It happened in the dead of night. Dauntless and the other ships were at rest. She sensed rather than felt the evil presence. It was cannon fire that woke her. She could see muzzle flashes but saw no ship. The culprit was blended in with the night. Cedar had been out on night patrol and was not present, Interceptor was blocked in before he could react by a collapsed crane. Dauntless called out to her son. She couldn't reach him. Her own path was blocked by this unknown ship's very accurate fire. It was like the vessel was herding her, keeping her away while using the night to mask herself. It infuriated Dauntless that they could do nothing but watch helplessly.
The firing did stop eventually and the ship retreated to open sea with the governor's daughter. Dauntless was left seething that she could do nothing to prevent this travesty! Interceptor hissed slowly as his dock was cleared. He was finally able to move to his mother. "I should've known. A pirate tried to take me yesterday, it took Multog holding me back that kept me from killing him. They were talking when the governor's daughter fell. There was a strange ring that was pulsed out… I thought I was just seeing things. But a pirate and that ring thing, I should've known there'd be more after that." "Hush, there was no way we could have predicted this. There was something evil about that ship. Something old and powerful." Dauntless soothed him. She looked up as Cedar returned. "Cedar!" She cried. The schooner rushed over to her and Interceptor. "What the hell happened?!" "Pirate attack. None of us saw her coming. She blended with the night." Dauntless looked at Cedar helplessly. "She took Miss Swan." She said. I will be leading the search for them to get her back." Interceptor announced, while Cedar looked equally confused and shocked. "Interceptor no, I'm the better tracker I'll go." Dauntless said. She did not want her son anywhere near that thing. "I'm faster and not to be rude mother, better experienced at pirate hunting. Why do you think the Commodore has me as his flagship and uses me for such expeditions?" "Interceptor before we left England I was warned to be beware of the black ship. The only way this pirate could hide in the night is if she was pure black. There's something wrong about her. Something evil about the way she moves. I know I can't stop you, but please please be careful!" "I will be, I'll leave tonight." He told her, heading back over to his berth to begin supplying.
A few hours later when the sun had rose into the afternoon sky, the action kicked off. Dauntless heard a commotion on her deck, then felt her small guard crew began lowering one of the long boats with themselves inside. That's when she saw two men taking her helm, the surest way to control a ship's movements. One was the blacksmith Will Turner, the boy she had rescued many years ago. The other was the infamous pirate, Jack Sparrow. She wanted to throw him off but he had an exquisite touch and she sensed that he did feel some remorse over doing this to her. Like her beloved commodore, he was a true sailor. Of course once Gilet, her commanding officer within the long boat, began shouting Interceptor snarled and sailed over as quick as he could, throwing grappling hooks over to tie himself to her. Norrington and his crew boarded to search her. "So mother… the commodore didn't want me going after them so soon. So… a new opportunity presented itself. And I took it to get Miss Swan back. I'm sorry." He chuckled, as Turner and Sparrow swung over to him. Interceptor bit the lines to cut free of Dauntless and moved out to the open sea. Dauntless tried to follow. "Interceptor! Interceptor come back!" She begged. She quickly discovered that she was unable to move her rudder and now she was heading right for the rocks. She adjusted her sails to compensate but it wasn't enough. "Cedar help me!" She wailed. Cedar quickly acted as a push boat guiding her away. "Drop canvas Dauntless!"
She did so and together she managed to just avoid the treacherous shore, dropping anchor in the harbor. She leaned into him. "My son. We must find him!" She begged. "He just willing let them take them. That's piracy… the fuck? That's not like him." Cedar gasped. "My son is not a pirate!" Dauntless hissed. "They must have done something to him. That Sparrow, he's got the touch of a temptress. Interceptor must have been coerced." She broke off as a thought came to her. "Sparrow, Jack Sparrow. I know that name. I've heard stories. About him and his legendary ship, the Black Pearl. But why would he need another ship? Unless he's trying to get her back. Could it be her that attacked us last night?" She wondered. Cedar's eyes widened "That's exactly what happened. We need to get after him RIGHT NOW!" "Black Pearl, she's been preying on ships and settlements for near ten years, evading us at every turn. She'll kill my son if she gets the chance. Cedar, you're in better shape than I am right now. How soon can you set sail?" Dauntless asked. "I'm on it now." He nodded and followed the trail of the brig.
Pearl meanwhile did not waste any time basking in her victory. Instead she was furious that the girl she had taken hostage was not the right one. Her spirits were perked at the sight of a brig on the horizon. And even more so as she sensed the gold was aboard.