Disclaimer: If Pirates of the Caribbean stuff is P, Delphein's stuff is D, and this story is S, then S minus P equals D. Wasn't that easy?

A/N: Anywhere that you see quotations in italics, "like so," this indicates that the speaker is not speaking English. For places where the italicized language needs translation (I.e. not written in English), I've included the usual guide at the end. That's just standard procedure, really. So this notice is just a heads-up, I guess.

Chapter 8: Lux

Murphy sprang to his feet the instant the news of an approaching fleet fell from the messenger's mouth. Jack and Anamaria were right behind him.

Before he stepped out of the map room, though, he turned and addressed both of them, "This's far bigger than I thin' we realize."

Jack frowned thoughtfully as he stepped back into the sun shining down on the deck of the Pearl.

And froze. True, he had already thought this was all a rather big deal as it was, but-

The stunned expression on his face was echoed by the countenances of the other two captains before they hurried back to their respective ships to oversee the attempts to shirk capture. Closing in on their position- which Jack and Anamaria had been sure to set far from all trade routes- was an entire armada.

There was no chance at fleeing. Even if they scrambled to tack their sails to the wind as quickly as possible, the three pirate ships stood little chance of managing to evade an entourage so large. Eventually, they would be overtaken and engaged by the fastest ships, and held back until the rest of the small fleet arrived. Jack estimated at least couple dozen ships in the appraising look he stole before turning to Gibbs. Not an impossibly huge number, but hardly as easily ignored as a singleship or a pair or three.

"Captain?" Gibbs' question was clear: What now?

"Sheet 'er straight at 'em," Jack said, hesitating not even for a moment. "Ready the guns."

Gibbs didn't hesitate either, but quickly complied with the captain's orders, hurrying off to pass on the commands. If he knew anything from his several years' association with Jack, it was the fact that, mad as the man might be, he usually knew what he was doing. In a matter of only a few seconds, the Pearl's crew were working at the sails, opening them to the wind to propel them straight forward, right at the approaching fleet. Others scrambled to prepare the guns.

Of course, it was madness. There was no way the Black Pearl, alone or even with the help of the Gilder and the Lux, could fend off so many ships.

It was a bluff. If Jack's suspicions about them were at all correct, the ships wouldn't attempt any overly aggressive overtures anyway, and the bluff would merely come off as a misplaced show of confidence. However, if it turned out to be necessary to fight, Jack would at least prefer the tact of surprise by doing the unexpected. A surprised enemy is a defeatable enemy, he had always thought.

He was inwardly pleased to note that both Anamaria and Murphy were following suit, unfurling sails and preparing as if for battle. A united front of three ships sailing out to meet the interlopers. Jack climbed up to the helm and turned to watch and wait.

Gwen, from her post, quickly re-counted the ships. Assuming that the group approaching now was the entirety of the fleet, and that there weren't more ships just beyond the horizon, the fleet really wasn't all that large. She tallied twenty-eight again.

Well and good. But the captain wouldn't particularly care to know that just now. He could see for himself roughly how many ships there were, no need to know exactly how many. He was busy overseeing the crew as they hurried to turn sails to wind and ready ammunition and powder.

As the nearest of the ships drew close enough for her to begin making out some detail through her glass, she studied them for signs of armament, this being the most important element for her to look for at this point.

She furrowed her brow. No cannons that she could tell. No real weapons of any sort that she was accustomed to seeing. However, there was a wide structure at the bow of each ship, pointed so that it looked very much like a beak to her. She glanced down, seeking out Jack to see if he had noted this himself.

Jack had already seen them, apparently. She could just make out what he said as he turned toward the red ship and yelled across to the red captain while gesturing out towards the fleet. "Corvi!"

Corvi?

"Captain?"

"Gladium reconde, Rufe. They are only bluffing."

Rufus turned to watched the three ships. Two of the three were larger than the flagship on which he stood. All three of the ships were coming straight at them, rather than fleeing or simply waiting to be boarded.

"Captain," he protested carefully, "we have seen the weapons these sort of ships have. If they truly mean to attack…"

"," he protested carefully, ""

The captain heaved a heavy sigh. "We must find the Lux. If we are to win this war, we must have him. He will not attack, Rufus, once he recognizes us. Bring the fleet to a halt."

Rufus glanced anxiously at the approaching trio, a little over a league away. How could the Lux not recognize them already? If the Lux knew the fleet, then why was he even feigning attack at all? And they were going to stop dead in the water and wait for it?

Jack narrowed his eyes at the small armada of ships. Not making any aggressive moves at all. Unless he was imagining things, they appeared to be drawing up short and waiting. Were they that confident? Had they seen through his bluff? Or were they just not interested in attacking at all?

At an odd whim, he pulled out his compass and flipped it open. Staring at the angle of the needle, he waved the compass back and forth a bit.

"Gibbs?"

"Aye, Jack," he answered, halting in his tracks. He had been passing by.

"Send John up to relieve Gwen. Get her down here."

Gibbs shot him a confused look, but turned to continue his trek down to the half-deck, calling for the boy as he went. He was accustomed to Jack and his ways. Generally, the way he saw it at least, the stranger Jack's orders were, the better things turned out anyway. No need to question them.

"Nip the sheets," Jack bellowed to the crew at large then. "Weigh anchor."

Some wide eyes turned to him, but most simply complied with the command without question.

Jack watched as both Murphy's and Anamaria's ships followed suit after a moment, abandoning their rushing bluff and opting instead to drop velocity and cruise calmly into the surprise rendezvous with this fleet. Jack was distractedly pleased to note that his companions had both silently named his ship the flagship of their potluck party of pirate vessels,making him the honorary, if temporary, commodore.

But there were more important things to consider. He waited impatiently as the Pearl approached the lead ship of the fleet, the one claiming to be the flagship by its forward position. Finally, Jack left the helm and crossed the ship, going down and all the way forward to the prow.

"Is that the captain?"

Rufus' captain didn't answer the musing question. He merely watched for a moment. A dark-maned figure in hat and coat had just appeared at the prow of the black ship. Finally, after a long pause, he startled Rufus by calling out across the water toward the black ship.

"Lucem petemus!" Rufus' captain yelled.

There was no verbal response from the dark-haired man. The captain was about tovoice his requesta different language when Rufus interrupted.

"Specta."

The fleet-captain looked toward what the dark figure of the black ship and Rufus were both pointing toward. On the red ship, emblazoned in white lettering, he could just make out "LUX FORTUNAQUE MUNDI." He frowned, then looked down at something he held clutched in one hand.

As Jack waited for a response, Gwen approached behind him.

"Jack… Captain?" she said. "Did you need me?"

He turned his head slightly so he could speak over his shoulder and still keep an eye on the Roman ship. "It's doing it again," he said simply, and passed his compass behind his back to her.

Finally the captain of the other ship looked up again and called back, "Lux non est."

Jack frowned deeply, not liking where his thoughts were taking him. That is not the Light, the captain claimed.

Murphy had said that his ship had been boarded and searched as a result of its name being noticed. For some reason, though, this captain seemed to know that, despite the ship's unusual name, what he was looking for was not to be found there. Then what was he looking for, if not merely a ship by that name?

"Is in tue nave est," came another shout. He is on your ship.

Jack frowned. He?

Latin Guide:

Lux (loox)- "Light." In most cases in this fic, Lux will be capitalized and you can add 'the': "The Light."

)- "Light." In most cases in this fic, will be capitalized and you can add 'the': "The Light."

Corvi (KOR-wee)- Plural form of corvus, as explained in a previous chapter.

- Plural form of , as explained in a previous chapter.

Gladium reconde, Rufe. (GLAH-dee-oom ruh-KON-dah ROO-fey)- This can be translated according to the readers' whim. Taken literally, it simply means "Sheath your sword, Rufus." Taken as an expression, you can take it as "Chill, Rufus. Simmer down."

Lucem petemus. (LOO-kim PET-i-muss)- "We are seeking the Light."

Specta.- "Look."

Lux non est.- "That is not the Light" or "The Light is not there."

Is in tue nave est. (ees in too-ay NAH-way est)- "He is on your ship."