Disclaimer: Pirates of the Caribbean characters and all related items are copyrighted items of their respectful owners. I own nothing from the franchise.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Chronicles of Jack Sparrow
Chapter Two
"Once a Pirate, Always a Pirate"
Nearly two years have passed since that day on the beach, and Jack, now fourteen, had grown to become an expert cartographer –and had gained quite a few inches– and seaman, though the chance to prove himself was yet to come. During the seven months of his father's stay, Jack had trained and studied hard under him, learning to understand commands, gain bearings, steer ships, and other various aspects of 'the arts', as his father had put it.
But James left before Jack had learnt everything he needed to know, leaving Jack to hone his skills on his own. He had already mastered cartography, the art of map-making, and needed only to practice once in a while. His father had already taught him how to use ropes to his advantage –or as his father had put it, "the proper way to use them"– and practiced frequently in the woods near his house.
He was in the middle of one of these practices when one of his friends came looking for him.
"Jack! Where are you?" he shouted. He nearly fell when Jack suddenly dropped down in front of him.
"What is it, Hector?" Jack said, addressing his friend. Hector was only staying temporarily at Caracas, until the trade ship his father was part of departed. He had met Jack a few days earlier in a manner much similar to this.
Hector had been walking around, exploring the place, when he wandered into the woods. He had just been on his way back when Jack suddenly dropped down before him.
"Hi, I'm Jack Sparrow. What's your name?" Jack had said calmly, as if he had walked up to him instead of dropped down.
Regaining his composure, Hector had replied, "Hector. Hector Barbossa."
From that day Jack had played with Hector once or twice, having the same passion for the seas and adventure.
"Your mother is looking for you. She said something about dinner." Hector explained, walking toward the beach.
"Okay. Thanks Hector." Jack said, running off in a different direction.
"Wait. Where are you going?" Hector shouted to Jack, who was already some distance away.
"Shortcut." Jack replied simply before vanishing behind a group of trees.
"You wanted to see me, Mama?" Jack said when he arrived home.
"Yes, Jack. Dinner's already getting cold, and I don't want to hear your complaints." She said, rising from the chair she had been sitting on and taking a plate from one of the cabinets. "So, were you out in the forests again?" she asked offhandedly.
"Yes, mama. I found a new part of the forest that I have never visited before today. I think I'll draw another map of it later." Jack said while sitting down at the table.
"Another map?" she said incredulously while placing a plate full of food in front of Jack, "But mi hijo, your room must already be filled with hundreds of them." She said. Although not exactly hundreds, it could be very near to the truth to say so. Jack had drawn, redrawn, and managed so many maps that it was beginning to pile up.
"Yes!" Jack said, swallowing his food. "Papa said that there's never too much room for improve… Mama?" he said worriedly, seeing the look at his mother's face at the mention of his father.
"Mama, are you all right?" Jack asked.
Inhaling deeply, Rosalinda replied, "Yes, Jack. I'm fine." She said, ruffling Jack's hair, "It's just… it's been nearly a year and a half since your father left. This is his longest journey yet, and I'm just… concerned, that's all."
"He'll be back. I know it." Jack said after a few moments. "After all, he's been on longer journeys before." He added, trying to cheer her up.
"Only once." Rosalinda countered, evident growing concern on her face. Jack could understand her concern, and he knew that Rosalinda had been literally counting the days since James' departure after six months.
Silence uncomfortably broke between the two as Jack finished his meal.
"Now hurry up and go to sleep. I'll clean up." Rosalinda said when Jack had finished. Jack complied without saying a word.
"Oh James... where are you?" Rosalinda said, staring out at the sky.
That moment, somewhere along the North Atlantic Ocean, James was, too, thinking of his family in Caracas.
"Rosalinda… Jack… I hope you both are well." James muttered to himself. He was snapped out of his reverie when one of his shipmates, Jean-Luc, called his name.
"James!" he shouted, nearly making James jump. "Your turn on the dogwatch."
"Aye," James replied, standing up. He waited for Jean-Luc to sit before he climbed the stairs to the upper deck.
The half moon was hanging high overhead, providing slight illumination to the upper deck of the Pearl. The sea was calm that night; along with the star-strewn sky it gave a sense of peace and serenity.
James was about an hour into his watch when he noticed something in the distance on the starboard side. He strained his eyes to see what it was, but a cloud shifted, covering the dim moonlight.
"Damn it!" James swore. He then turned round to grab a telescope. He returned moments later, and pointed it at the unknown object. With the aid of the telescope, James saw the unmistakable outline of sails in the distance.
"A vessel?" James muttered to himself, lowering the telescope to see whether the ship was within eyesight or not. "At this hour?" he said. He extracted a handkerchief from his pocket and raised it above his head, observing it carefully. He then pocketed the handkerchief and placed the telescope to his eye again. "She's broad reaching as well." James said curiously. By now the outline of the whole ship was visible through the telescope.
A cloud shifted, allowing the dim moonlight to pass through. Looking once more through the telescope, James widened his eyes in horror.
"Wake the Captain!" he shouted, running towards the cabins, "Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy! Get up, all of you! Jean-Luc! Alert the Captain!"
"What is it, James?" Jean-Luc asked.
"Pirates." James replied gravely. "And they're headed this way."
This statement seemed to bring everyone into high alert. Jean-Luc rushed to the Captain's quarters to alert him of this news as James led the others to the upper deck. Handing over the telescope to one of his shipmates, James pointed out the direction of the ship.
"Over there. Roughly a league away." James said.
"I see her. That be a pirate's flag, all right." Said the other, handing the telescope to the next.
"What's this I hear about pirates?" the Captain said, Jean-Luc behind him.
"Aye sir," said one of the men, "James 'ere spo'ed 'em an' woke us straigh' away."
"James?" said the Captain, addressing James.
"Aye sir. She's headed straight towards us." James said, pointing once again at the direction of the ship. "I grew suspicious when I realized her bearings."
"Yes, I see her." Said the Captain, lowering his telescope. "Arm the cannons! Load your guns! Prepare for battle!" he ordered. The crew immediately ran to man their posts. "If they wish to pirate us, we shall let them know that we're not going down without a fight."
"Aye, sir!" said the men that were on deck.
"James." The Captain said to James, who had just got out of the lower decks.
"Aye, sir?"
"Take the wheel. I want us aligned with that ship. You know the bearings."
"Aye, aye, sir!" James said, rushing towards the steering wheel.
The winds that night were suddenly strong, making them close in on the pirate ship faster. Within minutes they were close enough that they could hear the shouts from the pirates. James was carefully steering the Pearl as the Captain was shouting out orders.
"Ready the cannons, men! I want holes in that ship the moment I say so! Gunners, Hold your fire until I say so! Prepare the weather deck cannons! I want them loaded with grapeshots! James!"
"Aye, sir!" James responded.
"Steer slightly to port! I want her close, but not too close!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" James said, turning the wheel to the left.
"This is it, men!" the Captain said once they were within range. The two ships were now side by side. "Fire!"
The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder as both ships fired their weapons, filling the air with deafening explosions. Some of the Pearl's guns met their targets, but they were well out of range of the pirates' inferior cannons.
"Fire the grapeshots!" ordered Captain Perez. The explosions were followed by screams of agony from the pirates' side as numerous lead balls penetrated flesh and skin.
A sudden change in the winds caused the Pearl to steer starboard, towards the pirate ship instead of away from them.
"James!" bellowed Captain Perez. "What are you doing? Turn her port!"
"I can't, sir!"
"What do you mean you can't?"
"She's been taken aback, sir! The winds changed!"
Captain Perez opened his mouth to speak, but was spared the effort by a cannonball blowing a hole in one of the lower decks of the ship.
"Return fire! Fire at will, men!" ordered the Captain, as both rifles and cannons dispersed their shots. Moments later Jean-Luc emerged from the lower decks, running toward Captain Perez.
"Captain! We've been hit!" Jean-Luc said.
"Tell me something I don't know, Jean-Luc. What's the damage?" the Captain shouted over the sounds of cannon and gunfire.
"She's blown a hole through the holds, but there are no leaks!" Jean-Luc said, slightly losing his balance as another cannonball hit the Pearl.
"Get back to your station! I want routine reports on the damage, understood?"
"Aye, aye, sir!" Jean-Luc responded, returning to the lower deck cannons.
"James! JAMES!" the Captain shouted over the loud explosions of cannons from both sides. "Abandon the wheel!"
"But she'll drift, sir!"
"I'll take over! I need all hands on deck! And on the weapons!"
"Aye, aye, sir!" James said, grabbing his gun and running to aid the others.
They were now so close to the pirates that some were readying their hooks and grapples.
"Brace yourselves, men! They're coming on board!" the Captain shouted. "I want the weather deck cannons to be loaded with grapeshots only! Tell the lower decks to maintain fire! I want two men on each cannon, no more, no less!"
A chorus of "Aye, aye, sir!" met this order.
"The rest of you!" Captain Perez shouted. "Prepare for combat!"
The men waited, guns and swords at the ready, for the pirates to board.
"James!" Captain Perez shouted. "You're in charge of the defense!"
"Aye, aye sir!" James returned. "Gunners, I want you to fire anyone who comes on board through grapples and ladders! Divide into two lines! Shoot, reload, and let the lines behind you take over before firing again! If you run out of ammo, you know what to do! The rest of you, get everyone they miss!"
"Aye, aye!" they shouted as they ran to their positions.
"On my mark, gents!" James ordered, as another cannon shot a hole through the pirate ship.
Dozens of pirates swung and climbed onboard the Pearl with ropes, ladders and grapples.
"Fire at will, men!" James shouted. Numerous pirates fell during as the first shots were fired. But not all bullets met their targets; those who escaped managed to injure a few of the crew before falling at the hands of the second line. Some were locked in fierce swordfights with the crew while others barely made it on the ship at all.
Some of the gunners had already run out of ammunition. Abandoning their rifles, they drew their swords and attacked the nearest pirates, catching some of them off guard.
The sound of gunfire was now replaced by shouts and screams as men from both sides fell and met their end. Amidst the chaos, James, who was locked in a swordfight with one of the pirates, had noticed that Captain Perez had abandoned the wheel and joined the frenzy.
This moment's distraction nearly cost him his life had Jean-Luc not thrown James' opponent overboard.
"What's the matter, James? Get your head in the game!" Jean-Luc said, smiling as though enjoying the excitement of combat.
Immediately regaining his composure, James stood side by side Jean-Luc and asked, "I assume the cannonballs are fresh out?"
"Aye," Jean-Luc replied simply.
"Well then, I'll see you when we get out of this."
"If we get out of this." Jean-Luc returned as James charged at the pirate nearest to him.
The battle on board the Pearl lasted at least ten minutes more when the sound of a cannon was heard.
"I thought the cannons were fresh out?" James said, looking towards the direction of the sound. His opponent had been distracted by the sound as well, as did most of the others. Another shot was heard, much closer than the last. James turned round, and saw the outlines of a ship he recognized to belong to the British royal army. Apparently some of the pirates recognized the ship as well, for some of them shouted, "It's the navy!" or things like,"We're done for!"
Recognizing defeat, the pirates dropped their weapons and lifted their hands in the air.
As members of the British army boarded the Pearl and the pirate ship to arrest the pirates, James noticed Captain Perez shaking hands with what appeared to be one of the high-ranking officers of the liner.
"Congratulations, Captain Perez, you helped us catch the Rogue. We've been hunting them for a long time." James heard the officer say.
"Aye, sir. But I wish we could have done without damaging my ship." Captain Perez said, half jokingly, half regretfully.
"I will take it upon myself to have your ship repaired. I'm sure after what you and your men have done the army will be willing to pay for repairs. If she can sail to the nearest port."
"Aye, sir. You're to kind, sir. What is it James?" Captain Perez added to James, who was evidently waiting to speak to him.
"Captain. Bull says that the holds and lower cabins sustained heavy damage, but also says that we can still sail. He's working on repairs as we speak."
"Thank you, James." Captain Perez said. "James. This is Commodore John Algernon Worthington III of the British Royal Army." Captain Perez said, indicating the officer he had just been talking to.
"James, sir." James said, shaking the Commodore's hand.
"Do you have a last name, James?" the Commodore asked. There was nothing particularly odd about his tone, but it somehow made James feel uneasy.
"No, sir."
"James here is the one who spotted the pirates, Commodore Worthington sir."
"Really? Sharp eye you have, James."
"Thank you, sir." James said, still feeling oddly uneasy.
"I believe a thanks is in order." Said the Commodore, holding out his hand again.
"Excuse me, sir?"
"If you hadn't spotted the pirates and alerted Captain Perez here, you might not have won this battle and held them off long enough for us to arrive." Replied the Commodore, still holding out his hand. Hesitantly, Jack shook the Commodore's hand.
Suddenly, the Commodore pulled James closer and rolled up his sleeve, revealing several tattoos.
"Had a brush with the East India trading company, have we?" asked the Commodore haughtily.
"Well- yes- I can-" James stuttered. Commodore Worthington was simply smiling while Captain Perez stood with his mouth open.
"Captain Perez, this man…" Commodore Worthington turned to Captain Perez, "… is a pirate. Are you aware of this?"
Captain Perez opened and closed his mouth several times, struggling to speak. Obviously he had known that James was once a pirate, but he also knew that James had left that life. But would the Commodore believe him? These thoughts played over and over in his mind, nearly driving him crazy.
"No. No he didn't." James said, saving Captain Perez the trouble of explaining. "And for your information, I was a pirate. I stopped years ago."
"Arrest him." The Commodore ordered his lieutenant.
"But… but he helped us fight them off!" Captain Perez said, finally regaining speech.
"Perhaps something he orchestrated himself. Besides, one good deed doesn't isn't enough to save a man from a lifetime of crime."
"But it sure seems enough to condemn him." James said, while his hands were shackled.
"Indeed it does." Commodore Worthington replied coldly.
"But… you heard the man, he stopped piracy years ago!" Captain Perez complained.
"It makes no difference. Once a pirate," he glared at James, "always a pirate. Take him away."
Without warning, James raised his arms and hit the officer escorting him with the heavy shackles on his wrist, knocking him unconscious. He grabbed the man's sword and turned around, only to meet the barrel of Commodore Worthington's pistol. The Commodore pulled the hammer threateningly.
"Like I said, once a pirate, always a pirate." He said. James dropped the sword as another officer took him away. The Commodore then boarded his own ship, and ordered the anchors to be pulled.
"You will be wise, Captain," the Commodore said to Captain Perez from across his ship, "to be more select in recruiting your crew."
A/N: Yes, I quoted The Curse of the Black Pearl at the end.
A/N: Time to clear up a few things:
First, I dunno whether or not calendars had already been invented during the late 1600s.
Second, the Tortuga mentioned in previous chapter is not the Tortuga from the films, which is known for piracy. That Tortuga is somewhere Northwest of Haiti. This one is much nearer to Venezuela.
Third, my geography sucks big time, I dunno if Caracas ever had a port, I just liked the place due to its proximity to the Caribbean.
Fourth, I dunno the likelihood of the wind changing as sudden as I described. And as to what a British ship was doing so far from Britain, it IS a trading route, after all
Fifth, I'm perfectly aware that I most likely misused most if not all the nautical terms.
R&R pls and thank you.