Dedicated to Nytd with love.
Summary – Pirates do what they do best. Looting!
Looting the Droger
Captain Jack Sparrow grinned as he saw the site through the glass. Every so often he would diverge off the well traipsed path of magical items and deceit for the good trade of pirating. The Droger was off to port and they were gaining.
Snapping the glass and putting it away on his belt, Jack called for Gibbs.
"Aye, Captain?"
"Raise the colors, we're going to take that Droger, oh, and make sure it's our red flag, we give no quarter," Jack said. Gibbs saluted and ran off. Jack smirked, the moment the Droger saw the red flag, and they'd heave to and give the white flag for parley. Usually, Jack would have had the black flag raised, but, a cleaver ploy such as raising the red flag to trick a peaceful surrender was just the sort of thing he, being the famous Captain Jack Sparrow, would do.
Jack had had his men all standing for a few days now and he knew they were getting rather restless. That was why Jack took this chance, they'd pillage the ship like the good Gentlemen of Fortune they were and then he'd scupper it. They didn't have a use for another ship and Jack loved the Pearl. End of story.
Jack pulled out his barker in order to make sure it was primed and ready. Every once in a while his savvy ways weren't enough and he had to have a back up plan. Jack had only killed one man in his life, and that man had been raised to haunt him some more. Jack was always looking over his shoulder to see when Barbossa would show up and steal back the Pearl. Then Jack would go on another grand adventure to steal her back.
However, at the moment, Jack needn't have worried about that particular lose thread. As the wind pushed them onwards, the Droger (which had three less cannon than the Pearl) heaved too and gave the white flag. At that, their colors changed (by Gibbs who observed this bit) and put their pirate flag to black and white.
The Black Pearl sailed up along side the Droger which, to his surprise, was a blackbirder. Jack sneered in disgust. Slavery got him into the whole pirate life, so, he blamed the whole on the slavers. If he hadn't been given command of a blackbirder, Jack knew, he would still be in the employ of the EITC.
"Where is your captain!?" Jack yelled to a man clad in a blue jacket that acted like as the sailing master. The man cringed before replying.
"He's in his cabin,"
"What be your name, son?" Jack asked. He clocked the man at being older than himself, but Jack had long figured out that when the use of this word was brought out one of two things would happen. 1) The person addressed as "son" would pay a bit more respect, or 2) great offense was taken.
Thankfully, it was the former.
"My name is Victor,"
"And where are you lot headed with the black ivory?" Jack asked, he stepped over, even his men had made a silent approach but the crew of Droger didn't raise weapons, in fact, they didn't seem at all inclined to fight at all. This was odd and Jack kept a hand on his pistol.
"The Americas," Victor replied.
"Ah," Jack wrinkled his nose, he knew that his ship didn't smell good, with being months at sea, everything would begin to stink, but blackbirder's were worse. Far worse with the slaves chained below decks with no room to move.
"Well, I'll be commandeering this here ship, Mr. Victor, I hope you're men won't give me any trouble," Jack said.
"No, sir, no trouble a' all," Victor shook his head.
"Why does this seem too easy?" Jack muttered. Victor heard and he sighed.
"I knew what I was doing, but, the Captain was replaced at the last minute. Trust me, sir, our ship would be in better shape if Captain Harold had stayed on," he shrugged. Jack gave him a look before smirking.
"Son, I am good friends with Captain Harold, bless his soul. He wouldn't carry slaves," Jack replied before he slipped off, weabling and wobbling on his way to the Captains Cabin. Gibbs and his men were all ready looking at the cargo to see if there was anything besides the slave that they could keep. Gibbs knew that Jack would let the slaves off someplace safe to make their way back home. From the smell, Gibbs knew that half of the slaves must be dead.
It was ships like this one that made Gibbs wish he had stayed in Tortuga.
--
Cocking his pistol, Jack knocked on the door. He waited a few moments before pursing his lips in frustration. He wanted the Captain to watch him take the cargo. There wasn't a more humiliating thing for a Captain of a ship to watch. Well, except being marooned, but that was just depressing. Slowly, he put his ear to the door and heard something most horrible. It sounded like an elephant with a plugged up nose. Shaking his head, Jack tried the handle. Surprisingly, the door swung free and he peaked in. The cabin was rather small with a cot to the left, a table in the middle and to the right and a sea chest next to that.
The Captain, on the other hand, didn't look as if he worked for the EITC. He was fat; he mustn't have heard Captain Jack because of his terrible snoring. The man even had a cloth over his face which fluttered in the air from the swoosh of exhaled air. He only wore his trousers and a shirt with more lace than Jack could shake a pistol at.
Well, blow me down and call me Smithy…Jack thought with a roll of his eyes. With annoyance sweeping him away in a tidal wave; Jack decided to wake the man up. Some Captain he was, didn't even know that pirates were all ready looting the Droger.
"OI! You blubbering lout! Get up!" Jack yelled. He threw over the wobbly table, sending charts, a tea set of good quality and bottles careening onto the floor where it smashed and messed up the floor.
The Lout, as Jack had called him, woke up with a start. He was bald and in a fit he grabbed the toupee that had cost him twenty pounds in London. It looked like the man had killed a dead animal. Jack almost laughed at the picture, but held it at bay. He was supposed to be a raging, evil, dashing pirate captain. (but he was still amused by the dead animal).
"Who are you?" Captain Lout asked with a distinct Londoner accent. Jack sneered at him.
"I am Captain Jack Sparrow," Jack said slowly, as if he was talking to a five year old child. The man before him grew red in the face and stood.
"What are you doing here? Get off my ship!" the man returned.
"Look it here, Lout, I am a pirate and I am pillaging your ship. I came here and got you out o' bed because your crew decided it'd be a brilliant idea to heave to," Jack explained.
"They what!?" the man yelled, he got to his feet but Jack shoved his pistol in the man's face. It was still amusing, but Jack tried his best to make his tone as pissed off as possible.
"Look it here, Landlubber, I take it by your size that you must have some sort of good stores aboard this here boat, so, I'm gonna make ya a proposition, savvy?"
The man nodded to signal he understood.
"Right-e-o, if I find nuff stores here for me men ta have salmagundi fer dinner, I'll let you have this ship here, a bit lighter than a'fore, but you'd still be alive. But, if we don't fine wot we need, I get ta keel haul ya, savvy?"
"Yes, yes, take whatever you want," the man said, breaking out in sweat at the thought of being keel hauled. Jack smiled. Of course, his men would have taken it anyway. But, Jack didn't point out that smallish detail.
"All right, proceed me out then, mate and we'll see wot me men have found," Jack said with a glorious smile.
--
While Jack was busy with the captain of the ship. Victor showed Gibbs the bottom decks. The slave ship was part merchant under the EITC. Silk, rice, cocoa beans, and some gold were found along with the slaves. Gibbs ordered water to be brought forth. The slaves were slightly confused, but found that the water was for them and for a few moments, they were human beings.
When Jack arrived, he ordered their fetters cut. Then he asked which slave was the 'leader'. He only knew a bit of African, not much, but it was enough to get his question across to them.
One slave, who was built like a brick building, and taller than the pirate captain walked forward.
"Do ye speak English?" Jack asked. Crossing his fingers.
"Mie kitendo," the man replied.
"Ye ain't from Africa, are ye mate?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Uko ufundi?" the man said.
"Sorry mate, I don't understand," Jack held up his hands in the universal gesture of not being able to understand the man. At his side, someone pulled on his jacket. The little boy was of some sort of African heritage.
"Please, sir, he asks if you are the master here," the boy said.
"Please, tell the Chief here that I am a pirate captain and am here to set him and the others free, savvy?" Jack replied. The boy nodded his head and replied just that in the language that Jack didn't understand.
When the boy was done announcing Jack's intentions, some of the slaves became a bit more animated. The man smiled at Jack and clapped him on the shoulder. The man said something and the boy translated.
"Chief say's he is in your debt," the boy replied.
"Tell him I thank him and to come top side with me, you be commin' too, since you know the language," Jack said. He turned and made his way back up. There he met Gibbs.
"What else did ya find?" Jack asked.
"The food stores are unlike anything I ever have seen, Cap'n," Gibbs grinned.
"Good, I suppose we can't keel haul the bastard then," Jack sighed as if he was disappointed. There was another tugging at his sleeve.
"Chief asks what Keel Hauling is," the boy said.
"Keel hauling is when we tie a prisoner hand and foot and drag 'im along behind the ship," Jack replied of which the boy relayed. The Chief grinned.
"Well, I never said anythin' 'bout the slaves not havin' their revenge, now did I?" Jack muttered. Grinning at the taller man, Jack figured that by the end of the day, the Lout would get what he deserved. In the end, everyone did.
Jack ordered the silk and other stores to be moved over to the pearl. Some of the prize ship's crew helped. Jack looked them all over, granted, the slaves weren't treated too well, but these men looked to be a bit on the thin side. Shaking his head, Jack ordered for something to be made for the whole crew, including the liberated slaves. Jack also had Gibbs see what men would like to join the crew of the Pearl. They could use a few more men.
After all had eaten, Jack left Gibbs as overseer since the Chief wanted to talk to Jack in private. They stood off to one side of the deck from the men with the boy translating for them. Jack and the Chief looked be doing all right; neither raising their voices for effect. In the end it seemed as if they got to some sort of point and Jack ordered for their prisoner captain to be brought forward.
The rotund man was red in the face when he was brought up on deck. Out of all his men he was the only one in chains. The Lout had been divested of his boots as well as any jewelry found on him.
"Well, you kept your promise ta me," Captain Jack said, stroking his beard for effect.
"However, the liberated ain't happy that you be getting off Scot –free. As loath as I am ta admit it, I agree with the Chief here. So, I be handed you over ta them," Jack grinned.
"WHAT!?"
"Aye, and this here ship as well so that they can go back to wherever 'twas they came from," Jack smiled as if it was the best idea in the world.
"You can't do that!" the man spluttered. Some spittle landed on Jack's face and he glared at the man as he whipped it away with the back of his coat sleeve. Some men were bloody un-civilized. Didn't they know that spitting in someone else's face was rather rude?
"Pirate," Jack replied as if it were obvious that he could leave the fat man there, and could leave the fat man there, and by god, he was bloody well going to do it as well.
"Good luck, mate," Jack said, walking off, "You'll be needin' it," he called back.
--
Jack sat in his cabin, he had divested himself o fhis hat, coat and boots. Sighing, he propped an ear to the fiddle and the joyous cries of his crew as they celebrated. Jack had decided on some time to himself and so trays of meats, vegetables, fruits and cheese had been brought in for him to enjoy.
Pouring himself a glass of wine, he leaned back in his seat enjoying the smells of the fresh food, it was rare that he actually just sat down and enjoyed the wine, his usual drink of choice was rum. However, It was of good quality and as Jack toasted the fat captain just for the fact that he had a good taste in wine, Jack wondered if the Chief took his advice and made the Lout swab the deck.
After all, Jack figured -- who was more deserving of that chore anyway?
--
a/n –I would like to thank Nytd for reviewing and giving me some pointer. I appreciate it! I also liked the ending now that I changed it. Oh, and I fixed some of Jack's Language, I've been in the fandom for a while and never noticed how the choice of him using "You" over "Ye" happens to be a pretty big annoyance. Well, I hate annoying people so, I fixed it with help from Nytd. Thank you, Nytd, for helping me out!
Glossary
Mie Kitendo – Swahili for "I practice" (or as close as I could find).
Uko Ufundi – you are a craftsman
Droger – a ship under the direction of the EITC.
Salmagundi – a dish made out of loads of marinated meat. Pirates didn't go by the harsh navy standards of portions so they usually dealt with famine, so when they took a ship, the stores were the first things they took a look at besides the medicine chest. This was a meal made out of a very good food store.
Barker – another word for a pistol
Red Flag – apparently, pirates had two flags, the black/white that signaled for another ship to haul too and let the pirates aboard, and the red flag which meant that no quarter was to be given.
Keel Hauling – a punishment where prisoner's would be dragged behind the ship and the barnacles would rip the man open till he died. It was rather gory and terrible, but I think Jack would do it if he had a good reason.