Chapter XV

The Captain's Fall

'Ahoy, son.' Odin Lowe, former captain of the Peacemillion, smiled victoriously at the young man standing across from him. Heero, who had been paralysed the moment his eyes fell on his missing father, still had to make a move. Relena stood behind him, half-hidden by his body. She was one of the finest creatures Lowe had ever seen. Still she was no match for his beloved Aoi, his exotic oriental flower… He could however see she hated him just as much if not more. 'Ahoy, miss.' He said, smirk widening when he saw her eyes harden, even as his son stepped further in front of her. The boy had the looks of a man who would kill or die for another… To think he had not believed Jay when the man had told him.

'What do ye want?' Heero demanded.

'What do I want?' he feigned confusion and amusement at the obvious question. 'To come home, of course. To me ship and me crew.'

His son's eyes narrowed doubtfully, but the young captain said nothing. Instead he turned to the peg-legged pirate. 'Now that yer chest is empty…' he gave Lowe a brief sideways glance. 'We'll be using it to bring the gold up before whoever ye have set on our trail can actually find us.'

'Ye haven't got long, lad.' His father warned him, still smirking at his son as the young man made his way to the chest. 'Ye better hurry.'

'If ye value yer lives, the two of ye will remain here and stay quiet.' Heero informed them seriously, dragging the now relatively light chest behind him. Relena hurried to assist him for which she received a painful look, but no objections. 'We've got no time to waste with questions and explanations.'

It was hard giving his back to those men, not that he feared they would actually shoot him, but because every single fibre in his body was screaming at him not to take his eyes off them. He was quite aware the second he glanced away they would start plotting behind his back.

Relena helped him carry the chest up the stairs, he could see she was having some trouble, but he did not allow her to stop before they had reached the sleeping quarters and were safely out of the older men's sights. He let go of his side first and watched as she lowered hers as well somewhat relieved, somewhat confused. There was also worry… She worried about him like no one else. Not since his mother and though it was a heart-warming feeling, Heero did not always know what to make of it.

'Don't tell anyone.' He half-asked half-ordered, avoiding her gaze. 'Not yet.' She nodded, afraid her voice might break through whatever force he was holding onto to keep himself going. 'And don't ever let them get close to ye. Not Jay and especially not Lowe.'

'Heero…' Relena started, but he was already picking his side of the chest back up.

'We'll deal with Dorothy later.' He assured her though he knew that was not what she had meant to bring up. His mind was racing… There was too much to think about… He did not wish to hurt her, but he just could not answer her questions at that very moment. He waited for her acknowledging nod before proceeding up the stairs.

The crew was gathered at the main deck with the exception of Sally, who was up at the crow's nest keeping an eye out for approaching vessels. Even Trowa had risked leaving the captain's quarters to accompany the action from up close. They all leaned against the railing chatting animatedly, completely unaware of who had clandestinely joined them, as they waited for Hilde to return from her dive. Chang approached them to help carry the chest the rest of the way. Howard was waiting by the railing with a rope ready.

'What was inside?' Duo asked curiously, surprised that Jay had not put up a fight but actually allowed them to use his previously overloaded chest.

Relena turned to Heero apprehensively, but his face did not change. 'Ye don't want to know.' The captain assured the braided man, who was left to stare puzzled at Heero's back as the man continued on.

'What's gotten into him?'

'He's just worried.' The blonde woman smiled placatingly.

'About what? The ship that was tailing us? We lost it a long time ago. There's no way they can catch up to the Peacemillion.' Duo's confidence was reassuring even though Relena knew he was only saying that because no one had told him about the fallen barrel trail. 'Heero always worries too much… That's why he's such a prissy.'

She did not say anything to that, but could feel her smile fade as her eyes sought the captain. She feared he worried just enough. The only problem was that he had too much to worry about. 'We're taking this gold down to the sleeping quarters.' He informed her when he returned to her side. 'Just the two of us.' He added for the braided pirate's sake.

'Ye won't be diving then.' Trowa limped towards them.

'Catalonia will dive in my stead. She says she can hold her breath longer than any of us.' Heero spoke loud enough for Dorothy to hear. Their eyes met in a silent challenge and the blonde woman smirked. 'Let 'er prove it if she's willing.'

Duo snorted. 'That mane of 'ers' gonna be a mess.'

'You're one to talk, Maxwell.' Dorothy shouted at him, clearly still paying attention to their conversation, and the blabbermouth stalked towards her to argue from up close.

'Do not overexert yerself.' The captain warned Trowa, glancing at his ankle before following Relena down the stairs with armfuls of gold.

XXX

She emptied yet another bag of gold in the darkest corner of the sleeping quarters and sighed. If Heero's mind was working as fast as his body it was no wonder he was so stressed. In the space of two dives, they had carried five dives worth of treasure down from the main deck to the sleeping quarters. Relena had somehow managed to keep up with the captain's inhuman pace, but as the gold on the upper deck grew sparse so did her strength. 'Could we sit down for a moment?' she asked, already collapsing on top of the biggest of the golden boxes. It was short, but her backside fit perfectly on it and she did not think she could stay on her feet much longer. The uncomfortable seat was more than welcome.

Heero put down a pile of gold plates and turned to her with a thoughtful look, as if he had forgotten she was there at all. Relena was beginning to get used to those distracted looks of his. She could already read his nearly invisible facial expressions better than anyone so it was only natural… 'Hn.' He nodded finally and fished a bottle of rum out of the mess before dropping down beside her. He was not much of a drinker and the sight made her even more concerned. She shook her head when he offered her some, looking quietly down at him. There was sweat on his forehead and on the back of his neck though the day was not especially warm. 'I never thought I'd see him again…'

'What?' Relena was not sure she had really heard him speak. It was completely unexpected.

'He wasn't supposed to be here.'

'Heero…' the strain in his voice pained her, but Relena had no idea what to say. She did not know the whole story, only bits and pieces.

'He was supposed to be dead.'

'Dead?' she could not help asking, her curiosity getting the better of her. She had known Odin Lowe's unexpected return would awaken a lot of ghosts, but she had not realised there would be an actual ghost among them.

The captain put the bottle away, frowning at the dark wooden deck. He would not allow himself to get drunk, not when so much and so many depended on him. All he needed was a little push, a touch of liquid courage, in order to talk about it… 'I've never told this story to anyone…' he finally met Relena's eyes, afraid of what he would find there, but all he saw was understanding. He could see his own pain reflected there as if she could feel it herself, as if they were not two but one, and he suddenly wanted to tell her, to unburden himself… He wanted her to know.

She abandoned her seat to join him on the cold hard floor and took his hand as she had done when he had told her the tale of the favourite pupil. Her complete and utter trust was moving… Heero swallowed dryly and started his tale with a heavy heart.

XXX

They were back at The Scroll and Talisman and the crew was drinking like there was no tomorrow. Quartermaster, Heero Yuy, watched warily from the counter as Captain Odin Lowe finished his second or third bottle. From time to time, their captain liked to engage in a heavier drinking and his 'hearties' were the ones to pay for it, especially his son. So the young man sat there, anticipating the consequences and all the nasty names his father would call him, his mother and his step-father.

'Ye're not having a good night tonight.' Sally observed, returning to the bar after going around the tavern refilling her former crewmates' jugs.

'Aye.' He agreed, though there had definitely been worse nights. Much worse. A drunk Odin Lowe was not half as bad as a furious one.

'We should head back to the ship.' Trowa commented, sipping his rum as he leaned on the counter.

'Not without Lowe.' Heero reminded him.

'Why do ye care what becomes of him?'

'I don't.'

'Then let 'im get himself killed.'

'He's a smarter drunk than that.'

'Heero's right.' Duo agreed, joining them just as the musicians decided to take a break. 'I've never seen a sharper drunk than the capt'n… He'll know we're gone before we even get there.'

'We could say we're shifting with Chang. Surely he wants to…' Trowa sent Sally a look.

The tavern owner smiled at him. 'Wufei won't come. Not tonight. That's just the way he is.'

'Offering to look after the ship when he could be with his lady…' the braided pirate clicked his tongue. 'What a schmuck.'

'Are ye' drunk, Maxwell?' the green-eyed lookout gave his crewmate a once over.

Duo smiled smugly. 'It takes a lot more than a couple bottles to get me drunk, matey.' He laughed. 'How 'bout ye?'

Trowa snorted. He was not very fond of the bottle though he had fallen to its evils a time or another. There were days when the memories became too much even for the likes of him. 'Let's go.' Heero said finally, pushing away from the counter. Outside, a lightning struck, turning the cloudy dark skies white for a fleeting moment. 'Before it starts raining.'

'Take care, Sally.' The braided pirate waved at her.

'Ye leaving too, Duo? I thought I'd get ye to empty yer purse tonight.' She told him in mock disappointment.

'Truth is, Golden Curls… It already is empty.' He whispered to her and left a chuckling Sally behind.

'Were ye flirting with Chang's woman just now, Maxwell?' Trowa questioned teasingly when Duo joined them at the door

They stepped out together, leaving their captain behind. 'She's not his woman. Just ask 'im. See what 'e tells ye, aye? Besides, I was just being friendly. I guess it must be hard for ye cold-hearted types to understand, but that's the way I am.' The braided man's speech was interrupted by the barely repressed snickers of his companions. 'Laugh as much as ye like. I'll laugh back at ye when the lasses come all running straight to me arms.'

'We've had our fair share of the skirts. Aye, Heero?'

'Hn.'

Duo's snicker turned into outright laughter. Until an earth-shaking thunder interrupted him 'Ye I can even picture at a brothel, Bart'n, but Heero…' he resumed laughing as the captain's son sighed wearily. 'Shouldn't ye be visiting the cathouses by now, mate? How old are ye anyways? Twenty and five?'

'He's twenty and one.' Trowa corrected, earning a glare from Heero.

'Me life is none of yer damn business, Maxwell.'

'Aye, aye…' he waved his hands placatingly. 'I worry about ye is all. Ye never share anything… Quatre says ye quiet types feel things more keenly than the rest of us, I wonder if that's why ye keep to yerselves…'

'Perhaps.' The young quartermaster said to his surprised crewmates and as the first raindrops started falling, he wondered if their pasts were not the actual culprits.

XXX

A storm was raging when the captain finally returned, and Heero was sure the only reason he heard the man's shouts over the downpour was because he had been expecting them. He left the warmth of Lowe's quarters and stepped out to meet the man himself. 'So that's where ye're hiding, ye good-for-nothing jelly-brained scullion! Who allowed ye to leave, eh? Who?'

'I left because I wanted to.' He answered bravely, seeing as the harm was already done.

'Oh? Ye wanted to, did ye? And since when are ye allowed to want anything?' the captain saw the young man's eyes harden even through the thick curtain of rain that separated them. 'Don't ye dare stare at me with those eyes, boy!' Lowe stumbled forward in his drunken rage, his palm flying towards Heero's face. It missed, and, for a moment, the man went still, his gaze hidden by a mop of his soaked hair. 'Don't ye dare look at me with her eyes! With Aoi's… Yer mother's… That whore's eyes! Don't ye dare give me that disgusted, reproachful look! Ye're nothing! No one! Ye have no right!'

Heero's eyes narrowed a fraction as he watched impassively. If this was what alcohol did to a person then he wanted nothing to do with it. He did not give his father the pleasure of receiving an answer, in fact he could only wonder at the reasons that had taken him there and kept him standing there on the main deck, soaked to the bone, listening to the captain's drunken rant as the sea and the skies raged around them. Perhaps he feared for the others, feared what Lowe might do if he wasn't there to listen, to act as the man's victim, to stop him if he went berserk.

'What? Won't ye say anything? Ye coward! Why did ye leave the tavern, huh? Did Maxwell take ye to a brothel? Was it wenches ye traded yer captain for?' the older man kept shouting over the roaring storm. 'Answer me, boy! I want the truth!'

'Ye waste precious time and coin drinking and whoring and so does yer crew.' He was honest, as ordered.

'I waste time and coin, eh? Ye think ye could do better than me, rug rat? Tell me what ye'd do.'

'Search for treasure, loot…'

'Aye… And what would ye have me do with all the profits?' the captain scorned him.

'The Peacemillion could use improvement and our living standards right now are precarious.'

Lowe burst out laughing. 'What a selfless fool you've become…' he said somewhat bitterly. 'And after all the things I've taught ye… Damn ye, Aoi, for giving me such a weak bairn! Damn ye, Jay, for giving me false hopes! He got what 'e deserved that impostor.'

The young man watched somewhat warily as his father made his way to the anchor. 'I can see ye' hidin' there, Bart'n.' He spat as he made his way past the stairs. His drunken legs could barely support him with the waves rocking the ship so violently, but Lowe was an old seadog and he somehow still managed to reach the rope. 'Help me pull this thing.' Trowa stepped out of the shadows and turned wide-eyes to Heero, who refused to move. 'Stop gazing into each other's eyes like love-struck wenches and raise the bloody anchor!'

'But, Capt'n…' the lookout tried to reason with the man as he stepped closer. 'The storm…'

'That rat I call a son says we're wasting time so… Let us stop wasting time, me hearties!' Lowe smiled widely, making the other pirates question his sanity. 'Move it, ye lead-swinging crap-sacks! Or must I pull me gun at ye?'

'Do as he says.' Heero walked past Trowa and seized the rope.

They had barely lifted the anchor when a large wave pushed the Peacemillion away from the port, knocking them on their backsides with the exception of Lowe, who clung to the railing for dear life on his way to the quarter deck. 'He's out of his mind!' the lookout met the quartermaster's eyes horrified.

'Aye… Let that go.'

'What?'

'Drop the anchor.' Heero repeated. 'Almost the entire crew's still ashore, if the waves drag us any further we won't be able to return.'

'But Lowe…'

'Lowe has done enough.' there was a cold determination in his tone that had Trowa following him to the quarter deck. 'It is yours if ye want it.'

The green-eyed man paused in the middle of the stairs as a lightning fell nearby, sending their hearts in a mad dash. Lowe was at the helm, trying in vain to control the ship amidst the storm. Trowa thought of his sister and of the chancellor. whose lives had been taken unjustly… How many more would unnecessarily lose their lives if their captain went on living? Would they lose their lives? He honestly feared as much. His hand searched for the pistol tucked in his waistband under his now soaked shirt, with luck the powder would still be dry. He did not appreciate stabbing…

'So ye have finally come to kill me.' Lowe read their intent in their eyes as soon as they reached the top of the stairs. He sounded amused, the scary heartless smile still on his lips. The young men said nothing even as the captain let go of the helm and started backing away from them. Heero was surprised at the reaction… He had never expected that man to be afraid of death, but then that might be the rum acting in his stead. 'What are ye going to do, Heero? Avenge yer step-father's death? Did that Heero Yuy fella mean that much to ye?'

Heero barely remembered his step-father…or even his mother. His eyes narrowed when Lowe's lower back hit the railing, but it was Trowa who spoke. 'I'm avenging me sister.' He said, raising the pistol. Recognition flashed in the captain's eyes, but the lookout did not wait. They heard the blast over the rain, but as Lowe fell over the railing towards the raging waters there seemed to be only silence.

XXX

'Did ye hear?' it was the third or fourth pirate Duo approached.

'Everyone has already heard, Maxwell.' Chang, arms crossed and scowl in place, leaned against the main mast. They had woken up early to find out that the ship had been carried away from the port and their captain gone missing. Now, they were back in Tortuga, waiting for their clueless crewmates to return from the taverns and brothels, where they had spent the night, so decisions could be made and measures could be taken. 'The entire island has already heard.'

The braided pirate snorted, but gave up retorting when he saw Sally standing at the pier. If the news had travelled all the way to The Scroll and Talisman then maybe the Chinese man was somewhat right. 'Sally's 'ere. Ye should go talk to 'er.'

Wufei's eyes snapped open at the blonde woman's name and his arms uncrossed as he made his way to the railing. Duo shook his head, amused. Then spotted Trowa coming up from the sleeping quarters and hurried towards the man. 'I've already heard.' The lookout immediately informed him.

'Oh…' the braided pirate lamented dejectedly. 'When did ye hear?'

'I was here the whole time, Maxwell. I helped bring the ship back to port.'

'Ye did? Sorry, matey, didn't really see ye… Where's the rest of the blokes who helped us bring the ship back anyway?'

'Most of them are gone I should think… Or hung-over.'

'Gone? As in…'

'Abandoned ship.'

'Why would they leave?'

'Because Lowe is gone.' It was Quatre who answered, a strained smile on his lips.

'Isn't that all the more reason to stay?' Duo still could not comprehend. Odin Lowe's reign of terror was over.

'Not necessarily.' The blonde man frowned lightly. 'Lowe's name was well-known and feared. It gave some sort of status to the pirates who served under him. Heero may be his son, but he does not carry his father's name or his fame. And I guess there are also those who appreciated Lowe's leadership and would accept no other captain… I believe those are the main reasons.'

'They're stupid reasons.' The braided pirate concluded.

'Maybe to ye they are, shrimp.' Red tugged at Duo's hair on his way to the pier. 'But I ain't serving under that brat Yuy.'

'Aye, aye.' The younger pirate waved him away with a scowl, nursing his long brown braid. 'Good riddance.' He mumbled.

'Have ye come up with a plan?' Trowa turned to Quatre who had been locked up with Heero ever since they had docked.

'There isn't really much to come up with… We're sticking to our code.' He shrugged, however still worriedly. 'Here he comes.'

The former captain's son walked past the helm and up to the railing, gazing down at the crowd of pirates assembled on the main deck. 'As ye must have all already heard, Captain Lowe has gone missing and it is our belief that – in his drunken state – he must have fallen off board during last night's storm.'

'Ye're the only one who believes that bullshit, ye backstabber!' one of the oldest crew members shouted and the vast majority of his crewmates gave agreeing nods.

'If ye had stayed with 'im the way ye were supposed to, he would still be 'ere!' another added.

'Murderer!' a third man shouted.

'What a horrid thing to say…' Quatre muttered, visibly horrified by his crewmates' words.

'Lowe was the king of murderers and no one had a single complaint about that.' Duo had an angry frown on his face. Only Trowa remained silent.

Chang was making his way back onto the ship, after talking to Sally, when what was left of the crew came marching in his direction, forcing him to step aside in order to let them through. He could not hide his surprise when he reached the main deck and found only the five of them remained on board. So this was how it would end…

Heero sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose. 'Ye might as well come up here.' He told them. 'There's no reason now for us not to have a decent meeting. Unless you mean to leave as well?'

Wufei snorted. 'We definitely should. We'll be done for otherwise.'

'No, we won't.' Quatre eyed him with a stern frown. It was an expression none of them had ever seen on his face and they all took a cautious step back. 'It is only thanks to Heero and the Peacemillion that we are here now, so it's only right that we repay the favour.'

Duo looked down at his hands and saw the calluses he had acquired working as a sailor. 'I really have nowhere else to go.' His eyes were hard with determination when they met the others'.

'Neither do I.' Trowa added quietly, and all gazes fell on Chang who still stood very close to the exit.

'I suppose I do owe Yuy as much…' the Chinese man conceded.

Together all four pirates made their way to the quarter deck. 'We had already considered this possibility.' Quatre informed them, meeting Heero's eye. 'The Peacemillion is a sailing vessel… Surely a larger crew would do no harm, but that doesn't mean we can't do this by ourselves. It'll be a lot of work, but we can do this. And once we've gathered a little more coin we can recruit more pirates, we can take the Peacemillion back to her glorious days.'

There was a moment of silence in which they all seemed to be processing the blonde man's words. Chang was still frowning. 'I take it ye're naming yerself captain?'

'We've decided to call on a vote. Perhaps the rest of the crew would have stayed had they known…'

'Let those scurvy turkeys leave.' Duo tsked. 'We're better off without them anyway.'

'If that's so then I vote for Chang.' The Chinese man informed them.

The braided pirate snorted. 'Like no one was expecting that…' then he smiled wide and devilishly. 'I vote for Quatre.'

'What?' the blonde man's eyes widened in surprise, though he could see Duo had only voted for him to provoke Wufei, who was fond of calling Quatre a landlubber and dismissing his skills. 'I vote for Heero.'

'So do I.' Trowa said, nodding confidently. 'He's been raised for the role after all.'

'Hn.' The newly elected captain nodded. 'Chang, you're first mate.'

The Chinese man blinked in his confusion. 'But I thought Barton…'

'Trowa can aid us best as a lookout.'

'Aye.' The green-eyed man nodded in agreement.

'Then we're set.' The braided man smiled widely.

'Aye.'

'Anchor aweigh!'

'Maxwell…' Chang immediately chastised him. 'I'm the one who shouts the orders here.'

'Aye, aye.'

XXX

'Capt'n!' Hilde halted as soon as she laid eyes on Heero who sat beside Relena amidst piles and piles of gold. 'Sun's about to set. Chang says it's time to go.'

'Aye.' He agreed, standing up. He offered the blonde woman a hand, helping her get back on her feet and held her gaze for a moment longer than would have been appropriate for mere crewmates. She could not tell exactly what he meant by that look, but there was such a raw tenderness to it her heart ached in her chest. 'Schbeiker, let Chang know we're headed to Capri to get the ship repaired, then help Darlian bring the rest of the treasure down.'

'Aye, Capt'n!' the black haired woman rushed back up the stairs.

'Heero…' Relena seized his wrist as he made to follow. 'What about Jay and…'

The captain sighed resignedly. 'Call me when ye're done and I'll bring them up. They can answer our questions before we reach Capri.'

She nodded, watching as he made his way back up to the main deck, before following to resume putting away the gold. Both Hilde and Dorothy assisted her, the latter proud of her dive which had – according to herself – put all other dives before and after hers to shame. The amount of gold she had brought back up had also been an improvement in comparison to the amount brought up by other divers. Or so she bragged. Relena did not understand the woman's need to impress her, but she was glad Dorothy seemed distracted from their earlier issue… Or maybe she had just concluded the other blonde was Heero's lover and hoped she would pass on her amazing story to the captain next time they were alone together.

They had just finished stocking the treasure and Relena was on her way to the quarter deck when Sally shouted from the crow's nest. 'Man o' war! Behind us, Capt'n! Man o' war!'

'Man o' war?' Hilde echoed beside her confused.

'There's no way it can catch us.' Duo, who was manning the mainsail, assured them.

'I would not be so sure about that.' Dorothy had her arms crossed and a grave look on her face. 'All that treasure's made us way heavier and we can't sail too fast or water might start getting in through the gap made by Scylla.'

They exchanged worried glances. 'We don't stand a chance against a man o' war!' the braided pirate protested. 'We've only got… What? Four cannons left?'

'Loosen all sails!' Chang shouted from the quarter deck.

'Seems the captain agrees with ye.' Hilde commented as she helped him loosen the mainsail.

'But will this be enough?' Relena wondered aloud. 'Will we escape?'

XXX

Sally could already see the island when the man o' war fired its first warning shot. She turned her telescope around and knew right there and then that they would not make it. There was no losing their pursuers and they could not afford to sail much further with the Peacemillion as she was. They would reach Capri, but the enemy would also reach them. It was inevitable.

'Winner! What do we do?' she heard Chang's voice and could tell both by his tone, and the fact that he was asking Quatre for help, that he too had realised how precarious their situation was. She climbed down the ratlines and made her way to the quarter deck, knowing her impressions as lookout would be needed if they were to come up with a plan.

'Sally!' the blonde man's eyes widened the moment they fell on her. 'Do you think we can reach the island before they get to us?'

'Aye, but barely…'

'Then that's all we can hope for… But only to avoid more damage to the ship.'

'And hand our treasure over to them?' Chang sounded positively horrified. 'If that's the case then it's best we stop right here and sink the ship.'

'What?!' Howard, who had been manning the aft sail, left his post without a second thought and ran to the helm. 'No one's sinking me ship! I'll kill ye before ye even try!'

'Put away the gun, Howard.' Heero advised him sternly. 'No one's sinking the ship.'

'Then what do ye propose we do?' the Chinese man turned a sceptical glare towards the captain.

'We dock and surrender.'

'What?!'

'The enemy has allies on board… I propose we surrender and see what happens. Fighting won't do us any good either way.'

'He's right.' Quatre agreed. 'It's a man o' war… We're way outnumbered and if we fight before we dock we might as well just do as you said and sink the ship… The way I see it… We're completely out of options.'

'And who are the traitors who have allied themselves to our enemy?' Chang questioned fingering his pistol.

'Ye'll know in due time.'

'We'll be at the port soon…' Sally cut in when the Chinese man's angry eyes narrowed on Heero. 'We better be prepared.'

'Let everyone know.' Heero told them all sombrely and his eyes fell on Relena, who was assisting Dorothy with the foresail. She would be going down with them, as one of them, and for some reason that did not please him in the least. There was nothing he could do to stop it either and it was his fault for bringing Jay on board in the first place.

The minutes that followed were marked by silent tension and quiet acceptance. Not even Duo spoke, all he did was share worried glances with Hilde each concerned for the other's sake. Wufei wondered if he should climb up to the crow's nest and talk to Sally for what might be the last time. Howard caressed the Peacemillion's railing mournfully. Quatre thought of the Maganacs whom he had intended to search for with his share of the treasure. Relena fought the urge to race to the quarter deck as the island grew closer and closer. Trowa petted Shadow sadly and Dorothy tried to keep herself busy. Sally looked down at the quarter deck, lamenting the fact that she could not give Chang a proper goodbye.

They reached the port much sooner than they would have liked and, from the forecastle, Relena, Dorothy, Duo and Hilde dropped the anchor together. The Peacemillion had not even stopped and Heero was already on his way to the gun deck. He needed to negotiate with his father and Jay to try and figure out who was after them and how they could get out of that hopeless situation. If there still was a way. The others watched him leave incredulously, but did not follow. The enemy was on them and all they could do was make their way to the main deck, raise their empty hands and wait.

'Isn't that…' Quatre's eyes widened as the man o' war slowly pulled to a stop beside them.

'The Libra.' Howard nodded.

'The Libra?' Relena questioned in a confused whisper. The old man's suddenly grave tone was more alarming than any other crewmember's would have been.

'Libra's the name of the ship, lass. She is not the problem… They are.'

She turned away from Howard and gasped. A tall brown haired man with an annoyingly charming smile and a Royal Navy uniform stood right across them on Libra's main deck, but it was his first mate that caught her eye. Right before sending her away, her father had showed her a picture of her actual father, and it was the man in the painting who now stood in front of her. Younger and without the beard but… It could be no one else, except…

'Relena.' He uttered her name before she could make her escape, forcing her to turn around and meet his gaze.

The Libra's crew finished hooking and hauling the ships close together, and her long lost brother climbed over the railing, heading straight towards her. She tried to remember the things that Pagan had told her about him, but there was nothing… Nothing that would reveal to her who he was or help her predict his next move. 'Milliardo?' she questioned as if she did not know.

'You are safe now.' He informed her, his tone masterful and brotherly as he put his hands on her shoulders.

'As for the rest of you, pirates, consider yourselves under arrest.' The Libra's captain informed them. His subordinates moved in to shackle the felons. 'Where's the list?'

'No!' Relena protested. 'They have done nothing wrong!'

'They kidnapped you.' Her brother reminded her as if she were out of her mind.

'No, they didn't. They saved me.'

'Yes…' the Libra's captain eyed her sympathetically before turning back to the pirates. 'I can see how they would make you think that… Why don't you allow us to do our jobs and we'll listen to your protests later, milady?'

'Treize.' Milliardo frowned at his captain's smooth tone, but said nothing as his sister went solemnly quiet. He then handed the other man the list he had requested.

'Ah! The Peacemillion…' Treize began, unfolding the parchment. 'The newest member of the crew… Dorothy Catalonia.' he raised his eyes to the long haired woman, her surname was not strange to him, but he could not remember having ever seen her. 'Duo Maxwell. Well, there's a genuine scoundrel.' The braided pirate's snort was rewarded with a well-aimed punch from the man guarding him. Relena made to protest, but a warning glance from her brother had her biting her tongue. The Libra's captain clicked his tongue. 'Insubordination and disrespect will not be tolerated.' He informed them. His eyes then ran over the assembled pirates before returning to his list with a frown. 'Where's Captain Heero Yuy?'

'Here.' The aforementioned man stepped onto the main deck followed closely by Jay and Lowe.

'What the…' Duo could not bring himself to finish. The entire crew was gaping at their former captain's appearance. Trowa paled visibly. Was it a ghost they were seeing?

'I don't know what yer agreement with these two was…' Heero's eyes were hard as they met Treize's amused gaze. 'But we want in.'

'Ah, but the agreement was to give us the Peacemillion and its crew… Captain included.'

'We're no longer negotiating with pirates.' Milliardo sternly informed him and gestured for a couple of idle soldiers to seize the pirate captain.

Heero's eyes narrowed at the blonde man before meeting… Relena's? What was she doing by his side? Surprise flashed in his eyes before he could stop it, but it was only for a brief moment. The mask quickly slipped back into place. He did not protest nor struggle as the enemies shackled him, holding on to the vain hope that Jay and Lowe would either help them or – at the very least – go down with them.

'Hilde Schbeiker…' Treize resumed calling their names. 'A former marine gone rogue, huh?' the black haired woman glared daggers at him. 'Michael Howard! Now, here's a well-known character. You have surely managed to elude Lady Justice's hand for an awfully long time.'

'Well…' Howard smirked at what he interpreted as a compliment. 'She is blind, ain't she?'

'Quiet, pirate.' The man guarding him admonished.

'Quatre… Winner? Is that right, Milliardo?'

'Hn.' The long haired man nodded.

'Well… A member of the Po clan isn't the kind of person I would expect to come by on a pirate ship either… At least not as a willing part of the crew.' The Libra's captain sounded pleased. 'Trowa Barton… and Wufei Chang. Yes… They're all here.'

'Those men are pirates too!' Duo nodded towards Jay and Lowe, eyeing Treize incredulously.

'They've killed more people than all of us put together.' Trowa added.

'Have they?' Treize wondered, managing to sound genuinely surprised. 'It is a pity their names are no longer listed here then.' He raised the parchment in front of the pirates' eyes. 'Take the prisoners to the Libra.'

'Hold on a sec!' the braided pirate insisted. 'We can negotiate! There's a treasu—'

Lowe hit him hard on the head. 'Filthy pirate, uttering such lies! There is no treasure, sire. Of that we assure ye.'

'Whether there is or isn't a treasure makes no difference to us.' Milliardo informed him. 'It's not coin we're after.'

'Here are your Royal Pardons and, for your assistance, the two of you may also keep the Peacemillion and whatever's in her.'

'Ah, much obliged, sire. Much obliged.' Lowe smirked at the glaring pirates as they were carried away. 'Take care of yer little sister, Mr. Peacecraft… Those pirates cannot be trusted.'


GLOSSARY:

Man o' war (Man of war) - a warship heavily armed with cannons and soldiers (also heavily armed themselves).

Stern - behind

Larboard - left

Starboard- right

Prow - front

Aft sail - the sail located at the back of the ship (aft) just as the mainsail is located at the middle (main deck) and the foresail is located at the front (forecastle).

I know these terms are 'basic', but I get confused myself sometimes so I figured it wouldn't hurt to remember their meanings.