Meetings Chapter 1: Unite

This is just an idea I came up with one day, it was originally going to be a one-shot, but I thought that I might do a couple of them, just to see where it goes. I hope you enjoy it!

Why use a sword when a tongue is sharper?

"So, you're the famous Captain Barbossa," said Jack, standing up from his small, dingy table in the corner of the pub, "pleasure to meet you at last."

Barbossa looked at the man, studying him, the arms spread open wide as if expecting a hug, the small grin on his face and the shine in his eyes which showed he meant business. After coming to a conclusion that he was a reasonably impressive man, he said, "And who would you be?"

"Ah," said Jack, "I'm the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow." He swept his hat off his head and gave a melodramatic bow, "at your service."

"Infamous?" asked Barbossa, "am I supposed to have heard of you?"

"I should say so," said Jack, placing his hat back on his head, "you obviously don't hear about what goes on in the Caribbean. I'm all they talk about here, mate."

"Talk is simply talk," said Barbossa, suddenly deciding he was tired of Jack and wanted nothing more to do with him, "pleasure to meet you, Jack, perhaps our paths or swords will cross in the future."

"Not so fast," said Jack, quickly jumping from beside the table to block Barbossa's path, "you're here for a meeting, correct?"

"Yes…" said Barbossa slowly, "how'd you know about that?"

"I'm who you're going to meet," said Jack, smirking and showing many gold teeth, "sit down, have some rum."

Barbossa, who didn't like this turn of events, sat down at the table, not interested at all about what Jack had to offer, "What would you like to discuss, Jack?"

"Well," said Jack, sitting down at the table opposite him, "Barbossa… wait, do you have a first name? Something easier to say than Barbossa, perhaps?"

"My first name is Hector," said Barbossa, "yet only my closest and most privileged call me that."

"Very well, Hector it is!" said Jack, happily. He took a swig of rum, offered the tankard to Barbossa and placed it back down on the table when his offer was refused, "Now, to business. You are, of course, one of the nine Pirate Lords, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, by complete luck and total circumstance, so am I," said Jack, motioning to a small coin which was hanging from his hair, "here we sit, two Pirate Lords."

"However, not equals," said Barbossa, with a mean sneer.

"I propose to change that," said Jack, "you see… one Pirate Lord is fierce enough, plenty to scare the living daylights out of anyone short of another. So, if one were to want to scare another Pirate Lord, they would need a bit more under their hat, you follow?"

"I'm afraid I don't," said Barbossa, although he knew full well what he was getting at.

"I propose that we unite," said Jack, "we become a team, a pair of buccaneers, a cut-throat crew, two Pirate Lords under one flag."

"And why on earth would I do that?" said Barbossa, "When it is painfully obvious that I do not need your help in any way when it comes to scaring off annoyances."

Jack sat there and stared at Barbossa, trying to analyze him a bit better, trying to figure out what angle he would have to take to convince him, "have you ever heard of a ship called The Black Pearl?"

Barbossa thought for a minute, "I can't say I have."

"You're missing out then, mate," said Jack, leaning forward and Barbossa found himself leaning forward too, without realizing what he was doing, "The Black Pearl was the fastest ship in all the seas, nigh unmatchable, could outrun even the Flying Dutchman, some say even Death itself." He took another swig of rum, "it became a league of its own, plundering and marauding any ship it came across, pirate, navy, merchant, it didn't matter, anything and everything was taken by the Pearl."

"If this ship was so brilliant, why are you referring to it in past tense?"

"Ah… the other pirates didn't like this outstanding competition," Jack said, "they went after it together, seven ships after the Pearl. They plugged it so full of cannon balls; it was unrecognizable when it sank into Davy Jones' Locker."

"That's all fair and good, Jack, but what does this have to do with your proposal?" asked Barbossa, still wanting to get away from the small, dingy table in the corner of the pub.

Jack leaned closer, grinning more and more, "I'm going to raise it."

"You are going to raise the ship?" said Barbossa, incredulously.

"Well, not me exactly," said Jack, "I'm going to get someone to do it for me."

"Who?"

"Davy Jones himself," said Jack, leaning back and giving Barbossa some personal space again, "he does favours in exchange for… well, souls. I get him to raise the Pearl and in return I'll give him my soul."

"And what good will a ship be if you've given away your soul?"

"The trick is, he has to catch my soul, doesn't he? And how will he do that when I've got the fastest ship of the seas under my feet?"

Barbossa leaned back, Jack's words spinning through his mind. He had to admit, the plan did seem like it could work, "doesn't Davy Jones have some creature or monster that he sends about to do his bidding?"

"I've never heard of one," said Jack, "but if there is, the Pearl can outrun it."

"So Jack," said Barbossa, "you suggest that we unite. It's an interesting proposal, I've never heard of anyone willingly step down from a Captain to a First Mate."

"If I may be so bold…" said Jack, carefully, "to correct an incorrect statement."

"You may if there were a statement needing correcting."

"The only problem is you suggesting that I may be liberating my title as Captain. I'm sorry, Hector, but my ship, my flag." Jack drained the tankard of rum that sat in front of him, and motioned for a waitress to bring him another, "that's Scarlett, best looking barmaid I've ever seen."

"Well you won't be bringing her on my ship," said Barbossa.

"Of course not!" said Jack, "I'd be my ship I'll be bringing her on."

"Jack, the problem with your argument there, is that you make false statements and expect them to become fact," said Barbossa, "you haven't given me any reason as to why you should be captain."

"My dear Hector, what I lack in crewmates, I make up for with connections," said Jack, with a tone dripping with arrogance, "you are talking to the most well connected Pirate in the Seven Seas. How do you think I heard about the Pearl, eh? Or Davy Jones, or the Gold of Cortez?"

"Everyone's heard of the Gold of Cortez."

"But not of where it's hidden," said Jack with a small smile, "an island that can only be found by someone who knows where it is. What people don't realize, is the fact that this philosophy is applied to practically any island. Most people don't find islands without the correct bearing, and without the correct bearing, no one can find the Gold."

"And you have the bearing?"

"Not exactly, I have the means of discovering the bearing," said Jack and he reached down and pulled out a compass, "this."

"A compass? Well done, Jack, you've figured out how to use the most basic of nautical instruments," said Barbossa, sarcastically. He never knew how to place Jack, one minute he was impressive, the next he was downright ridiculous.

This is no ordinary compass. This is a compass that points not to North…"

"So it's broken."

"… it points to whatever the holder most wants in the world," continued Jack, as if he hadn't been interrupted, "take a look." Jack opened it and showed it to Barbossa, who noticed that the needle was pointing directly at him! He was about to say something, possibly an insult at Jack's expense, when it started to move, slowly away from him. It wasn't until Scarlett the barmaid had walked right up to Jack and placed a new tankard of run on the table, that Barbossa realized what it had been pointing at. He watched it as it moved slowly in the direction that Scarlett was walking, a small smile on her face from something Jack had just whispered to her.

"I must say, Jack, out of all the compasses I've seen, this is the most interesting," said Barbossa, "so when you most want the Gold of Cortez…"

"It'll lead me straight to it," said Jack, "you catch on fast."

Barbossa considered the new cards that had just been placed on the table. A plan was forming in his mind, one that he quite liked the sound of.

"You know what, Jack?" said Barbossa, smiling for the first time the entire meeting, "I think that a partership is a good idea. Hell, I'll even let you be captain of the Pearl."

"Now there's the smartest thing you've said all evening," said Jack, smiling too, "two Pirate Lords, sailing under the one flag, striking fear into the hearts of all."

"And the Gold of Cortez?"

"With that, we'll be the ritchest pirates to ever sail the seas," nodded Jack, "and since we are both Pirate Lords, and therefore equals," this word caused Barbossa to caugh slightly, although Jack continued on as if he didn't notice, "that means equal share of the treasure."

"That's mighty generous of you, Jack," said Barbosa, "now what about this ship of yours, when will you have it?"

"Give me four weeks," said Jack, "and she'll be mine."

"And then we set sail for the Gold?"

"Not straight away, there are things I want to do that requires a fast ship and a strong crew, I expect you to supply the crew of course," Jack drunk from his tankard again, "it may take some time, but we will get to the Gold in due time."

Barbossa motioned to Scarlett again, who brought him a tankard of rum, "in due time it is… Captain." He held up the tankard in a toast, Jack copied his action.

"To unity," said Jack, grinning.

"To the Gold of Cortez," said Barbossa, clinking his tankard against Jack's, an action stronger than a handshake.

"To the Black Pearl."

That was the first chapter of Meetings, please review and tell me what you thought! And if you have an idea for any meeting that you'd like to see, don't hesitate to ask and I'll see what I can do!

Thanks!

Moon Comix

Next Chapter: Of Sea Turtles and Omens