Chapter Six: An Unwelcome Reunion

It was two days into the voyage and everything was going well. Too well, thought Dart to himself. The sun was shining, and a stiff breeze filled the sails. Things aren't supposed to work out this well, are they?, thought Dart, as he paced across his spacious captain's quarters. Dart had never captained a ship before, but he was quite sure that something bad should have happened by now. Like most sailors, Dart was as superstitious as an old house wife, and he was sure that their run of good luck would soon come to a screeching halt. He paced some more. He went and sat down behind Fargus' old desk. He opened some of his drawers. In one, he found it full of old books. He took one out and flipped through it. Fargus' logbooks!, Dart realised. He had never understood his old captain's habit of writing everything down. Leave that to the monks, he had thought. But now, now maybe that he was captain, maybe it was a habit he should start. He rooted around in the drawer some more until he found a blank book. He rifled through some more drawers until he found some ink and a quill. He opened the book. Dart stared at the blank page in front of, quill poised above the page, ready to go. Dart knew how to read and write; that wasn't the problem. He had learned it when he was a child. He was a little rusty perhaps, but the problem was deeper than that. He simply did not know what to write. 'Writers block', Dart remembered hearing. Was this it? They made it look so easy. Dart stared at the page some more, it's blankness stretching before him like some-

"Captain!" came a shout from outside, breaking whatever force had held him entranced by the blank page.

"Thank god," Dart whispered to himself as he rushed outside.

He came outside into the sun and was greeted by a grim looking Flynn holding a telescope.

"Bad news matey. There's a ship to starboard, and she's bearing down fast. Take a look," he said, offering Dart the telescope.

"What colour is she flying?" asked Dart as he tried to focus on the approaching vessel.

"Your gonna like this one," started Flynn. "It's the-"

"Jolly Roger?" finished Dart incredulously. "Are they serious? Do they really mean to attack the Davros flying the skull and bones? Flynn matey, we've been out of service for too long. It looks like we'll have to remind these whelps who the real pirates are, eh?"

"Uh...Dart?" asked Raven, "what's going on?"

"Ha, nothin' to worry 'bout matey. Just some scallywags a think they can take on the Davros. Look," he continued as the rest of the crew gathered around him, "this ship ain't never lost on the high seas before, an' that's a tradition I plan on keepin'!"

"Wouldn't it be easier to simply outrun them?" asked Canas.

"They're movin' way too fast to outrun 'em. Their ship is smaller'n ours, made for speed, ye see," said Flynn. "Besides, ain't you heard our Cap'n? No way some bunch of wannabe pirates is gonna defeat the crew of the Davros."

"Flynn's right. We can't out sail 'em, so there's no point in tryin'. Here's me plan buckos, so listen good. We're gonna do an about face and charge at 'em. See if we can't throw them off guard."

The two ships sail to towards each other, sails billowing and foam spraying. It was tense few moments aboard the Davros as they sped towards their fate. And as they got closer, Dart began to have second thoughts about his plan. The ship was obviously new and packed to the hilt with sailors. Counting in his head, Dart estimated there were at least three of them for everyone of Dart's crew. But Dart steeled his resolve; he had gotten out of tighter jams before.

The ships drew level. They sat there in silence bobbing slightly under the swell of the waves. They could see now just how badly outnumbered they were. Dart realised that his guess of three to one was now probably wildly optimistic.

"Arrr... today's a good day to die," muttered Ol' Jack.

"Stow it greybeard," snapped Dart, "we still have a treasure to find, and I'll be damned if I let some minor setback like this stop me."

"Say what you will Dart," said Raven with a grin, "but I can't think of a better way to go."

As if on cue, a grappling hook was tossed over and landed with thunk on the deck before catching on the guard-rail. Whatever spell had been holding back the invaders snapped and suddenly they all seemed to spring to life at once. They swarmed over the side like bugs, only to get chopped down by Dart's mighty axe. But not even he could hold them off for long, and he soon found himself being pressed back with the others. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ol' Jack go down. This only intensified his anger, and he burst forward with a surge of energy, striking down three men at once. But it did not last long, as even more men jumped up to replace their fallen comrades. Dart and his crew found themselves encircled, their backs to the main mast.

Suddenly, almost as one, the attackers stopped. In front of Dart they began to part, to make way for a tall, gaunt looking man with red hair and a large smirk on his face.

Dart's jaw dropped. "Gietz? What are you doing here?"

"Actually, it's Captain Geitz now. But it's nice to see you still remember me, my dear Dart. It has been so long," he said with a deep raspy voice. "I think it would be in your best interests if you were to set down your weapons now. This battle is over."

Dart opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it. He laid down his weapons on the deck. His crew followed suit.

"That's more like it. Now tell me Dart, how have you been?"

"Cut the bullocks Geitz. What do you want?"

"Hahaha...as if you don't know my dear friend. The map. I want the map."

"You, an' every other man-jack who's ever sailed a boat." Dart spat at Geitz's feet.

"I was hoping you would be more co-operative, Dart, you know, for old time's sake. But in reality, I'm afraid I really don't need your help. Flynn, if you wouldn't mind?"

Flynn and the other three remaining pirates stepped forward and handed him the mouldy piece of parchment. "Hey boss, your plan worked like a charm," said Flynn, avoiding eye contact with Dart.

Dart was boiling with anger now, but it was Wil who spoke first.

"How dare you Flynn! We trusted you...and you turned around and stabbed us in the back! And Geitz-"

Geitz snorted and made a motion with his hand. One of the sailors stepped up and nailed Wil in the back of the head with the blunt end of his axe. Wil crumpled to the ground, motionless. Rebecca shrieked. Raven surged forward before he was grabbed and restrained by more of Geitz's men.

"I suppose if that's all then, we'll be going."

"Hey Cap'n," said one of Geitz's men, "wha' should we do wiv' dis lot then?"

Geitz turned and started to walk away. "Kill them," he said dismissively, "and scuttle the ship. This floating piece of junk has seen it's last voyage."

"Geitz!" shouted Dart. "I used to think you were different. I used to think you had a heart, that you knew the meaning of compassion. But I realise I was wrong. You're just like your father!"

Geitz stopped dead in his tracks and turned slowly to face Dart. "What did you say?"

"I said, you're just like you father." Dart continued, now that he had his attention. "More concerned for your bottom dollar then for a fellow human being. What happened to the Geitz who left the Guild because of his conscious?"

For the first time, the smirk left his face and Geitz became serious.

"Stow the lot of them in the brig. Now get them out of my sight."

"But Cap'n, you said to kill-"

"I know what I said you idiot. Now lock them in the brig before I throw you overboard!"

"Aye Cap'n."