Previously on Hook; Maggie Pan, Maggie comes home only to witness her mother's abduction, on seeing Neverland in the reflection of her mirror, she calls out to Tinkerbell to help her make the way to Neverland with Tinker bell the fairy as her guide into the universe of Neverland where time never seems to pass on whilst Moira gets taken by a group of British soldiers who think she's a thief.
In Chapter three Maggie flies across the skies of Neverland whilst those on the ground watch her fly straight towards the town of Fort Fairfax where she will meet the mysterious Commodore Corven and learn of the task to be done before she can take her mother home.
Disclaimer; I don't own the characters of Hook as I am writing this story as a fantasy fictional idea. so enjoy chapter three.
Chapter three.
The Island of Neverland.
As soon as the two had flown in through the portal of Neverland, Maggie could see the whole of the Island itself, seeing the Pirate port that was once occupied by Captain Hook and his large crew of Pirates and also the mermaid Lagoon to the east and Skull rock in the ocean to the south-east.
And in the air, she could see the small grounds of the Lost Boys to the far north where her dad had spent his time regaining most of his lost memories so that he could rescue her and Jack from the Pirates as she could remember.
Tinkerbell had guided her all the way around the Island before she found the town of Fort Fairfax which was at a small distance from the Indian camp. Seeing that there were a couple of ships on the dock by the seaside town, Maggie parted away from Tinkerbell so that she can get close to the town. Maggie looked around on the grounds and then she landed on a small spot out of the sight of the rolling patrols.
From her hiding spot, Maggie made her way towards one of the ships but she kept herself hidden low as she saw a few British sentries on guard duty.
As the two guards were strolling around the grounds with what looked to be 19th-century rifles slung on each of their shoulders, one of them mentioned the name Corven. So Maggie made the guess that this man named Corven must be the one in charge.
Was he the Captain or was he just another officer?
Maggie wondered as she flew.
When she found a landing spot on the deck, she lowered herself down upon the solid ground.
As soon as she landed her feet up on the pier that stood on the side of the ship Maggie looked around to see if anyone had seen her.
Satisfied that no one had caught sight of her landing on the pier, Maggie was about to make her way to the ship when all of a sudden there was the sound of cannon fire in the distance and she realized that the town was under attack by those who were outside the wall.
She ran towards the gangplank but she stopped at the side and hid underneath the plank as a row of ten soldiers in British uniform were coming down the gangplank to aid the sentries on the wall in defence of the town.
Once they had gone, Maggie crawled out from her hiding place.
She made her way across to the ship's gangplank to board the ship, she looked around the skies for Tinkerbell to see if she was looking for her.
But Maggie could see that she was nowhere to be found.
Setting her mind on the task at hand, she made her way across the deck.
Seeing that there was no one on board or on duty, she went to the doorway leading to a stairway down below when a sailor came up to catch the sight of her standing up the deck. "Intruder!" the Sailor said alerting those down below before he came climbing up after her.
Maggie ran towards the gangplank to escape but her only way off was blocked by two soldiers who were aiming their rifles at her.
Seeing that she was trapped on board her ship, she turned around to see the sailor standing with a few other sailors behind him blocking her escape.
So she raised her hands up as the Sailor approached her.
He stopped at a short distance, he took a glance at the girl standing with her hands up before he began to speak. "You want to tell me who you are, and what you are doing on board this ship? It is off-limits to civilians including young children like you young lady."
Maggie stood still as she looked at the sailor whilst a couple more sailors and soldiers had appeared only they were armed with swords and pistols.
"I apologize for the intrusion sir, but I am here to ask if I can speak with this Commodore who commands this ship."
"And may I ask what sort of Business is it that you have to sneak on board this ship?" asked the sailor, suspiciously moving his hand to his sword.
Maggie lowered her hands down before she looked at the sailor who asked her. "Yes, I have come for my Mother. If you could allow me to speak with an officer or whoever is in charge of this ship then I will leave this ship with my mother and never come back." Maggie answered.
"I'm afraid only officers and sailors are allowed to see the Commodore. He is the high ranking officer of this ship. So as you're neither an officer nor a sailor missy, my guess is that you might be a spy for the pirates." The sailor said accusing Maggie of being a spy, but she protested at the statement.
"Sailor I must protest that I am not a spy for the pirates. I mean I am only here to look for a woman who might be dressed in some strange clothes like my own if you can see my own. I wish not to say anything else until I am granted an audience with a man named Corven. Is he your Captain?"
On hearing that last name being spoken, the soldiers and sailors had each looked at one another whispering amongst themselves.
It was until the second sailor stepped forward. Approaching the little girl Maggie, the second sailor spoke correcting her. "That man you speak of is Commodore Corven and Where did you hear that name little missy?" asked the second sailor, squinting his eyes in suspicion.
"I won't tell you anything more until you grant me an audience with the Commodore." Maggie stated glaring at the second sailor.
Then the third sailor stepped forward in front of Maggie as she stepped back further until her back was against the barrier of the ship.
"You will tell us what we want little girl.." the third sailor stated to Maggie with a glare that was beginning to scare her.
It was as if the sailors were ganging up on her until the first sailor stepped forward and pulled each of them away from her.
"Step away from her men, we don't want her to fall overboard. Look if this young little girl wants to see Commodore Corven at once, then I will take her to him without any fuss. Besides, she's just like the other woman that our commander, Lieutenant Austen had arrested earlier this morning; he claimed that she has stolen something from the Commodore himself so maybe she might shed some light on the matter so he can decide on her fate." He spoke out to his comrades.
Maggie looked at the first sailor as she realised that the woman he was talking about was actually her mother, so she approached him and spoke.
"Where is this woman that you are talking about? is her name Moira"
The first sailor turned from his comrades to look at Maggie. "Why would it matter to you young lady?" asked the first sailor.
"If her name is Moira then she might be my mother, so tell me where is she?" Maggie demanded, shouting aloud on the ship when all of a sudden the door to the ship's cabin opened up. Soon a military man in uniform appeared from the side of the doorway.
Stepping out from the doorway, the fully dressed military man with an iron gauntlet covering his right hand stood when one of the other Sailors shouted aloud. "Officer on deck!" The three Sailors who were with Maggie had turned their heads when they heard the shout aloud.
Seeing their leader with the iron hand who was the Commodore of the ship, the three men stepped back to the side at the attention of the military officer present on the Deck of the ship. The officer looked around the deck before he spoke.
"What is going on here? Are any of you aware gentlemen that disturbing the peace on deck is against my regulations when there's a war going on here?"
The first sailor stepped forward and saluted the officer. He returned the salute before he spoke.
"Do you have something to say, Mr Laughlin?"
"I do Commodore Corven. Sir, we just caught this young girl trespassing on the ship. She even mentioned your last name sir, we are unsure how she knew it." Mr Laughlin responded, pointing to Maggie as she stood on the spot. As the Commodore approached Maggie, a young woman also appeared coming out from the doorway. Maggie watched as the commodore, a fully dressed military man of the 17th century with a moving, iron right hand come up to her.
"How did you know my last name miss?" he said to Maggie.
"I learned of your name from one of your soldiers who walked past me, sir..." Maggie replied her answer, she was going to speak further when Commodore Charles spoke again.
"Do you know that trespassing on the ship that belongs to the British Royal Navy is a capital offence on these grounds?" he asked Maggie.
"Commodore, whoever you are. I didn't mean to trespass on your ship, but I've come here to find my mother so that I can get her back home." Maggie answered, looking at the Commodore in the eyes as she spoke.
"Young Lady this is a most inopportune time as the crew of this ship has work to do and I simply have no time for lost mothers." Charles stated to Maggie who fired back.
"I didn't lose her, she was brought here by someone in the town."
Charles' eyebrows rose in question as he asked. "Did you say someone brought her here?"
"Yes sir, and she was wearing different clothes almost like my own." Maggie responded.
"And does she have a name?" asked Charles.
"Her name is Moira Banning, now can you not see that she and I didn't mean to cause any trouble for you?" said Maggie.
"Then you should know that she shouldn't have stolen a necklace that belongs to me." Charles stated to Maggie who fired back.
"Commodore, I must protest. She is not a thief, she's innocent."
"Your word alone does not redeem the accusations of my officers unless you have proof of this matter young lady. Now if there's nothing else, I would have you leave this ship at once." Commodore Charles stated.
"No! I will not leave this retched ship until you take back that accusation." Maggie answered spouting her disgust for the ship.
Charles' eyebrows edged together at the insult that Maggie had given.
"I beg your pardon young lady? Who are you to dare to speak to an officer in front of his own men and this ship is my ship that you're referring to, Did your mother or father ever teach you any manners? answer me!"
"My name is Maggie Banning, I'm Moira Banning's daughter and she is not a thief you monster!" Maggie spouted her hateful words to the Commodore when an officer stepped forward in front of the commodore. The officer grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around roughly to face him.
The pull hurt her left arm and she soon found herself facing the officer whilst the Commodore stood in front of her right side.
Glaring at Maggie whilst he placed his hand on the sword, the officer spoke his direct threat at Maggie.
"Bite your tongue young lady when you speak ill to the Commodore alone, most men who have said such words to him have been keelhauled for their disrespect. Period, exclamation mark!"
"Sergeant Mac Philips, that will do!" Charles spoke out to the officer, who turned his head to look at his Leader.
But ignoring his command, Sergeant Philips turned back to face her.
"As you are one who is asking to receive a quick death, you must draw your own sword and then I will have satisfaction."
Realizing that she was drawn into a duel, Maggie raised her hands in surrender again and stepped back.
As she walked backwards, Sergeant Philips walked forward sword drawn when Commodore Charles approached the Sergeant he spoke.
"Sergeant! Be reasonable, I would rather you spare this girl's life."
"Commodore Charles, Sir. she has disrespected you in front of your crew here, she disrespected your home and she's a stranger on this ship. Is it our policy to allow women to be so disobedient towards the men here?" Sergeant Philips stated turning to look at the Commodore.
"We are not pirates Sergeant!" Charles stated.
"But she is not one of us, Commodore, just let me be the one to teach her some manners and I promise not to kill her." Sergeant Philips protested to Charles who thought it out before he protested further.
"Alright but still she didn't seem to wish to disrespect me, I mean look at her. She doesn't even have a sword on her or at least a knife." Charles spoke looking at Maggie who then spoke. "Commodore, let me have a sword. If I have to prove myself then let me fight him!"
Commodore Charles turned to face Maggie and took a step forward, closing the space between them as he looked at her.
"Are you certain that you wish to enter this duel? You still have a chance to walk away." Charles said, offering her a way out.
But Maggie shook her head in refusal, she didn't want to get thrown off the ship until she gets her mom.
Accepting her answer to his offer Charles stepped back from her. Sergeant Philips turned his head to look at one of the soldiers standing at the side.
When he nodded, the soldier nodded as well before he drew his own sword to pass it onto Maggie. As the girl took the sword in her hand and swung it about, Charles turned to see Maggie holding the sword as if she was ready to sword fight.
A young woman appeared from the doorway before she stood with Charles who watched with the sailors.
She whispered her protest to Charles as Sergeant Philips and Maggie saluted. The two made their stance.
"Engarde!" Philips said, making the first move on Maggie.
In the few seconds that followed, Philips engaged the little girl in a duel which she was already losing as she swung her sword at him.
But her strikes were met with his blocks a couple of times until he disarmed her.
Sending her sword landing on the deck near the third sailor, Philips hurled her forward on the deck. As Maggie lay on the ground starting to cry her eyes out as she was hurt, the British Commodore, known as Charles Corven then approached the girl's side.
"Miss Banning, you should know that I only allowed you to fight this duel for the good measure of a lesson, it seems that you've been bested by a good swordsman. Is there anything else that you would like to tell me that I don't know of?
Your tears will not spare you the corporal punishment which I cannot save you from unless you can offer me a good reason to use my authority to pardon you." Charles stated to a crying Maggie.
As she looked up at Charles Corven through her teary eyes, Maggie started to wonder if her heritage might appeal to the rest of the sailors on the ship.
The young woman stepped forward, looking to appeal to Charles for the girl's life when Maggie spoke out about something they didn't expect.
"My dad is Peter Pan Sir." she said. The woman stopped at Charles' side as he stood awestruck as the woman herself was. It was then that something flickered in Charles' eyes as the name meant something to him, he then knelt down in front of the girl. He looked upon her curiously when the woman spoke.
"Peter Pan, you mean that leader of those little rebels known as lost boys is your father?"
"If you would give me a bible, I would swear on it as the truth." Maggie stated to Charles, wiping the tears from her eyes as she sat on her knees.
The British officer, Commodore Charles turned his head to look up at the woman.
The two looked at each other realizing the revelation in paused for a few seconds as the row of sailors looked at the two surprised by the news.
A look of horror started to emerge immediately from Sergeant Philips' face when he realized that he bullied the daughter of a man that the town had respected.
Sheathing his own sword in the scabbard in a fast move, he retreated behind the row of sailors as he sought to leave before he'd get caught.
As the horrified Sergeant Philips had fled the scene with his pale face hanging, Charles then reached out to offer Maggie his left hand, she looked at his hand for a second before she reached out to take it with her own left hand.
Charles stood himself up and he helped her stand up.
Looking at her sad face, Charles started to speak to Maggie in a gentle manner.
"So if your name stands for Margaret Banning, you must have been in Neverland when it was Peter Pan who had returned to this place a few years ago. Am I right?"
"Why would it matter to you?" Maggie asked as she stood back from Charles.
Charles was about to speak when the woman answered for him.
"Because Peter Pan was well known to us all. My husband here had once sought an alliance with his lost boys, but it was then he found out that Rufio the Lost Boys' new leader took over. When he made the proposal, the Lost boys' leader refused his offer, stating that the Lost boys consider us grown-ups as pirates."
"If your husband's army was here all along, then why didn't they come to my dad's aid sooner?" Maggie asked the woman who then stood beside Charles.
"We were fighting a war of our own on this part of Neverland, we had to save half of the Indians who came to us for aid and shelter. The lost boys seemed to have handled themselves when they fought their war with Captain Hook's pirate horde." Charles stated to Maggie.
"Then you should have been there when that crocodile clock had swallowed the pirate Captain Hook once more after he attempted to kill my dad, maybe it would have eaten you as well." said Maggie.
"My, you're a spirited little lost girl, aren't you?" asked Charles.
"I'm not a lost girl Mister Corven. I'm eleven years old." Maggie commented as she stepped up close to him looking at his face.
Charles raised his eyebrow, his face puzzled in thought as he looked down at the fiery girl in front of him, he went down on one knee to look at her face to face.
Looking at her face he spoke with his authoritative voice. "That's Commodore Corven to you, Miss Banning. As you seem to have such courage to willingly fight one of my officers, you are clearly in need of some sword training."
Commodore Charles paused for a few seconds before he spoke gesturing with his armoured right hand.
"So if you are a smart woman of eleven years as you claim to be, would you let me strike a bargain with you?"
"What kind of a bargain?" Maggie asked the Commodore.
"If you can do whatever things that I ask, then I shall acquit your mother of the stated crimes and allow her to see you." Charles stated the proposition to Maggie, looking into her eyes. Maggie's eyes looked down as she thought. When she made up her mind, she replied considering the offer.
"Okay, what is it?" she asked. The Commodore drew a grin and spoke.
"First you can accept my apology for my accusations and meet me in my cabin, I will bring your mother into the cabin myself. And maybe you and I can discuss the task I have for you Margaret Banning." said Charles. Offering his left hand to her, Charles asked. "What would you say?"
Looking down at his left hand, Maggie started to think that this Commodore Charles Corven was not such a mean man after all but a gentleman who was offering to apologize. So raising her left hand to take his hand, Maggie gave him her answer.
"Okay, Captain Corven. I mean Commodore Sir, If you will just let me have a moment with my mom then I will consider accepting your apology and speak with you about the task that you have for me. Commodore sir, please lead me to your cabin, so I may see my mom there."
"Of course, Miss Banning, your display of good manners has met with my approval. Come along young lady, and you two Caitlin." said Commodore Corven before turning his head to Mr Laughlin. "Mr Laughlin, I am giving you the task of finding Lieutenant Austen. Ask him to come to my ship immediately." Commodore Corven said to him.
Mr Laughlin stepped forward before he spoke.
"Good as done Commodore, sir." With that Mr Laughlin turned and went on his way, crossing the gangplank towards the pier whilst the Commodore: Charles Corven led her to the door of the galleon. The woman named Caitlin followed after them.
They went in through the doorway, leaving the sailors standing before they went back to their work in preparing the ship for another attack.
A couple of Mr Laughlin's shipmates were still standing and speaking to each other in surprise to see the famous daughter of Peter pan before they went back to their business as the cannon fire between the wall of the town and the forests outside the fortress were starting to die down in the background.
Soon after the crew had gone back to work the fairy Tinker Bell had flown down and into the doorway after watching everything from the mast that she stood upon.
Commodore Charles' cabin room.
Entering the hall with a series of doors, Charles led the two women along the hallway with a left turn and a right which led to the last door on the end.
When Charles had reached the door into his cabin room, he unlocked it.
Commodore Charles opened the door for Maggie and the woman Caitlin to enter through the doorway.
The cabin itself was the same cabin that the captain's son had resided with his father Charles before he sneaked out of the ship on his own mission.
Charles then brought Maggie over to a table with chairs. She walked across the cabin floors to the chairs.
He stopped at one of the chairs, sitting Maggie down Charles stood at the side and crouched down to her level as she sat. "If you can just wait here with my wife Caitlin Corven, I shall go to the brig to retrieve your mother and bring her here to see you. But before I go, might I ask what's her name again?" he asked.
"Moira Darling Banning." Maggie answered.
Hearing the name Darling had raised Charles' eyebrows as he looked at her for a moment before he spoke. "Well Miss Banning, I thank you for the information you have given me. As I will promise, you will see your mother when I bring her here." With that, the Commodore walked off to the doorway.
He made his way along the hallway so that he can head down to the brig and release Moira Banning from her cage.
Once released, he would escort Moira all the way to his quarters.
After Charles left the room, Maggie was left in the company of the young woman known as Caitlin who then took her seat at the one next to Maggie's seat.
She then spoke out to Maggie. "Maggie is it?"
Maggie looked up at Caitlin before she responded. "Yes."
"Can you please forgive the Commodore? He really is sorry and his crew are not all as horrible as you think they are. They all have just been busy with the defence of this town as the Commodore has been since his beloved son had disobeyed him by running off last night." Caitlin explained.
"Well if I was his daughter, I'd run away from a harsh man like him." Maggie replied.
"I do not know where you got such a false claim Maggie, but that harsh man is a kind devoted father who loves his own son and that boy loves his father as do I. The boy didn't run away from his family, he ran away from the ship to get help from the Lost boys or any fairies that live within the forests of the whole Island." Caitlin said, stating to Maggie.
Maggie was suddenly taken aback by the woman's statement: "What?" Maggie asked.
"This whole town is in danger of an attack from the pirates, we're running out of ammo for our weapons and cannons. Charles' son was seeking to help his family, myself included because he sees me as the mother that he wished for and I'll continue to love him as if he is my own. But pretty soon we might be overrun by an invasion that might come the next day." Caitlin explained the situation to Maggie who had begun to listen, she was starting to see how vulnerable the soldiers and their families were since she had first arrived.
The brig of the ship, The Royal Amber Fox.
Whilst Caitlin and Maggie had talked together inside the cabin,
Moira Banning was sitting on the floor of her cage with a guard standing watch.
As she looked around in fear, she hoped to speak to someone and ask for a lawyer or wish that she could just wake up from this nightmare when she heard footsteps from afar. That was when a man in uniform appeared at the doorway and approached the door to her cage.
"Miss, are you Moira Darling Banning?" the man asked.
Moira stood up from the floor before she answered him.
"Yes, I am and who are you, how did you know my name?"
"My name is Charles Corven, I am the Commodore of this ship and leader of Fort Fairfax. I am here to set you free and to acquit you of the crimes you were accused of at the behest of your daughter." Charles replied as he stepped up to the cage.
Moira approached the bars of the cage when she heard him mention her daughter.
"My daughter is here? You took my daughter as well you monster?" she shouted at the Commodore.
"On the contrary Mistress Banning, your daughter made her way to my ship seeking an audience with me to bargain for your freedom." Charles said before he turned to the guard. He ordered the guard to unlock the doors.
"My freedom Commodore sir?" asked Moira.
"Of course, so I'm authorised to give you Amnesty and your daughter Maggie also mentioned your husband as well." Charles said which left Moira a little confused and then she asked him. "You knew my husband?"
"Well, he was here once a long time ago when he came to save his children from the pirates." Charles stated to which Moira nodded.
Once the guard had unlocked the door, he opened it wide.
Moira held her arms as she stepped out of the cage through the doorway.
As the guard closed the door, she stood in front of the Commodore.
She was starting to grasp the understanding that this man had been in Neverland for such a long time. "Come, I'll take you to my cabin and maybe offer you a drink as a way of apology for the harsh treatment." Charles said before he escorted Moira across the hall of the ship.
"Did you know that my husband was Peter Pan?" she asked.
As they walked along the ship hall, Charles thought it out until they approached the ladder. "I have known him as a boy in Neverland, what about you?" asked Charles.
"I've known Peter pan since he was thirteen, he chose not to go back to neverland when he met me in London England." Moira explained.
Charles was left in surprise as he stood by the stairs for a few seconds.
He then turned away before he went up a ladder to the next floor.
Moira stood watching him go up the stairs, she was glad that at least someone else here knows the fact that she had married the character of the story her own family were raised on in the past.
It was after a short moment, Moira and Charles were coming to the door when Charles stopped her at the spot. She stood in front of him as she spoke.
"What is it?"
Commodore Charles then explained. "Mrs Banning, before we go inside I wanted to say upfront and again, that I'm sorry for the mistreatment you have endured on your arrival in this town and for the accusations of the crimes you did not commit.
Most of my men here were only following my orders to keep a lookout for my son, Andrew. He has run away from my ship on one of his own missions to find help. The amulet that you said to have found, belonged to my son."
Moira looked away out of shame as she didn't know the amulet belonged to the Commodore's son.
"I didn't take you to be a family man Commodore Corven." Moira said before she turned back to look at him.
"That was a long time ago; when I resided in England." said Charles.
"A long time ago, What year did you come from?" Moira asked curious of the Commodore's origins.
"The year that I hail from is 1635, why?" Charles asked frowning at the question. Moira was left surprised herself before she spoke.
"1635, that's over three hundred and fifty years, and you have only aged a little."
Seeing the astonishment on the woman's face, Charles spoke confirming her conclusion.
"Yes, I came here in 1637 when I had once saved a pixie. I made a wish, asking for it to help me find my son. I guess when residing in Neverland, this Neverland's magic has kept me alive after all these centuries. Of course, my crew and I have seen what has changed in your world when we visited it to gather new weapons and ammo to resupply our barracks in the Fortress. Anyhow there's someone who wants to see you Mistress Banning." Charles said before he opened the door. He stepped aside first, holding the door to allow her to enter the room.
The moment when Moira Banning entered the room through the doorway, she became so glad to see her daughter who turned her head to see her mother step in through the doorway. "Mom," She shouted as she stood up from the chair.
Moira stepped from the door, towards her daughter who ran over to her whilst Charles entered the room as well, closing the door behind him.
As the mother and daughter shared an embrace, Moira spoke.
"Maggie, how on earth did you get here from the house, the mirror wouldn't let me go back through it."
"I went a different way, Mom, through pixie dust and happy thoughts." Maggie replied which made Moira laugh a bit as she was glad to see her.
"I almost thought that I was never going to see you again, so now how do we get back home?" she asked.
On hearing her mom ask that question, Maggie looked a little guilty.
Seeing her guilty look, Moira asked her. "Maggie what's wrong?"
"We can't get back home, not at least until I can fulfil a task that the Commodore here was going to give me. That was the bargain that he offered; I bartered my service to him in exchange for Amnesty as Caitlin here explained to me: it clears your name of all charges Mom." Maggie said to her mom when Charles spoke out to them.
"Which I believe might actually concern you as well Mistress Banning, so If you would like to take your seat then I shall tell you the task I have for your daughter." Moira and Maggie looked at the Commodore and at each other.
Seeing her daughter nod in confirmation, Moira stood up from the floor. Her daughter led Moira to the chairs before they sat down.
Charles went to the table and poured some water into a cup before he brought it over to Moira.
As soon as she took the cup of water from his hand and drank a small sip from her cup, Commodore Charles went to take his seat at the table.
Sitting his end on the chair, he sat up straight settling down at the desk.
Caitlin stood by Charles' side as he began to speak.
"Mistress Banning, this conversation must be between you and your daughter, me and my wife. It must not leave this room: the task that I am asking of your daughter is this. She is to venture off from this town to find my son who is somewhere in the forest, she needs to help him get to the hideout of the Lost boys."
Sipping some water, Moira then placed her cup on the table before she looked at the commodore. "Commodore, sir. If you would permit me to ask; Why would you want to send my daughter out into the forest outside this town?" asked Moira, her growing concern showing itself.
"Because this town is only short of food and supplies which will only last for four days at length. There are a hundred pirates with cannons standing at our doorstep. Without any support, we will lose this town to the pirates." Charles answered Moira's question in a direct fact that scared Moira deeply.
"Indeed, and If they capture this fort they will crush us, strip this whole place clean like maggots and use this ship to destroy our last British ports in the far north, resulting in a horrible fate for all families encamped there," Caitlin added to the point that Charles was making clear to Moira and Maggie.
It was then that Moira spoke.
"So you're saying that the fate of this town rests on my daughter's hands?"
"Mistress Banning, I am saying there are harsh consequences ahead should you refuse to let your daughter perform this task. Now, between the pirates' encampments, there's some open ground here." Charles said, pointing to a spot on the map that lay on the desk.
Moira and Maggie leaned forward to see where Charles was pointing on the map as he spoke. "And our only hope in defence of this ship is to send someone to help my son and call for the lost boys to aid us in defeating the pirates before the next supply convoy ship can make berth on our port."
"No, you can't send my daughter out into danger." Moira stated as she stood up to move next to her daughter. But Charles then spoke again.
"I'm afraid your daughter is in more danger here than she is out there, your choice would be insufficient anyway and it has to be her choice. The British Navy and I are prepared to give you this Amnesty to you in return for your daughter's service and she has agreed to our terms. Besides I might need you to accompany me and my wife, we're heading to my nephew's post to alert the northern British ports that Fort Fairfax is being attacked.
This place is the keystone to the Pirates as the Pirate's port was and I know the one who commands them, he is the same man who I hold vengeance against. Mistress Banning, it is up to your daughter to choose what she wants." Charles stated as he sat back in his chair.
It was then that Maggie stepped up from her chair. "Maggie." Moira called out to her daughter.
She ignored her mother's call which went on again as the girl went around the desk.
Her mother watched her approach Charles who turned his seat to the right side to face her.
When Maggie stopped at a distance from herself and Charles, she spoke.
"I have had a moment to think about what you asked and maybe I will consider helping you and your son."
Maggie paused as Charles looked at her wondering what made her consider when she answered. "I know how you lost your family."
Charles turned his head to Caitlin who nodded to him.
He turned his back to Maggie before he spoke.
"Then you should know something else. You see their new Captain who commands the pirates outside the fort is known as Edward Sephiran the Leviathan Pirate; he was a former subordinate of Captain James Hook who had a pirate crew of his own on the Jolly Roger but at length, he still answered to James Hook himself.
I also found out further that Sephiran had raided the town in Lyme, England those years ago with James Hook's personal blessing."
Maggie and her mother Moira had found themselves sad in despair with the revelation of Hook's ties with this Captain Sephiran, only Moira was about to speak her sympathies to Charles when all of a sudden they heard another sound of a blast from the cannons outside the ship in the town.
On the Hillside on the outskirts of Fort: Fairfax.
In the hillsides that were a fair distance from the fortress walls with clear grounds between them, there was a line of cannons being fired and loaded by groups of men who were working the cannons, each of them wore a different pirate hatband on their heads as they worked the cannons but sought to breach the wall surrounding the town so that they can enter the fort and take the ship.
The man commanding the pirates on the encampments was Captain Edward Sephiran the Leviathan Pirate. He was said to have been the most fiercest of pirates who had answered to Captain James Hook for many years since he had come to Neverland until word of his death was spread.
He then rose to the rank of becoming an official pirate Captain a couple of months after Hook's death. Most of the pirates under his command were those who were captured by the Lost boys years ago.
Now in the year after Sephiran had released them, they serve humbly under Sephiran's captaincy. The Leviathan pirate was now standing and watching as his pirates work the cannons to breach the wall before he can send his pirates out to the wall.
Then he can attack the wall's troops at some point in this week or sooner.
But he was a patient man as he knew that it would take a long time to starve the enemy before they could take the walls, and yet he also knew that his man on the inside was getting ready to make his move. And having made his own bargain with the man last year, he had hoped that the man was not dead but would one day fulfil his end no sooner than two days time before they would make an attack upon the ship itself.
To be continued...
That's chapter three done, so the story will follow up on chapter four. I hope that you will enjoy reading this chapter and comment on it whilst I work on the next chapter where Maggie will choose to head off on the mission whilst Moira tags along with Commodore Charles and Caitlin Corven. Stay tuned.