We're skipping now to the sequence where the Pearl is chasing the Interceptor, and they're about to get into the battle.
Btw, sorry this chapter's so short, but the next one is almost finished, so that will make up for it, I hope.
The Interceptor was going at full-sail, yet the Black Pearl was still gaining on them. Elizabeth felt her stomach sink as she heard this news. She didn't know if she could stand the terrible insolence and cruelty of those undead creatures another time, but with the motley crew now incompetently manning the Interceptor, it didn't seem like she would have a choice. Oh, where was James when she needed him? He would know how to get them out of this situation. He would -
"What would he do, exactly?" she asked herself.
She thought of all the times he let her tour his ships, detailing how they worked, of all the times he explained the intricacies of batte tactics. She combed those memories frantically, hoping to remember something she could use. While searching for inspiration, she glanced out over the water, and saw a sight that gave her an answer. She heard a younger version of herself asking James why ships couldn't pull right up on land, and remembered his patient explanation.
"We're shallow on the draft, right?" she asked quickly, looking to the pirates.
"Aye," Anamaria answered.
"Then can't we lose them amongst those shoals?" Elizabeth asked, pointing out to where the water was breaking over the sand bars.
Anamaria looked doubtful, but to Elizabeth's surprise, Mr. Gibbs spoke up for her. "We don't have to outrun 'em, long." he said. "Just long enough."
At this, the older woman called out to the crew, "Lighten the ship, stem to stern!"
The crew complied, but as the Pearl put out its oars, it became apparent that Elizabeth's plan would not be enough to save them. Desperately, she again racked her brain for something that James might do.
"Lower the anchor on the right side," she said. Again the pirates looked at her questioningly, but Elizabeth could not see a foundation for their doubts. If this was one of James's plans, it was simply going to work. After all, he hadn't been promoted to Commodore for nothing!
"On the starboard side!" she insisted.
"It certainly has the element of surprise," Will volunteered.
"Of course it does," thought Elizabeth, "If they knew whose plan it was, maybe they wouldn't be so surprised."
"You're daft, lady. You both are," Anamaria told them.
"Daft like Jack," Gibbs said, and ran off to order the men to lower the starboard anchor.
"No," Elizabeth thought proudly, "Daft like James."
The Pearl was drawing closer, but Norrington's lessons were coming easily to Elizabeth now, and she knew exactly what to do, as when she told Anamaria to let go of the wheel.
The ship swung about, and Elizabeth wondered how gratified her old friend would be to know that she was captaining a ship all on her own, going solely on knowledge that he taught her. She watched the Pearl swing the to the port side, her mind rythmically going through the steps that she knew the Commodore would have followed. She waited until the enemy came to point blank range, then commanded in her best James Norrington voice,
"Fire all!"