"It seems the odds are back in our favor," Groves commented.

"Back in our favor?" Jack replied, grinning. "They never weren't."

Gillette rolled his eyes.

The pirates had been locked in the brig, and Norrington was hearing the last of Lieutenant Peck's lengthy account of how the pirates had managed to commandeer the Dauntless.

The Dauntless had left Tortuga in pursuit of a suspicious ship. It was a long shot, Peck knew, but it was better than doing nothing. Within a day, the Dauntless had overtaken the other ship, but Peck's request to speak to the captain was denied. Instead, the ship opened fire on the Dauntless, forcing Peck to order a return fire. The Navy vessel's weapons and defenses were far superior to those of her adversary, and the other ship eventually sank, but not before most of her crew had boarded the Dauntless and overpowered all the officers.

"They were focused on those of us in uniform," Peck said. "That was obvious. They weren't interested in anyone else. Finally someone hit me over the head and I woke up in the brig with the other officers."

The rest of the crew had been placed under guard in the cargo bay, Peck explained. A few who had been particularly troublesome were put in the brig, and those who acted out were eventually locked up, but mostly the crew was just guarded. Some of them were even made to help sail the ship. Then the ship had sailed for another day and a half, stopped for about a day, and then sailed to her current location.

"I had no way of knowing where we were or even what direction we were going," Peck said. "Not without a window. It was hell down there, without a bit of sunshine for so many days. We got food and water, enough to keep us alive, but it was the sun and open air we craved."

The Commodore just nodded, frowning slightly, but not at Peck. "What of the captain?" Norrington asked.

"He was the only one who seemed to have any sense," Peck replied. "I think his name was Bishop. He never spoke to us, not directly. He was more interested in the ship than he was in any of us."

"He didn't say what he wanted?"

"Not directly. He talked about Governor Swann, and about you, Sir, so I had to assume he was the same man who had taken you. And he talked about the blockade and the Shortcut an awful lot, and..." Peck hesitated. "And he mentioned Lord Beckett. Once or twice."

"What about Lord Beckett?"

"Something about taking orders from him, if I heard right. Which I may not have, Sir, it was awfully crowded down there, and - "

"You heard right," Norrington interrupted. He looked over to where the Endeavour sat offshore, in the same place she had been that morning, like a passive spectator. "That is the Endeavour there," Norrington said, pointing. "Lord Beckett's ship. Governor Swann is a prisoner there, and Lord Beckett would like to trade his freedom for access to the Shortcut."

Peck's eyes widened. "That's mad."

"Dear Mr. Bishop and his rum-soaked companion wanted me to tell them where to find Governor Swann. I couldn't have told them even if I had felt inclined to betray the Governor, for by then he was already a prisoner in Lord Beckett's island fortress, held as bait to draw my attention."

Peck frowned. "None of it makes any sense."

"Pirate," Jack said, appearing out of nowhere, as if the single word explained any inconsistencies in the events of the previous week. "And, in any case, sense has nothing to do with it. What matters now is, what is our plan for retrieving the dear old Governor and telling Lord Beckett to, once and for all, kindly bugger off."

Norrington glanced out at the Endeavour, and then to the four ships of the blockade which had escaped burning. "Lord Beckett no longer has the advantage here," Norrington said. "If he possesses the intelligence he likes to claim, he will have seen that already, and will welcome the chance to - "

"Not be blown to kingdom come?" Jack finished.

Norrington sighed, throwing a glare at the pirate for interrupting him, then instructed Lieutenant Peck to have the helmsman take them over towards the Endeavour for a meeting.

Surprise actually registered on Beckett's face when he saw that it was Norrington, and not his pirate ally, who commanded the Dauntless. He covered the surprise quickly, though, with a hard and resolute irritation, and watched like a statue as the Endeavour was boarded. Norrington stepped onto the deck, followed by Gillette, Sparrow, and Turner.

"Commodore Norrington," Beckett said, sounding annoyed and as if he were tired of this whole business. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"I think you know," Norrington replied. He walked right up to the shorter man and stared him down. "Governor Swann. Where is he?"

"I don't see how that's any of your concern, seeing as you have not held up your end of the deal."

"I don't care about your deal," Norrington said. "This has gone too far. I ought to arrest you for piracy."

Beckett looked amused. "But you won't. Of that, I am sure."

Jack peeked around from behind the Commodore and grinned at Beckett. "But we will blow this ship, and you with it, into smithereens."

"Not with your Governor aboard," Beckett said.

Norrington glanced over his shoulder and nodded to Gillette. Gillette and Turner started across the deck of the Endeavour towards the staircase leading to the lower decks. Their instructions were simply to find the Governor. They were to start in the brig, and search the ship if necessary. Beckett watched them go, still looking amused, until he saw that Jack was holding a pistol to his head.

"That won't be necessary," Beckett said, glancing nervously at the end of the pirate's weapon. "I'm sure you'll find my crew perfectly compliant with your fine little search party."

"Especially now that I've got a gun to your head, eh?" Jack replied. He didn't lower the pistol.

Around the ship, Beckett's crew kept their activities quiet and subdued. Some stood still and glared at Norrington and Jack, or threw nervous glances out towards the Dauntless. Beckett made every attempt to appear calm and unaffected by his apparent defeat, and by the pistol at his head, but his eyes shifted uneasily.

"Your heinous little scheme might have worked," Jack taunted, "if your two piratical allies had chosen a better place to interrogate their hostage, a place not so likely to attract the attention of dear Miss Ruby. She's got a sweet spot for the Commodore, if I'm not mistaken, and could hardly stand by and let him be beaten and starved to death. And once she sent word to Captain Jack, well, your fate was practically sealed, mate."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time," Beckett replied.

Norrington looked at Beckett for a moment, thinking back to the two pirates who had kidnapped and interrogated him, demanding to know where the Governor was. Of course by that time, Governor Swann was already locked up in Beckett's fortress.

"You had the Governor long before I was captured," Norrington said, stepping towards Beckett. "Which begs the question of why bother having me kidnapped at all?"

"I did not have you kidnapped," Beckett said. "Those fools acted of their own accord. You see, they thought the Governor was the ultimate prize, while I knew better. For me the Governor was always a means to an end, with that end being you, Commodore."

"Those men work for you. They are your allies."

"True," Beckett conceded. He started to pace as he spoke, as was his habit, and Jack followed him with the pistol. "But not until after you were so fortunate as to be rescued from your attempted execution. They came to me, Commodore, quite by accident, while searching for the Governor."

Norrington frowned.

"I discovered that we had a common goal. Namely, the reopening of that little shortcut. I decided that we all might benefit from an alliance, and so such an alliance was formed."

Jack made a face. "Bloody complicated."

"No more complicated than whatever arrangement the two of you have made, I'm sure," Beckett replied, glancing from Jack to Norrington.

"Commodore!" Will shouted.

Norrington turned, and saw Will and Gillette escorting Governor Swann up onto the deck. In a few swift steps, Norrington was standing in front of the Governor, quickly looking him over for any sign of injury or abuse. He was relieved to find none. The Governor's clothes were dirty and disheveled, and one of his sleeves was conspicuously torn, but there were no traces of blood and no bruises. Finally Norrington met the Governor's eyes. "Are you all right?" the Commodore asked.

The Governor nodded, though he seemed in shock. He looked past Norrington to where Jack still held Lord Beckett at gunpoint. "Is that - "

"Captain Jack Sparrow!" Jack called. He spread both arms and bowed gracefully. "At your service."

As Jack bent towards the deck, Beckett seized Jack's pistol and pointed it at the pirate's head. "You've had your fun," Beckett said. "But now it's time for you to honor our agreement."

I hope you liked this chapter. I had a hard time writing it, for whatever reason. I think it's because I only have a vague idea of how these last few chapters are going to play out, so I was making it up as I went. Thanks for sticking with me! Just a few more left! :)