POTC: Cortez's Uncharted Islands Chapter 17: Formulating A Plan, a pirates of the caribbean fanfic

Chapter 17

Cortez and Calypso, with Jacquelyn in tow, appeared on the outskirts of the mysterious island, where the longboats were still moored to the shore. The sky was growing darker and grayer by the minute and the powerful wind was beginning to send waves crashing against the sandy shore and the few rocks that lined it. The wind was also buffeting the leaves and such of each palm tree, whipping them around violently. For Calypso, the conditions could not be more perfect.

Jacquelyn struggled against Cortez's grasp, both angry and frightened. She had no idea what type of thoughts were running through the minds of her two captors, but she did know that she had to find some means of escape before their plans could be carried out. But the Spanish conquistador did not relinquish his hold on Jacquelyn, and he had no intention to; Cortez's mind was focused on only one thing at the moment: getting back his ships.

Just then Calypso, her blonde hair blowing all over the place, turned to Cortez and spoke in a voice that she made sure was audible over the strong wind. "Command me to fulfill your wishes, and I'll be able to do so."

Cortez, one hand grasping Jacquelyn's clothing and the other holding Calypso's locket, glanced down at said locket and understood what Calypso meant. He then cleared his throat and spoke loudly and clearly. "Calypso, I command you to summon forth the ships resting on the bottom of the ocean that rightfully belong to me!"

"Granted."

Calypso spread her arms wide while closing her eyes in concentration. Suddenly, the sky grew darker as more clouds virtually rolled into view, accompanied by the low rumbling of thunder. The scenery of the island was shrouded in shadow in a matter of seconds, darkening everything considerably. Next, the ocean water started to bubble and froth as if it was being heated from beneath by a raging fire inside the Earth's crust. The water then began to swirl and spin continuously as the salty liquid also formed a slight depression in its smooth surface. At that particular moment, Cortez glanced down at Calypso's locket, which was now glowing in pulsating bursts of oceanic blue.

Meanwhile, Calypso, her arms still outstretched, tensed the muscles in those arms and another deep rumbling noise made itself known. This rumbling, however, differed greatly from the sound of thunder that human ears are most accustomed to; it easily compared to a continuous beating of drums, as it came in short and loud beats. The bursts of noise carried on until something wooden and decayed broke the surface of the ocean. But that something wooden and decayed was not a solitary object; it was followed by many others of the same type, all in a straight line. It took a while to fully register exactly what these peculiar objects were...the tops of barnacle-encrusted and ghostly-looking vessels with massive sails and cannons that extended outward once the ships were fully above the surface. Each ship was dark and nightmarish while regal and intricate in terms of their Spanish designs, like crossing the darkest corners of death with the most sophisticated aspects of piracy. Onboard each ship were many pale, ghostly pirates who were roaring with rage, waving either their swords or pistols above their heads. Cortez turned to Calypso in admiration.

"Impressive!" he commended her proudly.

Calypso returned to a normal pose. "I'll gladly take my locket now."

Cortez fingered the locket, which was no longer pulsating the blue light, and slipped it around his neck, smiling sinisterly. "After I destroy the opposition. I need to make sure that these ships possess the ability to perform the tasks I have in mind."

Calypso clearly held back her bitterness. "I assure you, Cortez, your ships will function properly."

"I'll believe that when I see it."

And with that, Cortez hauled Jacquelyn away to the lead ship of the armada, which was floating in front of the rest.

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Back inside the cave, Will and Elizabeth approached Jack with Michael right by their side. The pirate captain was slowly rising to his feet, still rubbing his bandanna-covered head. When he saw his two comrades coming toward him, Jack placed his hat on his head.

"Jack," said Will, "we have to rescue Jacquelyn. Otherwise, I just know that Cortez will kill her."

"Well, that's not all of it, mate. Cortez not only has the little girl, but also The Golden Sword and Calypso's locket. We need both if we wish to emerge from all of this victorious."

"Jack," Elizabeth spoke up, stepping forward, "I think that both items in question could be considered secondary to rescuing Jacquelyn."

"Do tell, dearie, why is that?"

Elizabeth sighed in an attempt to stall for time. She looked toward Will, who gave her a curt nod with meaningful eyes. "Look, Jack," Elizabeth began, "there's something you should know. Earlier, you had asked us who Jacquelyn really belonged to. Clearly, she's not our daughter. We only have Michael right now."

"So?" Jack prompted. "Why is the parentage of Jacquelyn of the utmost importance in a time like this?"

"Because," said Will, "you're Jacquelyn's father."

Jack's reaction was not immediate. He looked from Will to Elizabeth and back to Will again, his expression disbelieving. At first, Will's words seemed like a joke, as if Will and Elizabeth were testing Jack's sense of humor. But the extremely serious looks on the faces of Jack's two friends quickly debunked that theory and Jack started to consider the claim. The idea of having a daughter was one that Jack was not initially sure he was comfortable with; that and the fact that he was not completely sure he was ready to be a father...Jack had not even expected the notion to present itself at any time in his life. Next came the emotional weight of the proclamation, and it all came down crashing upon Jack like an entire ship.

I have a daughter..., Jack thought, me...Captain Jack Sparrow. I'm a father and I didn't even know it.

Suddenly, everything concerning Jacquelyn made sense. Her being Jack's daughter explained the girl's fascination with the eccentric pirate captain. After all, Jacquelyn was the daughter of the most widely known pirate captain in the Caribbean, so naturally she would be eager to absorb as much information about Jack as she could. But now, Jacquelyn, that very curious girl and Jack's daughter, was in danger and Jack knew that it was his first and foremost obligation to save her before it was too late.

"Right," Jack said, getting back on track, "we need to not only acquire the mystical artifacts, but save my...daughter as well. We should get moving."

Onboard his ship, Cortez walked in front of his crew, his hands behind his back in a pose of authority. Calypso stood at the end of the line, holding Jacquelyn. Cortez eyed her with a piercing stare.

"Put the girl in my quarters," he ordered. "We can't have her interfering with anything."

A bulky crew member immediately approached Jacquelyn and hauled her away, Jacquelyn violently protesting all the way. Cortez smiled and turned on his heel to face his men.

"I believe that we will soon be engaged in a battle with who I'm informed is Captain Jack Sparrow," Cortez informed his crew. "This ship alone will take on Sparrow's vessel, and we will most surely decimate it." The Spanish conquistador looked from face to face, his own expression impassive. "To stations, then!"

His men did as they were told and went about preparing the cannons and other weapons for battle.

"So you want to fight the entire Spanish Armada?" Will asked as he, Elizabeth, Jack and the rest of the crew raced toward the exit of the cave.

"Whoever said anything about fighting the entire Armada?" said Jack. "We require only a solitary vessel with which to engage in battle."

"What's the plan, then?" inquired Elizabeth.

"We fight Cortez's main ship, get onto it, rescue Jacquelyn and recover both The Golden Sword and Calypso's locket, kill Cortez and destroy his other vessels."

Just then, the Pearl crew emerged from the cave but did not slow their pace as they continued to dash back toward the Black Pearl.

"And here I thought it would be an incredibly complicated plan," Will said sarcastically.

"Trust me...it will play out much quicker once it's begun," responded Jack.

"Wait a moment, what happened to Smith?" asked Elizabeth. "He wasn't in the cave when we left."

"Backstabbing bloke must've been killed in all the chaos," ventured Jack.

Within five minutes, the crew had successfully reached the Black Pearl and climbed aboard. Jack then went about shouting orders left and right to crewmates, ordering them to prepare the ship for a fight.

"Step to!" Will barked to a crew member who was dragging his feet as he went about his duties. Will dashed over to the wheel, where Jack was currently standing, and stopped beside his friend. "I don't see any ships," he said, gesturing out at their foggy surroundings.

Jack smirked knowingly. "Oh, they're out there. It's just a question of who's willing to make the first move." The sound of the Black Pearl's cannons being extended outward along the sides of the ship followed Jack's words. "At least we'll be ready."

Elizabeth and Michael came up beside Jack and Will, staring out at the clouds of fog that had settled over the quiet waters as well. "Good," said Elizabeth, "because we have company."

The others looked in the direction she was and were treated to the sight of an ominous vessel of great size approaching them, shifting the clouds of fog aside as it drifted closer to the Pearl. Once it was close enough to see, the crew's vision unhindered by the fog, Cortez's ship turned so that it too was sideways, its cannons pointed straight ahead. Suddenly, there was a deep explosion, a flash of light from the cannon barrels, and the sound of cannonballs crashing against the wood of a ship.