Prologue ATLANTIC OCEAN MAY 1748
The ships lined the Eastern and Western horizons for miles in every direction.
So many ships, it seemed impossible to count them all. One side heavily outnumbered the other.
On the Western Horizon, sat a small group of galleons, sloops, brigantines, frigates and East Indiamen's, all converted for the purpose of piracy.
Across from them was the Enemy Fleet, the most powerful force on the planet, the Royal British Navy.
The ships of the line presented a formidable presence as just in behind them, lower second and third rate ships stood along with frigates, brigantines, and a few sloops and supply ships that would sit out the worst of the fighting.
But none, not even the great Victory-class ship of the line, HMS Endeavour, could match the ship that was leading this attack.
The Royal Navy ship stood beside her commander at the front of the line.
"Think we can take them?" She asked.
The ship beside her was an older but experienced Dutch fluyt, designed to speed not only with the wind, but against it.
She looked like a wreck that had lived on the ocean floor for many years.
Her hull was covered in barnacles, and her sails were made more of seaweed than cloth.
Her bowsprit boom had become the upper half of a set of powerful jaws with razor sharp teeth.
But what was even more frightening and awe inspiring at the same time was her eyes.
They were a deep, amber-gold and they seemed to glow with an ethereal light. It was not natural and it did intimidate Endeavour a bit but she'd learned to relax.
After all, Dutchman wouldn't hurt her right?
Dutchman grinned at her. "Their numbers are barely a fifth of ours. They stand no chance against the might of the British Navy." She said.
Endeavour growled her agreement.
Dutchman turned her gaze back to the significantly smaller line of ships.
Movement was seen as they all raised their colors. Each individual jolly roger flapped in the wind.
Some were the traditional black, others were more vibrant in color but each was unique in its own way. And, dare Endeavour say it, beautiful.
The warship tensed her muscles for the sight meant there was no turning back, no other alternative but war.
Dutchman shook her head, sighing.
"If only they had the sense to change their minds." She said sadly.
Endeavour was about to scold her, reminding her of her duty to vanquish all pirates when she remembered that Dutchman had been a pirate herself.
Not like the Brethren no, she identified with no pirate group but she was a pirate.
She flew no flag, sailed with no fleet. She was completely on her own.
More than once Endeavour had wondered about her companion. How could anyone live such a lonely life?
But whenever she had asked Dutchman or at least tried to ask her, the sailing ship shrugged her off with a harsh word and an icy eye.
It only took once for Endeavour to realize that maybe there was more to Dutchman than met the eye.
She was cursed, that much was obvious and Endeavour had a suspicion that a painful dark past was behind it.
Dutchman's gold gaze swept up and down the enemy's line as though she was looking for one particular ship.
Her eyes narrowed when she found what she was looking for and her teeth became bared.
Endeavour followed her gaze and spotted a black ship directly across from her.
She stood front and center and the additional flags raised up her masts indicated she was the flagship for this attack.
Endeavour didn't need to search for further identification. The black hull was enough. "Pearl." She snarled.
Dutchman nodded. "Aye, Black Pearl. Pirate Queen of the Caribbean, the Leader of the Nine. Only I am capable of defeating her. I want you to focus on Troubadour." She ordered.
"Yes Dutchman." Endeavour replied. She grinned and added "This'll be fun."
"It'll be a turkey shoot is what it'll be." Dutchman sighed. "I was hoping for a bit more of a fight."
She turned to her subordinate. "The enemy has opted for oblivion. Ready the fleet." She said.
Endeavour nodded and made a quick 180.
"TO YOUR STATIONS!" She commanded.
The ships quickly formed ranks. "HMS Rose, you'll command the left flank. Keep at least one battleship close at all times." She ordered the brigantine.
"Aye, aye HMS Endeavour!" She cried.
"HMS Aurora?!" Endeavour called. "Here, HMS Endeavour." The three masted warship replied.
Her hull still bore the scars of the fight with the French that ended just 5 years earlier and she still moved with a slight limp from a crippling cannon shot she took to her starboard quarter.
She moved to the front of the line.
"You'll command the right flank." Endeavour ordered. "Your main task will be to assist me in destroying Troubadour and her escorts.
"Aye, aye HMS Endeavour!" The slightly smaller ship sang eagerly.
Endeavour chuckled to herself.
Aurora was a good warrior, eager to please, eager for the fight but not bloodthirsty.
She was proud but without arrogance. She should've been named Dauntless.
Endeavour felt a twinge of pain at the thought of her friend. She died chasing the very black ship that now lead the Brethren Force.
But Endeavour didn't come here for revenge. She didn't blame Pearl for what happened.
Dauntless knew she was overmatched, she knew she could never catch Pearl, especially not in a hurricane like that but she attempted it anyway.
It was foolhardy, it was dangerous, and it was just plain stupid.
In her last months, Dauntless had become as obsessed with capturing Black Pearl as her Commodore.
Endeavour sighed as she looked out to the black ship. Though she was too far away to see clearly, she could feel Pearl's green gaze on her and it did not feel friendly.
She was one of the few ships in the Royal Navy that had known Pearl as Wicked Wench. Endeavour had known her before that even.
She'd been the one who led the force that captured the black vessel when she was still the Dutch Indiamen Moonlach Onthude.
She'd befriended Pearl and had come to think of her like a sister. No, Pearl was a sister to her, a soul-sister.
It had broken Endeavour's heart to hear how she was treated working for the EITC.
She knew that Pearl would never condone the hauling of slaves, she believed in freedom.
Endeavour never liked the trade either. As a warship, she was never designed to carry slaves but she'd sailed with a few and more than once, had gagged on the strong smell.
The business of slavery was disgusting, it was wrong and immoral and it had to stop.
When Pearl had dared speak such things she was burned for her actions and Endeavour had thought she'd lost her for good.
She was happy that Pearl was still alive. Did she like the fact that Pearl was a pirate, no she did not!
Not because as a Royal Navy vessel, she hated piracy, which she did by the way, but because she feared for her soul sister.
Piracy was a dangerous business and each day, more and more pirates met the hangman's noose.
Endeavour feared Pearl wouldn't be so lucky to escape death a second time.
Facing her soul sister now, Endeavour knew that she could not kill her. That's why she'd instructed Dutchman to conduct the task.
She'd soon as rather let Pearl sink her than harm a deck plate on her hull. After all these years, she still loved the black ship and she always would.
Dutchman's words snapped her back to the present.
"Hmm?" She mumbled.
Dutchman sighed. "I said, are the ships ready?" She asked.
Endeavour nodded readily. "Yes, yes they are." She replied. "Let's just get this over with." She thought.
She looked out again upon the open sea, once again feeling Pearl's gaze sweep over her though it had softened somewhat.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…" She thought hard. She only hoped after all these years that their connection still worked.
Apparently it did for she heard Pearl's gentle reply. "I know, I am too Endeavour."
Dutchman snorted. "Soon you won't have to put up with that pesky connection anymore. I'll finish off Pearl myself." She snarled.
A part of Endeavour wanted to scream "No! No I won't let you! Take me, kill me instead!" But her training took over and she kept silent though her eyes still pleaded to Dutchman.
She took no notice of her, her eyes were fixed firmly on Pearl.
"I raised you from the depths all those years ago and when your time was up, I returned you there." She snarled. "I can do so again and today I will."
Endeavour braced herself for Dutchman's inevitable commands. She had time though to send one last thought to Pearl.
"I love you." Pearl's surprise was clearly felt but her own sweep of love filled Endeavour. "I love you too." She replied.
"ATTACK!" Dutchman roared and the Battle of the Maelstrom began.