Eleven Years Previously

"Wait, we're just leaving her here?" asked an anonymous crew mate as the Black Pearl broke away from the docks. Several others agreed and asked similar questions of their own.

Jack ignored all of the comments, worrying only about the escape.

His first mate hurried about as well, ignoring the comments in turn, but she found it more difficult to do so. She was close to the crew and knew them like family. They didn't much like leaving one another behind. Even if the one in question was a bloody backstabbing hunter.

"What 're we doin' here Captain Sparra'?" a familiar voice rose from the masses. "If it be one of us there, would ye have done the same?"

Jack finally stopped, twirled around, swiping the beads away from hitting him in the face. "Would you want me to sacrifice the safety of my crew, in order to save a volatile bounty hunter, who in two seconds, would take cash for turning us in?" He stopped and the crew fell silent. Barbosa, the voice who instigated Jack's response, glanced down with a stern look on his face. "I say..." Jack continued, "She had her chance ta help us...and she didn't. So...we're going to set sail, and get as far away as we bloody bad eggs can sail, raid a few ships and head back over to Tortuga, savvy?..." Jack looked sternly at them. "Now...back to work."

A few moments passed before anyone moved, but slowly, the crew began their normal chores. Barbosa was the last to leave. With a sigh, Jack turned back to his first mate. "You'd think we were leaving the Gold of Cortez."

Eora snorted nervously as she followed him up to the wheel. "Close calls get the crew on edge, and that was the closest we've seen." He didn't answer her. "They may be pirates, but they still have consciences. It was you, if I recall, that taught them that."

"But I'm not a Titan," Jack finally said. "I can't bloody save every mate that has ever been crewin' here."

She didn't know what to say and decided to leave him in his thoughts. It was clear that her defense on the crew's behalf was unwanted, and it was certainly unnecessary. Jack knew just as she did that the crew trusted him.

It was not two seconds after she got back to the navigation post that she was called. When she looked up, a pair of pirates stood. She recognized them instantly. Pintel and Raggetti stepped closer. "That bounty hunter...Shilo," Pintel began uncomfortably. "Do you think she was treated right? Leavin' her there?"

"I don't believe anyone should deserve that fate, but it wasn't my choice," she answered him.

"But what about ol' Captain Jack?" Raggetti said, rubbing at his wooden eye. "He left her there."

"Aye. He's thinkin' bout his crew. Shilo has no loyalty to us, nor us to her. He can't risk everything to save a bounty hunter."

Pintel hit his taller friend. "I told you..." She heard Pintel mumble as they left. Pintel whined in return, but as for what he was saying, Eora couldn't rightly tell. She caught something at the corner of her eye and glanced that way. Old Barbosa, whom Eora could only guess had been watching her some time, slowly walked away, keeping his eyes on her for a few moments longer before putting his attention on his task.

Eora suppressed a chill. That man was kind at times, but his overall personality was far too independent in her taste, certainly he was a cause of the crews most recent mal contentment. He wouldn't sit long here, Eora thought. A port, maybe two, and that pirate would leave, become captain of his own ship perhaps. Or maybe Jack would get fed up with him before then

Either way Eora would be glad to be rid of him. And rightly so...