Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 2

Jack and Will were already seated at the table with mugs of rum in front of them when James entered. Jack poured James one and slid it across the table as James sat down. James looked at it disagreeably and slid it back towards Jack. Jack flipped his hands about a bit, took the mug, and drained it.

"Sorry Commodore, we don't usually stock fine brandy aboard. If you'd care for some I'll keep you in mind the next French merchant ship we come across, or perhaps we could go looking for one right here right now." Jack said as he stared at James, giving him a slightly sarcastic smile.

"Please do not trouble yourself on my account Captain. I am perfectly capable of going for quite some time without alcohol in my system." James said as he returned his own stare and sarcastic smile.

"Maybe we should go over the plans now." William interjected, looking warily between the two, sensing the tension and trying to head off any problems between the two men that might be about to arise.

"You are right of course Mr. Turner." James said as he reluctantly broke the eye contact with Jack and looked towards Will.

"Ah dear William to the rescue." Jack said with a wave of his hands, which brought a snort from the Commodore, and a please Jack let it drop look from Will.

Jack gave Will a pout, kicked himself back in his chair, propped his feet on the table, crossing his ankles, and cradled his mug in his hands as he said sourly, "Aye Commodore, go on then, let's hear the plans you have for me Pearl."

"We shall be picking Mrs. Turner up in Port Royal and be escorting her to Saint Dominque where we will drop her off. She will be meeting with the governor there, allegedly on behalf of Governor Swann, and in turn the Crown, to set up a supposed mutual trade agreement. She will in fact be spying, ferreting out whatever information she can about the troop strength, number of ships, and armaments in the area, or any build up of the same that are planned in the near future. The Crown is suspicious of the French influence in the area, concerned they might be planning some sort of action in the near future."

"And you couldn't pick a different ship to transport her on? You had to have me Pearl for this?" Jack said a bit disgruntled waving his hands about.

"If you had been listening the first score of times I tried to explain this plan to you instead of trying to drink every drop of rum in the Caribbean you would know there is more to it than that." James said peevishly.

"Oh!" Jack said sounding a bit surprised; "There's more to your plan then?"

"Only if you are listening this time, and ready and able to assist with the plan when the time comes. Otherwise it would seem to me you would be as much help sitting in the brig." James replied still peevishly.

"Brig? Which brig?" Jack asked not looking happy, and sounding unhappy as well.

"Does it really matter Sparrow?" James replied.

"It might." Jack said a bit poutily.

"Indeed!" James spat back.

They sat staring at each other for a few minutes until Will once again intervened.

"The rest of the plan Commodore?"

James once again broke eye contact with Jack, straightened his shoulders, and continued, "We, meaning you Captain, Mr. Turner, and myself will continue on to Tortuga to meet with an informant who has been gathering intelligence for the Crown about the Spanish in the area. Once we have what we need you will return Mr. and Mrs. Turner and myself to Port Royal and then good riddance to you."

"Tortuga you say? Well that can't be all bad then can it?" Jack said with a smile.

"You will not be there to give into your baser instincts Sparrow. We will all have to be in a proper state of mind to make this work without a hitch." James said disapprovingly.

"I'd be thinkin you've enough proper for all of us Commodore." Jack said making a face at James.

"We shall all be proper on this visit Captain. Do I make myself clear?" James said warningly.

"Sobering-ly Commodore." Jack said with a pout, and then as a thought struck him he got a worried look on his face, "You're surely not thinkin of marchin into Tortuga all stuffily Commodore-like are you?"

"No Captain, I have brought other apparel along for that."

"Oh good. Even though we've never been what you might call friends or such it'd be a bloody regretful shame to have to witness you bein strung up by an unruly pack of drunken piratical Commodore hatin miscreants."

"Hopefully we will be able to avoid that happening as well as the avoidance of the rum while we are there Captain."

"Aye to the former no question Commodore, as far as the latter………."

Jack was cut short as they heard a raucous noise coming from the deck. All three jumped up and headed on the double up the companionway, hoping bloodshed of some sort had not broken out between the crews in their absence.

James was the first to top the stairs, and drawing his sword as he did took a few steps and stopped dead in his tracks. Will and Jack both barely avoided colliding with him as they came bounding off the stairs. It took a few moments for the scene in front of them to sink in. When it did James put his sword back in its scabbard and looked from Jack to Will and then back at Jack with an unbelieving expression on his face. He turned back to the men in front of him and called out at almost the same time as Jack did, "Lieutenant Groves!"

"Mr. Gibbs!"

Groves immediately straightened up to military posture and giving a snappy salute responded, "Aye Sir!"

Mr. Gibbs answered a bit less militarily, "Aye Cap'n."

And out of both James and Jack's mouths, "What is going on here?"

Lieutenant Groves and Mr. Gibbs both started to talk at the same time.

"Commodore the men………" Lieutenant Groves started.

"Well ya see Cap'n it all started cause Mr. Gillette here said………." Mr. Gibbs said over Lieutenant Groves.

James held his hand up and said, "One at a time if you please. Lieutenant Groves you may start."

"Aye Sir." and snapped off another salute, "It seems that Mr. Gillette and Mr……..Marty here began a discussion………" Groves was interrupted by Mr. Gibbs at this point. "Were more than a mere discussion Theodore. Were more like a challenge……"

"Well yes Joshimee, I guess you could classify it that way. I guess I am just more used to Mr. Gillette's rather brash manner………."

"Gentlemen if you please? Would you kindly explain why those two men are doing that on my deck?" Jack said rather snippily, although he was starting to see the humor in the situation, unlike the Commodore who had the opinion that this particular activity having anything to do with any man under his command was entirely improper and inexcusable under any circumstances, especially in public.

To Be Continued

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