Chapter 20

The final confrontation

It was Sunday, and my crew and I were out on the hunt, having repaired the ship after it had sustained collateral damage during Blackheart's raid, we were now ready to take the fight to the Blackheart and his Templars. James Kidd, having heard the news about Dag's death, informed me that he would be keeping an eye on Blackheart's movement's, that was on Thursday last week.

Last I heard, James said he was on his way to the Caribbean to meet with a group of high ranked Templars, his "superiors" as James calls them. I'm not interested in hunting down those chumps, I want Blackheart and I'm going to get him. Which is precisely why I and my crew have gone out to intercept him.

"So what do you plan to do? Do you plan to kill Blackheart outright?" asked Balto.

"No," I said.

"No?" he asked, "sorry, I must've misheard you; but did you just say "No"?"

"Dag took me in and trained me so I could assume the mantle of captain when he died, as part of a promise he made to my father, he sacrificed his life just to fulfill said promise," I said, "but there's still something that's bothering me."

"What?" asked Balto.

I looked at Balto for a few minutes before speaking.

"Kento… he's Blackheart isn't he?" I asked.

Balto paused before speaking as well.

"Yes," he said.

"I thought as much," I said, "Balto… I need to know why. Why did Blackheart kill my father?"

"Sara-Beth-"

I put a hand up to stop him.

"I didn't want to hear it from your side," I said, "I want to hear it from his side, from Kent… Blackheart's side."

Balto sighed and nodded.

"I understand," he said.

I sailed the ship further and further until I reached the Caribbean border, I motioned for everyone to bring the ship to a full stop. I looked out into the distance and pulled out my spyglass, I didn't see a ship.

"We must be early," I said.

"It's going to take a while for Blackheart to get here," said Balto, "if I know the Firestorm, it packs a lot of firepower; but it's slow, so Blackheart and his crew won't be here until close to the evening."

"Then we have a little bit of time to kill," I said, "tell the men to load all of the weapons, I want to make sure that we're ready to fire on Blackheart in case things get… nasty."

The hours slowly passed by, the crew were gingerly waiting for Blackheart to arrive, for the party to get started; when it came close to the evening and I went topside, I saw the ship approaching.

"It's time," I thought.

I looked at the helm of the Firestorm and saw him, Blackheart, approaching the border. When he was in my sight, I motioned for him to come over to me, he did. I walked over to the railing of the ship and watched as Blackheart slowed down until he came to a complete stop, when he saw me garbed in my father's robes, he smirked and scoffed.

"You look just like your father," he said, "except with a more… curvy, feminine figure."

"Gearr an cac Blackheart, chomaoin agat dom roinnt freagraí (Cut the shit Blackheart, you owe me some answers)," I said.

"I don't owe you shit-"

"YOU DO!" I interrupted, "you killed my mother, you killed my father, you nearly slew all of Dag's crew and for what? What Blackheart!?"

Blackheart cocked his head to the left.

"You owe me some goddamn answers and I demand to know why you did what you did before I put you down," I growled.

"Long story," said Blackheart, "but the short version is that it doesn't matter, because you sure as hell aren't getting any answers from me."

I growled and balled my hands into fists.

"Now, move that little gunboat out of the way before I do it for you," he said.

"Okay…" I said, "tine (fire)!"

The ship fired on the Firestorm, hammering it with full force, bits and pieces flew off in all directions. Blackheart gave me a look of shock, I simply motioned for my crew to bring us to full sail and we took off.

"Get her! Get Sara-Beth! I want her head!" I heard Blackheart yell.

"That's right you treacherous dog, give chase," I thought.

And that's what he did, the Firestorm chased down the Lunar Maiden through the water, the small, choppy waves slapped against both vessels as they moved away from the Caribbean border and up north. I looked back and turned the ship around.

"Get the cannons ready, prepare to fire on my mark!" I ordered.

"Ready the cannons!" barked Balto.

The crew started moving now, running across the deck, running below deck and monitoring the sails as we made our way back towards the Firestorm. As we drew closer, I saw Blackheart's ship start to turn.

"Ready the chain shot!" I ordered.

"Chain shot's loaded captain!" one of the crew called out.

"Tine (Fire)!" I ordered.

The ship fired, striking the sails with incredible speed and force from the impact. I was pleased that the rounds made a direct hit, but it didn't do much damage, I needed to really hurt the Firestorm, and so I made a slight turn so the broadside cannons would by aimed right at the front of Blackheart's ship.

"Cannons loaded captain!" one of the crew called out.

"Captain, the Firestorm is turning to fire on us!" another one of the crew called out.

I only gritted my teeth and gripped the wheel, if Blackheart's ship was slow when it came to pursuing targets, I knew it had to be slow with turning. When I brought the ship a little way past the front of the Firestorm, I ordered the crew to fire and we hammered the enemy with a volley of cannonballs. I wasn't finished yet, I brought the ship over to the left side of the Firestorm and…

"Gunnaí móra mórbhileoige, tine! Sclóinte, dul chun na pointí lag! Cripple an mac soith (Broadside cannons, fire! Swivels, go for the weak points! Cripple this son of a bitch)!" I ordered.

The Lunar Maiden rocked from the left side as she spewed another volley of cannonballs on the Firestorm, causing the vessel to rock and start smoking from the damage it had just received.

"You little bitch, take this!" barked Blackheart.

Blackheart motioned for the crew to fire.

"Brace!" I ordered.

Everyone ducked as the Firestorm on us, hammering the Lunar Maiden, my crew cried out in pain from the plethora of explosions caused by the cannon fire. When I looked up and turned, I saw Blackheart turned around and was about to give chase again. I wasn't about to have this bastaird (bastard) and I play a game of cat 'n' mouse, I came here to end him. I turned the ship around and made my way back towards the Firestorm.

"Balto, what does it take to cripple an enemy vessel?" I asked.

"You either have to take out the captain or the sails to cripple the enemy," he said, "why?"

"I just wanted to know," I said, "Grant! Tell the men to aim high, load the cannons with chain shot."

"Yes, captain," he said.

I turned the ship around again, turning to the right and making my way towards the Caribbean border. I looked back and saw the Firestorm turn and still give chase.

"I need to give my crew some time to load the cannons," I thought.

No sooner had a I said that though…

"Cannons loaded, captain!" someone called out.

I nodded and turned the ship around again, aiming all cannons on the Firestorm's broadside.

"On my command," I said.

When the Lunar Maiden was starting to pass the Firestorm, I ordered the crew to fire. I saw Blackheart's reaction as the chain shot, literally tore the ship a part. I smiled at the destruction I caused, even let out a silent "Yes!" when I saw that the ship had finally been incapacitated.

"Blackheart! I've incapacitated your ship, are you going to talk now?" I asked.

"Go to hell!" he called out.

I frowned and turned the ship around.

"Then I'm coming aboard!" I called out.