Usual disclaimers… sigh!

Disappointing lack of reviews to the first chapter… perhaps the alert got lost with all the alerts with the fun and games I had with the first Kitty tale?

Special thanks to the THREE that did review! I luvs yer!

Chapter 2 – The Crow Attacks

Jack scowled at the sky, sensing the approaching storm. "What next?" he snarled to the heavens, cursing how his normal good luck had changed over the previous few days. He eased the Black Pearl through the narrow passage between St Kitts and Nevis, risking the more direct route to the bay for fear of the repairs not holding in the worsening weather. Already the sky was darkening, the wind rising, white caps racing along the tops of the waves. The men were working continuously at the pumps to prevent the Black Pearl sinking and he knew they were exhausted.

"Captain!" Henry shouted from aloft. "Two points off starboard – it's The Crow!"

"Bloody hell!" he cried, looking up in disbelief.

"She's sailing straight for us!" he cried, although there was little room to manoeuvre between the two islands. "She's flying red!"

"Th' bastard!" Jack swore, realising that the damage to the Black Pearl would be clearly visible to Bryn Corbin. "Ready th' cannons! We're going t' have t' fight!" He cursed that it was The Crow and no other ship for, whilst any other pirate would probably have passed them by, Bryn Corbin had never forgiven Jack for beating him to Horace Masters' treasure. Jack wondered briefly if it had been just the treasure. He had heard unsettling rumours of the man following Bessie whilst the Black Pearl was away and he worried that perhaps it was not just his ship that the man was after. "Haul our red in reply!" he ordered, determined to put an end to the feud between the two of them, once and for all.

The ships closed.

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Bryn Corbin laughed when he saw the damage that the Black Pearl had taken, deciding to risk an attack on the other ship. He knew that there was no room to manoeuvre, no room for the Black Pearls famous sweeps to speed her from their encounter. Today it ended – and he was determined that for once he would win.

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Boom!

The first round of cannons fired, Jack wincing as a number of The Crow's shots made fresh holes in his precious ship. "Hold t'gether darlin'," Jack pleaded, patting the ship's rail as he urged his crew to take the fight to the other ship, reaching for a nearby grappling hook, but he was forced to duck as a shot only just missed him.

"Captain!" Joshamee warned, realising that they were going to be boarded first. The crew of The Crow swung across, pistols firing and swords waving as they attacked the already exhausted crew of the Black Pearl.

Jack smashed his sword into the face of one pirate, gutting him with his second swipe as he fought his way through to where he could see Bryn Corbin, but more pirates came between them and the two captains lost each other in the melee.

"Sparrow!" Bryn Corbin shouted.

Jack looked up in horror, realising that his pistol was spent and that his enemy finally stood before him. He somehow doubted that the pistol aimed at him was empty. He raised his sword, even though he knew it was a futile gesture.

"Your ship is mine," the Welshman sneered. "And so will your wife be!"

All thought fled from Jack's mind as he charged at the captain of The Crow. The pistol fired. Jack looked down at his chest, frowning as the force of the shot threw him backwards. His head crashed against the deck and the world went black.

"Captain!" Henry cried in horror, fighting his way to where Jack lay. He looked down at the wound, realising that there was no way that Jack could be alive. Blood stained the front of Jack's shirt – although how much was his and how much was others he could not say for the fighting had been without quarter. He could see Joshamee Gibbs still standing, although by now almost all of the Black Pearl crew were dead, too exhausted from trying to keep their ship afloat. "Gibbs!" he cried.

Joshamee looked in disbelief as he saw Jack, fighting his way through their attackers to stand by Henry. "Take th' compass!" he ordered, turning to defend Henry as he crouched down. "Whatever will we tell Bessie?"

Henry looked up at him worriedly. "We've got to survive first!" he cried. "Abandon ship Joshamee… it's lost anyway!"

Joshamee nodded. They were near enough to shore to reach safety if they were lucky. "Abandon ship!" he shouted, hoping those still alive would be able to follow. He dived into the sea only a few moments behind Henry, diving deep to avoid the shots that zipped through the water, resolutely swimming for the southern tip of Saint Kitts.

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Bryn Corbin surveyed his new ship, soon realising why the crew of the Black Pearl had not put up much of a fight. "Get some men on the pumps!" he ordered for she was already beginning to list to starboard. "We'll head for safety and get her repaired before heading back to Tortuga…" He paused, watching as the body of Jack Sparrow was thrown overboard, sinking beneath the waves with the rest of the dead before turning to his quartermaster Simon Jervis. "Take half the men on The Crow and follow us!" he ordered. "I will be staying onboard my new ship…" He ran his hand along the rail, smiling to himself. The ship was his – and soon the wife would be too.

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Joshamee Gibbs scrambled up the beach, turning and staring in disbelief as the Black Pearl sailed away. He looked around him, shocked to see only five others on the shore. "Is there nobody else?" he asked, looking out to sea in the hope of seeing more men stagger up the beach.

"We're all there are Gibbs," Paul Barker sighed, shaking the water from his ear. "Just the six of us!"

Joshamee sat down, stunned. Out of nearly fifty crew only himself, Paul Barker, Henry Holt, Wyn Bristow, Lucas Combe and Gethin Jones survived. "Jesus!" he gasped.

Henry flopped down next to him, staring at Jack's compass in his hands. "We have to tell Bessie!" he said, his voice reflecting the horror in his eyes. "What are we going to say to her?"

"It's worse than that," Gethin worried. "I heard Corbin say he had the ship and he wanted Bessie… just before he shot the Captain!"

"Surely Morgan will protect her?" Lucas worried, looking to Joshamee for confirmation. "The Captain paid for her safety…"

"Will he honour it now that Jack is dead," Joshamee worried. "She's only got Jem she can rely on… and with his bad knee…"

"What do we do then?" Paul asked. "You're senior Gibbs, that makes you Captain…"

Joshamee looked up in surprise as the others nodded their agreement. "We are still Black Pearl," he said quietly. "And we will honour our code!" A chorus of 'Aye' greeted his words. "Our first task must be to get to Tortuga and ensure Bessie and the children are safe. We'll deal with that Welsh bastard later…" He glanced across to Gethin. "No offence!"

"None taken," Gethin smiled, staggering to his feet. "But we'd best get going – Corbin will be in Tortuga way before we can hope to be!"

The other five rose, turning from the beach and heading northwards. If they could head to the port at Basseterre then there was hope that they commandeer a ship and at least make some time up. "Aye, let's get going!" Joshamee agreed. "It's a good ten miles walk and this storm won't hold off for long!"

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Looks innocently over her shoulder for daggers.

Reviews anyone?

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