Requiem
Prologue:
Captain Andrew Gillette surveyed the charred husk of the settlement at Ocho Rios. As the longboat drew nearer the shore, he could hear the blackened buildings creaking, threatening to crumble where they stood and bury their dead beneath the rubble. And there would be dead, Andrew knew. Men and women of all ages and creeds, mutilated beyond recognition. Just like the last time, and the time before, and the time before.
And where does it end, he thought to himself despairingly. How many more sins must this wretch commit before he's brought to justice?
As a Marine leapt out of the boat, sloshing through the sandy seawater to drag it further inland, Andrew rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. He would not let this stand any longer. He would not see another village so utterly savaged. If Commodore Norrington were alive to see this...
Andrew cut that thought off viciously. He would give no more thought to Norrington, to the man's final months of dark guilt and need for redemption. To his death. James Norrington was no more, and there was nothing Andrew could do about it, save try his utmost to live up to the standard his commander and friend had set.
Sand, then grit, then cobblestones under his boots, Andrew strode forward, taking in the acrid smell of a burnt civilization. There was the smell of buildings, of exploded gunpowder, of bodies. The scent of blood. The air was still smoky and dry, stinging his eyes as he stepped carefully into what used to be a modest home.
It had been a kitchen at one point. On the far side of the room, a fireplace stood, a singed copper kettle still hanging. Strewn about the floor were bodies, burnt shells of the people who once lived there.
Andrew crouched down by the nearest body, narrowing his dark eyes as he inspected it. Beneath the melted black husk, he could see exposed muscle and bone. It had been female, he thought, judging by the sooty whalebone that used to be part of a corset. And she had been thankfully dead before she burned, he noted, though that didn't take an expert to see - she had been hacked open across the collar, nearly severing her head and left arm from her body entirely.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Lieutenant Hayes," Andrew murmured, straightening up and turning his attention to the young man who had come up behind him.
Joseph Hayes was fresh from his lieutenant's exam, young and eager to serve his country. He was, Andrew observed, very much like another young lieutenant he'd known. He was always good for a laugh when you were down, and he was as fond of practical jokes as any schoolboy. With dark curls covered by a wig that look a bit out of place on him, a broad face and bright, keen eyes, Hayes often looked as though he was merely playing dress-up. He was loyal, intelligent and courageous, though, and Andrew viewed him as a sort of protégé.
Hayes was currently looking about the room, all the usual laughter gone from his features. Though he was quite pale and was clasping his hands tightly behind his back (Andrew knew, from experience, to keep them from trembling), his eyes were clear and his voice steady when he spoke. "The search party turned up the children, sir. All unharmed, save for being terrified out of their wits," he added with barely-concealed bitterness.
"That's to be expected," the captain muttered, crouching down beside the body nearest the fireplace. Also female, also hacked up. Considering the size of the home, more likely the women of the family than any sort of kitchen staff. Mother, grandmother, and eldest daughter, perhaps. "We'll use the same procedure this time, Lieutenant. Gather the children below-decks, and bring in the workers to begin burial."
"Yes, sir."
As Hayes strode away purposefully, Andrew could hear the wails of the children coming nearer. The Marines would be escorting them, taking them around the town to shield them from the worst of it, but no amount of good intentions would erase what they'd experienced in Ocho Rios.
Standing fully, Andrew left the house and made his way back to the longboats. From here, it was on to Saint Ann's Bay and another graveyard.
No more, Andrew thought, watching solemnly as the terrified children of Ocho Rios were herded onto the longboats. I will find you, Captain Abraham, and when I do...
Turning his back on the smoking corpse of the town, Andrew narrowed his eyes at the horizon, as though searching for some sign of the diabolical pirate captain's ship.
When I do, there will be hell to pay.
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A/N - Okay, so...AU from the end of AWE on. Obviously. I was extremely pleased to see Gillette and Groves together again (though I have to wonder where the heck Gillette has been for the last two movies...), and extremely annoyed when the writers decided to...do what they did. . Anywho, this is really not going to be a pleasant fic, or even a very long one. Five or six chapters, I think. Maybe a few more than that, I don't know. This is a prequel to a series I'm planning starring dear Gillette. Yes, we will be seeing Groves in the series. There may be other cameos, you never know. However, as this fic is extremely Gillette-centric, they won't be playing major roles in the plot.
I shall endeavor to keep this fic and the series following it free of Mary-Sues, clichés, plot holes, OOCness, and gratuitous sappy romance. There will be sex, violence, liberal use of 17th and 18th century folklore, and a few OCs. I do love my characters, and I hope you will come to love them as well, because they're going to be sticking around.
The part of Second Lieutenant Joseph R. Hayes is played by Steven Cardenas. Yes, I know, I'm a dork. =P
As always, I appreciate reviews. They make my tiny, pathetic world go 'round. To everyone who has thus far reviewed Brotherly Love: Try, I will be getting around to posting the last chapter, I promise. I just have no idea when. =) Sorry?
Peace.
Akiko