Hyperdimension Neptunia - Across the Multiverse
A HyperDimension Neptunia Fanfiction by Dumbrarere1
Chapter 22 - Heart Madness
As the Endeavor rose from the planet Jakku, Asmund contacted Master Satele and General Var Suthra on the holo, reporting what they had learned.
"We've met with Lana and Darth Marr, Master Satele, but the news isn't good." Asmund began. "As Lana and her assistant, Cipher Nine, tell me: Princess Esme was taken to a prison located in the debris field of Malachor V, the planet that was destroyed over three hundred years ago by Meetra Surik." He continued. "What's more, is that the prison is an impregnable fortress. The Imperials have rather cunningly used the wrecks of Republic and Mandalorian ships to mount defense guns and sensor jammers all around it." he concluded.
"According to data given to Watcher One by Cipher Nine, that prison in the shadow of Malachor V is where the Empire takes its most influential political prisoners: people that espouse resistance against them, Moffs who wanted to defect, even Sith Lords who tried to work alongside the Jedi Order." General Var Suthra said. "It was secretly built only two years ago, at Emperor Vitiate's command. Not even his most trusted acolytes and disciples were informed about it." he continued.
"Not even me, of all the people at his right hand." Lord Scourge said with the shake of his head.
"We've only just discovered it, when Cipher Nine transmitted a document that leaked the prison's existence; Moff Cyrus of the Imperial Navy forgot to expunge details of it when he published his report after delivering Ambassador Asara to the prison, prior to your return. Following the capture of Princess Esme, 'Commander' Salvio arrested him, and stripped him of his rank and uniform." General Var Suthra remarked.
"And what of Moff Cyrus? Is he even still alive?" Doc asked.
"He is currently being held within the prison, pending execution for negligence. He is not the primary objective, but freeing him might give us an edge in the war. Try to get him and Asara both out of there, if you can." General Var Suthra said.
"Getting in there by brute force is a suicidal gambit. Fortunately, Lana and Cipher Nine gave us a solid plan of action, using deception to our advantage." Scourge continued.
"We're on our way to the Republic Spaceport on Corulag, where Cipher Nine and Lana will sneak us to the Malachor Prison aboard an X-70B Phantom. Cipher Nine will present Kira and I as prisoners, sneak us our lightsabers, and stage a mass prison break." Asmund began. "We intend to meet up with Lana and the rest of the crew, then work our way towards Block D, where Esme is being held." he concluded.
"It is a bold plan, but we cannot leave anyone aboard that prison. Nor can we leave it intact." Master Satele said.
"While you guys are running amok during the staged riot, a combined strike force spearheaded by Admiral Helen Dodonna aboard the Excalibur will attempt to break through their defenses and rescue as many prisoners as possible, then destroy the prison once everyone has safely evacuated. The chaos will split their defense three ways, giving you the best chance at rescuing the Princess." General Var Suthra said.
"The Force tells me that Lana's plan of deception is the right course of action. Proceed to Corulag, and meet her and Cipher Nine at the Republic Spaceport. May the Force be with you." Master Satele said, closing the transmission. T7 brought the Endeavor into Hyperspace, headed for Corulag.
On the Black Pearl, Andrew was talking with Edward and Gibbs below deck. Neptune was sitting close by with Asriel, eating pudding as she idly listened to the conversation. Edward was struggling to comprehend what happened to him, yet his assassin's instincts told him that what the CPU said was true.
"How could I not have seen this coming… My ship, my crew, the Brotherhood… all gone because of the actions of one girl…" Edward said.
"We were shocked when we heard the news of her true motives, ourselves, believe me. But this is all the more reason to stop her. The more worlds across the Multiverse die, the worse our chances of stopping the resurrection of the True Goddess get." Andrew said. "Who do you think Kurome might have aligned her loyalties with in your world?" he asked.
"It had to have been the Templars…" Edward said.
"You mentioned these Templars when you told your story back in Tortuga, Mister Kenway. But I know not who they were, or what they represented." Gibbs interjected.
"The Templars are a deceitful and twisted organization, who always sought power and control over the world for themselves. This 'Beckett' reminds me too much of them." Edwards replied.
"When you put it like that, there is too much of a resemblance between the Templars of your world and the East India Trading Company… So, no doubt you're familiar with the EITC and its operations, in this context." Andrew said.
"Aye… Forgive me, Mister Hawker, but some fresh air should help me gather my thoughts." Edward said as he stood up, heading towards the top deck.
"We should be close to our destination, anyways. I'm needed on deck." Gibbs said before following him out. Once on the top deck, Edward took a breather, the cooling breeze of the tradewinds helping to calm him down after the revelations he was given. He turned to see Elizabeth, looking longingly out to sea. And so, he walked up to her, hoping to cheer her up.
"Is everything alright, Miss Swann? You look troubled." he asked.
"I should have been married by now." Elizabeth replied.
"Ah… A shame, indeed." Edward said as he sat down, not realizing that Jack walked right up to them. "I'm certain your dearly beloved is out there, hoping to reunite." he continued.
"You know, I am Captain of a ship. I could perform a marriage right here. Right on this deck. Right… now." Jack said. Elizabeth reeled back in response to his sudden appearance, and bad breath.
"No thank you." she said.
"Why not? We are so much alike, you and I." Jack remarked.
"Except for a, oh, a sense of decency and honor, and a moral center. And personal hygiene." Elizabeth countered. This argument brought a shred of amusement to Edward as he watched it unfold.
"Trifles. You will come over to my side, I know." Jack said.
"You seem quite certain." Elizabeth said.
"One word, luv. Curiosity." Jack said with a smirk as he moved closer. "You long for freedom. To do what you want because you want it. To act on selfish impulse. You want to see what it's like. Someday… you won't resist." he continued, trying to woo her.
"Why doesn't your compass work?" Elizabeth asked. Jack looked between her and Edward, shocked that she would ask such a question.
"My compass works just fine." Jack replied.
"You and I ARE alike. And there will be a moment where you have a chance to show it - to do the right thing." Elizabeth replied.
"I love those moments!" Jack exclaimed. "I like to wave at them as they pass by!" he continued.
"You will have a chance to do something brave, and in that moment you will discover something… that you're a good man." Elizabeth said.
"All evidence to the contrary." Jack said.
"I have faith in you. Do you know why?" Elizabeth asked.
"Do tell, dear." Jack beckoned.
"Curiosity." Elizabeth answered, drawing closer to him next. "You're going to want it. A chance to be admired… and gain the rewards that follow. You won't be able to resist. You're going to want to know…" she continued, drawing ever closer. Close enough, in fact, that Edward thought for a moment that they would kiss. "...what it tastes like." she concluded.
"I want to know what it tastes like." Jack said.
"And since you are a good man, I know you would never put me in a position to compromise my honor." Elizabeth said. Edward had to admit, he admired her resolve to stay faithful to the one she loved. Jack went to raise his hand and put it into her hair, only for him to look on in horror as the Black Spot returned, a sure sign that Davy Jones was angry.
"I'm proud of you, Jack." Elizabeth said, before backing away from him. Jack gave her a weak smile in response, before closing his hand, but not before Edward caught a glimpse of the death mark.
"Land, ho!" Gibbs called down from the crow's nest. Andrew, Neptune and Asriel rushed out and joined Edward and Jack at the railing, looking towards Isla Cruces from a distance.
"I want my jar of dirt…" Jack muttered to himself.
The CPUs were sitting in a boat with Norrington, Jack, Elizabeth, and Edward. Pintel and Ragetti were in the boat as well, rowing them to shore, and they seemed to be out of sync.
"You're pulling too fast!" Pintel yelled.
"You're pulling too slow!" Ragetti countered. "We don't want the Kraken to catch us." he continued.
"I'm saving me strength for when it comes. And I don't think it's 'Kraken' anyways. Always heard it said 'kray-ken'!" Pintel argued.
"What, with a long 'A'? 'Krock-en' is how it is in the original Scandinavian-" Ragetti argued back.
"Well, we ain't original Scandinavians, are we?" Pintel interrupted. "Krayken." he added. He turned to see a splash of water, and as jittery as he was, began to row much faster. Eventually, they made landfall. Jack breathed a noticeable sigh of relief, placing his jar of dirt on the seat as he disembarked.
"Guard the boat, mind the tide… Don't touch my dirt." he ordered, leaving both Pintel and Ragetti to guard their only way off the island, while the rest of them followed Elizabeth as she guided them towards the exact location of the chest. The further they went into the island, the quieter it got.
"This island is eerily quiet. Not even the seagulls dare speak." Edward said as he looked around, passing by an abandoned church. Norrington looked to his left and laid his eyes on it.
"I didn't expect anyone to be here." he said.
"There's not." Elizabeth corrected.
"You know this place?" Norrington asked.
"Stories." Elizabeth remarked. "Isla Cruces. The church came to the island, and brought salvation… and disease, and death. They say the priest had to bury every body, one after the other. It drove him mad, and he hung himself." she continued, explaining the story behind the tragic fate of the colonization efforts on Isla Cruces.
"That's awful…" Asriel muttered, cringing.
"Better mad with the rest of the world, than sane alone." Norrington said, shaking his head.
"No fraternizing with the help, love." Jack said, handing his shovel to Norrington.
"Oh, after you sir." Norrington said sarcastically, allowing Jack to pass. Andrew and Neptune just looked at each other and shrugged, while Asriel followed closely. They walked through yet more grassy areas and ruins, before reaching another beach, connected to a sandbar. It was just as quiet as it was further in towards the abandoned church, the only sound coming from the waves. As Elizabeth got closer and closer to the source, the compass suddenly changed direction. She moved around, and the compass hand kept swinging in different directions, and she was growing frustrated.
"It doesn't work… And it certainly doesn't point to what you want most!" she said in frustration as she threw the compass to the ground. That's when Edward noticed it pointed towards her.
"Hang on…" he said, looking at the compass hand. Jack peered in to see it, too, and he knew exactly where the chest was.
"Yes it does. You're sitting on it." he said.
"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth asked, confused.
"Move." Jack said, waving his hands as he shooed Elizabeth off the spot where the chest was buried.
Edward, taking a shovel from Norrington, made an 'X' in the sand with his boot, before the two of them got to work digging. They kept digging, and between the two, they left a huge hole. That's when Edward's shovel hit something that sounded distinctly like wood. They looked at each other, while Jack, Elizabeth and the CPUs looked on.
"Did we find it?" Andrew asked. Edward lifted his shovel again and ran it right into the source of the sound. Indeed, the shovel bounced off with a noticeable thud.
"Hold this." Edward said as he handed his shovel to Norrington, before he got down on his knees and started brushing the sand off the top of whatever it was, revealing a large wooden chest. "Take that end, Mister Norrington, I've got this one!" he said, before the two took sides of the chest. "Ready? Heave!" He exclaimed as they lifted the chest out of the hole, placing it on the sand. Using Edward's spade, Jack smashed the old lock, before opening the chest. A dress, lace, pearls, love letters… The chest was littered with items indicative of a love gone sour.
"That can't be it… Can it?" Asriel asked. Jack frustratedly began to dig everything out of the chest, before he laid eyes on it… A smaller, more ornate iron chest buried beneath these antiquities, hidden from the world and forgotten. He'd slide it out of the larger wooden chest, and everyone gazed upon it: the Dead Man's Chest, in all its splendor. An aura of negativity radiated from it, created by the emotional turmoil that Jones was under. Jack, Norrington, Elizabeth and Andrew closed their eyes and leaned their heads in, hearing a low, dull heartbeat.
"That… that's a heartbeat…" Andrew exclaimed.
"It's real…" Elizabeth exclaimed next.
"You actually were telling the truth." Norrington admitted.
"I do that a lot, actually, and yet people are still surprised." Jack said.
"With good reason." A familiar voice said. Everyone turned their heads to see William stepping ashore.
"Will! You're alright!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she rushed over to her lover. "Thank God! I came looking for you! I was so worried…" she continued as the two embraced each other.
"Aww, that's so cute!" Neptune cooed playfully.
"Jack said you could weasel your way out of that situation on your own. How did you manage it?" Andrew asked.
"Sea turtles, mate! A pair of them, strapped to my feet." William explained.
"Not so easy now, is it?" Jack asked.
"But I do owe you thanks, Jack." William said.
"You do?" Jack asked.
"After you tricked me onto that ship to square your debt with Jones..." William said, a sour tone in his voice.
"What?" Elizabeth asked.
"What?" Jack mimicked, genuinely surprised, but also pretending to be innocent.
"I was reunited with my father." William said.
"Oh, well… you're welcome, then." Jack said. Elizabeth, rather cross, turned her attention towards Jack.
"Every word you said to me…" Elizabeth began, walking towards him. "Every word was a lie?!" she asked in anger.
"Pretty much. Time and tide, love-" Jack said, before he looked at William, who took the key and a honed knife as he went to unlock the chest. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I'm going to kill Jones." William proclaimed. In response, Jack unsheathed his cutlass and pointed it at his friend.
"I can't let you do that, mate." he said. "Because if Jones is dead, then who's to call his terrible beasty off the hunt, eh?" he asked.
"Jack, what's going on?" Asriel asked, looking between the two.
"Just two people resolving a conflict, my young, fuzzy lad…" Jack said, looking back towards William. "Now, William... if you please… the key." he asked. William stood up, walking over to him. Rather than hand the key over, he unsheathed his cutlass in response.
"I keep the promises I make, Jack. I'm going to free my father, and I hope you're here to see it." William declared. A ring followed as Norrington drew his sword next.
"I can't let you do that, either. So sorry." Norrington said, seemingly taking Jack's side.
"I knew you'd warm up to me eventually-" Jack said, only to be interrupted when Norrington moved his sword to point at Jack.
"Lord Beckett desires the contents of that chest. I deliver it, I get my life back." Norrington declared, revealing his true intentions.
"So that's it? You're just going to betray us for the enemy, and give them exactly what they need to achieve Kurome's goals?" Andrew questioned in disbelief.
"At least this 'Kurome' person has the decency not to align themselves with thieving scoundrels and pirates." Norrington said spitefully.
"You snake!" Asriel said angrily.
"The dark side of ambition." Jack remarked.
"I prefer to see it as the promise of redemption." Norrington said as he lunged at the other two, swords clanging on impact. Asriel leaped out of the way as William's sword narrowly missed him, causing him to scurry towards Neptune, Andrew, Edward and Elizabeth.
"This is just madness…" Edward muttered to himself.
"Guard the chest!" William called out to Elizabeth.
"No!" Elizabeth retorted. "This is barbaric! This is not how grown men settle their-" Elizabeth began to rant, only to find that neither Jack, William nor Norrington were listening. "Oh fine! Let's just all haul out our swords and start banging around at each other, that will solve everything! Well I've had it! I've had it with… wobbly-legged… rum-soaked… pirates!" she screamed, finding her words falling on deaf ears, before she took her cap and threw it into the sand.
"Yikes… And I thought the auth-" Neptune remarked.
"I don't mean to be rude, Nep, but… now may not be the best time for Fourth Wall Humor…" Andrew interrupted.
Asmund and his companions arrived at the Republic Spaceport on Corulag, walking towards the hangar where the X-70B Phantom was sitting. The hangar was under heavy guard, with Republic soldiers standing by nervously. Lana was discussing the plan with an Imperial Captain and a Republic Special Forces officer, when she noticed Asmund walking up.
"Ah, Asmund. Glad you made it. This is Captain Gregor, Imperial Fifth Infantry Brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Moors of Republic Special Forces, Fireteam Viper." Lana introduced.
"A pleasure, Master Jedi." Moors said with a salute.
"A pleasure as well, Jedi. I've read your dossier when Darth Marr assigned me to oversee the coming operation. Working with you will be a humbling experience, to say the least." Gregor said.
"Fireteam Viper has volunteered to help evacuate Ambassador Asara and Moff Cyrus to the fleet, while the Imperial Fifth Infantry Brigade provides fire support and thins the enemy numbers. They will be sitting just beyond sensor range, and will join us when the main fleet arrives." Lana reported, giving last minute details before they began the mission.
"I look forward to watching your men work, Captain… Lieutenant Colonel..." Asmund said, addressing both the men.
"Don't get me wrong, Master, I appreciate the idea of cooperation with the Imps, but I am feeling squeamish about this." Kira interjected.
"Not to worry, Jedi. Darth Marr would not appreciate me or my men betraying the mission." Gregor said, calming Kira's fears.
"Everything will be fine, Kira." Asmund reassured, before turning back towards Lana and the two leaders. "Are there any last minute things before we set off on this mission?" he asked.
"Only that you should be careful. Lord Denzion's acolytes will be scattered about the prison, and they won't hesitate to cut us apart." Lana warned.
"Understood." Asmund said.
"Let's rescue ourselves a rich, beautiful, possibly single Onderonian Princess." Doc said.
"Next time you say something like that Doc, I won't hesitate to knock you out and stuff you in the refresher." Kira remarked.
"Ouch..." Moors muttered. "At any rate, Captain Gregor and I should report to our ships and get ready for the coming rescue operation. May the Force be with you, Master Jedi." he continued, before he left to meet up with his squad. Soon enough, the X-70B Phantom departed the spaceport and rose into the heavens. They inevitably came out of hyperspace outside the sensor range of the Malachor V Prison, and the debris field lay in front of them. Occasionally, malevolent green sparks arced between the chunks of rock, memories of the gravitational anomalies caused by the Mass Shadow Generator. Asmund looked ill as he grabbed his forehead, stumbling for a moment.
"What's wrong, Asmund?" Lana asked.
"I can hear the echoes… hundreds of thousands of people, all screaming out at once as they were crushed in the planet's gravity well… Hard to believe it's been over three hundred years since this battle ended, and yet the echoes of the past still scream." Asmund said.
"Malachor V is a place of great, dark power... fueled by the scars left by the Mandalorian Wars, from when Meetra ordered the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator." Lord Scourge said. "If you wish to remain with the light, I must warn you to remain ever vigilant here. The echoes can twist even the strongest of Jedi into corrupted disciples of the Dark Side. It was enough to complete the fall of so many; to twist countless Jedi and Republic soldiers alike into servants of Darth Revan in that final battle, save only a handful. An act of destruction that not even The Emperor- Lord Vitiate... could ignore." he warned.
"Maybe that's why Vitiate chose Malachor for this prison. Regardless, Scourge is right. You and Kira will need to remain vigilant while you're within that prison." Lana said.
"If we wish to complete this mission, we should work quickly. I already don't like this place." Kira said uneasily.
"Your lightsabers, please. And do not worry about the stun cuffs, I will unlock them remotely once it's time to commence the next phase of the rescue operation." Cipher Nine said as he took the lightsabers from Asmund and Kira, before putting them in stun cuffs.
"Make sure everyone else is in position, Scourge. If the prison guards run a clean sweep of the ship and everyone is detected early, it could compromise this mission." Lana said.
"Do not think of me as your messenger boy after this." Scourge said darkly as he left to let everyone know to take their positions.
"I shall fly us to within the defense field. Cipher Nine, you will present our 'prisoners' to the warden via the holo." Lana said as she took control of the ship, while Cipher Nine reported to the holocomm with Asmund and Kira.
"Malachor Prison, this is Cipher Nine aboard the X-70B Phantom Shadow Wraith. I'd like to speak with the warden." Cipher Nine said.
"Shadow Wraith, this is Malachor Prison Docking Control… um… I'd hate to turn down a courtesy call from Imperial Intelligence, but you're not on our docking list. Warden Vikk won't be too appreciative if I granted docking permissions. How did you even find out about this pla-" the Warden said, before being pushed aside with the Force, before a Sith Warrior approached the holocomm on the other end.
"This is Warden Vikk to the Shadow Wraith… Sorry for the interruption, but you're not even supposed to be here. You don't even have the clearance to know about this place 'Cipher Nine', and your superiors will be notified accordingly. You must leave. Now, before this prison's turbolasers turn your pathetic ship into ash." the Sith Warrior, Warden Vikk, warned.
"You will see fit to forgive me and my crewmate, Milord, when you see the two Jedi that I have captured. I assure you that you will find these new prisoners to your liking." Cipher Nine countered as Asmund and Kira approached the holo.
"Ah, I see these prisoners of yours now… Lord Denzion has a keen interest in them, and will be most pleased to hear of your efforts in the name of his glory." Warden Vikk said. "But what of their red-skinned compatriot, the traitorous Lord Scourge?" he asked.
"Escaped during their capture on the fiery world of Sullust, Milord. But do not worry, my fellow agents are tracking his movements now." Cipher Nine fibbed. "With your permission, Warden, I'd like to handle the prisoners' interrogation personally." he continued.
"Very well, agent. My men will await you and the prisoners in docking bay two, and escort you to Cell Block C for their interrogation. I trust that you will find the information that you and Lord Denzion seeks… for your sake, agent. Warden Vikk, out." Warden Vikk said as he ended the transmission. Lana took the Shadow Wraith into the docking bay as directed, setting the X-70B Phantom down gently. Prison guards assembled in the hangar as the boarding ramp lowered, ready to take the 'prisoners' to their cell.
Back on Isla Cruces, Jack, William and Norrington were still fighting amongst each other, to the annoyance and displeasure of Elizabeth.
"I swear! This is madness! Enough!" Elizabeth screamed towards the three men fighting amongst each other.
"Elizabeth, this clearly isn't working... maybe you should think of a different tactic to get their attention..." Andrew said. Elizabeth thought about it, and decided to fake a heat stroke.
"Oh… OH! THE HEAT!" she cried out, before allowing herself to fall to her side. Not a minute later, she opened one eye, to see that neither Jack, William nor Norrington paid any attention to her, and she sat up, grumbling something that nobody could hear. Asriel looked to the side, to see Pintel and Ragetti running off with the chest.
"Oh, no you don't!" he shouted as he gave chase.
"Asriel, wait!" Andrew said as he tried in vain to stop the young Auxiliary CPU, before he and the rest of them followed.
Jack was busy running off with the key, whilst William and Norrington were fighting amongst each other as they followed. Norrington managed to pull William down, before kicking sand in his face.
"By your leave, Mister Turner." Norrington said. William wiped the sand out of his face, before pursuing. They followed Jack to the abandoned church, where they climbed up the stairs inside the bell tower. Norrington snatched the key from Jack and pushed him over the side. Jack reacted by grabbing hold of the rope, causing the bell to swing, ringing it in the process. William grabbed the opposite rope, riding it to the top like a counterweight, then snatching the key from Norrington before landing on the top floor.
"By YOUR leave, Mister Norrington!" William said mockingly. They took their fight to the rooftops, whilst Jack pursued. With a little difficulty, he managed to snatch the key back from William, causing both William and Norrington to turn on him.
"Will, we can't let him get the chest, you can trust me and the CPUs on this." Jack warned. William didn't quite seem to believe him, and so looked at Jack with a face of distrust. "...you can distrust me less than you can him." Jack said, still hoping to sway William.
"Do excuse me, while I kill the man who ruined my life…" Norrington interjected.
"Be my guest." William said. In response to his friend's betrayal, Jack decided to use a cunning set of words.
"Let us examine that claim for a moment, shall we, former Commodore?" he began. "Who was it that, at the very moment you had a notorious pirate safely behind bars, saw fit to free said pirate… and take your dearly beloved all to his self, aye? And let us not forget the moment a talented Commodore of the Royal Navy blundered his way into a hurricane in pursuit of said pirate… I was nothing more than an almost innocent bystander to these aforementioned events. So who's fault is it REALLY, that you ended up a rum-pot deckhand who takes orders from pirates?" he interrogated.
"ENOUGH!" Norrington snapped as he took a swipe at Jack, causing him to stumble off and into a discarded hay bale below.
"Good show." William praised.
"Unfortunately for you, Mister Turner… he's RIGHT!" Norrington snarled as he turned against William.
"Still rooting for you, mate!" Jack said as he walked away from the abandoned church, before stumbling into an empty grave. "...oh." he said as he got up, stumbling back out and continuing on his way to where he suspects the chest to be. As he walked away, William and Norrington jumped onto a rotting wooden water wheel used to power a mill. The rotting wood gave way, and the wheel began to roll in Jack's direction, before trapping him. He'd spin around, losing the key as it fell from his neck and got stuck on a loose nail. By the time it came around again and he was back on his feet, he didn't anticipate the metal bracing, which knocked him out cold as soon as it hit him in the face.
Inside the Malachor prison, it was utter chaos. Having released Asmund and Kira and staging the riot, Cipher Nine was now helping to orchestrate the fight to release Princess Esme from Commander Salvio's grasp. Outside was just as chaotic, as the joint Imperial and Republic fleet led by the Excalibur engaged the defensive turrets and sensor jammers. Arrow Squad was leading the charge, using their fast and nimble fighters to dodge the incoming fire.
"Last jammer is down! Excalibur, how's it looking on your end?" Clyde asked as he maneuvered against a number of turbolaser turrets mounted on a burned out Mandalorian dreadnought.
"This is Excalibur, sensors are reading one hundred percent, we've got a clear picture. Imperial cruisers Ajunta Pall and Freedon Nadd are moving to engage the prison's defenses." Captain Kirk said.
"Looks like the rescue mission is going well." Ryan said.
"Last time I was in this kind of battle, the Pegasus was spearheading a strike on a Cylon battlestation." Kara remarked.
"Arrow Squad, come in! This is the Freedon Nadd. We need you to bust a hole into the engineering areas of those wrecked Kandosii Dreadnoughts that they've rigged into defense platforms, those are the fleet's biggest threats right now. We'll follow your strikes with heavy concussion missile attacks on their reactors." the Imperial captain on the Freedon Nadd said.
"We're marking where you need to hit those dreadnoughts. They should be on your holodisplays now. Make those runs quick and clean, you won't have much time before the Imperials blast those makeshift defense platforms into rubble." Captain Kirk said.
"Target coordinates received. Let's go, Arrow Squad!" Clyde said.
"This'll be just like old times." Nathan said.
"You can say that again." James said.
"Hawk, Fortune Hunter, Maverick, Count, Cowboy. Arm your concussion missiles and form on us at Mark: Three Point Two. The rest of you, run combat patrols against the enemy fighters." Clyde ordered.
"Understood. We've got you covered." Marc said. Clyde lead the six of them against the Kandosii Dreadnoughts, opening fire on the marked areas with their concussion missiles. They managed to blast open large holes in the wrecks, exposing their reactor cores.
"Ajunta Pall, Freedon Nadd, you're clear to begin your attacks." Clyde said.
"Affirmative, Arrow Leader. You boys will want to stand back. All concussion missile batteries, fire!" the Imperial captain on the Freedon Nadd commanded, as large concussion missiles were launched from VLS ports dotted around the two Imperial cruisers. These concussion missiles hit their marks, and the burned out Mandalorian warships split apart in large explosions, their turbolasers falling silent.
"Great shot, Freedon Nadd, those missile strikes were right on target!" Marc exclaimed.
"The prison's defensive capability has fallen by seventy percent. We're almost home free." Helen said. "The fleet can mop up the rest of those guns. Stand by, Arrow Squad."
"This is Lieutenant Colonel Moors, Special Forces Fireteam Viper, we've made it aboard the prison, and are moving to extract Ambassador Asara and Moff Cyrus, now. Captain Gregor and his Imperial Shock Troopers are also inside, splitting the interior defense between themselves and the Master Jedi on board." Moors reported.
"Glad the package was on time." Ryan quipped.
"Additional Republic and Imperial boarding parties are inbound to evacuate the other prisoners, now." Helen said. As the space battle came to a lull, the fight inside the prison only intensified. Asmund and Kira managed to link up with Lana and the others at Block D.
"You've arrived, good." Lana said.
"Commander Salvio's Shock Troopers were no joke. They were clearly trained to combat us, specifically." Kira said.
"Hard to believe the number of times I had to resort to choking them, or using lightning. Let's finish this up, quick." Asmund said.
"Agreed. This place gives me the creeps." Doc said. They fought their way through the prison, killing beasts such as Tarentatek, storm beasts, boma beasts, and even a zakkeg from Duxn, as well as more Imperial Shock Troopers, before they came to the cell where Commander Salvio was, standing over a shackled and humiliated Princess Esme.
"Ah, the famed Heroes of Tython… Vitiate's killers. And Lana Beniko of Imperial Intelligence… a strange and utterly ridiculous alliance… and a fragile one, at best." Commander Salvio said.
"Commander Salvio. We're here for Princess Esme. We are willing to negotiate for her release, if it means we can avoid further bloodshed." Asmund said.
"The only thing we'll be negotiating is your death." Commander Salvio said, as a number of Shadow Guards decloaked. "If you thought the Shadow Guards you fought on the Oppressor were the last ones, you're dead wrong. Darth Angral produced thousands of them in the short time he fought his war against your kind."
"If you think we'll be intimidated, you're dead wrong." Lord Scourge said.
"And the traitorous Lord Scourge presents himself, as well. What a reunion." Commander Salvio said. "But… you're too late. In a matter of moments, His Majesty, King of Onderon, will swear fealty to Lord Denzion and the Sith Empire, while little Esme watches our triumph."
"A joint Imperial and Republic fleet sits outside, ready to turn this prison into dust. There is no escape." Lana said.
"That matters little, to me." Commander Salvio said as he unsheathed a Sith warsword, brimming with the Dark Side of the Force.
"That sword…" Kira muttered.
"That is an ancient Sith Lord's blade… How did you get that?" Lord Scourge asked.
"Darth Angral bestowed this blade upon me for my successes. With it, I have killed many Jedi." Commander Salvio said. "I tire of this… Dispose of these vermin." he ordered, and the Shadow Guards recloaked, before rushing against the group. Asmund, Lana and Lord Scourge used Force Lightning to fry their stealth field generators, while Kira, Doc and Sergeant Rusk took the decloaked ones out with a mix of lightsaber and blaster attacks. When they fell, Commander Salvio rushed Asmund. As expected of a Force-imbued sword, it blocked Asmund's lightsaber without trouble.
"Face it, Jedi. You can never hope to defeat me, not while Malachor flows through me!" Commander Salvio snarled as he tried to kill Asmund, failing several times.
"I think you forget one thing. One of my closest friends is a Sith." Asmund said, before Lord Scourge zapped the overconfident Imperial commander with Force Lightning, before being finished off with a Saber Throw from Kira.
"So much for that. I never expected Commander Salvio of all people to succumb to tunnel vision." Kira said. She turned around and released Princess Esme from her restraints. She ran and hugged Kira, crying into her robes.
"There, there, little one… We're going to take you to the Jedi to make you all better, and then we'll take you to your father, okay?" Kira asked. All Esme did was nod.
"The poor girl must have suffered so much... Let's get to the Shadow Wraith, then exchange vessels on Corulag." Lana said.
"I think you forget one thing…" Commander Salvio said, parroting Asmund's choice of words as he raised a blaster to his forehead. "The moment I die, this station… self destructs. A safety measure placed by Lord Denzion… Glory to the Empire!" he declared.
"NO!" Kira exclaimed, but found herself too late to stop the wounded commander from committing suicide. As soon as he was confirmed dead, an alarm triggered.
"ESTABLISHED COMMANDER DECEASED. THIS STATION WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN TEN MINUTES." an automated message said over the PA.
"We've gotta go, now!" Asmund said, leading the way through Block D and towards the Shadow Wraith. He raised his communicator and contacted Moors. "Moors, this is Asmund. The station is going to self-destruct. How far are you from finding Moff Cyrus and Ambassador Asara?" he asked.
"We've already found them, and are on the way to the shuttle. We're five minutes away from escaping with the package." Moors reported.
"This is Captain Gregor. We're completely surrounded, Commander Salvio's Shock Troopers have us pinned down by Block A. I'm afraid we're not making it out of this one, Jedi… We're going to take as many of them as we can with us. It was a pleasure fighting alongside you. Closing transmission." Gregor said. The group ran through the prison to the hangar where the Shadow Wraith was. Once inside, Lana powered it up and quickly swung around, before flooring the throttle. They screamed towards the fleet.
"Shadow Wraith, this is the Excalibur, do you read?" Helen asked over the holocomm.
"This is Lana Beniko of Imperial Intelligence, on board the Shadow Wraith. Rescue was a success, and we're on our way out, now." Lana reported. "The prison's self-destruct sequence was triggered with Salvio's suicide. You need to get the fleet away from the prison as soon as you can."
"I read you, Lana. All ships pull back from the prison immediately." Helen ordered, and the fleet began to hastily avoid the station's destruction. With seconds to spare, they managed to get away before the prison imploded, then exploded in a shockwave, leaving a massive debris field.
Asriel and Elizabeth both caught up with Pintel and Ragetti as the two of them tried to flee with the chest.
"Stop!" Asriel shouted, which the two did, before turning around to look at him. They then laid their eyes squarely on Elizabeth, who went to unsheath her sword… only to find she didn't have one.
"'Ello, poppet…" Pintel said as he and his lanky counterpart unsheathed their swords, walking towards Asriel and Elizabeth with malicious intent. They would be stopped as they saw a rolling wheel with William and Norrington on top fighting amongst the two of them, with Jack following for whatever reason. Asriel was confused by the sight, his confusion making him vulnerable for a split second to Pintel and Ragetti's threatening advance. Suddenly, a tomahawk flew past them and hit a tree, narrowly missing their heads. Asriel looked past them to see a most horrifying sight.
"Jones' crew… Run!" he exclaimed, before running in the opposite direction, and Pintel and Ragetti followed, grabbing the chest as they did. As they passed Andrew, Neptune and Edward, the three of them turned as well. Asriel activated HDD and transformed, taking a rear guard with Elizabeth. Pintel and Ragetti, in their haste, dropped the chest as it hit a tree. Noticing this, they realized they needed to double back, and so they helped Elizabeth and Asriel fight off the cursed crew of the Flying Dutchman.
"Share Wave!" Asriel called out, summoning a wave of Share Energy that temporarily knocked the crew of the Dutchman off their feet. This respite was short lived, as they got back up and continued their pursuit.
"Sword!" Ragetti called, taking a sword from Elizabeth as the unlikely trio worked together to get the chest back. They hadn't noticed a member of Davy Jones' crew pick up the chest.
Jack ran into the spinning wheel again, careful to avoid the metal bracing this time. William ducked under a swing from Norrington, before grabbing the key from the nail. In response, Jack slashed at the string, grabbing the key in his hand, before leaping onto a palm leaf as the wheel fell down a steep slope, picking up speed as it did so. The leaf fell off, and Jack fell to the ground.
"Hmm…" Jack hummed as he caught sight of the pirate that was taking the chest. He picked up a coconut, and with a well-aimed throw, knocked the pirate's head clean off. Being of Jones' crew, the head and body were separate entities, and so the head tried to communicate with the body.
"Anido! Anido! Follow my voice! Follow my voice!" the head, by the name of Hadras, spoke to the body. "To the left… no your other left! Go-" he instructed, directing the body towards him, only to stop when the body hit a palm tree instead. "No… that's a tree…"
"Oh, shut it." Jack said as he knelt down in front of the chest and unlocked it with the key. He'd lay eyes on the heart of Davy Jones, still beating. Hearing Asriel and the others, he quickly stuffed the heart in his jacket and shut the chest, before running towards the beach, with Pintel and Ragetti picking up the now-empty chest as they followed.
As soon as Jack got back to the beach, he went towards the boat. "Jar of dirt." he muttered to himself as he opened his jar of dirt, before he poured some of the dirt within out, putting the heart inside, before shoveling some of the dirt back in with his free hand to cover it up. He had just closed the lid to his prize when he got jumped by one of Jones' crew, and he took an oar to defend himself. Pintel and Ragetti reappear with the chest, followed by Edward, Andrew and Neptune. Elizabeth and Asriel were not too far behind, trying desperately to defend themselves against the cursed pirates.
"Dammit… our backs to the sea and a horde of cursed pirates in front of us… Can this day get any worse?" Andrew swore. Suddenly, the wheel reappeared, running into a number of the pirates in front of them, before coming to a dead stop in the shallows, keeling over onto its side as it did so. William and Norington stumble out like a pair of drunkards, trying to join the fray. Norrington was a bit more successful than William was, and he reached the boat to see what Jack had done. He'd use the fight to his advantage as he took the heart from the jar, before joining the fight as though nothing had happened. William managed to catch up to them, seeing the chest. He went to grab it, before being "accidentally" knocked out by Jack.
"Will!" Elizabeth called out to him.
"Leave him lie! Unless you plan on using him to hit something with." Jack said.
"Jack's right, wait until we get out of this alive." Andrew said.
"I don't have the pudding for this!" Neptune squealed in frustration. Edward took a flintlock pistol and shot at one of the marauding pirates. The bullet hit its mark, but would have no effect.
"Swords, flintlocks, nothing seems to really faze them!" he exclaimed.
"Let me try something… Star Blazing!" Asriel shouted, summoning a mix of magic and Share Energy as star-shaped particles rained down upon the pirates, exploding on impact. The attack ended soon after, but didn't really seem to faze Jones' crew all that much.
"Even after all that?! We're never getting out of this!" Asriel exclaimed in growing frustration.
"Not with the chest…" Norrington said, realizing what had to be done to get Elizabeth and everyone else safely off the island. "Into the boat!"
"You're mad!" Elizabeth said, shocked at what Norrington was proposing.
"Don't wait for me." Norrington said, before running off, drawing Jones' crew away from the beach.
"He's giving us a chance we cannot miss, come on!" Andrew said as he pushed the boat out while everyone got in, Elizabeth and Edward helping an unconscious William into the boat. As they rowed out to sea, Asriel left HDD, returning to his regular form.
Norrington was sprinting through the jungle on the small island, pursued by the cursed pirates behind him. He'd trip over an exposed tree root, falling and dropping the chest. As he scrambled to fetch his sword, hoping to buy the others a little more time, but found it stepped on by Hadras' body.
"Your bravery is wasted…" Hadras said. "I shall pry the chest from your cold… dead… hands."
Norrington thought for a moment. He had the heart hidden from them, and ripe for the taking, so… why not? "Here you go!" he exclaimed as he gladly tossed the chest towards Hadras, then made his escape. The cursed pirates laughed, although Hadras' head was dropped.
"What… Anido. Anido!" Hadras shouted at his body. "Pirates!" he swore to himself as he turned around in his conch shell, revealing crab legs.
William woke up on the deck of the Black Pearl with Asriel and Elizabeth looking over him.
"You okay?" Asriel asked.
"Yeah… I'm fine, Asriel… What happened to the chest?" William asked.
"Norrington took it to draw them off." Elizabeth said.
"I hope he's okay…" Asriel said with a sigh. He heard Andrew and Neptune call him, looking to see them talking with Jack and Gibbs. "I have to go… Take care, William." he said as he stood up, walking over to the group.
"Where's the Commodore?" Gibbs asked.
"He stayed behind and took the chest, acting as a distraction to let us get away." Andrew said.
""My prayers to him… Best not to wallow in our grief. The good news is, you're back, and we've made it off free and clear-" Gibbs said, before being interrupted by the sound of the Flying Dutchman rising from the sea next to them. "Lord on high, deliver us…"
"This isn't good… What do we do?" Asriel asked.
"I'll handle this, mate." Jack said confidently as he approached the railing. "Oi! Fish face!" he shouted, getting Jones' attention. "Lose something? Aye, have a look-see-" he taunted, losing his concentration as he missed his step on the way down from the helm, falling down the steps. Everyone witnessed it and cringed. "Got it!" Jack said as he lifted the jar. Jones was unamused, but surprised.
"Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git. Look what I've got." Jack said, proceeding to taunt Davy Jones further. "I've got a jar of diiirt! I've got a jar of diiirt! And guess what's inside it!" he said in a sing-song voice. Davy Jones turned to face his crew.
"Enough!" he said. The guns of the Flying Dutchman came to bear on the Black Pearl and its crew, to the horror of Jack Sparrow.
"Hard to starboard…" Jack muttered.
"Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth shouted.
"Raise up the foreyard!" William ordered as the entire crew got to work. Gibbs took the ship's wheel, frantically turning the Black Pearl to starboard in an effort to get away. Davy Jones noticed their escape attempt and decided to pursue.
"Hard to starboard!" He ordered the helmsman, before turning his attention to Maccus. "Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths!"
"Fire!" Maccus ordered, and the Dutchman's starboard broadside sent a volley of cannon fire into the Black Pearl. Andrew ducked, dodging flying debris. Asriel had to roll to avoid a stray cannonball.
"This is crazy!" Edward exclaimed.
"You would think the author would choose a better situation for us!" Neptune groaned.
"Don't let me down, give us all you've got!" Pintel said as he patted the railing. They managed to get the Pearl turned into the wind, sailing away at full speed, but the Dutchman still had one last trick up its sleeve.
"Let them taste the triple guns." Davy Jones ordered.
"Aye, captain." a crewman replied. The woodwork moved as a pair of three-barreled rotary naval cannons was brought to bear, opening fire immediately. One shot knocked an unlucky sailor off the mast.
"You've gotta be kidding me, how can they maintain that rate of fire?!" Andrew exclaimed.
"Maybe they know they can't." Edward said.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Andrew yelled. Jack took over the steering, moving the ship in a zig-zag pattern to make the Pearl a more difficult target. It was rather difficult for casual observers to tell, but Elizabeth could tell easily as she peered over the side, that they were increasing the distance between themselves and the Dutchman.
"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Aye, we've got her!" Gibbs exclaimed in response.
"We're the faster?" William asked in astonishment.
"Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us, that's how she catches her prey. But with the wind…" Gibbs said.
"We rob her advantage." William said, to which Gibbs nodded.
Maccus looked at the Pearl in frustration as they outran them. "We're out of range!"
"Break off the pursuit! Drop sails, run her light and wrap canvas." Davy Jones ordered.
"We're giving up, sir?" Maccus asked. Jones simply smiled at him, making his intentions known to his crew.
"They're giving up!" a stout pirate named Marty exclaimed, to the cheers of the crowd.
"My father is on that ship!" William said to Jack. "If we can outrun her, we can take her! We should turn and fight!" he demanded.
"Why fight, when you can negotiate? All one needs is the proper leverage." Jack countered stoically. Suddenly, the Black Pearl was rocked by a sudden jolt as the ship came to a halt. Jack loses his grip on his prized jar of dirt in the process, and knew something was wrong as he clambered down the steps to check its contents and find the heart missing. "Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" he asked himself.
"Missing some dirt, Jack? Neptune asked cheekily as she approached him.
"Norrington!" Jack swore, realizing that Norrington had made off with the heart.
"Wait a minute… you mean Norrington… He has the heart, doesn't he?" Andrew asked.
"Aye!" Jack said as he kicked some of the sand from the jar in anger and frustration.
"Dang it, that explains why your 'negotiations' went sour…" Asriel said with a sigh.
"That may mean the events we were hoping to prevent will be set in motion…" Andrew said as he turned his attention to Gibbs. "Gibbs, what's happened?!" he asked.
"We must've hit a reef!" Gibbs exclaimed. William, however, knew it was far worse than that.
"No… It's not a reef!" he shouted, before moving towards Elizabeth. "Get away from the railing!" he warned as he pulled her away.
"What is it?!" Elizabeth asked with subtle fear.
"The Kraken!" William exclaimed, to the horror of everyone on board, especially Jack. "To arms!" he ordered.
"Load the guns! Defend the mast!" Gibbs echoed.
"It'll attack the starboard, I've seen it before! Roll out the cannons and wait for my signal!" William ordered. The three CPUs activated HDD and spawned in their weapons in response to the threat. At the same time, weapons were handed out to crew members on the top deck, while the crew on the gun deck were busy loading the cannons. As soon as they rolled them out, they could see the tentacles crawling up both sides, though they knew by now that the port side attack was a feint. An eerie silence befell the crew, and even Edward and the CPUs felt on edge.
"Easy boys, hold fire.." William said, telling them to hold their fire.
"Will?" Elizabeth called out, as terrified as the rest of the crew.
"Steady! Steady." William said, trying to keep the crew on the gun deck focused.
"Will?" Elizabeth called out as the tentacles got closer.
"Hold… Hold!" William ordered, wanting to wait until the right moment.
"I think we've held fire long enough!" Pintel argued, his nerves rattled as the mighty Kraken gripped the sides of the ship. Another uneasy few seconds passed by.
"WILL!" Elizabeth cried out as the tentacles slowly reached the mast.
"Fire!" William ordered, and the cannons fired, blasting the Kraken's tentacles, wounding the foul beast. The tentacles retreated, smashing a couple of the boats in the process. The Black Pearl was free, to the cheers of the crew on board.
"It'll be back. We need to get off the ship." William warned.
"There's no boats, Mister Turner. Unless you can make one magically appear, we're not going anywhere." Edward said. Elizabeth nodded, as though agreeing with Edward's comment. William looked down at a powder barrel rolling on the ground, which Andrew caught as well. The latter looked at William with an approving smirk.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.
"Aye." William said, before turning towards the crew. "Pull the grids! Get all of the gunpowder onto the net in the cargo hold!" he ordered. The crew got to work, putting the powder barrels onto the net. Andrew, Edward and William went to oversee the loading from the gun deck.
"We are short stocked on gunpowder! Six barrels!" one of the crew shouted from below. Gibbs ran down to relay this to William.
"There's only a half a dozen crates of powder!" he exclaimed.
"Drat! Is there anything else we have that will burn or explode?" Andrew asked in response.
"There's the rum, but I don't think-" Gibbs responded, before being interrupted by William.
"Then load the rum!" he ordered. The crew turned to face Gibbs, expecting a response.
"Aye, the rum, too!" Gibbs said, before giving a glance in mourning at the crates containing bottles of rum. William handed a musket to Edward.
"Whatever you do, Edward, don't miss." he said.
"Aye." Edward said. He watched William go one deck lower to get on the net and protect it from the Kraken, before he and Andrew went above deck to wait for the right moment. A tense five minutes passed, during which Elizabeth looked around to see Jack nowhere in sight, before she looked over the railing to see him alone in one remaining rowboat.
"Jack, you coward!" she swore to nobody in particular. She was knocked off her feet as the Pearl was once again rocked by a sudden jolt, more violent than the last time.
"Not good…" Marty said.
"Oh no…" Asriel said as he got his sword ready, looking around defensively in anticipation for the worst. The Kraken's tentacles rose up from the water, before smashing the gun deck apart. Neptune took flight, ready to use her mobility in the air to her advantage in the defense of the ship.
"Haul away!" William ordered.
"Heave! Heave like you're being paid for it!" Gibbs ordered, and on command, the crew at the capstan worked to bring up the net with its explosive contents and William. As the battle raged, the net went higher and higher, until the Kraken swatted away the capstan. The net fell a few short feet, before coming to a stop, trapping William in the process. The net swung wildly, as the ship rocked back and forth.
"Help! Help me!" a sailor cried out as a tentacle gripped his leg, pulling him through the railing, and into the water. Unable to free himself, William took his father's knife and began to cut himself free.
"Shoot!" he called out. "Kenway, shoot!"
"Come on, William…" Edward muttered to himself as he waited for the right moment. He'd be caught by a tentacle, before being dragged out through the captain's stateroom.
"Edward!" Asriel said as he and Andrew teamed up against the tentacle. They both stabbed deep wounds into the tentacle, and it let go of Edward before falling into the sea, saving his life.
"Thank you, both…" Edward said, taking deep breaths. Elizabeth saw the musket on the ground and went for it, but a boot stopped her. She tugged at it as hard as she could, before looking up at the person in anger. That anger quickly turned to astonishment as she saw Jack standing, looking at his demise in defiance. He picked up the musket, taking aim towards the explosive cocktail. He would wait until Willaim was free, before he pulled the trigger. Like an arrow, the musket shot straight and true, hitting a powder barrel and detonating the entire cargo, gravely wounding the Kraken's tentacles in the process. William hit the deck with his knife as his explosive solution worked as he'd hoped.
"Did we… did we kill it?" Neptune asked as she landed on the deck, despawning her Odachi.
"No… We just made it angry." Gibbs said.
"We're not out of this, yet. Jack, orders!" Andrew said as he and the other two CPUs left HDD.
"Abandon ship, into the long boat." Jack said.
"But, Jack… the Pearl!" Asriel said in utter shock.
"She's only a ship, mate." Jack said sorrowfully.
"Jack's right, we have to head for land." Elizabeth interjected.
"There's a lot of open water…" Pintel warned.
"We'll have to try. We can get away as it takes down the Pearl." William said.
"Abandon ship…" Gibbs said. "Abandon ship, or abandon hope." he added. Edward and the CPUs were the first ones in the boat, taking supplies with them, followed by Pintel and Ragetti, then Marty, then William. He briefly caught Elizabeth doing something, before Gibbs got in the way.
"Prepare to cast off, no time to lose! Come on, Will, step to it!" he said. Elizabeth joined them a bit later.
"Where's Jack?" Andrew asked.
"He elected to stay behind and give us a chance." Elizabeth fibbed. Everyone hesitated, not wanting to leave Jack behind again, but Elizabeth had other ideas. "Go!" she shouted. Soon, they rowed as far away from the ship as they could. They witnessed the Kraken rise from the depths once more, before taking the Black Pearl down with it.
"The Black Pearl… is gone." Andrew said sorrowfully to nobody in particular.
"And with it, a great captain and a good man…" Edward added mournfully.
"Nothing more we can do, but make way towards Cuba…" Andrew said.
Back in Port Royal, Beckett was discussing recent matters with Mercer and Kurome, the latter of whom leaned idly against the woodwork.
"The last of our ships has returned." Mercer said.
"Any news on the chest?" Beckett asked.
"None sir… but one of our ships did pick up a sailor adrift at sea. He had these." Mercer said as he laid down Letters of Marque, which had been pickpocketed from Elizabeth during the fight on Isla Cruces. Beckett opened the Letters and read them.
"I'd taken the liberty of filling in my name." Norrington said. Kurome looked at him as he spoke, gesturing to come forward. Norrington laid eyes on her, and felt the sense of dread given off by her presence.
"If you intend to claim these, then you must have something to trade." Beckett said towards the disgraced Commodore. "Do you have the compass?"
"Better." Norrington said, as he laid a bag down on the desk, carrying something that was pulsing and beating, with an audible heartbeat. "The heart of Davy Jones." he said. Kurome gave off a devilish smirk in response, knowing that they now had what she needed to further her plans and destroy this world.
"I think you've just changed the course of history, Mister Norrington." she said.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I apologize for cutting it at yet another cliffhanger, but I was cutting it close. However, I felt this was a good place to stop. It took me a bit to finish this chapter, but here it is.
More references, and some lines and moments pulled from the At World's End video game.
Looks like that's it. Gotta go.