Title: The Fight for the Seas
Author: SailorNeo
Summary: The EITC has declared war on all pirates. Sequel to Freedom from the Curse.
Author's Note: So I lied. It's 2008 and it's up. But I was close!

Chapter One: The Song Has Been Sung

"The King and his men stole the Queen from her bed
And bound her in her bones.
The seas be our and by the powers
Where we will we roam."

James looked at his wife standing at the prow of the ship. As soon as they were far enough away from the blazing ruins of Mistress Ching's Chinese headquarters, she had begun singing and the coin he still clenched in his fist had started humming.

The frightening part was that the crew had also started humming—and all of them had at the same time.

"Yo ho, haul together
Hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars
Never shall we die.

With the key to the cage
And the devil to pay
We lay ourselves to the Fiddler's Green
We are proud, we are angry
For our graves shall never be
The waters we can never tame.

Yo ho, haul together
Hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars
Never shall we die.

We are a call to all,
Pay heed the squall
And turn your sail toward home.
The bell has been raised from its watery grave
Can you hear its sepulchral tones?

Yo ho, haul together
Hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars
Never shall we die.
Never shall we…die…"

Angelina went to James, sliding her arms around him. "What was that?" he asked.

"The song to call the Brethren Court," she told him. "I don't like this. War is not a good thing right now. The colonies are being troublesome."

"Well, then the East India Trading Company will have to focus on the colonies," James said.

"James, there's a Pirate Lord for the Americas," Angelina said. "He was only given his Lordship four months ago. The Company will target him and his men first."

"Explain this Pirate Lord thing to me," James said.

"Well, the first King of the Pirates was elected because he knew how to bind Calypso's powers so that pirates everywhere could sail on the seas unafraid of her wrath. Frankly, I think it's more fun this way, but she likes us. So, the King was given his kingship and powers and all that. He assigned Lordship upon nine pirates. The areas of their domain and the domain of the Lords today are the Caribbean—Jack's got that one--, the Caspian sea and it's surrounding waters—Barbossa's over that one and he won't tell us how--, Elizabeth's got the South Chinese sea from Sao Feng, Chevalle—the weird French one—has the Mediterranean, Ammand the Corsair has the Black Sea, the Atlantic used to be Jocard's but he died so it's now the new Lord's, you are now in charge of the Pacific ocean, Vallenueva has the Adriatic, and Sri Sumbhajee has the Indian ocean."

"And the pieces of eight?" James prompted.

"The actual ones or the ones referred to as the pieces of eight?" Angelina asked.

"Both, then," James said.

"The actual ones were magicked to hum when anyone sang the song to call the Brethren Court. It was a speedy means of communication. The not real ones were to bind Calypso's powers. Both pieces of eight were passed down to the successor."

"Magicked?" James asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Angelina said. "And don't interrupt." Off her husband's incredulous look, she smirked. "Darling, you've met the Greek god of War. How can you not believe in magic?"

"Fine," James said. "So he magicked these coins and then the pirates bound Calypso, yes?"

"Of course. She somehow made her way to Jamaica and not Greece though. So she remained there until Barbossa released her from her bonds," Angelina said. "Being an Pirate Lord means that you have som semblance of control over your territory. You also have it's resources. I'd ask Poppa back at the Cove. He was one. Gave it over to Jack in the end."

"Captain Teague was a Pirate Lord?" James asked.

"Yup," Angelina said. "You should talk to him. It's undoubtedly going to be hard convincing the pirates that you're in charge for all that you were in the British Navy."

"That should be fun," James said sarcastically.

Barbossa kept the coin close to him at all times even though Jack had lost his own ages ago. When the coin started humming, Barbossa knew.

"Jack!" he bellowed. "We're headin' back to the Cove!"

"Wot? Why?" Jack asked, his head popping up from the bow of the Pearl.

"The song's been sung. The Court must be met," Barbossa said. "Mr. Cotton! Turn sail toward Shipwreck Cove!"

Mr. Cotton did so as Jack bellowed. "Belay that! To Tortuga!"

"Belay that!" Barbossa said as Mr. Cotton began to turn back.

"Belay, belay that!" Jack shouted.

The two men strode to the wheel, attempting to not seem like they were running. When they reached the wheel Mr. Cotton backed away and the two began to wrestle with it. This caused the ship to lurch from side to side, causing even the most sturdy of men to lose their sea legs.

"Oh Lord, I think I'm goin' to be sick," Pintel said as the boat began to go in a circle.

"That's blasphimeous—Oh God!" Ragetti said, rushing as fast as he could for the side of the ship.

From below the ship, deep in the water, Calypso laughed. "You go to de Cove, Jack," she called, making sure all on board the Pearl heard her. "De Court need ya."

Back on deck, Jack stared in horror as the ship headed to Shipwreck Cove, no matter which way he turned the wheel. They were officially headed back to the Cove.

And Ana Maria.

Will looked in on his son to find his wife slowly rocking James while humming. The song was hauntingly familiar to Will, but he couldn't place it.

"There's going to be another Council," Elizabeth said, still rocking their son.

"What?"

"The Brethren Court. They're to meet here. Again."

"Did you call them?" Will asked, genuinely confused.

"No," Elizabeth sighed as she put James in his crib. "But someone did. Barbossa told me that when a Council is called, female pirates tend to know. Also, the song of the Brethren Court is played in the mind of all pirates. So I knew before this started humming." She pulled out a battered piece of eight and tossed it to Will.

He held it up and found that it was indeed humming. He looked at his wife. "Well then. Looks like life will never settle down for us."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Elizabeth said.

Somewhere off the coast of Maryland, Alexander Robertson stood in his cabin, looking over the documents his men had given him. The rebellion was getting more intense. Rumor was that some of the more…vocal…men were going to do something more drastic.

"Alex!" came his sister's call. "Alex!"

She ran into the room, holding something out. "What?" he asked.

"This started humming," she said, holding out a coin.

He took it from her and said, "Get the men. We've got to go to Shipwreck Cove."

Mary's eyes widened. "You don't mean…" she whispered.

"Yes," Alex said. "It's time to be the newest Pirate Lord."

Author's Note: Okay, so. I didn't post this because I didn't actually have it typed up, there was not title, and I was exhausted from work. The Pirate Lord's and their locations is actually official. Well, not the Captain Teague bit, but he would totally be a Pirate Lord. I hope you all like this story!