Author's Note: This was written for The Society For Helping Wufei Get Some, a lovely organization run by the Fates, three Canadian gels. It's kinda long because I wanted to get a lot in, so it's in three parts. Don't blame me for any corniness or cheapness in this fic. This fic is three parts the song Barret's Privateers, one part Capturing Annie, two parts this odd pirate trilogy I read once but can't remember the name, and one part my own imagination. My apologies for historical inaccuracies, nautical inaccuracies, geographical inaccuracies, yadda yadda, I'm just a poor niner, leave me alone. On a similar note…
Disclaimer: I am a poor niner. I own nothing. I don't own Gundam Wing, I'm just borrowing the boys for my own twisted purposes. I'll put them right back where I found them! Promise! The crew of the Antelope is appearing here by permission.
Wufei leant against the bow railing, letting the wind play through the stray wisps of hair that had escaped his tight ponytail. Looking at him, one would hardly believe that this serious and withdrawn young man was in fact one of the youngest privateer (1) captain to be employed by the British crown.
This morning was going a long way towards improving the captain's mood. It had dawned bright and clear, with a good tailwind. Jamaica was ahead of them, and Wufei wasn't the only one in his crew who wouldn't be glad to feel dry land beneath his feet. Seven weeks they'd been at sea, sailing through three large storms and several minor ones. He had lost two to scurvy and one to the sea. And not a pirate rig to break the monotony. Wufei would be returning to land with coffers emptier than his belly.
"Mr. Chang, sir!"
Wufei sighed and turned. His cabin boy had run up behind him and was jumping about with anticipation. "Yes, lad?"
"Sir, did ye hear? Yankee, off to the port!"
"What?" Wufei ran to the port side and grabbed his spyglass from his belt, bringing it to bear. Now he could hear the excited shout of the lookout. He quickly scanned the horizon and picked up the pirate rig.
"Mr. Druhan!" Wufei roared, calling out to his first mate.
"Aye, sir?"
"Bring her about! Twenty points to port!" Wufei left the poop deck and stormed along the length of the ship, roaring out, "All hands on deck! Prepare for battle! Move it, ye lumps! Up! All hands on deck! Mr. Morris! Mr. Avery! Ready the cannons! Come on lads, we'll have Yankee for supper!"
As sailors boiled up from below decks and raced to ready the twin cannon and arm themselves, Wufei made for his own cabin. Sticking twin pistols into his belt, he threw another to his excited cabin boy, a youth not much younger than he himself. "Colin, lad, make yourself useful. Stay at my side."
"Aye, aye, cap'n, sir!"
Wufei clapped him on the shoulder. "Good lad." He grabbed his cutlass from its place on the wall and stormed out again. Swinging up into the rigging, he clung there as his first mate brought the ship around. The Dragon swung about, and Wufei immediately saw a problem.
"Quarter to the wind!" he roared. Immediately three sailors swarmed into the rigging and reset it. The Dragon surged towards her prey. Wufei allowed himself a crow of exultation. Despite the thin veneer of civilization and his legal standing, the young captain was a pirate at heart, and he knew it.
The other ship swung to the side and cannonshot rocked the Dragon. Wufei's cannons answered loudly and the battle was joined. The Yankee was listing when the Dragon drew close enough, a cannonball having ripped through the bow. The ship should have been able to limp to shore as it was—not that Wufei intended to leave it afloat.
His sailors leapt across the gap between the two ships, bringing the fight to the pirates. As he worked his way through the enemy pirates towards the prow of the Yank, Wufei caught sight of a lithe braided figure leap from the rigging into the fray. They let a woman onto the ship? he thought incredulously. Never mind that—they let a woman FIGHT?! Fighting his way to the prow, where he expected the captain to be, Wufei found it almost clear of the battle.
A roar from the enemy pirates pulled Wufei's attention to midship. Chants and roars of "Cap'n! Cap'n!" made themselves heard. Wufei cursed to himself. Dammit, the captain's in the thick of it...fool man, he thought, pointed ignoring the fact that he himself was often right in the thick of any fight his crew got into. Wufei made his way back amidships, bringing down two pirates who stood in his way. Bursting into the ring that had formed, Wufei paused a moment, taking in the scene. Two pirates...two WOMEN....were fighting back-to-back, with cutlass and pistol. The taller of the two, the braided figure he had seen before, turned to face him, and Wufei felt a shock go through him. The pirate, who originally thought a mere woman, was a man...a gorgeous man, at that. Amethyst eyes, sparkling with a manic energy, winked above the broadest smile he had ever seen. The pirate seemed undaunted by the fact that almost a third of his crew was dead and he himself was bleeding from a gash on his cheek.
The pirate blinked at him, then flung himself forward with a joyous roar, swinging his cutlass in a wide arc. Wufei ducked it, stepping backwards, and brought his own sword up to retaliate. Steel sang briefly as their swords crossed and sprang apart again. They sang again, bringing the combatants face-to-face.
"The captain, I believe?" the pirate asked somewhat breathlessly.
"Aye,"
"A pleasure." They sprang apart and circled each other for a moment before Wufei lunged in to be parried effortlessly by the braided pirate. A quick flurry of thrusts and parries followed, neither fighter landing a blow. The pirate lunged and Wufei stepped under the thrust, sliding his sword up to touch the other's throat—just as he felt the pinprick of a sword tip at his own throat. There was a breathless moment in the aftermath of the fight. All other battles had stopped to watch the two captains—for that was what Wufei had figured the other man to be. Although man wasn't quite the right word. He didn't seem to be much older than himself. There was a tense feeling in the air as both crews wondered which captain would strike first.
After a minute, however, Wufei smirked at his opponent and dropped his blade. The pirate grinned and did likewise. They saluted each other with their swords, then Wufei turned abruptly. "Back to the ship, lads, there'll be no loot today,"
There were blinks of surprise and not a bit of grumbling, but everyone of them followed their captain back to the Dragon.
"Hey!"
Wufei turned in surprise as the other captain hailed him. He turned around to see the braided boy leaning heavily on the woman—that one was a woman—he had been fighting with earlier. He lifted an eyebrow in question. "Do you want your dead or shall we just heave 'em over the side?"
Wufei smirked. "Toss 'em over. They're just a bunch of dirty pirates."
"Oi! That was an insult!"
*******
As the British sail disappeared over the horizon, Hilde pushed open the door to the captain's cabin of the Death's Scythe,(2) bearing a bowl of water and a relatively clean towel. The captain himself was lounging in the chair behind his desk, a scatter of maps and instruments covering its surface.
"Duo, let me look at your cheek," she commanded, dropping her burden.
The braided pilot grinned lazily at her. "Don't fuss, Hilde, I'm fine." He sighed as she started cleaning it anyway. "How many did we lose today?"
"Seven."
"How many did they lose?"
"Eight."
"That's good," Duo winced as she wiped the cut. "That stings!"
"Stop being such a baby . . ." Hilde returned.
"What about injured?"
"Not too many, surprisingly." Hilde turned away. "One broken leg, two concussions. A few gashes I had to stitch up, but more wounds were superficial."
"That's good," Duo replied. "But seven men is a lot to lose. And the one with the broken leg is out of the picture." He leaned forward over the maps. "The way I see it, we're only two days from the Caribbean."
"You mean . . ." Hilde looked sharply at him.
He nodded. "Aye. Let's go call on Quatre, then."
Hilde gave a mocking salute and leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. "You're tired. Get some sleep. I'll tell the helmsman to set a course for Quatre's."
"Aye, aye, ma'am," Duo yawned and covered it with a hand. "Oh, and crack that barrel of grog in the hold. The men deserve a little bit of a treat."
"Excellent," Hilde whisked out the door again, calling behind her, "Now sleep!"
Duo grinned as he slipped off his belt and laid it by the bunk. He rolled himself into the ragged quilt and his grin faded as he ran over the botched boarding. That captain . . . he had heard of the famous teenage privateers, two of them there were. All the tales told of their ruthlessness, but not had told of their gorgeousness. Duo hungrily remembered the caramel skin, the lovely black hair, and the dark eyes that had glinted so dangerously. His aristocratic bearing, his skill, his . . . . Duo blushed in the dark of his cabin as the train of thoughts continued. If all privateers looked like that, I'd make a habit of getting meself caught . . . . As the braided pirate drifted off to sleep, visions of British bums danced in his head.
******
Similar thoughts were running through the owner of said British bum as he folded his uniform jacket neatly across the back of his chair. The Dragon had limped away, his crew muttering mutinously. Wufei felt quite comfortable, however, that his crew wouldn't try anything. Especially with his demonstration that day. He was quite convinced that had it been any one of his own crew he would have split them neck to navel.
But it hadn't been one of his crew. None of his crew could have gotten a sword to their captain's throat. And not many would have tried. Many a pirate would trust a pistol more then he would a blade, these days. (3) Wufei's thought gradually slipped from the pirate captain's sword to his face. Those eyes, so happy in the midst of death. The delicate face. The grin. The hair. The . . . . Wufei shook his head. These are not appropriate thoughts, he admonished himself. Keep your mind on his fighting ability not his . . . . assets. He scrubbed his face with the heel of his hand. Two days more to Jamaica. Hopefully we'll run across another loaded Yankee. With these thoughts in his mind, Wufei sat down to write an account of the battle for his log—the admiral would be wanted his log when they reached port, as usual.
******
A joyous and raucous clanging of the ship's bell woke Duo from his slumber. Blinking blearily, he yawned and attempted to push his hair back into its braid. Giving up, he slipped out of the bunk and across the cabin. He poked his head out the door and hollered at the nearest of his crew. "Oi! You there! What's all this then?"
"The islands are in sight, cap'n!" he hollered back. "We're glad for a landin' at last!"
"I should hope you would be!" Duo grinned back. "Hustle down to the galley and tell Cooky to get something on the stove. I'm ravenous!"
"Aye, aye, cap'n!"
Duo yawned again and ducked back into his cabin, dressing hurriedly and rebraiding his hair. Stepping out again, he glanced at the sun. It was almost noon by his reckoning. If the islands were sighted, it would be another hour or more before they reached the island they were looking for. Duo stretched and yawned and made his way towards the galley.
About an hour later, the pirate captain balanced on the bowsprit as his helmsman navigated the jagged reefs and occasional large rock that guarded the quiet cove they were looking for. As the Death's Scythe slipped into the lagoon, there was a great cheer from the crew. Even Duo let out a mighty crow. The sight in front of them was a beautiful one. Set in a crescent-shaped lagoon, guarded by the reefs on rock on one side and a sheer cliff on the other side of the gentle slope, a large, low beach house sat amidst the glory of a tropical jungle, almost hidden from view by the two ship that bobbed at anchor in the bay, a large galley that Duo recognized and a sleek schooner that Duo did not. As he crew dropped anchor and prepared to lower the boats, a solitary figure emerged from the house and waved broadly at them. Duo grinned and waved back, before jumping nimbly onto the deck and racing across to the boats.
By the time the first boat reached the beach, there was a crowd of people on the beach. One figure, shorter then the rest, stepped forward and enveloped Duo in a giant hug as the braided captain stepped ashore. Sea-green eyes winked cheerily under sun-streaked blonde bangs as their owner thumped Duo on the back.
"Duo! It's good to see you!"
"You too, Quatre!" Duo replied, returning the hug. "It's been too long since we last dropped in."
"Not long enough, I think," a quiet voice murmured dryly nearby.
Duo let go of Quarter and grinned at the figure standing nearby, his one visible eye twinkling in wry amusement. "Trowa! Still haven't gained a sense of humour yet?"
"Apparently not." The taller boy replied calmly.
Hilde stepped up beside Duo, and he gestured towards the two boy. "Hilde, you remember Quatre and Trowa, don't you?"
"Of course," Hilde murmured as Quatre bowed gracefully and kissed her hand lightly. "How could I forget?"
"Come in, come in!" Quatre gestured extravagantly. "Are you hungry? Have you had a long journey? Are you well? Had a good take? We've been doing fine, of course, my bo'sun really is quite good at his job . . . ." the blonde pirate continued babbling as he shepherded the captain and his first mate towards the beach house.
"We're doing fine, really Quatre. This cut's just from a little skirmish we had two days ago . . . . By the way," Duo gestured back over his shoulder. "Who's is that lovely schooner that's parked in your bay? Did you pick it up?"
Quatre shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no! That lovely ship is the Antelope. Her captain is an old acquaintance who's staying with me for a few days." He mounted the steps on the veranda as the wide double doors in front of them opened and a woman stepped out. Quatre beamed. "Here she is now. Duo and Hilde, I'd like you to meet Kauri, captain of the Antelope. Kauri, this is Duo, captain of the Death's Scythe and his first mate, Hilde." (4)
The woman inclined her head politely and smiled at them. "Nice to meet you. Quatre's mentioned you several times. I'd love to chat with you."
Duo grinned. "It'd be my pleasure."
Quatre beamed at them both. "Excellent, excellent! Do come in, do come in. Are you sure you don't want anything? And you will be staying in here while you're here, won't you? Of course you will . . . ."
Quatre proceeded them, chattering, into the house—more of a mansion, really. Kauri fell into step beside Duo. "Quatre's a dear, isn't he?"
Duo nodded. "Oh yes, absolutely. A severely over caffeinated one, definitely, but a dear all the same."
Kauri laughed. "I totally agree. And he did manage to catch that fine young man, Trowa."
Duo gave her a mock-disapproving look. "Trowa is just his first mate."
Kauri snorted. "I'll believe that when Rashid wears a tutu," she said, referring to Quatre's hulking bo'sun.
Duo laughed in reply. "That's be the day!" he sobered in an instant. "So where do you folk hail from?"
"Canada," she replied proudly. "Every soul of my crew is Canadian born. Well, almost. We've got one who isn't. We were picking off shipping lanes up near Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for the while. I decided to float down to visit my buddy Quatre and see if we can get some fresh pickings down south."
"Are there many female captains up that way?" Duo asked curiously. "No offence, but I've never seen a female captain before."
She waved a hand. "None taken. No, I'm unique, I think. But most of my crew is female. There's an old joke around the taverns up Halifax way that the reason you never find a female pirate is that I've got 'em all, and if you're sailin' out and wake up lookin' an angel in the eye, you're as like as been captured by pirates as gone to heaven!"
Duo laughed. "My crew certainly wouldn't mind being captured by a ship full o' females."
"I wouldn't doubt it!" the other captain laughed.
Quatre led them into the large, airy dining room. Another woman was sitting reading the news at the far end of the room. She glanced up at their entrance and got up, grinning.
"Ah, here she is!" Kauri said merrily. "Duo, Hilde, this is my first mate, Tsuki. Tsuki, Duo and Hilde of the Death's Scythe."
"Pleasure," she murmured.
"Duo! Hilde! Come, have something to eat . . . ." Quarter beckoned his guests towards the kitchen Duo rolled his eyes at the two other guests, who smirked and followed them across the room.
Quatre, a cheerful soul who looks as though he couldn't hurt a fly, was actually one of the most feared pirates in the southern hemisphere. The son of a wealthy Arab merchant and a French lady, the blonde boy was richer than a king. He maintained a small empire on a remote island in the Caribbean. He was generous to a fault and still had money to burn. He was the captain of his own vessel, pinched from his father's estate after he died and it disappeared amidst the squabbles of his numerous other children and relatives. Quatre lifted a goodly amount and slipped his moorings, bringing with him his father's, now his, loyal bodyguards. His distinctive name came from being the last of four sons his mother bore. After a difficult labour, his mother, on seeing her darling little baby, gasped out, "Quatre! Mon Dieu, j'ai eu quatre!" (5) before dying. The midwives, knowing no French, assumed this was the child's name, when the mother was probably just exhausted and saying, "Four! My god, I've had four!"
Despite his bloody past, Quatre was the perfect host. He provided food, drink, medical aid, and rooms for the captains and first mates of the few ships that visited. He gladly accepted Duo's crewman with the broken leg until it was better and Duo visited again. There was a grand party that night, with enough wine, beer, and grog to make a priest drunk.
******
As the sun flared red against a foreground of masts and riggings, a solitary figure strode up the quay, rolling slightly in the manner of someone fresh from the sea. The men and women flocking the streets grudgingly made way for his smart red uniform and his pointed glares. Wufei (for it was he), scowled as he approached the admiral's apartments. The Union Jack fluttered weakly above the window as Wufei approached, a bundle of paper and logs crushed in one hand. As he stepped closer, the door opened with a jangle and another figure dressed in the red of Her Majesty's Navy stepped out. Wufei viciously suppressed a growl as the figure stepped into the pool of light cast by a nearby lamppost. A messy dark brown fringe hid a pair of blue eyes purer than diamond and just as hard. The lean body tensed as he saw Wufei.
"Chang," he smirked.
"Yui," Wufei replied curtly.
"Be seeing you," the other boy said as curtly.
"Fine then."
The other boy smirked again and brushed past the captain towards the docks. Wufei slowly un-tensed his body and attempted to smooth the bundle of paper. What is Heero Yui doing here? he thought to himself as he moved towards the admiral's apartments again. The last time I saw him was when . . . his thought trailed off, but the whole nasty incident at that tavern in St Louis replayed itself briefly in the back of his mind. Heero Yui, the only captain his own age in the whole of Her Majesty's Navy. His indiscriminate rival. Wufei knew that the privateers were seen as a necessary evil and were believed to be no better than pirates. But Wufei had at least his honour. Heero Yui didn't have that. He was worse than a pirate. He killed for pleasure and was as likely to rape and pillage as even the most ruthless gentleman of fortune to ride the waves. Wufei hated him, and Heero knew it. (6)
Trying to shove thoughts of the black bastard to the back of his mind, Wufei stepped inside and stood to attention. The Right Honourable Admiral Trieze Kushrenada was seated at his desk in the glow of an oil lamp, papers and nautical charts spread over the desk.
"Ah, Captain Chang, welcome back to Jamaica," the admiral murmured without looking up, carefully dipping his pen into the inkwell and making a neat notation on a chart.
"Sir," Wufei replied, his eyes fixed on a point above and to the left of the admiral's head.
"I trust you have good news for me, Captain," the admiral said calmly, laying down his pen and facing the captain.
"Not very, I'm afraid, sir," he replied stiffly, shifting his gaze to the admiral's face. "We've taken only one ship in our last run and had an encounter with one more."
"Really?" Kushrenada asked mildly. "And why are they still alive and free?"
"Their captain was a talented duellist," Wufei replied. "He drew me into a duel."
"And you lost?" Surprise was evident.
"No sir," he said with a touch of pride. "It was a draw. It was only honourable to let him and his crew go."
"Honourable . . . ." Trieze lapsed into silence long enough to make the Chinese privateer nervous. "Good work, captain," he said finally. "I commend your actions. You are dismissed. I expect the Dragon to be ready for a run within two days' time."
"Yes, sir!" Wufei snapped a salute and made to leave.
"Oh, and Chang?"
"Sir?"
"Next time, do try to beat the pirate. That is, after all, our job."
"Sir!"
******
His crew paid and let for shore leave, Wufei made his way to one of the quieter taverns in the port for his own drink and a bit of rest. As he pushed the door open into the Dancing Duck, he was rudely reminded that quietest was relative; it was louder then a Newfoundland drunk. Scowling this way and that, the captain cleared a path to the bar and sat down. He ordered a glass of wine and sipped it sourly as he watched the action of the tavern. Men played at cards or with the serving girls, drinks were flowing like a river, and there was two separate brawls going on. There was a stir in the crowd and Wufei's scowl deepened as another figure in red stepped towards the bar. Blue eyes met black and both nodded cordially, never taken their eyes off each other.
"Remember the last time we met in a bar?" Heero asked as he eased himself onto the stool beside Wufei.
"How could I forget?" Wufei countered wryly, taking a sip.
"I hope this time won't end the same."
"Aye."
"I lost a first mate to you."
Wufei grunted. "His fault."
"True. He was an idiot."
There was a long moment of silence as the two enemies sipped their drinks.
"I heard you only took one ship," Heero said finally.
"How'd you hear that?"
"Your crew is a talkative bunch."
"Ah. Must speak to them about that."
"Also head of your duel with some pretty-boy captain."
"Oh?" Wufei kept his tone perfectly even.
"Your men say you chickened out with your blade to his throat."
"His was to mine." Wufei knocked back the final dregs of his drink. "I've more respect for my hide than to lose it for the sake of winning a duel."
"So you say." Heero said, implying fathoms of disbelief.
"Until we meet again." Wufei dropped a handful of coin on the bar and strode off through the crowd.
"Until," Heero repeated, ordering another and pocketing Wufei's money.
******
Duo sighed as he leant against the railing. Night was dropping its velvet blanket on the world, and the stars were starting to shine. Far down the beach, he could see the small fire and the shadowy forms that moved around it. Answering lights glowed from the three ship resting at anchor in the sheltered bay. Everything was peaceful. As the young pirate relaxed, his mind wandered to the gorgeous privateer he had duelled with, as it had continually for the almost week since they had met. (7) Duo had never known another pirate who could match his skill with the sword. This one could. Could probably best him, too, if they tried again. Duo grinned to himself. Then again, maybe not. Either way, he hungered to find out. Hungered to do other things with that lovely privateer . . . .
His mind blissfully lost in the gutter, Duo sank into his thoughts for a long moment until a quiet voice nearby asked, "Penny for 'em?"
Duo blinked and half-jumped. He turned and saw Kauri leaning against one of the pillars of the veranda, arms folded and a sweet, if slightly mocking, expression on her face. "My thoughts? Not worth the copper."
She sauntered over and imitated him, leaning on the railing. They stared out at the water for a moment before Kauri started talking again. "I'll bet you're thinking about a woman."
"Oh?" Duo swallowed nervously. If only she knew . . . . "How'd you think?"
Kauri looked him fully in the face, quirked an eyebrow and gave one quick glance downwards. Duo's face flamed as he remembered those guttered thoughts he had been thinking. He turned back to the sea. "Not a woman." he replied.
"Ah." Kauri gave an understanding nod. "Who is he?"
"You're too curious."
"I know. Who?"
Duo sighed and gave in. "A captain. A privateer. I don't know his name."
"Really? How'd you meet?"
"He attacked my ship. We got into a duel."
"Who won?"
"Draw. We both had our swords to the other's throats."
"Good job." Kauri sighed. "Hmm, if only a handsome privateer would try and attack me. He was handsome, of course."
Duo grinned. "Definitely. Oriental. Gorgeous caramel skin, these deep black eyes and this beautiful black hair, back in a ponytail."
"Sounds yummy. You didn't get his name? What about his ship?"
"The Dragon."
Kauri smiled. "I'll keep an eye out for it. I want to see this handsome privateer."
Duo mock-growled. "He's mine!"
Kauri slapped him on the back. "Oh course, of course. Now come inside, your first mate is looking for you."
Duo stretched an turned around. "Hilde will kill me one day with all her fussing."
"Probably," the female pirate agreed cheerfully. "We could always take her off your hands for you."
"She'd probably go kicking and screaming."
"What's the good of her if she won't?"
They both went inside the palatial beach house, chatting about this and that until Hilde descended in her Valkyrian rage and bundled them both off to the hall where Quatre had laid out the evening meal. After sharing the food around, Quatre's first mate nudged him and nodded towards Duo. Quatre blinked and a happy grin spread over his face. "Oh, yes! Thank you, Trowa!" He leaned forward. "Duo, unless you've forgotten, your birthday's in three weeks."
Duo groaned. "Quatre, I can't even remember my own birthday. Why do you insist on remembering it for me?"
"Because birthdays are important. And this is your eighteenth, if I'm not mistaken." Quatre busied himself with cutting the steak he was currently attacking. "And, of course, you must have a party. You can have it here! I'd be so pleased."
Duo nodded and swallowed a mouthful of food. "Sounds great, Q-man." He cocked his head at the captain and mate of the Antelope. "Oi, Kauri! Want to come, too?"
Kauri nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! Three weeks?"
Quatre nodded. "Aye, three weeks."
"Great! We were planning on leaving in the next few days, but we'll be back in time," Kauri continued. "We'll pinch you something nice for your birthday."
Duo rolled his eyes. "Another man's treasure is my birthday present."
Kauri gave him a mock-glare. "We are pirates, after all."
*******
A loud clanging woke the sleeping captain of the Dragon. He groaned as he opened his eyes. And right in the middle of the loveliest dream, too. There was that lovely young pirate captain in it and he was . . . . Wufei forcibly pulled his mind out of the gutter and set about putting himself to rights. Emerging into the sun-drenched deck, he scowled at his first mate as he ran up. "What is it now?"
"Sorry, sir, but Jenkins lost his balance and set the bell a-clangin'"
Wufei scowled even more. "Wonderful. get me some breakfast. I'll be in my cabin." So saying, he turned and stomped back into his own cabin and sank into the chair. Two weeks . . . . when do I get to see you again?
*******
Much later, when the sun had risen to the apex of the sky and Wufei was in a marginally better mood, he was leaning against the bow rail, scanning the horizon absentmindedly. As he watched, a sail appeared in the distance and moved rapidly towards them. "Spyglass," the captain snapped and brought it up to his eye as soon as the helmsman handed it to him. As the ship drew closer, he relaxed. "It's just a fishing schooner. Funny, it's out a bit far. Must've gotten lost." The ship was getting closer. The Dragon changed course to avoid it on one side by a safe margin, and the other ship seemed content to do the same. It was holding a steady course until it was almost level with the Dragon, when it suddenly keeled over and charged straight for Wufei's ship! Wufei swore and whipped the spyglass up to his eye again as a movement caught his eye. Something whirled up the mainmast and the black and white of the skull and crossbones snapped in the wind. Wufei roared out to his crew to prepare for boarding, but by the time the cannons were primed, the other ship was too close to use them. With a jarring, splintering thud, the bowsprit of the schooner rammed into the side of the Dragon, causing it to list momentarily. Ropes were thrown across and the ship swirled sideways in the stream to bump along the larger galley. Pirates swarmed across and met in a great clashing roar Wufei's own forces. Wufei gave his own howl and bounded down to join the battle, as he went, he almost stopped and stared.
I must be hallucinating — female pirates? Wufei shook his head as he charged forward, but was turned around as a giant hand landed on his shoulder. Wufei turned and looked up . . . and up . . . and up. A mammoth of a man stood in front of him. Wufei raised his sword.
"You the captain?" this mountain of man grunted.
"Yes, I am, you—"
"Good," the pirate interrupted, and reached over and tapped Wufei on the head with one of the belaying pins he held in his hands. Wufei's vision swam for a moment before going black. He was unconscious before he hit the deck.
*******
"He gonna to be okay?"
"He should be." An accusatory silence. "You didn't have to hit him quite so hard, you know."
A rustle of clothes. "Sorry, Doc, just followin' orders."
Wufei groaned quietly as his consciousness flooded back. There was a quick movement nearby and Wufei felt his head being raised and a cool hand on his forehead. "Oh good, he's awake now. Can you open your eyes, sir?"
Wufei swallowed and opened his eyes, blinking them shut almost right away as his vision danced. "Take a moment, sir, you'll be alright," the unfamiliar male voice said again. Wufei tried to nod but decided against it.
"See? I didn't hit him that hard if he's awake already." The deeper, rumbling voice cut in.
"Crimson, must I remind you that our guest has been unconscious for nearly five hours?" the other voice said with cool amusement. Wufei snapped his eyes open and ignored the spots as the memories of the last few waking hours flooded back.
"Five hours? Where am I? Who—" his words were cut off as a dry cough took him. A glass of water was handed him and he was supported as he sat up. He gathered himself for a minute before gingerly reaching up to touch the back of his head. A large bump met his probing fingers, but no blood.
"Feeling better now?" A hand took away the cup and Wufei looked up, taking his surroundings in for the first time. He was on a narrow cot in a small cabin on a gently tossing ship. There was a tall, skinny, well dressed man bending over him with a concerned look in his eyes. Leaning against the door was an even taller, extremely broad man who looked to be the epitome of a pirate. He gave a polite nod as Wufei quirked an eyebrow at him.
"Let's try this again. Where am I? Who are you?"
"Joel Brodie, M.D.," the skinny man introduced himself. "Ship's doctor. This behemoth over here is Crimson. He put you to sleep for a few hours."
"Apparently," Wufei replied dryly. "Where am I?"
"That'll be explained in due time," Dr. Brodie said, turning his back on Wufei for a moment. "You'll find your hands are tied. Our captain wishes to speak with you as soon as you are awake and mobile. You are awake," he turned back, "now let's see about mobile."
Putting his arm under Wufei's, the doctor helped the Chinese captain to his feet. Wufei swayed a few times, but remained standing. Dr. Brodie patted him on the back. "Good lad, good lad. Well, run along and see the captain. Crim will escort you."
"Thanks, Doc," the pirate rumbled, moving forward and clapping a ham hand on Wufei's shoulder, steering him out the door. The pirate marched him across the deck of an unfamiliar ship, grumbling hellos to the pirates they passed. Again, Wufei wanted to stop and stare. With the exception of Crimson and the doctor, every soul aboard appeared to be a woman. Wufei felt quite undressed, having lost his overcoat sometime and now only in trousers and a light shirt under the appraising gaze of the crew. Crimson marched him up to another door and stopped, knocking.
"Entrez," a female voice called from inside. Crim opened the door, pushed Wufei through, and ducked in himself.
A woman, dressed in the trousers and sleeveless shirt of a pirate, sat composedly at a desk, making notations on a chart. She put away her pen, rolled the chart up, and set it to the side. Another woman who had been sitting on the bunk, stood and came forward. The first woman folded her arms on the desk and took a long, appraising look of the privateer, sweeping her eyes up and down his body. Wufei felt himself colouring at her scrutiny. Abruptly, she grinned and gestured at the huge pirate. "Crimson, please, let him sit." Crimson pushed Wufei slightly forward and the captain turned and glared at him briefly before settling in the chair in front of the desk. "Crimson, go guard the door, please," she said in a pleasant tone.
Crimson saluted and grinned lopsidedly. "Don't I get to stay and watch?"
The woman laughed. "Go."
The pirate went.
There was a moment of long silence. Finally the woman said, "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Kauri, and this is my first mate, Tsuki. And you are?"
"Lieutenant Chang Wufei, captain of the Dragon," Wufei replied stiffly.
"Wufei, nice to meet you," she smiled. "I'll cut straight to the chase. Five hours ago we overtook your ship, plundered your hold and half your larder, left half your crew alive and sailed away again. You are my prisoner."
"Why aren't you killing me?"
To his surprise, Kauri grinned. "A friend of mine is having a birthday soon, and you're the perfect present." She must have noticed his stricken expression, for she added, "You must have met him. Slightly taller than me, slim, gorgeous violet eyes, long brown braid. He says you've met before."
Something must have lit in his face, because Kauri grinned and nodded. "I thought so. His birthday's in two weeks. Like I said, you're my birthday present to him. I hope you don't mind."
"I'm morally shocked and outraged," Wufei replied, utterly deadpan. "I don't really mind at all."
"Good." Kauri's grin disappeared. "But seriously. You are my prisoner, and even if you do try to escape, which I doubt, you can't. I'm trying to keep you alive for Duo, but if you shoot, stab, or harm one of my crew, I will kill you. If you take a hostage, I will kill you. You will not have a weapon while you are onboard my ship. I'll give yours to Duo and he can decide. If we stay in port or you nick a ship, we won't hunt you down, but I doubt you'd want to do that." Kauri took a breath and continued. "And finally, you won't be allowed to see where we are going. I'll have to blindfold you for part of the trip."
The Chinese captain weighed the options in his mind. Kill the captain — somehow — and escape. No, no good. The crew would kill him. Steal a boat or escape while at anchor. Or be the prisoner of a woman for an unknown length of time, unjustly — and get to this Duo. Wufei nodded, coming to a decision. "These are acceptable terms. I won't try to escape." He gave a wry smile. "Now that that is decided, could you undo these ropes?"
Kauri laughed. "Of course. Tsuki," the first mate came around the table and untied Wufei's bonds. He shook his wrists and rubbed them for a moment. "Now, where would you like to bunk? You have three options. You can sleep in the main hold with the rest of my crew, or my bo'sun, Midori, and Tsuki here have generously offered to allow you to share a bed with one of them for the trip in their cabin," Tsuki leered. Kauri grinned and continued, "Or you can sleep on the sick bed in Doc's cabin."
A crew of onnas. Two onnas. A man. "I will sleep in Mr. Brodie's room by his permission." Wufei replied with dignity.
Kauri smiled. "All right then. Welcome to the Antelope, Captain."
Notes:
(1)Privateers were basically legal pirates. They worked for the British, wore nice uniforms, and stole loot from any pirates they came across. A small portion went to the crown, but most of it stayed in the coffers of the privateers. Most privateers were pirates who had faced a choice: become a privateer or swing.
(2)Observe my originality in thinking up names.
(3)Pinching lines from Star Wars. My originality strikes back.
(4)Muahahahaha! Attack of the self-insertions!
(5)No use of online translators here. I wrote that all by my lonesome. And I've always wondered why any mother would call their kid Four. This is only my little explanation for it.
(6)Did I mention? Heero's a grade-A rat bastard in this ^__^ *ducks various implements and rotten fruits and/or vegetables being thrown at her by Heero fangirls*
(7)Time passes quickly. Keep up.