Interceptor took Pearl's crew to Singapore. They had a crazy plan to bring her back. Once they were left there, he sailed to Port Royal. He couldn't believe what he had witnessed. The living dead? Fish people? A giant octopus? Which had swallowed Pearl down beneath and into the depths! But he had what they had been after...Dutchman's heart thumped eerily on his deck as he sailed into Port Royal under escort. "One of our ships found a pirate aimless sailing around. He was carrying these." Cedar told Endeavour, slapping down the paperwork that Endeavour had promised to Pearl. A pardon. "I took the liberty of filling in my name." Interceptor said as he approached. "You!" She cried, shocked. "Thought you were dead boy." "I get that a lot." "You wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if you didn't have something to offer. You have the compass?" She asked. "Better." he said, plopping down a pulsating bag surrounded by flies, which slowly beat. Interceptor smiled. "The heart of the Flying Dutchman." Endeavour slowly unwrapped it, her eyes going wide. "Extraordinary." She whispered. "So I have earned my commission as a privateer then." "Oh no, I think something much more prestigious. A reinstatement of your former rank, all rights and privlidges attended. And I think a promotion is in order don't you agree, 1supst/sup Lieutenant of the Combined Fleets." "The armada?" Interceptor's eyes widened, before he stood straight and saluted. "I will not fail you, ma'am." "Very good. This fleet is a mixed back of merchants, privateers, and warships. I trust you can manage them. I have assigned you a vessel to carry out your orders directly. Down to the lowliest private. She can be a handful so I place her directly in your care." "And who would that be?" he asked, turning his head to see Dutchman break the surface, drawn by the call from her heart. She halted in front of the pair, saluting. "You summoned me Endeavour." "Yes." she replied, holding the heart. "You are to be acquisitioned into the Royal Navy. 1st Lieutenant Interceptor will be your commanding officer. If you deny or disobey any order, and this heart will be shot. Do you understand?" "Blackmail is not becoming of you Endeavour. Your daughter tried that, it didn't work so well." Shadow hissed. "And yet, here you are, a dog on a leash." Shadow growled, fangs bared but she very reluctantly consented. "Keep an eye on her Interceptor." Endeavour whispered. She was visibly shaken by what Shadow had told her. "Long Shadow is a loose cannon." "I won't have to keep an eye on her. Speaking of dogs...HMS Dogg!" he howled. The large frigate sailed up, saluting. "Aye, Lieutenant?" "I need you to look after the newest addition to the fleet. See to it that she remains level headed when we need her to be." "I...Yes, Sir." Dogg nodded, looking at Shadow. Shadow was baring her teeth at some merchants who huddled as far away as possible from her. "Umm...HMS Dutchman?" Dogg cleared his throat, approaching her. "What?" She growled, her gaze softening just a fraction. "May I ask if I can do anything to make your joining our fleet more...comfortable?" "Sure, you can leave me alone!" She grumbled, swiftly turning her stern to him. "To be entirely honest with you I'd love nothing more." he chuckled, moving up beside her. "But like you, I don't have a choice. I have to follow my orders. And my orders are to make you comfortable, even if it means I have to sacrifice my own comfort. I'm not trying to pester or annoy you. I'm...trying to be your friend, I suppose." "I don't have any friends. I work alone." She avoided looking at him. Eventually she sighed and gave up. "Persistent bugger you are." "Aye, and to be honest I'm surprised I'm not dead yet." he scoffed, smiling at her. Admittedly, she was not the prettiest to look at...but it was something he could quickly get used to. "What's your name? They tell me it's Flying Dutchman but, well, you don't seem to like being called that." Seeing that she couldn't get rid of him, she sighed. "Shadow. I am, well was, HMS Long Shadow." "Long Shadow? I know of you. You're a Legend! I can't believe I'm talking to THE Long Shadow! What made you change your name? Long Shadow is so much more beautiful." "That's none of your business!" She growled, immediately closing him off again. The very memory of Britannia brought a stabbing pain to her chest where her heart used to be. He frowned. "I'm sorry." he whispered, "I didn't mean to bring up old memories. I...I just wanted to help you. I won't bring it up anymore." "Hmph." She grunted, ignoring him for the rest of the day. She was fortunate that she was still so wet because the water running off her bow hid her tears. She had been left alone for the most part. Until Interceptor returned, looking quite sad as a matter of fact. He looked at her, and gave a long sigh. "Under order of Endeavour I have order you...I have to order you to kill your pet." he murmured quietly. Shadow growled. "Never! She has been loyal to me in a way that you can never understand!" "Endeavour does not want you to use her against us or to steal back your heart. And since you are the only ship that she will not attack...I truly am sorry...I tried to tell her it would be unwise, that the kraken could be used with you to help the Armada. She doesn't want to take any chances..." Shadow knew her pet couldn't be killed. She'd have to let her go instead. "Very well."
She went outside the harbor, closing her eyes. She called out to her. Dogg silently followed her, watching. Maybe it was stalking, maybe it was spying. But he wanted to know her more. The Kraken didn't surface but Shadow felt her presence none the less. "You must return to Italy my friend." She whispered. "They will harm you if you stay." Dogg tilted his head. Who was she talking to? He decided to act. "Shadow? Whom are you speaking to?" The water rippled as something from beneath disturbed it. Shadow ignores him. "I know. But they've ordered me to. I have no choice. You have been, my best friend. My only friend. Please..." A pair of wires emerged from the water and stroked her cheek. "You too." With a glance at Dogg, Shadow plunged her bow beneath the surface. An act as her pet had already gone deep. "Shadow?" he cocked an eye, sailing over beside her, "What's going on?" Shadow couldn't have hid her tears even if she wanted to. Her friend's last promise ringing in her style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" "I will come back to you."/em She trusted her, even now. Seeing her in distress, the British frigate took a chance. He gently rubbed against her flank. "You can lean on me. I'm here to help..." She couldn't even bring herself to be angry. "She was my best friend..." "I didn't see anyone." he admitted, "But that doesn't mean she wasn't there. Hell, you're living proof that there are things beyond my comprehension. I know your pain. Losing a friend...it's hard. When I was a shipling, my best was killed in a Spanish raid. Tried as hard as I could to save her...but in the end all I did was lengthen the time she suffered. Losing a friend hurts, Shadow. But...letting go of that which you are attached to, frees everyone from their pain." he murmured, licking her deck. She shied away from him, her green eyes turning their original sickly yellow. "I can never let go. Not until I have my revenge." She hissed and sailed off. "Revenge...? Shadow!" he called before sighing in frustration. "I'm a warship, not a therapist...why do I even try making friends anymore." he growled to himself before setting off after her. It was still his duty to overlook her and keep tabs, and he was going to do it, even if it meant Shadow was going to hate him.
She was taking out her anger on the rocks. Designed for target practice, they were the perfect punching bags. And she was really going at it. "You know you can't kill rocks, right?" he chuckled. She fired again and one of the outcrops exploded in a shower of fragments. "You were saying?" "Shadow, you can't kill what isn't alive to begin with." She growled. "I'm the ferrier of the dead. Watch me!" He sighed slowly, "I'm sorry. Please, tell me what I can do." "You can leave me be!" She snarled and lunged. She fell short, rolling and writhing on the water in pain. Monarch emerged from the edge of the range, a bayonet brushing its flat edge against Shadow's heart. "Monarch!" Dogg snarled, rushing forward to help Shadow up. Monarch pressed the blade down harder, tickling Shadow's left artery. "Where are the Bretheren meeting?" "Shipwreck Cove!" Shadow gasped out. Monarch didn't let up, adding a bit of pressure to her blade. "Monarch! Stop it now!" Dogg howled, hissing defensively. Providence came alongside Monarch, blocking Dogg's efforts to help her. She had a stick that she slowly shoved up one of Shadow's artery openings. Shadow screamed as the effect was similar to a heart attack. "Enough!" Interceptor snarled, just as Dogg's gun ports flung open. "Torture is not our way!" Monarch and Providence gave Shadow one more poke, and Monarch's blade actually nicked Shadow's heart. Not deep enough to kill her but more than enough to weaken her for a while. They removed their weapons as slowly and painfully as possible. Dogg snarled at them, protectively curling around Shadow. "Report back to the Fleet!" Interceptor growled. "Sir!" "Yes sir." They both agreed, sailing off. Shadow lie there, trembling bow to stern. "I've got you." Dogg murmured, trying to rub and lick her, soothing her softly. "I deserve it." For once her voice was soft and her eyes were pure green. "No, no you don't. Don't say that. No one deserves to be tortured." he growled, "No matter the crime." "You, don't know. What I've done... is too horrible to describe." She rasped. "It can't hardly be as bad as that cuckhead in London, Alexander." "Alex..." she coughed painfully. "Bastard hasn't been the same since Britannia died. Then again, neither have I." He cocked an eye, opening his mouth to speak. But he suddenly closed it. Finally he spoke, "He's a bastard, alright. Fleet's been more aggressive and abusive since he took command over there." "He's the reason I left." She rasped. She looked up at him. "Thank you." He smiled, "It's my job. Anything you need of me, just ask." Shadow staggered to her berth where she remained for the next several days while she healed. When Dogg ran out for supplies, Britannia intercepted him. "Why can't she know?" he asked, tilting his head. "It would be a distraction for her. One that she cannot have right now." "But knowing you're alive would make her much less aggressive and hurt." "Nothing can change that side of her. It would do nothing to help her. She needs you far more than she needs me. I can't interfere." "She needs me?" he asked, confused, "What do you mean?" "Trust me." She begged. "I do, I do." he sighed. "Then return to her."
For Interceptor, the sight of such torture was the last straw. "I do not want to see that again." Interceptor hissed as he approached Endeavour. The flagship was unyielding. "If that monster steps out of line, she will be punished like any one else." She said. "She wasn't acting out of line! She did what any ship would have done with old scars being brought up!" "It was many years ago, long before you were born Interceptor. She can't allow herself to be controlled like that, not in my fleet. And if she can't build some backbone herself, then I will do it for her! I shall hear no more on the subject!" Endeavour growled. With that, Endeavour turned around in a huff and left him to his own devices. Interceptor sighed, looking at the orders she had left for him. Orders he frowned upon seeing but knew Shadow would happily obey.
He approached her as Dogg groomed her, or rather, attempted to groom her. Shadow was leaning as far over in her berth as she could while still remaining in her berth. She was warming up to the third rate but she didn't trust him THAT much! "Oh knock it off, if I wanted to hurt you, I'd have joined them, not risked my ass trying to stop them, you big baby!" he rolled his eyes, but stood at attention when Interceptor arrived. Shadow turned to face him. "What can I do for you sir?" Her tone clearly indicated what she would do to him if it wasn't for Endeavour holding her heart hostage. "Pirate eradication. Hunt them down. You're good at that." "With pleasure sir." She purred. "Will the nurse go with me?" She asked with a halfhearted glare at Dogg. She called him nurse because of his motherly attitude. "I'm afraid not. I've determined you work best alone. Besides, you can do your dive and ambush tactic. Dogg cannot. Unless you'd like to use him as bait?" "Bait hmm?" Her grin was a bit too big for Dogg's liking as she looked slyly at him. "Sure, he can scare them right to me."
The pair set off, seeing a pair of ships coming together off a remote island. Probably to take on water supplies. "I see no colours. Pirates." Dogg growled. "I'll follow them. You find Endeavour. Her patrol area crosses this region." "Aye." he nodded, coming about and making full sail to find the Armada Flagship. Shadow dove, keeping tabs on the pair. She realized with a start that one of the ships was Pearl. The other was that irritating Chinese flagship who insisted on being fanned with steam!
"It's a...pleasure...to meet you again, Pearl." the Chinese junk mused. "And you, Empress. On your way to Shipwreck Cove?" "I've little choice." she sighed, nodding, "All of our brothers and sisters from around the world are uniting against our enemy. I cannot hide in Singapore forever." "Beckett and Endeavour will claim the seas if we don't act fast." Pearl agreed. "And perhaps we should start with you!" Endeavour said as she came up behind them. Shadow remained submerged but monitored the situation. "Not good!" Empress snarled. Interceptor frowned from behind Endeavour, though looked quite shocked to see her. "You're alive!" "A little bit of ingenuity goes a long way." Pearl smirked. "Quiet!" Endeavour snarled. "You both are coming with me. A nice little spot outside Port Royal is where I can hang your dead bodies!" Pearl met Endeavour's gaze. "How are Prince and Passionate?" She asked cooly. "Who?" Interceptor asked, but Endeavour merely snorted. "Serving loyally, in fact Prince has become quite the pirate killer in the southern waters." "As their grandmother, I thought you might show a little more care towards them." Pearl growled. "Oh I have, they have constant reminders of their mother. Prince fights pirates most days and Passionate? An ironic name for a slaver." Pearl snarled, having a very good idea of what that poor girl was going through. "Don't get upset with me. You're the one that got yourself caught. You're why they were taken, abandoned by their mother, and why that treacherous Wicked King was burned to the waterline."
The silence was broken as Pearl snarled and ran out her guns. "He was my mate!" She hissed and fired, providing a distraction for Empress to flee. And she used that distraction. Setting sail, she moved in the opposite direction that Pearl went. "Which ship do we pursue?" Interceptor asked. "Signal Dogg to track down Empress, we follow Pearl." Endeavour replied. From her deck a cracking sound could be heard. Fortunately for Interceptor, Endeavour's mast fell on the opposite side from him. "Perhaps I should leave you to Pearl and join them to find Empress?" Interceptor asked with slight amusement. Endeavour just sighed. "Do you think she plans it all out? Or just makes it up as she goes along." "Ma'am." he chuckled, setting off with Shadow and Dogg. Empress had slipped away quickly. It would take a while to find her. Endeavour had to repair her main mast, and she had some catching up to do herself. Pearl was free to go her own way. She had no idea what was happening with Empress. The junk had made a large loop, heading away from their destination before turning back to cross over her path in an attempt to throw off any pursuers. She had no idea that she was shaking only two pursuers.
ours had passed with no signs of any other ship. She sighed in relief. She thought she'd gotten away, until the ocean burst out beside her. Cannon fire ripped through her sides, tearing out chunks of hull. She howled out, too stunned to even think about fighting back. She looked to see her attacker, eyes wide when she saw Dutchman. Shadow grinned at her, monster mouth on full display. "You can't kill me!" she gasped. "Oh I won't." Shadow purred, tossing a towline to her. Empress hung her head low, attaching the line and following Dutchman. Shadow wasn't kind about it either. She yanked hard on Empress as she worked to get the junk to make a fast pace. "Be easy, Dutchman, she's a junk, not you or me." Interceptor sighed, "Monarch, Providence, I'm going to scout ahead. Watch Dogg and Dutchman until I return. Treat them as your fleet mates and nothing less. Understood?" "Yes sir." "Yes sir." They agreed reluctantly. He sighed and set off ahead of them. Dogg glanced at Dutchman. Shadow did not have her friendly face on. She was focused and angry. "Try to keep calm. No one likes you when you're angry. Hell, even you don't from what I recall." he teased. She growled, baring her teeth at him. She was in no mood for idle chit chat. Monarch took a look around her and grinned. "Coast clear?" Providence asked. "Yep!" Monarch grinned. Shadow bared her teeth at them but that did nothing to deter them. Providence tore the chest from her grip, quickly unlocking it and wrapping two rigging lines around the heart, giving it a light squeeze. Shadow screamed. "Hey!" Dogg snarled, moving forward to grab Providence, "Stop that now!" Monarch bared her teeth and swatted him back. She moved in and sank her teeth into Shadow's deck, knowing it wouldn't kill her but she could still feel the pain. The move held her down while Providence played with the heart to her own's content.
This went on for some time until Interceptor returned. The sight disgusted him. Truly his fleet was not like this? Surely the Empire wouldn't allow such barbarian acts? The earlier encounter with the merchant and Dutchman's first torture session hurt to see. But three times, three times was the straw. As they were distracted, he chose his side. Silently moving behind Dutchman he bit the tow lines. "Stay in line like you're still being towed if you want to live." he whispered before moving ahead. "What the bloody hell is going on?!" he snarled, "Monarch, Providence, give the heart back and stand down! This is unacceptable behavior! Endeavour will be hearing about it. Do you understand me? Never again!" "Yes sir." They agreed. Dogg saw what Interceptor did but said nothing. Monarch roughly let Shadow go as she backed off, and the fluyt collapsed on her side. Interceptor and Dogg helped her up as the chest was once again stored on her deck. "Are you okay?" the brig asked. She was bleeding at the shoulder from where Monarch had bit her. "I'm fine." She panted, briefly touching her muzzle to his side as she straightened. It was a very brief contact but it was a glimpse of the old Shadow. He sighed, "I'm sorry." he whispered, turning away. "Now, Empress!" he called, and the pair loosed all sails and moved away as fast as they could. With her commander gone and the chest aboard her, Dutchman felt a surge of freedom...and Monarch and Providence would feel her wrath. That was until a new set of rigging pulled the chest away from her deck. She turned to see Cedar. "You are under my command." the schooner growled. "For now." She replied.
