Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 21 - The Dead Man's Chest
Andrew, Neptune and Asriel left the dimensional gateway in a far more controlled manner, finding themselves in what looked like a gypsey home. It was dark aside from candlelight.
"Where are we?" Asriel asked. Andrew looked outside to see a swamp… maybe a river, just barely illuminated by faint rays of moonlight breaking through the trees.
"You be in Cuba, CPUs." a feminine voice said. Andrew turned around to look at who it might be, seeing what looked like a woman of Jamaican origin, although something about her was off.
"Who might you be?" Neptune asked.
"I am Tia Dalma." the woman, Tia Dalma, explained.
"How do you know that we're CPUs, Tia Dalma?" Andrew asked next.
"I have my ways…" Tia Dalma said, a grin extending on her face. "You came here, seeking to stop a rogue CPU, Kurome, from destroying this world. She will ally herself with Lord Cutler Beckett and the East India Trading Company. You be needin' a ship, crew, and captain in this world, if you wish to succeed." she explained, as though foreseeing most of the future. It was clear that she knew more, but was keeping quiet. It was at that moment that a captain entered the otherwise cramped cabin with members of his crew. Tia Dalma turned to them.
"Jack Sparrow… I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day." she said, before laying eyes on a member of Jack's crew, a tall, modest and noble Englishman. "You have a touch of destiny in you, William Turner." she said. Something with the way she was speaking in riddles did not sit well with the CPUs, most notably Asriel, who's white fur stood on end.
"You know me?" The Englishman, William, asked in shock.
"You want to know me." Tia Dalma replied.
"There will be no knowing, here." Jack said, trying to break up the conversation before it got too weird, to the relief of pretty much everyone else present. "We came here for help." he continued. There proceeded to be a quiet whisper between Jack and Tia Dalma, before she spoke up, seating both Jack and William at the table. Much closer than before, Andrew could smell the stench of alcohol lingering from Jack's body. William caught a glimpse at the three CPUs, and knew there was something different about them, although he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Asking for help does not sound like Jack Sparrow." Tia Dalma said.
"It's not so much for me, as for William, so he can earn a favor from me." Jack said.
"Now that sounds like Jack Sparrow." Tia Dalma said, nodding with a wolfish grin on her face.
"Forgive my interruption, but who are they?" William asked, gesturing to the three CPUs.
"Them be CPUs." Tia Dalma said flatly.
"CPUs? What are those?" Jack asked out of confusion.
"We're deities from another dimension, uh… Jack. I'm Andrew Hawker. This is my wife, Neptune, and our protege Asriel." Andrew explained.
"Neptune, huh? Like the ancient Roman god of the sea?" A gruff man with a beard, Joshamee Gibbs, asked.
"You can say that's pretty accurate, but like I said, we're not really from this dimension, so… it's rather complicated." Andrew said.
"And why would a trio of CPUs wish to sail under the command of a pirate?" Jack asked rather inquisitively, though out of curiosity rather than malice.
"Normally we are vehemently against piracy, Jack, but the grim circumstances behind our arrival here have forced us to make an exception." Andrew said as he stood up. "We've come here in pursuit of a woman by the name of Kurome Ankokuboshi." he continued.
"What does she have to do with any of this?" William asked.
"Kurome's… a CPU, like us. However, she's considered rogue, and extremely dangerous, able to manipulate nightmares and hallucinations in people. Unlike the three of us, who get our powers from the collective faith of the people that worship us, she gets hers from negativity; the darker emotions of hatred, greed and fear." Andrew explained. "She's come here, hoping to destroy this world." he concluded.
"But how is that possible?" A chubby, bearded pirate named Pintel asked.
"Histoire and the rest of us still aren't too sure how she is able to do it… perhaps the negativity spawned by her meddling attacks the very anchors that keep dimensions like this firmly together... but we know why she's doing it. She intends to resurrect an evil deity from our home dimension's past, with cataclysmic results." Andrew responded, answering Pintel's question.
"A frightful thought, indeed. Even the powers of the sea combined cannot hope to stop such destruction." Gibbs said grimly.
"Which is why we're here. She's already destroyed at least nine other worlds, and we intend to prevent her from destroying this one. We've thwarted her attempts before, and we know how to stop her. But to do so, here, Tia Dalma tells us that we need a ship, with a crew and a captain. No doubt she's directing us to join you all." Andrew said, finishing his explanation.
Tia Dalma looked towards William, hoping to direct the subject back towards the request that he and Jack had in mind. "What services may I do you? You know I demand payment." she asked.
"I brought payment!" Jack exclaimed, as he took a cage with a monkey, before proceeding to take out a flintlock pistol and shoot it in the face. The monkey survived the direct hit. "See? An undead monkey!" he beamed. "Maybe you can give it the crocodile treatment?" he asked. Tia Dalma took the cage from him and proceeded to let the monkey out.
"You've no idea how long it took us to catch that." Gibbs said with a sigh.
"The payment is fair." Tia Dalma said, before looking towards William. Jack handed him some kind of cloth. Asriel and Neptune leaned in curiously, to see the drawing of a key on said cloth.
"We're looking for this. And what it goes to." William said. Tia Dalma looked at the key, shifting ever so slightly as she recognized the shape of it. She hid this well enough that not even Andrew noticed anything odd.
"That compass you borrowed from me. It can't lead you to this?" Tia Dalma asked.
"No." Jack said rather flatly. Tia Dalma began to chuckle in response.
"Jack Sparrow does not know what he wants? Or do you know, but are loathe to claim it as your own?" she asked, to the bewilderment of William and detriment of Jack. "Your key leads to a chest… and it is what lays inside the chest you seek, isn't it?" she continued.
"What is inside?" Gibbs asked.
"Gold? Jewels? Unclaimed properties of a valuable nature?" Pintel asked.
"Nothing bad, I hope..." Ragetti muttered.
"You know of Davy Jones, yes?" Tia Dalma asked, looking towards everyone.
"Who was he?" Asriel asked.
"A man of the sea, a great sailor… until he ran afoul of that which vexes all men." Tia dalma said.
"What vexes all men?" William asked. Tia Dalma merely smiled at him in response, to which Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"What indeed?" Tia Dalma asked. Everyone in Jack's crew had his own theory.
"The sea." Gibbs said.
"Sums." Pintel said.
"The dichotomy of good and evil." Ragetti said.
"A woman." Jack said, with a slightly higher voice, as though confident in his answer.
"A woman." Tia Dalma echoed, confirming Jack's theory as to what the answer to the question was. "He fell in love." she continued.
"Aww, that's kinda sweet. Didn't know ol' Davy was such a sweetheart." Neptune cooed.
"I heard it was the sea he fell in love with." Gibbs said.
"Same story, different versions, all are true." Tia Dalma said. "It was a woman, as changing and harsh and untamable as the sea. He never stopped loving her, but the pain it caused him was too much to live with… but he did not die." she continued.
"What exactly did he put in the chest?" William asked.
"Him heart." Tia Dalma replied.
"Literally or figuratively?" Ragetti asked, unsure if he was going to like the answer.
"Of course, figuratively. He couldn't literally put his heart in a chest." Pintel countered, though quite unsure himself. He turned towards Tia Dalma for clarification. "Could he?"
Tia Dalma, unfazed by the otherwise unnerving nature of the topic, responded to Pintel's question promptly. "It was not worth feeling what small, fleeting joy life brings, he decided, to endure the inevitable, cruel torments… and so he carved out his heart, locked it away in a chest, and hid the chest from the world." she explained.
"That's… gruesome." Andrew said, cringing slightly at the description.
"They key…" Tia Dalma said, gesturing back to the cloth. "He keeps with him at all times." she continued.
"That was a roundabout way to get the answer." Jack said, to which Andrew and Asriel both agreed.
"Sauce for the gander, Jack." Tia Dalma countered.
Will looked towards Jack, fixing a gaze of suspicion upon him. "You knew this." he said.
"No I didn't. I didn't know where the key was." Jack said defensively, standing up. "But now we do, so all that is left is to slip aboard the Flying Dutchman, take the key, and then you can go back to Port Royal and save your bonnie lass." he continued, resolving to head out immediately.
"Do we even know where to look for this Flying Dutchman?" Asriel asked.
"Certainly. I always have ways to-" Jack began, only to be interrupted as Tia Dalma stopped him.
"Let me see your hand." she said. Jack stopped and turned around. A look on his face said that there was something he wanted to hide, but he couldn't hide it any longer, and so he held out his hand. Tia Dalma unwrapped a strip of cloth from his hand, and in the place of a hand wound was instead a mark: the black spot!
"Black spot!" Gibbs shouted, freaking out. Pintel and Ragetti mimicked every action.
"I'm sorry, what is a black spot?" Asriel asked.
"A death mark, most foul. It is said that those who bear it are doomed to eternal damnation." Gibbs said, shuddering.
"Yeesh." Neptune said, cringing. Tia Dalma, who regards the mark with respect, walked up a stairway, and the sounds of the ocean mysteriously echoed in from a hatch above, to the bewilderment of many. She would return later with a jar filled with dirt.
"Davy Jones cannot make port, cannot step on land, but once every ten years." she said as she handed Jack the jar of dirt. "Land is where you are safe, Jack Sparrow, and so you will carry land with you." she explained.
"Dirt." Jack said, staring at the jar of dirt in curious bewilderment. "This is a jar of dirt." he continued flatly.
"Yes." Tia Dalma said, confirming it.
"Is the… jar of dirt going to help?" Jack asked.
"If you don't want it, give it back." Tia Dalma said.
"No!" Jack begged, holding the jar close to him like a child.
"Then it helps." Tia Dalma said. Will and Andrew came to a unanimous decision, looking towards her.
"It seems we have a need to find the Flying Dutchman." William said.
"A touch… of destiny." Tia Dalma said in response, as she takes a pile of crab claws and throws them on the table. The mess of claws seemed meaningless at a glance, but to an eagle-eyed sailor like Jack, it was a map to an archipelago out in the Caribbean Sea.
It was still early night time at Port Royal. The interior of the East India Trading Company's Caribbean Headquarters was lit by mostly candlelight and the faint rays of moonlight. Lord Cutler Beckett was busy signing off papers authorizing transactions with foreign customers, when an aide walked in.
"Lord Beckett. A Miss, uh, Kurome Ankokuboshi is here to speak with you about a proposition." the aide spoke in a timely manner.
"Send her in." Beckett ordered, and the aide left immediately. Kurome entered the office soon after.
"Lord Beckett. A pleasure to meet you." Kurome said with a smirk.
"Kurome, I presume. I was told you wish to speak with me about a proposition." Beckett said as he rose from his seat, adjusting his coat.
"Indeed I do. I wish to lend you and your company my loyalty, in exchange for something personal." Kurome said, explaining her wishes.
Beckett squinted his eyes slightly in minute suspicion of the rogue CPU in front of him. Then he glanced at the rapier on her back. "You're different from most others who have offered their loyalty in such a manner. What are you?" he asked.
"I am what a trio of extradimentional deities call a rogue CPU. I am in command of powers capable of making others see the most vivid of nightmares, powers that your company will no doubt benefit from using on the field, should you consider accepting my services." Kurome replied.
"I'm not sure I follow… Who are these 'extradimensional deities' you mention?" Beckett asked. He was unsure of her, what she was, and where her true loyalties lie, but he did consider the benefit of having someone with such powerful abilities, sharing Mercer's position at his right hand.
"They're CPUs, like me, who have no doubt allied themselves with your old rival, Captain Jack Sparrow." Kurome replied.
"Ah, yes, Captain Jack Sparrow. A man who was once under my employment, only to betray me in the end." Beckett replied, hearing exactly what he wanted to hear. "I am seeking something myself, you see. A personal effect of Captain Sparrow's, if you will. His compass." he continued. "It looks like an ordinary compass, made from polished Lapis and gold trim… but unlike other compasses that point north, this one has a peculiarity to it… it points to whatever those who possess it want most." he concluded.
"You're after something more than that… It's about more than a mere compass, isn't it? You seek a heart with which to control the seas." Kurome said.
"You impress me, Miss Ankokuboshi. To be able to see past the facade… most people wouldn't have deduced that in such short order." Beckett said as he got two fine tea sets out, pouring fine British tea into them. "But tell me, Kurome. What exactly is it that you're after? Fame? Power? Fortune?" he asked, growing more intrigued by the minute.
"On the contrary. My interests coincide with those that I serve." Kurome replied, hiding her true intentions without actually lying. Beckett flashed a smirk in response.
"Well… I have considered your offer. You will share the position of my right hand with your counterpart, Ian Mercer. Consider yourself an employee of the East India Trading Company." he declared.
"Of course, Lord Beckett. You will not regret this." Kurome replied with a devilish smirk.
Back in the galaxy, the Endeavor rose to the stars above Tython. Asmund immediately contacted Master Satele on the holo.
"We're ready, Master Satele. What's the situation?" he asked.
"As you're aware, Princess Esme of Onderon was kidnapped by Imperial Special Forces. These forces are commanded by Captain Salvio, the Shock Trooper commander who served Darth Angral." Master Satele said.
"Captain Salvio was responsible for many of Angral's short-lived victories in the early days of his personal war against the Republic, including the initial capture of the Power Guard program and Shock Drum prototype. He's not to be underestimated." Lord Scourge warned..
"How much more do we know of the situation, currently?" Asmund asked.
"We don't know much about it, but we do have a lucky break. Our contact in the Empire has asked specifically for you and- Theron Shan… to meet with them at a specific set of coordinates on the desert planet of Jakku. " Master Satele said.
"An Imperial contact? Are we certain this isn't a trap?" Kira asked.
"Not all in the Sith Empire have thrown themselves in league with Lord Denzion. Those that haven't created their own splinter faction, and are negotiating for a treaty of alliance with the Republic in exchange for their intel." Var Suthra said.
"Your contact in the Empire will be Darth Marr, a former member of the Dark Council who defied them in protest against Denzion's rise to power. He will be with a Sith Lord in Imperial Intelligence, Lana Beniko. They will tell you more." Master Satele said.
"Darth Marr was the Dark Council's strongest, wisest and most respected member. Unlike most members, who earned their place after cutting down another as is Sith tradition, he won his through a more tactical, thought out and balanced approach… he took charge in exposing another member's corruption about thirty-four years ago." Lord Scourge said, giving the rundown on Darth Marr. "It doesn't surprise me in the least, that he would defy the Dark Council, form his own faction of the Sith, and seek an alliance with the Republic. But his actions have left a great vacuum of power." he continued.
"T7 = advises caution. Jakku = more dangerous than Tatooine. Asmund + Kira = be careful." T7 chirped.
"I agree with our droid buddy. I've heard a lot about Jakku, and none of it was positive. There aren't even any worthwhile sights or ancient ruins, it's just one big ball of sand." Doc said.
"Pirates make Jakku their home, due to its remote location in the outer rim. If we're going there, I recommend a fleet to support you." Sergeant Rusk recommended.
"A small, combined Republic and Imperial fleet will have forces on standby above the planet in case you ever run into trouble." Var Suthra said.
"We won't let you down, Master Satele, General Var Suthra. We'll head out to Jakku immediately." Asmund said.
"Meet up with Darth Marr and Lana Beniko, and learn what you can about Esme's kidnapping. Contact me after. May the Force be with you." Master Satele said, before T7 entered the coordinates for Jakku in. The Endeavor entered Hyperspace soon after.
Back in the Caribbean, Jack followed the route that pointed to the archipelago Tia Dalma showed back in her shack. It was dark and stormy as they approached. Andrew was below decks with Asriel, Neptune and William Turner. They were discussing recent events to get an idea of the world they were in, and how they can save it.
"The love of my life, Elizabeth Swann, is currently being held prisoner by Lord Beckett… Arrested for helping Jack go free. He's using her as leverage, to get me to give him Jack's compass." William said.
"Sounds like blackmail…" Andrew said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What could he possibly use Jack's compass for?" Asriel asked.
"Jack's compass is no ordinary compass. It points to whatever the person holding it desires most." William explained.
"There's surely more to it than that. Beckett is searching for something… Whatever he's after maybe the key to this world's fate." Andrew said, using rational thought.
"Whatever the case, if I don't do as Beckett demands, he'll have her hanged. I cannot let that happen." William said.
"Have faith, William. Maybe she'll find a way to escape on her own." Andrew said, trying to encourage the conflicted man in front of them. That's when Gibbs entered.
"We've arrived. You're needed above deck." he said. Everyone stood up and headed above. Out in the distance past the rain, thunder and lightning was a wrecked merchant ship, trapped within the rocks beneath. Asriel shivered slightly as the rain soaked his clothes and white fur.
"That's the Flying Dutchman? It doesn't look like much…" William said.
"Neither do you. Do not underestimate her." Jack said.
"Must have run afoul of the reef." Gibbs said as he gazed upon the wrecked ship.
Jack turned his gaze towards William. "What's your plan?" he asked.
"I row over, and search the ship until I find your bloody key." William said.
"And if there are crewmen?" Jack asked.
"I'll cut down anyone in my path." William replied promptly.
"I like it. Simple, and easy to remember." Jack said. William glanced at the cloth with the key drawing in it, before putting it in his pocket as he climbed down into the small rowboat.
"Oh!" Jack exclaimed as he leaned over. "If you do happen to get captured, just say 'Jack Sparrow sent you to settle his debt.' It might save your life." he said. Andrew raised an eyebrow in response.
"What debt-" he asked, only to be interrupted by Jack as he lifted a finger. William shrugged as he began to row over towards the stricken merchant vessel alone.
"Douse the lamps." Jack ordered, and the crew followed his order. Soon, the Black Pearl was cloaked, invisible against the black, stormy night.
After rowing for a while, William arrived at the stricken ship. He climbed upon the deck to see it mostly littered with bodies. A young, but traumatized sailor was trying fruitlessly to raise the sails, muttering to himself the entire time.
"Hey." William called out. The sailor did not respond. "Hey!" he called out again, to no avail, and so he resolved to walk up to him.
"Raise the sails, just like the captain ordered." the traumatized sailor said to himself.
"It's no use, you've run aground." William said.
"No! Beneath us… foul breath!" the sailor cried out. That's when a body fell from the rigging, and William went to investigate.
Andrew remained on the deck of the Black Pearl, looking out into the stormy seas that obscured the horizon. Something felt very wrong. It wasn't quite the sense of dread that Kurome's presence gave off, but it was something else entirely. He couldn't put his finger on it, which troubled him. Suddenly, the conditions worsened dramatically in a flash.
"Meteorological conditions don't deteriorate like that... What's going on?" he asked. That's when he turned to see a ghostly warship rise from the depths.
"What in the name of…!" Asriel muttered.
"Jack! Unknown warship, off the starboard side!" Andrew yelled.
"Right on time." Jack said whimsically as a fight broke out on the stricken merchant vessel's deck between William and the crew of the actual Flying Dutchman. This fight was short lived, and as quickly as the fight ended, so did the fury of the Caribbean Sea. The unnatural storm ended.
William came to, as Davy Jones himself approached the survivors. The monstrous and vile captain's first mate, Maccus tallied them.
"Six men still alive, the rest have moved on." Maccus said. Davy Jones looked among them, before beginning to speak to them.
"Do you fear death? Do you fear that dark abyss?" he spoke to the helmsman, who was the most terrified of the merchant vessel's original crew. "All your deeds laid bare… all your sins punished. I can offer you… an escape." he concluded.
"Don't listen to him!" a chaplain said. Davy Jones looked over, a scowl across his face as he stared at the cross in the man's hands, before walking over to him.
"Do you not fear death?" he asked.
"I-I'll take my chances, sir." the chaplain remarked, believing his faith in God will shield him from Jones.
"To the depths." Jones said in response, and his crew mercilessly gutted the chaplain, before throwing the body overboard.
"Cruel bastard!" a crewmember spat.
"Life is cruel, ol' one. Why should the afterlife be any different!?" Davy Jones said, before walking back over to the helmsman. "I offer you the choice. Join my crew, and postpone the judgement. One hundred years before the mast. Will you serve?" he asked.
"I-I will, sir!" the helmsman stammered.
"Well then…" Davy Jones mocked, before turning his attention to William. "You are neither dead, nor dying! What is your purpose here?!" he asked.
"Jack Sparrow sent me to settle his debt." William said.
"What is your purpose here?" Davy Jones asked again.
"Jack Sparrow… sent me to settle his debt." William replied.
"Did he now? I'm sorely tempted to accept that offer." Davy Jones said with an enraged chuckle.
Andrew looked on as Jack watched the situation unfold through his spyglass. To their horror, Davy Jones knew exactly where they were.
"Jack… What's going on?" Asriel asked. Andrew could see the fear in the young prince's eyes. The moment that Jack lowered his spyglass, Jones was standing right there in front of him, and out of the woodwork, his crew came, poised for a fight against the CPUs and the crew of the Black Pearl.
"You have a debt to pay." Davy Jones said. Jack looked towards his hand, and then back towards Davy Jones. Neptune wanted to say something, but she too was terrified.
"You've been captain of the Black Pearl for thirteen years! That was our agreement!" Davy Jones said.
"Technically, I was only captain for two years, and then I was viciously mutinied upon." Jack countered.
"Then you were a poor captain, but a captain nonetheless. Have you not introduced yourself all these years as Captain Jack Sparrow?!" Davy Jones countered back.
"Not that I recall, why do you ask?" Jack said, making his gambit in an effort to escape the situation he found himself in. "You have my payment, one soul to serve on your ship." he continued. "There is a precedent regarding servitude, according to the code of the Brethren-" he continued further, about to mention the Brethren Court, which was a system of government that pirates in this dimension used in congregation.
Davy Jones saw fit to interrupt him, not giving him an inch.
"One soul is not equal to another!" Davy Jones exclaimed.
"Ah, so we've established the proposal is sound in principle. Now we're just haggling in price." Jack said. "And just how many souls do you think mine is worth?" he asked.
Davy Jones thought long and hard, before a smirk grew across his face. "One hundred souls. Three days." he declared, to the dismay of Jack, although he hid it well.
"You're a diamond, mate. Send me back the boy, I'll get started right off." Jack said. Davy Jones wasn't so keen on it, having already negotiated the contract.
"I keep the boy. A good faith payment. That leaves you only ninety-nine more to go." he declared out of spite.
"Have you actually met Will Turner? He's noble. Heroic… a terrific soprano." Jack began. "And dare I mention… he's in love. Due to be married. To a lovely young lady. You hate that malarkey." he continued. Davy Jones looked as though he actually considered letting William go free, but then decided it wasn't worth it.
"I keep the boy, ninety-nine souls!" he declared. "But I wonder, Sparrow… Can you live with this? Can you condemn an innocent man - a friend - to a lifetime of servitude in your name, while you roam free?" he asked.
"Yep. I'm good with it." Jack responded. "Shall we seal in blood? I mean ink?" He asked in a calm and nonchalant manner, and Andrew had to admire his ability to remain level headed in the current situation despite the idea of dooming William to such a fate not sitting well with either of them. Jack gasped in shock and a tinge of pain, as Davy Jones removed the Black Spot from his hand.
"Three days…" the vile captain declared menacingly, being echoed by Maccus as they departed for the Flying Dutchman in a flash.
"Not gonna lie… That was the scariest thing I've seen in a while…" Neptune muttered.
"I hope you have a plan for getting Will back. No man should have to endure such a fate." Andrew said.
"I'm sure young Will can weasel his way out of this." Jack said.
"And how do you propose we get these ninety-nine souls in three days?" Gibbs asked. "Tortuga?" he asked.
"Tortuga." Jack echoed, as he wiped his hand on Gibbs' shirt.
They made landfall at Tortuga, before setting up shop in a tavern. It was there that they began to 'recruit' people into their little scheme. The CPUs, Andrew especially, disagreed with this knowing they're dooming innocents to the same fate that William found himself in. However, Andrew's intuition told him that he should play along, knowing of the chance they'll run into potential dimensional refugees who've lost their worlds to Kurome's meddling, and so he quietly stood behind the desk while Asriel and Neptune remained behind on the Pearl.
"And what makes you think you're worthy to crew on the Black Pearl?" Gibbs asked an old man.
"Truth be told, sir, I've never sailed a day in my life. I figure I should get out and see the world while I'm still young!" the old man said.
"You'll, do." Gibbs said, as the old man signed the roster. "Next!" he called out. A skinny man came up next.
"My wife ran off with my dog, and I'm drunk and I don't give a rat's ass whether I live or die!" the skinny man declared.
"Perfect! Sign the roster." Gibbs said. After the skinny man was a cripple.
"I've one arm and a bum leg." The cripple said.
"It's the Crow's Nest for you." Gibbs said. "Next!" he called out. Jack was behind the counter as well, fiddling with his compass.
"I know what I want! I know what I want!" he grumbled to himself, as he flicked his compass open and closed, swearing to himself as the compass didn't work.
"Ever since I was a lad, I've dreamed of sailing the seas forever!" an Irishman declared.
"Sooner than you think! Sign the roster." Gibbs said energetically. Jack, finally having enough with his compass, walked up to his first mate.
"How are we doing?" He asked in mild impatience.
"With those four, that makes us… four." Gibbs said. He turned around to see someone wearing an impressive-looking cloak. "And what about you?" he asked.
"My name is Edward Kenway." the man began. "I'm a pirate captain and, more recently, a member of the Brotherhood of Assassins. I've been a scourge of those that dared to call themselves the Royal Navy or Templars. With the wind at my back, a sword in my hand, a ship and crew at my command, and my intuition, I was unstoppable. But then Nassau fell, and the world suddenly collapsed into a dark void. When I woke up, I found myself here, in Tortuga." he continued.
"I know of what happened, Mister Kenway." Andrew said as he approached the desk. "I shall tell you more, aboard the Pearl, but you should know you're not the only one who's experienced this." he continued.
"As he said. Sign the roster." Gibbs said. Edward signed the roster as asked, before stepping aside. That's when a gruff, hardened Englishman who appeared to be down on his luck approached the desk.
"And what's your story?" Gibbs asked.
"My story?" the gruff Englishman asked in response. It was James Norrington, a former officer of the Royal Navy. "Same as your story, but one chapter behind. I became obsessed with capturing a notorious pirate… chased him across the seven seas. I lost all perspective. I was consumed." he continued. Jack and Andrew both glanced up at him in response, not saying a word. Jack and Gibbs both began to recognize him.
"The pursuit cost me my crew, my position… and my life." Norrington concluded.
"...Commodore?" Gibbs asked.
"No, not anymore! Weren't you listening?!" Norrington snapped. "Nearly had all of you off to Tripoli. Would have, if not for that hurricane…" he concluded.
"Lord… You didn't try to sail through it?" Gibbs asked, shocked at the turn of events that the officer's life took.
"So do I make you a crew, or not?" Norrington asked. Gibbs couldn't think of an answer. He wanted to say 'yes', but he could not find himself to doom a former friend of his to the fate that many were about to befall.
"You haven't said where you were going… somewhere nice?!" Norrington snapped as he flipped the desk, startling everybody. "So am I worthy to sail under Captain Jack Sparrow?!" he asked, before he pulled a flintlock pistol out and trained it on Jack, who was trying to slink away. "...or should I just kill you now?" He concluded, as though his mind were made up.
"Sir, I must urge that you-" Andrew said in an attempt to quell the situation, only to be interrupted when Norrington trained the pistol on him.
"Sparrow is the reason that my life ended. Don't get in my way." Norrington snarled.
To everyone's surprise, Jack decided to accept Norrington into his crew. "You're hired!" he said. Sadly, Norrington retrained his pistol on Jack, pulling back the hammer.
"Sorry. Old habits die, and all that." he said.
"Easy, sailor!" a man said, taking charge and trying to deescalate the situation. He and another man lifted his arm, and in his drunken stupor, Norrington accidentally pulled the trigger. The shot ricocheted off the chandelier above them, and into a drunken sailor's bottle of rum. This led to a domino effect, and an entire brawl broke out.
"Time to go?" Jack asked, as Andrew ducked under a flying bottle.
"Aye!" Gibbs replied, wanting to make himself scarce. Andrew followed Jack and Gibbs up a flight of stairs, narrowly missing thrown bottles, punches, kicks and the odd improvised weapon. He would defend himself unarmed as much as he could from the drunken brawl.
"If we don't get out of this in one piece, Jack, I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled.
"Belay that! Less chatter, more absconding!" Jack countered as he waltzed his way through the chaos in a leisurely manner. Andrew had to wonder how he could be so laid back in the middle of all of this. Jack took a hat and tried it on, only to find it too small. He'd wear it on his head for a moment, regardless, before sticking it on a man who was about to be thrown off the second level balcony. "Carry on." he said, before the man was thrown off. They'd take the long way around, making their way back towards the door.
Inevitably, the brawl ended when Norrington shouted at the top of his lungs, challenging everyone in the room.
"Come on then! Come at me, and I'll have you all, one by one! Come on, who's first?!" he beckoned, taunting the tavern dwellers. That's when someone took a half-empty bottle of rum and smashed it against the back of Norrington's head, knocking him out cold. The entire crowd went silent.
"I just wanted the pleasure of doing that, myself!" the person exclaimed, to the cheers of everyone in the tavern. Some men picked him up, and the person who knocked him out followed them.
"Glad that's over with… And I'm thankful Asriel didn't have to witness that." Andrew said as they approached the Black Pearl's dock.
"How many bar brawls have I been in while stuck here? Fifteen? Twenty-two? I've lost count, already." Edward said.
"Sounds like it's a frequent occurrence here, in Tortuga." Andrew said.
"That'd be putting it mildly." Edward said.
"Jack, Andrew and I have things to discuss. Wait for us on the Pearl." Gibbs said. Edward nodded as he boarded the vessel with the other hirees.
"You'd better have an alternate plan, Jack. I'm pretty sure we'll be unwelcome here in Tortuga for some time after that mess." Andrew said once he was certain it was just the three of them. "Besides, I'd rather not wish eternal damnation on any of the crew, Kenway especially." he continued.
"What is it about that Kenway fellow that makes him so special?" Jack asked.
"He's not from this world, Jack. He's a victim of Kurome's scheming - his whole world was destroyed." Andrew said. "The Multiverse is a complicated subject. Needless to say, if he were to die here, it might have consequences." he continued. That's when Norrington arrived a total mess, with the person who knocked him out in tow.
"Captain Sparrow." the person from before said. The voice was rather high-pitched, almost feminine. Andrew just took the person to be an androgynous male.
"Come to join my crew, lad? Well enough, welcome aboard." Jack said.
"I've come to find the man I love." the person said.
"I'm deeply flattered, son, but my first and only love is the sea." Jack replied.
"Meaning William Turner, Captain Sparrow." the person, who turned out to be Elizabeth Swann, said flatly.
"Elizabeth!" Jack exclaimed, before turning to Gibbs. "Hide the rum." he whispered. Gibbs went to hide the rum as ordered.
"Wait a minute. You're Elizabeth Swann?" Andrew asked.
"Who might you be?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm Andrew Hawker, a CPU. My wife and protege are on board. William told us about you." Andrew replied.
"A CPU...? What sort of malarky is this?" Norrington spat.
"It's complicated, Mister..." Andrew said.
"Norrington." Norrington said.
"Hawker, huh? You say you know William Turner? Where is he?" Elizabeth asked.
"Darling, I am truly unhappy to have to tell you this…" Jack began, and Elizabeth steeled herself for what was coming. "...but through an unfortunate and entirely unforeseen series of circumstances that have nothing whatsoever to do with me… poor Will was press-ganged into Davy Jones' crew." he continued. Andrew secretly rolled his eyes when Jack said he had nothing to do with it.
"Davy Jones." Elizabeth said, trying to confirm what she said.
"Oh please. The captain of the Flying Dutchman?" Norrington asked.
"Bang on. You look bloody awful, what are you doing here?" Jack asked.
"You hired me. I can't help that your standards are lax." Norrington replied.
"You smell funny." Jack said.
"Jack." Elizabeth interrupted. "All I want is to find Will." she continued.
"Is that what you really want… most?" Jack asked, hatching a plan that can benefit the both of them.
"Of course." Elizabeth replied.
"I'd think you'd want to find a way to save Will… most." Jack said.
"And you have a way to do that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well… there is a chest." Jack began.
"Oh dear." Norrington groaned in response as he puked over the side of the dock, sick with alcohol poisoning.
"A chest of unknown size and origin." Jack continued.
Pintel, who was hauling crates onto the deck with Ragetti, couldn't help but interject. "That contains the still-beating heart of Davy Jones!" he exclaimed, before Ragetti mimicked the beating of an actual human heart. Jack glared at them as they walked onto the deck, before returning his gaze to Elizabeth.
"And whoever possesses that chest, possesses the leverage to command Jones to do whatever it is he… or she… wants. Including saving our brave William from his grim fate." he concluded.
"You don't actually believe him, do you?" Norrington asked.
"How can we find it?" Elizabeth asked, feeling compelled to believe him.
"With this." Jack said, holding up his compass. "This compass is unique." he continued.
"'Unique' here, having the meaning of broken." Norrington said flatly. Jack glared at him for a bit, before focusing on Elizabeth.
"True enough, this compass does not point North." he said.
"Where does it point?" Elizabeth asked.
"It points to the thing you want most in this world." Jack said as he put the compass in her hand. "What you want most in the world is to find the chest of Davy Jones, is it not?" he asked.
"To save Will." Elizabeth corrected.
"By finding the chest of Davy Jones." Jack said as he opened the compass, before backing away. The compass hand swung wildly, before easing in the direction of Isla Cruces. Jack, having snuck back up, raised himself to see the compass, and was astonished to see it point directly to what they both wanted most.
"Mister Gibbs!" he called out.
"Captain." Gibbs answered.
"We have our heading." Jack said with glee.
"Finally!" Gibbs exclaimed, before turning towards the Black Pearl to give the command to cast off. "Cast off those lines! Weigh anchor and crowd the canvas!" he ordered. As the crew worked to get themselves underway, Pintel and Ragetti handed Norrington a goat.
"Welcome to the crew, former Commodore!" Pintel exclaimed. Norrington struggled to balance himself as he took hold of the goat, before he made his way aboard the Black Pearl. Soon, they were underway.
Above the planet of Jakku, Asmund guided the Endeavor in, bringing it to a gentle landing on the sand below. The boarding ramp lowered, and the crew departed the ship, meeting up with Theron Shan.
"Theron." Asmund greeted.
"Asmund. I've been expecting you." Theron greeted in return.
"What do you see?" Asmund asked.
"Sand, sand, and more blasted sand." Theron swore. "General Var Suthra's contact should be here soon." he continued.
"You reckon we can trust the Imperials?" Sergeant Rusk asked.
"We can, here. Darth Marr and his power base have been fighting Lord Denzion's Empire, same as us." Theron said, before the echo of speeder bikes could be heard. "You might want to get your heads down." he added. Everyone ducked, as three Imperial speeder bikes wizzed over their heads, getting air from a small dune nearby. The speeder bikes turned around, before being shut down. Darth Marr, Lana Beniko, and an Imperial agent dismounted, before approaching.
"Glad you could make it, Lana." Theron said.
"As am I, Theron. It is good to see you again." Lana said.
"You two know each other?" Asmund asked.
"We've been exchanging notes with Republic SIS ever since Lord Denzion ascended to the throne of the Empire." Lana began. "Lana Beniko, Imperial Intelligence. With me are Darth Marr and my assistant, Cipher Nine." she introduced.
"How does a Sith Lord land a job at Imperial Intelligence?" Kira asked.
"I specialize in subterfuge, deception, stealth and intelligence gathering, skills that come in handy in the field. My assistant, Cipher Nine, is also a field agent who happens to be skilled in the art of persuasion, slicing and security." Lana explained.
"I've been leaking intel to the SIS via the Hutt Cartel and secure Republic channels. My contact has been getting everything, from troop movements to interdimensional travel, fleet deployments... even weaknesses on Denzion's command ship, the Eclipse." Cipher Nine explained.
"It's quite clear that this isn't a social gathering." Doc said.
"Doctor Kimball is right, Lana. We should get down to business, before we lose the advantage of secrecy." Theron said.
"What do we know about Princess Esme's kidnapping?" Asmund asked.
"As you've been told by Master Satele and General Var Suthra, her kidnapping was orchestrated by Captain Salvio, who's recently been elevated to the rank of Commander. He's holding her ransom aboard an Imperial prison hidden in the shadow of Malachor V." Lana explained.
"Malachor V? That planet was destroyed three hundred years ago, by Meetra Surik at the close of the Mandalorian Wars, and again five years after the Jedi Civil War. There's nothing left." Lord Scourge remarked.
"The Dark Side permeates the debris field, still... and sensor jammers and defense batteries set up on the hulks of Mandalorian and Republic warships makes approach by anything other than authorized vessels nigh impossible." Darth Marr countered.
"What does Commander Salvio hope to gain from holding Esme for ransom?" Kira asked.
"He hopes to use her as leverage to get the entire sector to kneel to Imperial rule." Lana began. "It's all a farce, of course. Even if Onderon joins the Empire, he'll continue to hold onto her, maybe claim her as his own property, just to keep them in line." she continued.
"Do we have a plan to rescue her? I mean, we can't just let Salvio have his way with her." Doc said.
"We do. Cipher Nine?" Lana said, directing Cipher Nine to explain the plan.
"Stealth and deception will be our best tactic for getting in. I have an X-70B Phantom docked at the Republic spaceport on Corulag that we can use to sneak you past the defenses." He said, before pulling up a holomap of the prison. "From there, we can send Asmund and Kira to a holding cell posing as recently captured prisoners, while I sneak their lightsabers to them and create a staged prison riot. The rest of you will rendezvous with us in the main corridor, here, and then head to Block D where Esme is being held." he continued.
"And then we make our escape. I've heard worse plans in my career in Republic Special Forces." Sergeant Rusk said.
"If you run into Commander Salvio, you have permission to kill him." Darth Marr said.
"I'd rather not, if it can be helped, but… we shall see. We'll meet you on Corulag." Asmund said.
"See you on the other side, Asmund." Lana said.
Back in the Caribbean, the Flying Dutchman was sailing through a major storm. Davy Jones played a haunting and sorrowful tune on an organ in his quarters. The haunting music echoed its way onto the deck, where William was working alongside the ghostly crew, hoisting a cannon and moving it towards the bow. With each wave that crashed against the hull of the Dutchman, the cannon rocked freely.
"Secure the mainsail tackle, Mister Turner!" Jimmy Legs ordered. William and another looked towards him. "Secure it!" he said. Both William and the other person went to perform the task that they were ordered to do. As they both went to grab the tackle, they argued about who was to do the job.
"Step away!" William shouted.
"Move!" the other person said. William attempted to wrench the other person from the rope. "Let go boy!" the other person bellowed, his anger and annoyance soon turning to horror, mirrored by William's. The man he just argued with was his father, 'Bootstrap Bill' Turner.
"No…" Bootstrap muttered, before letting go of the tackle. A rogue wave crashed against the side of the Dutchman, causing the cannon to go loose and fall to the deck with a crash, dragging William with it. The noise was enough to pull Davy Jones from his organ.
"Pull that weevil to his feet!" Jimmy Legs ordered. Two members of the crew yanked William back up. "Five lashes'll remind you… to stay on 'em!" he roared.
"No!" Bootstrap shouted, moving to defend his own son.
"Impeding me in my duties? You'll share the punishment." Jimmy Legs said.
"I'll take it all." Bootstrap declared defiantly.
"Will you now? And what would prompt such an act of charity?" Davy Jones asked.
"My son…" Bootstrap muttered, before looking towards William. "He's my son." he said a little louder.
Davy Jones looked between the two, before bursting out into a fit of laughter. "What fortuitous circumstance be this." he declared, taking a whip from the bo'sun. "Five lashes be owed, I believe it is." he said.
"No…" Bootstrap said in horror and defiance. "No I won't!" he continued, not wanting to give Jones the satisfaction.
"The cat's out of the bag, Mister Turner! Your issue will taste its sting by the bosun's hand… or your own!" Davy Jones said cruelly. Bootstrap looked to the whip in his hand, and then to William as the men held him, tearing the back of his shirt off. With eyes clenched, Bootstrap began to lash William five times across his bare back as Davy Jones watched. With the deed done, William was thrown inside while the rest of the crew cleaned up the mess.
"I don't need your help!" William said angrily as he made himself decent.
"The Bo'sun takes pride in cleaving flesh from bone. With every swing." Bootstrap said.
"So I'm to understand that what you did was an act of compassion?" William asked.
"Yes…" Bootstrap said. William, seeing the look in his eyes, had reason enough to believe him. He and William would begin to have a short-lived moment between father and son, explaining why he never returned home, and where he had been since the last time they saw each other.
"Once you've sworn an oath to the Dutchman, there's no leaving it. Not until your debt's been paid." Bootstrap said.
The time came, when William began to press to his father the reason he came aboard the Dutchman in the first place.
"I came to look for this… the key to Davy Jones' chest." he declared. That was when the woodwork came alive, as a man fused to the hull of the ship opened his eyes.
"The chest… Open the chest with the key, stab the heart." the man said, before quickly changing what he was saying. "Don't stab the heart. The Dutchman must have a living heart, or there'd be no Captain! The Dutchman must always have a captain! If you stab the heart, yours must take its place!" he continued.
"Where's the key?" William asked.
"Hidden." the man responded.
"Where's the chest?" William asked.
"Hidden!" the man replied, before he shrunk back into the woodwork, stiff as a statue. Almost like a carving.
The Black Pearl continued on its course towards Isla Cruces. It was daytime, and Norrington was on all fours, making himself useful and scrubbing the deck.
"You doing okay, Norrington? Andrew said you were a little ill last night when you joined us." Asriel asked as he approached. Norrington looked up at him, certain that he was delusional.
"I must've had more rum than I remember…" Norrington said as he went back to work. Asriel blinked in response.
"Umm… Norrington?" Asriel asked, only to be ignored.
"Is something the matter, Asriel?" Elizabeth asked.
"I wanted to check up on Norrington, he didn't seem well last night… In fact, he didn't seem too well this morning, either." Asriel replied.
"I appreciate the concern, Asriel, but… perhaps you should let me handle it." Elizabeth said as Norrington looked between the two of them.
"You can see that thing…? Norrington asked.
"Him." Elizabeth corrected. "I can see him, yes." she continued.
"Might I ask that he go bother someone else, then? I'm busy." Norrington said. With a huff, she led Asriel under the stairs, where she began to finger through Letters of Marque signed by the King of England and sealed by Beckett.
"Didn't think he'd be in such a sour mood." Asriel said with a sigh.
"He's been particularly snippy all morning. I'm not quite sure what's gotten into him." Elizabeth said. Andrew was nearby with Gibbs and Jack.
"What are those?" Asriel asked, pointing to the Letters.
"They're Letters of Marque, signed by Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company." Elizabeth asked. She didn't realize that those nearby overheard them.
"Let me see those." Andrew said as he, Gibbs and Jack walked up.
"Hey!" Elizabeth exclaimed, fearful that he was taking away the only means of keeping William safe from Beckett. A look on Andrew's and Asriel's faces told her it was okay, however, and she promptly handed them to him. Fingering through the Letters, Andrew saw the king's and Beckett's signatures clear as day.
"These were for William?" Andrew asked as he returned the Letters.
"How did you know?" Elizabeth asked.
"My intuition is rarely wrong, Miss Swann. Besides, it's kind of obvious." Andrew said.
"William was working for Beckett?" Gibbs asked.
"More blackmailed into working for him, actually." Andrew said. "He tells me that Beckett is after Jack's compass, but I cannot find a rhyme or reason as to why." he continued
"Only reason he would want the compass-" Gibbs began.
"Is so he can get the chest." Jack concluded.
"Beckett… may have said something about a chest." Elizabeth said.
"If the company controls the chest, they controls the sea." Gibbs said.
"A discomforting notion." Jack said towards Elizabeth.
"And bad! Bad for every mother's son what calls himself 'pirate'." Gibbs swore.
"Bad for everyone in this world. That chest might be the key to this world's fate. The best way to prevent Kurome from destroying this world would be to keep it firmly out of Beckett's hands." Andrew said.
"Who is this Kurome?" Norrington asked. One look at Elizabeth, and it was easy to tell that she was confused.
"A rogue CPU with the ability to create nightmares and hallucinations, and sometimes bringing these into reality. She's tried to disrupt our efforts to find Sharicite Fragments to save friends of ours in Gamindustri, but her ultimate goal is to resurrect the evil True Goddess. We cannot allow that to happen, and so we're now trying to keep her from destroying worlds like this one." Andrew explained. "It is very likely that she has aligned herself with Beckett and the East India Trading Company." he continued. Elizabeth grimaced in response, while Norrington was unconvinced.
"I think there's a bit more speed to be coaxed out of these sails." Gibbs said as he went to realign the sails to better catch the wind.
"So, how did you get Beckett to sign those Letters of Marque?" Andrew asked her.
"Persuasion." Elizabeth replied.
"It wasn't friendly, I'd wager." Andrew said.
"Decidedly not." Elizabeth responded.
"Funny thing. Will strikes a deal for these and upholds it with honor. But you're the one standing here with the prize." Jack interjected with a smirk. Perhaps, he thought, there was more pirate in her than he realized. He and Andrew walked off, however, to perform other tasks.
"I hope you don't believe the story that Mister Hawker is pushing… Such thoughts and ideas could drive a person mad." Norrington said, hoping to derail Elizabeth's trust.
"I do." Elizabeth said, having other ideas.
"Oh dear, oh dear…" Norrington said, shaking his head as Elizabeth and Asriel listened in. "One of these days, Elizabeth, you might find yourself vulnerable to the whims of this drunken rabble, if you keep believing everything you hear." he continued.
"Is Asriel, here, not proof of his word?" Elizabeth asked.
"Perhaps… but did you never wonder how your latest fiance ended up on the Flying Dutchman in the first place?" Norrington asked, leaving her with that.
"I'll uh… be below deck if I'm needed." Asriel said, walking away. He was slightly disheartened by Norrington's distrust of him and the other two CPUs, but didn't hold it against him.
Back in the East India Trading Company's Caribbean Headquarters in Port Royal, Beckett was watching as an artisan worked on a map of the known world, from Europe, India and Asia, to the Caribbean. He would be directing the artisan with a beautiful ceremonial sabre that once belonged to Norrington as Kurome watched from the corner of the room, her eyes on the disgraced governor of Port Royal.
"There is something knowing the exact shape of the world… and your place in it. Do you agree?" Beckett asked.
"I assure you that these are not necessary." Weatherby Swann said as he lifted his hands, showing a set of irons. He then looked towards Kurome, overcome by a strong, sinister feeling of dread as she gave off an air of malevolence that he hadn't felt since Barbossa and his cursed pirate crew.
"I pray not." Beckett said. "I had you brought here, because I thought you'd be interested in the whereabouts of your daughter." he continued.
"You have news of her?" Weatherby Swann asked. Beckett pointed towards Kurome.
"We have reason to believe that your daughter is in the presence of the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow…" Kurome began. It was a name Weatherby Swann did not want to hear, although he felt that his daughter Elizabeth was safer amongst Jack Sparrow than she could ever be in the hands of Beckett. "...and other fugitives from justice, including three CPUs." Kurome continued.
"And the previous owner of this sword, I believe." Beckett concluded, sheathing the sabre in its scabbard.
"Justice? Hardly." Weatherby Swann countered.
"Our ships have been dispatched to the hunt, sir, and justice will be dealt with cannonade and cutlass. To all." Beckett said, to the visible discomfort of Weatherby Swann. More bad news, it seemed, as Beckett was willing to go so far as to threaten to kill his daughter and those she cared about in order to ensure his loyalty. "Unless… it is made known that the pirates have taken a captive, who's safety eclipses all other concerns." he continued, to the detriment of the disgraced governor.
Weatherby Swann knew how manipulative and vile Beckett was, and the fact that Kurome was there with Mercer made the situation that much more dire. In the end, he felt he had no choice, and so he resigned himself to Beckett's will. "What do you want from me?" he asked.
"Why, no more than has always been required. Lend your authority as governor, and the respect you command in London… in service to the crown." Beckett declared.
"To you." Weatherby Swann said flatly.
"To England." Beckett corrected in a sadistic manner.
"Do what you can for my daughter." Beckett said as Mercer removed the shackles from his wrists.
"Do you see, Kurome? Each man has a price he will gladly accept… even for goods he never hoped to sell." Beckett said, implying that Weatherby Swann sold his loyalty to the company, to which Kurome smirked devilishly.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Not quite ten thousand words for the chapter, but pretty close. Any further, however, and I would not have been able to put a halt to the chapter in such a short order, thus the cliffhanger.
While the majority of the focus is on the CPUs in the world of Pirates of the Caribbean, the focus will shift between them and our Jedi Heroes in the galaxy as they work to rescue Princess Esme of Onderon. This series of focus-shifts will end when the two groups eventually merge once the Pirates of the Caribbean portion of the story comes to a close.
James Norrington is probably the only character in the Caribbean to find the CPUs' story to be the most incredulous, at least initially.
That should be it. Keep on Nepping!