Pirates of the Caribbean: The Haunting of The Grey Herald
Prologue
"D'Breas! Twenty degrees starboard! Keep that wind on our back!"
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"
The wind snapped and pulled at the sails as The Grey Herald slipped through the water, turning Eastward toward Santo Domingo. Its five masts were plenty to catch enough wind to push along its ninety gun hull. A mighty vessel indeed; large enough to intimidate all pirate ships in sight, making some think twice before plundering. Worthy of its name, The Grey Herald was doused entirely in grey wash, giving it a pale look of death, heralding in a message of imminent defeat of any smuggler or pirate who chanced to take it on. It truly was the pride of the Caribbean Navy of the Empire.
Standing on the bow, Captain Edmond James Dunhar gazed outward at the island of Puerto Rico slowly expanding on the horizon. His aqua blue eyes stood out against his grey captain's uniform (even though most captains wore blue, Sector Admiral Whitmore had approved his request, deeming it "fitting" for his ship). His head of short, brown hair was covered by the white wig of his status. A man of a lean stature, he was no less intimidating, for his gaze could pierce the toughest of hearts.
Froth and mist sprayed over the railing, splashing against Dunhar, and the creaking of the bow's wooden structure against the continuous ramming of the waves filled his ears. He was not worried however; she had seen many skirmishes in her time and could endure many more. Her time, however, was about to end though. Retirement at this age upset Dunhar extremely. It was neither his nor The Grey Herald's time to quit, he thought, yet he accepted it with a strained grace.
"Ah, oh well," he sighed underneath his breath, "I shall soon see you again, my love...I am all too willing to throw this life away for you."
**
Sector Admiral Whitmore sat in his office near the harbor of Santo Domingo. The constant smell of the sea filled his room. Dusk was approaching and The Grey Herald was nowhere to be seen, as it should have been in dock hours ago. This buzzed in his head as he finished his day's report log. Looking up from his parchment, Whitmore glanced out the window next to his desk, viewing the harbor for any sign of Captain Dunhar's arrival. Nothing.
His thoughts constricted as a knock came to his door, "Come," he said, straightening up and setting his quill into the ink jar. The door opened and an officer with a red uniform stepped into the room.
"No need for formalities, Reedman," spoke Whitmore before the officer could salute,
"What news from the docks?"
Reedman shifted and glanced, "We have word of a raid just outside port, sir…."
A pause.
"Yes? And?"
"It involved The Grey Herald, sir. We believe she…that she went down."
Whitmore seemed to stare past Officer Reedman, through the door and into the open space beyond, "Went down, you say?" he spoke slowly, trying to comprehend the unexpected loss. "What of the crew?"
"No news as of yet, sir. Although…we fear that there are no survivors. The attack was done by several pirate vessels. Commodore Reys has already left to investigate, although he fears it is too late." Reedman coughed nervously and continued to look down.
"And of Captain Dunhar?"
"As I said, sir…no survivors are to be expected. However, I wish to note that I hope all is well with them."
"I see…," whispered Whitmore. He looked back to Reedman and spoke in as normal a voice as he could, "Thank you. You may leave…I shall make all due arrangements and precautions."
Reedman began to salute, caught himself, and then awkwardly shifted around to leave the room, closing the door behind him.
Alone again, Whitman slumped in his leather seat, covering his face with his hands. Even though he was considered a senior by youths, his attitude and spark for life had not withered away like his body. Tonight, however, his insides felt just as rotten as his outside, for he knew that there were no survivors of The Grey Herald. He had made sure of that.
A/N—I know, I know…this may seem like just another PotC "sequel". I'm fully aware that there are two more movies to come with Captain Jack Sparrow and friends, so let's call this a…side-adventure of great magnitude, eh? I intend to stick with the canon of the characters in the movie (perhaps make subtle changes due to upcoming circumstances), so those who don't like non-canoners, no need to fret! I hope you will enjoy reading and if you wish to critique it, by all means do so. Good reading!