Again, I am SO sorry for being so slow. I haven't been in the mood to write. :-/ Anyhoo, I hope that stage is over, so please enjoy this chapter! (And plus, I have a new story up for anyone who wants to read... XD -hint hint-) And thank you SO much to my loyal fans (and my new ones)... I LOVE YOU ALL VERY VERY MUCH! Merci beaucoup! XD

NOTE: Damn, I KNEW I forgot to mention this somewhere. -am so ashamed- I did get some ideas from a story called "Men of our Word" (and the "bloody martyr complex" from a story called "Rant") about Norrington's adventures with Jack Sparrow. Xp Not that anyone (except Inner Voice) knows what I'm talking about... -whistles innocently- Ignore me, go on and read.

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(...) - translated French

"..." - English (occasionally w/ un-translated words from other languages)

... - translated ancient Egyptian

'...' - private thoughts

italics - words/terms/pronunciations NOT in the language being currently spoken or in the English narration

bold - song lyrics

- footnotes

AN - author's note

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CHAPTER SIX: The Martyr Complex

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"Commodore! Pirates!"

Yami felt a violent shudder run up his spine at the mere word. Alarmed, he looked up toward the bridge.

Seto's expression had shifted instantly from serene to cold, his eyes flashing the color of ice as a rigid frown appeared on his fair features. "Position?" he barked, as his men paused in their work to look at him.

"Two o'clock, sir!"

Andrew was instantly by Seto's side, hurriedly handing the man a military spyglass -the golden type that Yami had read about but had never seen. Lips pursed, Seto snatched the contraption from his lieutenant and aligned the smaller end with his right eye, spotting the pirates almost instantly. They were slightly off the starboard side of the Dragon, rather distant but still clearly visible in his spyglass. Their fleet consisted of three dark, old ships, all in various states of decomposition as they bobbed slowly and gently in the water. 1

'Good Lord...' Seto thought, alarmed, 'Pirates rarely come so close to shore...'

Aiming the spyglass, the officer quickly noted the hasty scrawl on the sides of the pirate ships and recognized it instantly. It was Parris's crew, or at least a part of it. Seto frowned, lowering the spyglass. 'This doesn't seem like him...' he mused, his mind racing, 'Parris doesn't have enough of a backbone to attack in open daylight near shore...'

Parris -as he called himself, since no one really knew his name- was a notorious pirate captain, feared and hated by all that lived along European waters. He was an old, sly bastard, smart as a fox and notoriously hard to kill, as Seto and other men of his profession would know. In fact, Seto often wondered when the hell the old man was going to just die and let him go along his business in peace.

Contemplating, the Commodore was quiet for a moment, his blue eyes hard and narrowed. Glancing through the spy glass once more, he noted another observation. "They're harassing two merchant ships," he announced, neutrally.

At his words, sudden anger crackled in the air as marines exchanged quick glances with each other and leaned over the rail to see for themselves.

"Are we to engage them, sir?" asked Andrew quietly.

Seto was silent, his mind racing. It was an unspoken law that the oceans belonged to the British Navy, no matter how close to foreign shores said Navy happened to be. That would mean that he had every duty and right to engage the pirates in battle, especially if innocent lives were in danger. There were three pirate ships, from what he saw, and five ships in his own fleet; he had the advantage of numbers, but Sophia was on board the Lady Eva, and Yami was on board the Dragon...

'Blast it all,' Seto's sharp eyes scanned the deck and landed on a certain red-eyed Prince who currently stood at the base of the bridge's stairway, looking up at him with wide, anxious eyes. Their gazes met for a long moment, before Seto looked away.

The life of two for the life of many... It was a risk he had to take, however hard it would be to do so.

"Prepare the cannons, lieutenant," Seto murmured finally to Andrew, his brow furrowed. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Have the Falcon stay behind with the Lady Eva."

Andrew hesitated briefly, then rushed off, flying down the stairs and bellowing orders as he went.

Seto found himself instantly by Yami's side, though the boy stood rooted to the spot. "Your highness," he greeted hurriedly, taking the stunned boy by the elbow, "It is not safe here. You cannot stay."

Yami's eyes lit up with interest. "Battle then? You are going to battle?"

Seto looked at him for a long time. "... My good Prince, understand that It is my duty to save those ships," he remarked finally, willing Yami to understand. He knew the boy would forgive him for putting his life on the line, but Seto wasn't sure if he could forgive himself.

He was pulling Yami along now, hurriedly leading the boy down below as marines rushed past, each armed with pistols, swords and gunpowder. "You must not stay above deck," Seto repeated urgently, all but shoving Yami in the direction of his room once they reached one of the inner corridors. "Stay in your room, with the musketeer; you'll be safe there."

Yami turned, sputtering, "Commodore, I must protest! You cannot simply dismiss me!"

Seto pursed his lips. "With all due respect, your majesty," he growled, "I am the supreme authority on this ship. I order you to go to your room."

Yami raised his chin defiantly. "I want to see!"

Silence.

Seto's eyes flashed, and before he could help himself, he drew Yami in his arms, holding the small boy protectively against him. The embrace was lightening fast, but heated. "Do as I say, my Prince..." he whispered fiercely, his breath hot in the boy's ear, "If anything happens to you, I swear I will never forgive myself."

Then he was gone, rushing up the stairs as he drew his silver sword, bellowing commands.

Yami was left stunned, shaking and blushing.

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Andrew raised an eyebrow when his commanding officer, a bit flushed and looking entirely too shaken, rejoined him on the bridge. Though his dark eyes sparkled with mirth, the lieutenant wisely chose to stay silent about the matter. Instead, he gave Seto a few seconds to compose himself then respectfully stated, "The Falcon is protecting the Lady Eva, sir, as you ordered."

Blue-white flames lit up in Seto's eyes, fueled by battle adrenaline. "Are the cannons prepared?" he asked, his pale lips pursed in a thin line.

"Yes, sir."

Seto nodded, pleased. He settled his hands on the smooth oak of the helm's wheel, feeling the familiar rumbling of his ship thrumming between his fingers and the wood. Lord, he could never get enough of this feeling, of steering the legendary H.M.S. Dragon straight into battle. It gave him a sense of danger, of excitement.

Shaking his head to clear it, the Commodore quickly went over the situation at hand. The ship count was three on three now; worse odds than he had before, though he felt much better with the Lady Eva protected rather than rushing into battle with the entire fleet.

The Dragon was now racing through the ocean waves, flanked on Atlantica on her right and Queen Susan on her left, all of them with cannons open and exposed. The fleet was approaching the pirate ships quickly now, and the men onboard could soon make out the telltale black flags flying from the worn-down masts. The dark ships, crudely painted and probably all stolen, were floating in a rough semi-circle around two other ships, both modestly sized and tan in color. One, the smaller, seemed to be floundering, though it was hard to tell from this distance whether the ship was majorly damaged or merely floating lopsidedly.

Seto made a mental note to check that ship for damage, but was soon distracted when a terrible sound reached his ears; human screaming. The calm ocean waters easily carried the hysterical voices of women, children and men alike, each wailing in fear and terror.

The sound made Seto's blood boil.

"Your orders, sir?" asked Andrew quietly, all mirth gone from his expression. He looked paler than normal.

Seto's scowl was nothing less than feral. "Let's kick some pirate arse."

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"Mother's love, the Navy! The Navy!"

"What in the bloody hell are ya jabberin' about?"

"The Dragon, mate! She's undefeatable!"

A low laugh. "Oh, is that so?"

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Andrew involuntarily cringed as sudden cannon fire erupted around him, shaking the deck below his feet. The acrid smell of gunpowder quickly filled the air, soon followed by the bellowing of both pirate and marine alike. "Hold your positions!" the lieutenant as he joined the line of men aiming their muskets against the railing, "RETURN FIRE!"

Still manning the helm, Seto didn't even flinch.

Their plan, for now, was simple: surround and kill. The Dragon, Queen Susan and Atlantica were currently forming a makeshift circle around the pirates, firing their cannons into the trapped ships. The pirates, however, were quick to respond, firing their own cannons and even attempting to use some stolen muskets. One of the pirate ships turned and swamped the small, floundering merchant ship, no doubt attempting to pick up its crew in the mist of the battle.

Absently, even as bullets whizzed past his head, Seto could see the Lady Eva floating safely in the distance, flanked by the slim Falcon. The two ships glowed and sparkled in the warm tones of setting sun, but were soon obscured by dark, choking smoke. The horizon, too, disappeared under a cloud of fumes.

'Smoke?' Now very alarmed, Seto looked back toward the battle, dismayed to notice that the pirates attempting to abandon the smaller merchant ship had set the poor thing on fire. The ship's bow was now aflame, the stern was quickly sinking. In anything, the number of terrified screams increased.

The Commodore's eyes narrowed, flashing with rage and horror.

"Sir!" came Edward's shaking voice as the boy rushed on the bridge with a musket in his arms, his eyes wild, "The ship! They're-!"

"I know," growled Seto, his expression darkening. Even as his mind raced to compensate for this unexpected event, one thing was clear; their current plan had to be abandoned. This fight could no longer be about winning, nor about defeating the pirates. If there was one rule that the Navy held above all the others, it was to save innocent lives. After all, ships, goods and arms could be easily replaced, but the lives of women and children could not be.

"Edward, fetch Lieutenant Giles," snapped Seto, growling under his breath.

Edward paled, wavering slightly. "...Sir...?"

Seto was grim, clutching the helm until his fingers were bone white. "We have to save that ship."

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Spreading word of the new mission did not take long, but to Seto, they had lost precious time doing so. Now in a tight triangular formation, the Dragon led Atlantica and the Queen Susan deep into the heart of the battle, all firing madly as the pirates quickly surrounded them. Fighting every inch of the way, the Navy ships quickly formed a protective circle around the two floundering merchant vessels, one of which was quickly disappearing before everyone's eyes.

Seto was running purely on automatic now. As Andrew rushed on to the bridge, the Commodore barked at him to take the helm before he himself rushed down the stairs, a blur of blue and white. Cannon fire was dangerously close now, rattling the men's teeth and shaking the very deck under them. Out of the corner of his eyes, Seto spotted the flapping black sails of a pirate ship nearby, but gave it no more thought as he struggled to see through the burning smoke that had enveloped his ship.

"Ten men, with me!" he roared over the pounding gunfire, praying that at least a few of his men heard. Indeed, he heard a few pairs of clicking heels behind him as he rushed down the length of the deck. The sound was at least a little bit reassuring.

The small merchant vessel was already fairly close, and under Andrew careful steering -Lord knows how he managed in this horrendous smoke- it was soon side by side with the Dragon, aligned nearly perfectly. The smell of burning wood and gunpowder was now overwhelming, but even so, the Dragon stood admirably still through it all.

Not wanting to waste a minute, Seto and his followers rushed to throw ropes, planks and ladders over the side of the deck, straining to hear the 'clunk' that signaled a successful landing on the other ship. The screaming of terrified men and women were stronger now than it had ever been, and Seto flinched visibly under the sound, gritting his teeth as he worked.

'I'm going to get you out,' he told himself as a particularly loud wail reached his ears, 'I swear I will.'

"Commodore!" one of his men cried out, somewhere near the bridge. "SIR!"

Blindly, Seto raised his head toward the voice.

"They're boarding the ship, sir!"

A violent shiver ran up Seto's spine. 'Impossible...' Seto shook his head in both fury and disbelief. Since when did pirates board Navy ships? It was always the other way around!

"Commodore?" This time it was Andrew. "What are your orders?"

Seto knew his answer immediately, even as he swung himself over the railing and grabbed on to a rope. "Lieutenant, do NOT let them take the ship!"

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The next few minutes went as a confusing blur, but the next thing he knew, Seto was on the dangerously sloped deck of the sinking merchant ship, with fire and smoke and screaming all around him. Looking around as he struggled to stay upright on the sharp incline of the ship, he grimly noted the rising sea on his left and the flames on his right, eating away at the pale wood and making him flinch in their excruciating heat. All around him, his men were dropping like raindrops from the Dragon's ropes, each dragging along their weapons and covered in soot.

"Search for survivors!" Seto ordered, his voice straining. Dizzy from the smoke and with his eyes burning, he was nonetheless pleased to find that his men were quick to follow his commands, spreading out and rushing into doorways and across the deck.

"HHEEEEYYYYAAA!"

Reflexively, Seto jerked to the left as a sword whizzed past his head, nearly taking a neat slice out of his poor hat. In an instant, his own sword was out and slicing through the air, deflecting another blow and aiming its own. In the weak firelight, Seto could make out his opponent; a bulky pirate with a massive hat, dressed in tattered rags and smelling to the high heavens. Wrinkling his nose in disdain, Seto aimed a quick stab to the man's chest, pleased to hear his pained groan and a heavy thud as the body dropped like a stone.

An incoming battle cry alerted him of another pirate, and Seto spun around, raising his sword just in time to block a high blow. The shock made him wince, but he stood his ground. This pirate was a smaller man, though no less stinky than the first. He wore a bright red shirt that hurt Seto's smoke-burned eyes, but the Commodore still met the pirate stroke for stroke, easily gaining the advantage with his superior height. The man was dead in no time.

Pistol shots ran out through the flickering fire, and Seto felt a split second of dread, fearing that perhaps he had not brought enough men to battle the pirates remaining on this ship. Fighting that worry aside, Seto brushed past the pirate's body, sword in one hand and drawing his pistol with the other. His men were armed and well-trained, he reminded himself. They could handle themselves -hopefully.

Indeed, not a moment later, a few of his men passed him in a loping run, dragging along wailing survivors.

"God Bless the Navy!" a pudgy woman cried suddenly, appearing out of no where to snag the front of Seto's uniform, almost dragging him to the ground as she threw herself as his feet. "Bless you!"

"Sorry, sir!" A marine ran past, prying the woman from Seto. They were soon both gone.

Seto blinked and then shrugged himself out of his own stupor. Turning on his heel, he struggled through the closest doorway and into the smoke-infested corridor within. The next few minutes consisted of a whole lot of smoke, confusion and heat, all of which was attacking Seto mercilessly. Barely able to see and singeing his jacket on a few burning pieces of rubble, Seto could only feel around with the tip of his sword, praying to the high heavens that there wasn't some pirate ready to ambush him within the next three or so. It then occurred to him that any pirate finding himself in this position was either already dead or already fled.

It was then that he heard the wailing of a small child, English-born by the accent. "PLEASE, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, HELP ME!"

Stiffening, Seto retraced his steps down one of the main corridors of the ship, fighting his way up the sloped deck. Coughing, he took off his hat and pressed it tightly against his face. The fire was close here, though he couldn't see it; the heat was unbearable, and he could almost feel his wig sizzling.

'Blast, I shouldn't have worn my expensive one,' Seto noted absently as he tapped his way around. Some distant part of his mind was going on and on about how much of a shame it was to loose such a fine, strapping ship, but Seto told that part of him to go jump off a bridge. There were more important things to attend to.

The wailing grew louder. "MOMMY! PLEASE!" It was a little girl, young and sobbing hysterically.

Seto lifted the hat briefly from his face. "I'm coming!"

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Samantha screamed. Heat and smoke were all around her, choking her, tearing at her skin, suffocating her lungs. Unable to see, she gasped frantically for air, tasting acrid fumes on her tongue. She curled desperately under her desk, hugging herself and shaking in terror as the painful heat swamped her.

Someone called out to her, their voice warped but distinctly close. It was muffled slightly by the closed door.

"MOMMY!" the little girl tried again, sobbing.

There was sudden pounding on the door, followed by the doorknob being furiously rattled. Samantha jumped, terrified. Was it a pirate? Was it her mother?

She bit her lip, petrified with fear and indecision. Should she unlock the door? She had locked it when she heard the pirates outside, but what if this wasn't a pirate?

For a terrifyingly long moment, there were heavy slams into the door, no doubt from some kind of brunt force. Then, finally, there was a teeth-rattling crash as a large object hurtled into the door, splintering it neatly down the middle. A man in blue and white stumbled in, tall, slender and armed with a pistol and a flashing silver sword.

Samantha's eyes widened. She recognized the uniform immediately; the British Navy! Oh, how her father used to praise the Navy! Before she could even control herself, the girl crawled out and obediently held open her arms.

Sheathing his sword quickly, the man wasted no time in scooping her up in his arms, turning and leaping back into the hallway. Panicked and gasping, Samantha could only cling to the man's strong neck as he weaved his way through the ship's corridors, bravely fighting the smoke and the heat.

There was some strangled, barbaric yell behind them, and Samantha jumped when the marine turned on his heel, aimed his pistol, and shot through the smoke. Startled by the gunshot, the girl bit back a scream and buried her face in the marine's neck. She heard a thud of something heavy falling behind them and shut her eyes, sobbing against the marine's jacket.

"Shh... We're almost there, it's alright..." A deep, soothing voice washed over the little girl, and it took her a moment to realize that it was the Navy man that spoke.

She whimpered, hugging his neck even tighter as he leapt up a few stairs.

He said nothing else for the duration of their flight, but gave an audible sigh of relief when they suddenly emerged on to the top deck. Sweet, cool air washed over them, still laden with smoke but much more breathable than before. Samantha, surprised, opened her eyes and lifted her head, looking about in curiosity.

Much of the deck was on fire, and for some reason, the ocean seemed unreasonably close.

'We're sinking...!' the girl thought in horror before she promptly buried her face in the marine's neck again.

The man rushed up the deck, yelling to a few other men in blue and white uniforms. "Are there any more?"

"None, sir! We got them all!" some man answered, his voice muffled in the smoke.

"Everyone, back to the Dragon! Now!"

"Yes, sir!"

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The girl was cutting off his air supply, but Seto ignored the discomfort as he climbed, holding the child with one arm while he used the other to climb the ladder. Though dizzy from the smoke, he was relieved to find that a light wind had blown up, lifting much of the cloud of suffocating fumes from his ship.

It was then that he was aware of screams coming from above him.

Pirates had boarded his ship.

The thought made Seto's blood boil with rage. He rushed up the rest of the ladder, pistol cocked and ready to fire. With less grace than he would have preferred, he scrambled over the railing and back on the Dragon's deck, preparing for the worst.

There was screaming and fighting all around him, a horrendous mix of battle cries, screams, gunshots and clanging swords. Locked in bloody combat, pirates in rags clashed with marines in uniform, every man a blur of flailing limbs, flashing swords, and brilliant color.

The girl in Seto's arms screamed in terror, clutching to him even tighter.

'I have to get her out of here...' Seto thought desperately. He spotted the cabin entrance, but there was just no way he could cover that distance with a half-loaded gun and a little girl in one arm.

An ugly, one-eyed pirate leapt for them from the roof of the cabin, but Seto quickly shot him down. He aimed and shot again, this time for a pirate nearby that was giving a marine a rather hard time -that is, he was strangling the poor boy. The marine went down with the pirate, but gave a shaky salute to Seto as he tried to climb back up. Seto just inclined his head.

Suddenly, the little girl screamed and pointed wildly behind him. Seto took that as his cue to turn and shoot someone. He did so. A body dropped at his feet barely half a second later.

'Damn, that was my last bullet...' The Commodore let out a string of curses, hastily stashing his pistol into his belt and pulling out his sword instead. It would be dangerous and risky to fight with a blade with a child in his arms, but there didn't seem to be any other choice.

Seto grabbed the girl and leapt into the battle, holding her protectively against his side. Almost immediately, a pirate broke off from a nearby scuffle to leap for them. Seto ducked under the man's blow and aimed his blade upward, slicing easily through the man's chest. The girl was screaming again, but Seto ignored her as he stepped aside to let the pirate fall, only to find that he had now gained the attention of two more.

Now normally, pirates would recognize him instantly on sight. It was a well-known fact that they feared the Commodore as much as they hated him, so Seto was a bit unprepared when the two pirates leapt for him without hesitation.

Cursing in a very un-gentlemanly fashion he knew he would regret later, the marine quickly raised his sword to block the oncoming attack. He grunted when both pirates hit him as one, their force shoving him back against the side of the deck. He slammed violently against the wood, hissing in displeasure as the air was knocked out of his lungs, momentarily stunning him.

"AIIIIEEE!" the girl shrieked, scrambling out of the way.

Gasping as white flashed before his vision, Seto managed to jerk his arm up to block two powerful blows, trying to recover some ground. The two pirates were massive men, the big, burly and stinky kind. They usually had smaller brains than rocks did, but Seto found that his wit was an advantage in this particular situation.

Somewhere from the side, the little girl was screaming louder now, this time in fear for him. One of Seto's men rushed by to snatch her away, an act that the Commodore was immensely glad for.

With renewed vigor, the brunette leapt back into the battle, slashing viciously with his sword, his steps graceful and swift. Thrust, parry parry, thrust, jab. The pirates were uneducated men, prone to fighting in strange, desperate ways. Seto, on the other hand, was trained in coordinated military techniques, a fact that usually gave him the advantage until...

BAM!

Seto stumbled, caught off guard when a hard blow slammed into his ribs from behind. His singed hat went flying, though thankfully he did not loose his wig. A third pirate, a strange little pygmy, had leapt on him from a nearly barrel, crowing with maniacal laughter and armed with a wicked, curved dagger. Though it missed its true mark, the blade caught Seto's arm, easily slicing through the thick jacket and the layers of cloth underneath.

Hissing in pain, Seto shoved the pirate off him, rolled away and leapt to his feet, clutching his bloody arm. He was shaking with fury. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it is dishonorable to attack a man from the back?" he hissed as he backed against the wall once more. He was in pain everywhere; his arm, his back, his ribs, his leg... Somehow he had a feeling he twisted something, but he wasn't sure where.

The three pirates exchanged wicked glances and began to advance on him, their matching grins revealing yellow, discolored teeth.

Though his arm screamed in pain, Seto raised his sword with his good arm to show that he was not afraid. Hurt, yes, but afraid, never.

"Hey, you!"

It was a wonder how such a melodic voice could carry over all the screaming, but nevertheless, the three pirates turned toward the cry.

ZHIP! ZHIP! ZHIP!

With short, surprised cries, the pirates fell to the ground like collapsed bags of sand.

Seto blinked in surprise, his pain momentarily forgotten. He slowly turned his head, eyes wide with surprised. Still dressed in his pretty gold-red robes, Yami stood two dozen feet away, one slender arm cradling a bunch of daggers, the other raised and ready to toss another blade.

Seto blinked again. Somehow, a delicate little Prince throwing daggers like some ninja from hell didn't quite make any sense.

Yami's eyes were sparkling with excitement, a flush of exhilaration on his cheeks. "Ha!" he cried in a most un-princely manner, "Take that!"

Seto stared openly at him, then looked down at the pirates at his feet. Each had a blade of some sort buried in their chests; on closer inspection, one of such daggers turned out to be... his letter opener?

Yami was scrambling toward him now, ducking various fights as he slipped on blood and other messy substances. He huddled near Seto and laughed sheepishly. "Well, Commodore," he started breathlessly, "You didn't have nearly as many daggers as you should on that wall of yours, so I had to improvise and-"

Seto looked up and suddenly cried out in horror. "No!" He threw himself at Yami, tackling the surprised boy to the floor as a pirate swung at the air where the Prince had just been.

BANG! BANG!

Two gunshots ran through the air.

Seto stiffened in shock.

Yami looked up at him, eyes wide with horror as he clung to the man. "Commodore!" he cried.

Seto grunted in surprise when a heavy weight suddenly fell on him from above, slamming his injured arm into the hard floor. Now he KNEW he twisted something... With a pained groan, the man struggled to hold up both his weight and the one on his back, fearing he would crush the small boy below him.

"Sir! Sir, are you alright!" A panicked voice came from above him as someone struggled to shove the fallen pirate off Seto.

The Commodore gasped for air when the task was finally managed, rolling on to his back to let Yami out from under him. The Prince, much to his surprise, rolled with him, ending up sprawled across the officer's chest.

"Are you shot!" the boy cried in abject horror, his trembling hands patting Seto's cheeks. "Are you hurt?"

"Sir!" Edward's worried face appeared above Yami's, darkened with gunpowder. There was a smoking musket in his hand.

Seto stared dazedly at them both, numb with pain. "I don't... believe so..." he managed finally, forcing down a blush as Yami continued to pat him all over. He winced when the boy's hands touched his ribs. Heaven have mercy, he didn't realize now how badly bruised his ribs were, his back probably more so; in light of realizing that, Seto wondered briefly if there was any internal damage. Shuddering, he forced that thought into the back of his mind.

Coincidently, the battle suddenly ended right then and there. The cries and gunshots ceased, leaving that eerie, stunned silence that always followed a battle. Seto struggled out from under Yami and pushed himself up on his good elbow, looking around warily.

There were some holes in the deck's walls and the railing, but overall, his ship seemed in one piece. However, bodies were strewn across the deck, drenched in blood and surrounded by fallen weapons. Most of them were dead pirates, but Seto was horrified to find that a few men in blue jackets were present in the masses. Some pained moans echoed across the deck from wounded marines, some leaning against the wall, others propped between helpful comrades. Thankfully, there were no pirates left standing.

Covered in soot like the rest of the men, Andrew rushed toward Seto and pulled the man up. "My god, your arm-!"

"The pirates?" Seto croaked, looking around. He was immensely relieved to find all his ships floating nearby, including the Falcon and the Lady Eva. The Queen Susan was cradling the larger merchant vessel. The smaller trading ship was nowhere to be seen, no doubt long sank.

Andrew pursed his lips as he studied Seto's wounds. "Bloody scallywags are gone, thankfully. The bastards took off as soon as you came back." His voice was grim. "It was like they were just playing with us... Making us angry and then running away."

Seto frowned, feeling a chill run up his spine. "This is most unlike Parris..." he murmured as his crew slowly came alive, some rushing off with the wounded, others beginning to shove pirate bodies off the deck.

Yami was beside him instantly, clutching his un-wounded arm, his eyes sparkling with worry. "Parris? Who's Parris?"

Seto said nothing, gritting his teeth as the gears in his head raced. Parris was a coward and a weak man. He would have never attacked naval ships like so and then leave so many crewmembers to die. No, Seto had a feeling this attack had nothing to do with Parris... This had to be the doing of some newer pirate, a more vicious one...

"Come on, Seto," Andrew snapped, dropping the formality in his tone. "I swear, you've got a bloody martyr complex! Look, we have to get this arm of yours fixed. Johnson, get some bandages!"

"Aye, sir!"

Seto shook his head, feeling dizzy as Andrew drew him toward a doorway. "No..." he managed, fighting back a wave of pain. He glimpsed the fallen marines on the deck and swallowed a heavy lump in his throat. "I can't... My men..."

Andrew's eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Seto..." he whispered faintly, mournfully, "...We lost a good number of men... I-I couldn't- I mean, I tried..." He trailed off, guilt choking his voice.

Seto leaned against the doorway, feeling suddenly far too weak. This wasn't suppose to happen... It wasn't supposed to be this way... This was just supposed to be a simple crossing to England, nothing more. He took a deep, shaky breath, dropping his face in his uninjured hand. Briefly, he wondered where his hat went.

"Seto-" The Prince's voice was soft, his hands just as tender as he stroked Seto's arm in a soothing manner. The use of the Commodore's first name went almost unnoticed.

"How many?" Seto whispered faintly into his hand, his voice muffled.

Andrew hesitated.

"How. Many. Casualties?" repeated Seto, his voice harder this time. "Lieutenant, I asked a question!"

Andrew shifted uneasily. "Ten deaths, sir..." There was a slight tremor in his voice. "Two more on Atlantica, three more on Queen Susan... The wounded are not yet counted."

Seto fought to sudden overwhelming urge to cry. Fifteen... Fifteen of the best marines in the Royal Navy... just gone.

Seto was always highly regarded in the Navy so he very often had first choice in picking new recruits. Usually choosing the most talented of men, Seto also made sure that they were all loners, either unmarried or widowers. This way, they had nothing to lose and no one to miss, able to willingly throw themselves wholly into their duties, into their battles. Still... After months and even years of this lonely Naval life, his men had grown unnaturally close to each other... and ultimately to him.

Seto had met plenty of people in his voyages, but his men still knew him the best. After being around his grumpy, ice-cold character for so long, they were extremely adept at telling his mood, in reading his every movement, in deciphering his every order. Much to Seto's dismay, his men had also grown extremely comfortable around him, though the Commodore had to admit that they were all rubbing off on him... just a little.

In return, Seto's men loved him unconditionally. His brilliant leadership, his unfaltering courage and his firm discipline earned him their utmost respect. If the Angel of Death were to ask one of the sailors or one of the marines why he had fought to his last breath, the answer would not be the dry words "king" or "country," or even the fleeting "glory." The answer would be "for the Commodore." And should the Angel further ask him why he had battled so hard for this one man, the Angel would receive the answer, "because he would die for me." 2

Just as they would die for Seto in return, for his cause, for his orders...

'Good Lord...' Seto closed his eyes, finally feeling just how exhausted he was. His pain and sorrow was quickly fading away, leaving blissful unconsciousness in their place. He could feel himself falling, the salty air of the ocean all around him, caressing him, running through his hair...

Andrew and Yami cried out at the same time. "Commodore!"

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1 - Thanks to Betty and a few other friends from the Pharaoh's Palace, I thankfully learned how to use a few ship terms correctly... though I'm still unsure if that wheel thingy is called a helm. -scratches head- Anyhow, on a ship, starboard is right (when facing the front of the ship) while port is left. The bridge is the 'command center' where the officers usually are (in Pirates of the Carribean, it's that raised deck where Norrington and Gillette always like to stand; it also contains the helm aka the ship's steering wheel... I think). On the other hand, I honestly think only British people can pull off the 'arse' comment and not look like a total dork.

2 - Most of this beautiful and touching paragraph is sadly not mine. -sniffle- I borrowed it from "Mongrel Commodore", an INCREDIBLY written story about Commodore Norrington (who else? XD) Before anyone freaks out, I DID ask the lovely authoress for permission to use her words (mainly because they were just so TOUCHING) so I didn't break any rules or anything.

AN: Again, thank you all for sticking with me so far. I'm having a hard time finding time and the effort to write, but hopefully you guys don't hate this chapter. :-/ Anyhoo, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! My ego's taken a downhill dive and I really need reviews to boost it. -tear- So please gimme some feedback! And I PROMISE to get the next chapter up soon (as soon as I figure out how to make it sound better :-p) and get them together! XD

Another note: I HAVE A NEW STORY! XD Its called "The Chosen", and you can find it under my bio. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ and tell me what you think! Reviews and feedback would be VERY appreciated! (For this story too!)