AN: Hello, I just wanted to say thank you again for the support on this story! Obviously we have arrived into canon movie territory as of last chapter so I wanted to let you know how my thinking is now that we are in CotBP. As movies are visual and auditory, there's tons of dialogue and I have the script open in another tab while working on chapters so I can stay accurate to the content (but sometimes I will change some of it or who said it as needed) as well as the movie I can stop and start to translate body language and direction. This does make it more time consuming to write instead of whatever comes into my head so please understand the longer times between chapters if they arise. It's hard to squeeze in a character into the franchise but as I try to stay loyal to canon, I also try to keep it interesting and make Sasha fit into it naturally. I also want to say I do see this character continuing through all three original films as the thing that inspired this whole story was how I thought she'd react in the second one to Jack's death (and continuing to get on Jones' nerves too). Sorry for the long note but I wanted to clear the way for the rest of Curse into the rest. Thank you and stay beautiful and healthy!
Barbossa's crew were vigilant while they escorted Jack and Sasha to the Black Pearl. The men would stare at her, in no way trying to make their looks coincidental. She reached for her pistol and smirked when most of them took the hint. The skinnier of the two original henchmen offered her a canteen of water but she politely declined. He, other than their captain, was the only one who didn't act like a starved feral dog in her presence. She shuddered at the thought that some innocent women had to endure this before their arrival.
"Welcome back aboard the Pearl, Jack." Barbossa taunted, snapping his fingers to put the crew to work. He led them to the captains quarters and shut the door behind them. "Might I offer ye some refreshment?" He held out an apple to Sasha. She took it and sent him a half sincere smile.
"Very kind of you." Sasha sat on his desk, legs crossed over one another, and took a bite of the red fruit. She fought the grimace that threatened to show on her face as the small piece turned to ash on her tongue.
"Now then, shall we discuss the matter at hand." Barbossa sat at the table before her and focused on Jack. "We both be smart business men, Jack, so I imagine it like this: you tell me whose blood we need and I let you and the lass enjoy the last days of yer lives on that beautiful island you so rudely abandoned."
"I could use the sun." She couldn't help but chuckle at how ridiculous these negotiations were about to go. "But Hector I do think I'd rather have the choice of where I take my retirement."
"Then I let you go and return him to the sandbar."
"Sounds good to me, Jack tell him the name."
"You really aren't helping, Sasha." Jack hissed at her. She just shrugged and continued to eat the apple. "The only fair solution is to return the favor." Barbossa narrowed his eyes, understanding exactly what he meant.
"So you expect to leave me standing on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it's the one I need and watch you sail away in my ship?"
"No. I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, watching me sail away on my ship and then I'll shout the name back to you. Savvy?"
"That seems reasonable, might be your best offer." The brunette chimed in only for the older man to wave her to silence.
"But that still leaves us with the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it's the one I need." Sasha tossed her half eaten apple to Jack and patted his shoulder. She would wait it out on deck where at least she could enjoy the scenery and fresh air.
The crew luckily ignored her for the most part as she sauntered across to the bow. The Pearl still smelled of soot and she wondered if she'd ever know what happened to her. Out in the distance she spotted a ship and her relaxed demeanor fell into panic. Barbossa and Jack came hurrying out of the cabin and up to the wheel deck. Sasha ran up to join them, exchanging worried looks with the dread-headed man.
"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa. What say we run up a flag of truce, I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"
"Now you see, Jack , that's exactly the attitude that lost you the Pearl . People are easy to search when they're dead." Barbossa said jovially, turning to his massive first mate. "Lock him in the brig." The man grabbed Jack but hesitated.
"And the girl?"
"Ah yes, what shall we do with Miss Hartford?" Barbossa raised an eyebrow at her, a devious smirk on his lips. Sasha held her hands up in surrender.
"I think I'll join Captain Sparrow in the brig, if that's fine with you, Hector?" He nodded and sent them away so he could plan the attack. The first mate pushed them ahead of him, down the stairs, and locked them in a waterlogged cell.
"Apparently there's a leak." Jack complained as the brute walked away. Sasha leaned against the iron cage and watched the cunning man look through a hole in the side of the ship.
"What now?"
"I don't know." He mumbled, still trying to see what was happening.
"I could tell him about my hand in ending the curse, maybe he'd let them go unharmed." She was worried that Will and his beloved would meet their end before they had any chance at a life together.
"Don't be stupid, your our only advantage now if the boy mucks it all up." The ship lurched and sent Jack toppling into her, both struggling to stay upright. He forced himself back to the peephole. Sasha heard calls to fire from both ships and quickly pulled him away from the hull, shielding him with her body as the wood splintered around them.
"Whose stupid now?" She retorted as she pulled herself off of him. She looked down and noticed a large sliver of wood protruding from her shoulder and pulled it out. "You're lucky I can't die." Jack picked up something floating in the water and quickly uncorked what appeared to be Gibbs' flask only to find it empty.
"Bugger." He whined, looking up to see the cell door had been damaged. He grabbed Sasha's arm and they ran upstairs in hopes of escaping.
There was utter chaos on deck as cannon fire pierced the air, war cries carried on the wind, and Barbossa shouted orders. Jack ducked to avoid a pistol shot to the face, pulling Sasha along as fast as he could. They managed to reach the ships edge but were stopped by no way of getting across to help their friends and crew. One of Barbossa's men was trying to swing over to the Interceptor but Sasha pulled him off and handed the rope to Jack. He ushered her in front and, once she had taken hold of the rope, hoisted himself up and launched them across. Sasha dropped as soon as they cleared the Navy ship and watched as Jack barreled into a man attacking Gibbs.
"Jack! Sasha!"
"Bloody empty." He complained, returning the leather bound flask to its owner. Jack scampered off, leaving Sasha and Gibbs to cover his back.
"Good to have you back, again." Gibbs chuckled at her as she hit a man with the butt of her pistol.
"I fear it won't be for long this time." She shouted over the ruckus. She surveyed the fray, watching as Jack chased the small monkey of Barbossa's. Elizabeth was desperately trying to remove the mast from the hatch of the cargo hold. Sasha rushed to help her.
"Will!" The blonde woman cried out, startled at the new woman's sudden appearance.
"We'll get him out, don't fret." Sasha spoke through gritted teeth, trying to push the large splintered wood.
"We can't move it." Elizabeth panicked. The two women were grabbed, overtaken by the Pearl's crew. "Will!" They were drug away from the rapidly filling hold. All of Jack's crew were bound together around the mast, a position Sasha had rather not re-lived.
"If any of you as much as thinks the word parley, I'll have your guts for garters." The stout pirate warned. Elizabeth managed to slip free of the ropes, only to stop in her tracks as the Interceptor exploded. Sasha's heart went out to the girl but now was no time to mourn. To her surprise, Elizabeth charged Barbossa, hitting him repeatedly. He turned around and grabbed her arms to stop the assault.
"Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor." He shoved her away into the waiting arms of his crewmen. Sasha closed her eyes, wishing she could help her as she screamed in terror at the hands trying to disrobe her.
"Barbossa!" Everyone stopped, looking to see Will standing on the ships railing. He hopped down and pointed a pistol at Barbossa. This angered him and he advanced on the young man.
"What's in yer head, boy?"
"She goes free!" Will shouted
"You've only got one shot, and we can't die." The pirate retorted smugly. Sasha saw Jack mutter something to Will.
"You can't, but I can." He held the pistol to his chin. Apparently that was the opposite of what Jack had warned as the mans tanned face fell as the words left Will's mouth.
"Who are you?"
"No one, he's no one." Jack pushed himself forward, standing between the two men. "Distant cousin of my aunt's nephew twice removed. Lovely singing voice, though. Eunuch." Barbossa pushed him aside to hear the boy out.
"My name is Will Turner, my father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs through my veins." The pirates' eyes lit up.
"He's the spittin' image of ol' Bootstrap Bill come back to haunt us!" The one-eyed pirate cried out.
"On my word do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker."
"Name your terms, Mr. Turner."
Sasha locked eyes with Jack and both shared a knowing look. Will didn't understand the workings of piracy as they did and Barbossa would surely exploit his wishes. The demands were simple, free Elizabeth and do not harm the crew, vague enough for Barbossa to do as he wished.
"Men, prepare to set sail! We have a bargain to uphold." He bragged. "Search the crew but leave 'em there." Sasha's unbeating heart fell knowing her and Jack's last trump card was now in the grubby hands of his crew.
"Captain!" The crewmen opened the little bag and quickly released her from the ropes, dragging her by her forearm to stand in front of Barbossa. "She had these on her belt." Barbossa took the pouch and raised a brow at its contents.
"Seems we need to have a civil discussion, Miss Hartford." With a snap of his fingers, she was dragged to his quarters along with Jack and Will.