Usual disclaimers... you know the score!
***
Despite their careful planning and the extra watch, the first attempt on the Black Pearl came that night. Catherine was sitting quietly in the cabin when she spotted a hand on the edge of the open sill of the stern windows. She had left them ajar to catch the slight breeze in the stifling heat. Carefully she reached for her pistol, cocking it below the table and waiting for more of the person to come into view. An oriental looking man climbed into view, grinning on seeing her alone, but his grin faded when he saw her pistol. She fired, her shot taking him in the chest as he tumbled back out of the window.
"What..." Jack burst through the cabin doors on hearing her shot, his pistol drawn, looking around wildly.
"Somebody just tried to climb through the stern windows." Catherine looked worriedly at Jack. "I doubt he was alone..."
Jack shouted to the crew. "Boarders!" He turned, firing his pistol at another person trying to gain entry through the window. Sounds of fighting could be heard onboard as others tried to gain a foothold on deck. "Shut th' windows!" Jack urged, slamming the one nearest him shut.
Catherine managed to shut the other two and drew her sword, preparing to follow Jack. He put a hand on her arm. "Be careful luv... you could be as much a target as th' Pearl," he warned.
They stepped out of the cabin together, swords drawn to find the crew already fighting with a number of other pirates trying to take the Black Pearl. Jack dived in, swinging his sword and attacking the nearest boarder whilst Catherine followed only a few steps behind. The attackers were outnumbered, for those below ran onto deck to defend the ship. Soon the attackers were surrounded and dropped their swords to the deck in surrender.
"Line 'em up," Jack ordered and the nineteen men still alive were forced at swordpoint into a semblance of a straight line. He looked at them in disgust - a motley collection of Europeans, Africans and natives.
"Give me a number Kitty!" Jack ordered. "Between one an' ten..."
Catherine frowned, realising what Jack was going to do but not liking it. "How many crew died?" she asked quietly.
"Three," Jack replied sadly. "Milton, Davies an' Worcester,,,"
"There is your answer then," she sighed.
Jack walked across to two crew members and took their pistols. He walked down the line. "One, two, three..." He fired and then calmly walked further down the line. "Four, five, six..." He fired again, reaching for fresh pistols. "Seven..." The man that was number nine in the line realised what was coming and made a break for it, diving over the side of the ship in desperation. "Eight..." Jack counted as he walked to the ships rail, shooting the man whilst he swam for the shore. "Nine..." The crew had restrained the remaining men and Jack quickly shot numbers twelve, fifteen and eighteen. Six of the nineteen men were dead. He turned back to those remaining. "Throw 'em overboard," he ordered. "Next count will be two!"
"Dal will have your woman!" one of the survivors shouted defiantly, jumping overboard before Jack could retaliate. He stomped back to his cabin, hopeful that the survivors would pass word to those foolish enough to attempt boarding the Black Pearl not to do so, although he worried about who this Dal was. He shrugged, reasoning that he was probably one of the brothel owners for the man had given him no rank.
Catherine sighed heavily as she followed Jack, uncomfortable that he had shot six men in cold blood. She realised however that if Jack had not been successful in defending the Black Pearl, most if not all of the crew would be dead and she would be on her way to the shore to be sold. She kissed him gently on the cheek before searching for her medical bag and working with Ned Cotton through the various injuries. Apart from the odd cut here and there, nothing required her attention and she was soon able to retire to her cabin. Jack was nowhere in sight, obviously below somewhere, so she slipped her clothes off and slid into the bunk, assured that a watch would be kept in case others were foolish enough to try to attack the Black Pearl again.
***
Jack returned to his cabin, surprised to find Catherine already asleep. For a while he leaned in the doorway watching her, a quiet smile on his lips. He hoped that there would not be a further attempt to board them that night for, although he had to be seen to be harsh, he did not like killing people in cold blood. He was grateful that she had not argued with him and had seen the reasoning behind his actions - his determination to keep her safe. He slipped out of his clothes and snuggled next to her, ensuring that his pistol and sword were within easy reach. Better safe than sorry, he mused as she turned in her sleep, throwing an arm across him, better safe than sorry.
***
The following morning Jack was relieved to see the second group of men returning uninjured from Singapore, eyes as wide as their grins. The third group to go ashore urged them to hurry, eager to discover the town for themselves, having been fed tales by those that went first. Jack thought sadly of the three men who would not be going, now wrapped in sailcloth in the hold, waiting until they left for a decent burial at sea. They would not be able to wait long in this heat though and he was glad that he had only said they would be staying a day.
Perhaps he was getting old as Jean Claude had joked, or perhaps it was simply that he was the only married crew member... he did not know but he knew that Singapore no longer held the attraction it once did for him and he could not decide whether to be glad or sad. He looked up as Catherine emerged from the galley, two bowls of breakfast in her hands. She handed him his, sitting quietly at the top of the stairs to the quarterdeck to eat her own, trying to catch the faint breeze. Slowly he climbed to sit next to her, his decision reached - definitely glad.
***
Despite their careful planning and the extra watch, the first attempt on the Black Pearl came that night. Catherine was sitting quietly in the cabin when she spotted a hand on the edge of the open sill of the stern windows. She had left them ajar to catch the slight breeze in the stifling heat. Carefully she reached for her pistol, cocking it below the table and waiting for more of the person to come into view. An oriental looking man climbed into view, grinning on seeing her alone, but his grin faded when he saw her pistol. She fired, her shot taking him in the chest as he tumbled back out of the window.
"What..." Jack burst through the cabin doors on hearing her shot, his pistol drawn, looking around wildly.
"Somebody just tried to climb through the stern windows." Catherine looked worriedly at Jack. "I doubt he was alone..."
Jack shouted to the crew. "Boarders!" He turned, firing his pistol at another person trying to gain entry through the window. Sounds of fighting could be heard onboard as others tried to gain a foothold on deck. "Shut th' windows!" Jack urged, slamming the one nearest him shut.
Catherine managed to shut the other two and drew her sword, preparing to follow Jack. He put a hand on her arm. "Be careful luv... you could be as much a target as th' Pearl," he warned.
They stepped out of the cabin together, swords drawn to find the crew already fighting with a number of other pirates trying to take the Black Pearl. Jack dived in, swinging his sword and attacking the nearest boarder whilst Catherine followed only a few steps behind. The attackers were outnumbered, for those below ran onto deck to defend the ship. Soon the attackers were surrounded and dropped their swords to the deck in surrender.
"Line 'em up," Jack ordered and the nineteen men still alive were forced at swordpoint into a semblance of a straight line. He looked at them in disgust - a motley collection of Europeans, Africans and natives.
"Give me a number Kitty!" Jack ordered. "Between one an' ten..."
Catherine frowned, realising what Jack was going to do but not liking it. "How many crew died?" she asked quietly.
"Three," Jack replied sadly. "Milton, Davies an' Worcester,,,"
"There is your answer then," she sighed.
Jack walked across to two crew members and took their pistols. He walked down the line. "One, two, three..." He fired and then calmly walked further down the line. "Four, five, six..." He fired again, reaching for fresh pistols. "Seven..." The man that was number nine in the line realised what was coming and made a break for it, diving over the side of the ship in desperation. "Eight..." Jack counted as he walked to the ships rail, shooting the man whilst he swam for the shore. "Nine..." The crew had restrained the remaining men and Jack quickly shot numbers twelve, fifteen and eighteen. Six of the nineteen men were dead. He turned back to those remaining. "Throw 'em overboard," he ordered. "Next count will be two!"
"Dal will have your woman!" one of the survivors shouted defiantly, jumping overboard before Jack could retaliate. He stomped back to his cabin, hopeful that the survivors would pass word to those foolish enough to attempt boarding the Black Pearl not to do so, although he worried about who this Dal was. He shrugged, reasoning that he was probably one of the brothel owners for the man had given him no rank.
Catherine sighed heavily as she followed Jack, uncomfortable that he had shot six men in cold blood. She realised however that if Jack had not been successful in defending the Black Pearl, most if not all of the crew would be dead and she would be on her way to the shore to be sold. She kissed him gently on the cheek before searching for her medical bag and working with Ned Cotton through the various injuries. Apart from the odd cut here and there, nothing required her attention and she was soon able to retire to her cabin. Jack was nowhere in sight, obviously below somewhere, so she slipped her clothes off and slid into the bunk, assured that a watch would be kept in case others were foolish enough to try to attack the Black Pearl again.
***
Jack returned to his cabin, surprised to find Catherine already asleep. For a while he leaned in the doorway watching her, a quiet smile on his lips. He hoped that there would not be a further attempt to board them that night for, although he had to be seen to be harsh, he did not like killing people in cold blood. He was grateful that she had not argued with him and had seen the reasoning behind his actions - his determination to keep her safe. He slipped out of his clothes and snuggled next to her, ensuring that his pistol and sword were within easy reach. Better safe than sorry, he mused as she turned in her sleep, throwing an arm across him, better safe than sorry.
***
The following morning Jack was relieved to see the second group of men returning uninjured from Singapore, eyes as wide as their grins. The third group to go ashore urged them to hurry, eager to discover the town for themselves, having been fed tales by those that went first. Jack thought sadly of the three men who would not be going, now wrapped in sailcloth in the hold, waiting until they left for a decent burial at sea. They would not be able to wait long in this heat though and he was glad that he had only said they would be staying a day.
Perhaps he was getting old as Jean Claude had joked, or perhaps it was simply that he was the only married crew member... he did not know but he knew that Singapore no longer held the attraction it once did for him and he could not decide whether to be glad or sad. He looked up as Catherine emerged from the galley, two bowls of breakfast in her hands. She handed him his, sitting quietly at the top of the stairs to the quarterdeck to eat her own, trying to catch the faint breeze. Slowly he climbed to sit next to her, his decision reached - definitely glad.