid down to the main hall. Standing near the door were Jack, Anamaria and two officers of the Montressor Constabulary. Amelia took charge giving Jack a hard look. He was clearly drunk again while Anamaria was somewhat disheveled.

"What's all this then?" Amelia demanded.

"Captain Amelia?" the constable on the right asked in his mechanical voice. "Two counts of disorderly conduct, one count of public intoxication, one count of public brawling, one count of vandalism, two counts of disturbing the peace, one count of insulting an officer in the course of his duty, one count of slandering an officer of the Montressor Constabulary, one count of destruction of property, one count of assault, one count of terroristic threatening, one count of attempted assault, one count of vandalism, one count..."

"That's enough." Amelia held up a hand to silence the officer. "That really is quite enough."

"Yes, ma'am," said the constable on the left.

"You forgot the part abou' it not bein' our fault," slurred Jack.

"One count of lying to the police."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Jack? Really! Public brawling?"

"That wasn't him, ma'am," the constable on the right said. Anamaria tried to shrink a little and wouldn't meet Amelia's eyes.

"I'll take charge of them, officers." Amelia's steely gaze was boring holes in the two miscreants.

"As you know, ma'am, this is the second violation of their probation," said the constable on the left. "One more and they'll be jailed until trial."

"We see this sort of thing all the time, ma'am."

"Spacers that can't settle down."

"Don't know when to stop drinking."

"Losers."

"I'll attend to it, gentlemen. You may go." Amelia indicated the door. The constables tipped their hats and rolled out of the house as Ona opened the door for them.

Amelia just stared at the pirates in disgust.

"Perhaps... Aah ahum... they should get cleaned up before dinner?" Delbert said trying to diffuse the situation before things got any uglier.

Amelia cast her glance to her husband and then let it settle back on the pirates. They were so infuriating sometimes. Anamaria was such a sweet girl in so many ways yet she had a temper. Not only that but she had that huge chip on her shoulder. When Jim Hawkins had been near her though it all seemed to have settled out. But increasingly in the past two weeks, since they had returned to Montressor, Anamaria had become more like the girl Amelia had met in that small cottage on the shore in Tortuga harbor. Jack was no help at all. It had taken him all of one day to get arrested. The magistrate had over looked it as just harmless fun and Jack had taken the slap on the wrist as license to do as he pleased when he pleased. What would she do with them at the Capital?

"Is Captain Jack in trouble again?" Came a small voice from the foot of the stair. Amelia turned to find her children all looking with apprehension at their two favorite non relatives.

"No," Delbert began but was quickly silenced by another look from Amelia.

"Yes," Amelia amended. "He is in trouble. And so is Anamaria."

"Captain Jack, you promised!" scolded Tillie.

"Yeah!" Sunny put in supporting his sister.

"Anamaria?" Matey looked sadly at the young woman. "You said you wouldn't let anything happen to Jack again."

"You said you'd keep him out of trouble," Jib said.

The two pirates seemed to wilt more under the eyes of the children than they had in the custody of the constables. Jack less so than Anamaria but it was clear that the disapproval of the children made an impression on both of them. Jack rallied himself.

"It was jus' a misunderstanding, lit'le ones." He staggered forward with that winning smile of his. "We were jus' out for a bit of fun. Tha's all."

"Like the last time?" Tillie asked with a frown. Amelia was having a difficult time keeping a straight face.

"Yes. Jus' like the last time," Jack said making a dismissive gesture.

"When you stole the boat," Matey said.

"Borrowed the boat. Borrowed," Jack insisted.

"And chased the manta birds," Sunny said.

"Jus' wanted to see 'ow fas' they could fly. No 'arm done," Jack smiled again.

"Until they ran into the rigging on the Calvin," said Jib.

"Not my fault they couldn't steer 'round it." Jack wobbled a little.

"And after that it was the fight at Mrs. Hawkins' inn." Tillie's frown deepened.

"I didn't start that." Jack drew himself up indignantly. "I'm a peaceful man... Usually."

"Oh! And there was the time you stole the carriage!" Delbert jumped in with his own favorite adventure.

"Let's not forget Mr. Twootdles prize grot," Amelia added.

"And the woman at the market," Anamaria said with a snort.

"I keep tellin' you. I thought she was for sale!" Jack rounded on the girl in alarm.

"You thought she was for sale as food," Delbert said reasonably.

"She would have looked remarkably well when plucked, stuffed and roasted." Jack was surrounded but he felt that he had successfully diverted Amelia's wrath and so had won. It was time to retreat with what dignity he could muster. "I shall ascend to my rooms now. Before any more slander can be leveled."

Jack made it to the head of the stairs before he was forced to ignore the peels of laughter that sounded from the gathered company below. Such things were inevitable if you were going to make your way in the world as a scoundrel.