Elizabeth asked her crew to give James, Jasmine, Theo and Rosalina a change of clothes, which means they are now wearing clothes like pirates.
James felt different.
They have arrived Shipwreck Cove.
"Land ho!" came a call from the crow's nest.
Theodore couldn't help but gasp in awe at the spectacular sight of Shipwreck City, even if it had been built by no good scoundrels.
The city was well named, because the entire settlement was constructed from shattered ships that rose into an enormous, spiky wooden mountain. Bright orange eyes marked the torches that tried to banish the crepuscular gloom, and dozens of dark shadows of pirate ships docked in the cove left little space for them to anchor their own vessel.
"I hate to admit it, but this place is incredible" James breathed. Elizabeth smiled beside him, though there was an almost pained expression in her eyes. James wondered what it was.
James held her hand as if to comfort her "Are you alright?" He asked looking at her.
"I am fine...I am just worried about Will..." Elizabeth answered.
"He'll be alright" James said hoping he was right.
"I hope so..." Elizabeth said.
Jasmine walked next to James. "Are you worried about Katie?" She asked.
James nods "yes" he said.
"I hope Beckett and Mercer haven't found her..." Jasmine said.
"I hope not either" James said.
They walked into a room that is full of pirates. A familiar voice can be heard. "May I point out that we are still short of one of one Pirate Lord, and I'm as content as a cucumber to wait until Sao Feng joins us" said Captain Jack Sparrow.
James giggled quietly.
Elizabeth strode forwards fearlessly, and made her entrance clear with her sharp, short tone.
"Sao Feng is dead!" she proclaimed, head high as people turned in surprise at her appearance. Outraged voices sprang up as the pirates looked on with confusion and fury. Sparrow's confident grin slipped from his features. "He fell to the Flying Dutchman."
She rammed her sword into the large globe beside the other Pirate Lord blades, the hollow thud loud in the noisy din.
"He made you Captain?!" Sparrow cried incredulously. The horror on his face was quite amusing to James. Buccaneers stood up and pointed accusingly in her direction, muttering in unfamiliar languages. James froze up a little.
"Listen to me!" she demanded, flames dancing in her eyes.
Everyone stared at her.
"Our location has been betrayed!" Elizabeth shouts.
Silence took hold whilst she explained the situation.
"Jones is under the command of Lord Beckett. They're on their way here."
"Who is this betrayer?" said a dark skinned, African man that rose to his feet.
A pirate at the head of the table waved away the demand. He wore a long, dark blue coat and an ostentatious feathered hat, and he seemed old and weather-beaten, his eyes dull and dead yet shining with something like mischief. He seemed to be the head of the Brethren Court, and he answered the African man. "Not likely anyone among us."
For the first time that day, worry and fear crept into Elizabeth's voice. "Where's Will?" she asked, searching the crowd anxiously.
"Not among us" replied Sparrow shortly.
The man with the big hat continued in his gruff voice. "It matters not how they found us, the question is what happens now that they have."
"We fight!" cried Elizabeth.
James stood behind listening to what was going on.
A chorus of laughter erupted from the filthy assembly. Jasmine and Theo frowned. They found her words anything but funny! Of course, the best course of action now was to fight whilst they still had the chance. James had been a leader in the navy for most of his life, and he knew a good decision when it was made. True, the odds were certainly against them, but with the right tactics and inspiration, who knows what you could achieve.
Sparrow looked around unsure, and then laughed along.
James rolled his eyes at all of them "Are you all idiots? What is funny about that?" James raised his voice over all the laughter.
A long second past. "You!" said Sparrow confused, pointing an unsure finger at him. Jack was shocked and alarmed. This was the last person he wanted to see. "What are you doing here?" Jack asked James.
"I'm with Elizabeth. "
"Who is he?" a French man asked.
"He's Commodore Norrington ... a man who on several occasions had messed up everybody's plans and betrayed us all in the first place by giving Jones' thump-thump to none other than that sinister midget Beckett. He stole the heart to give to Beckett so he could get back his precious ambitions, but now it seems he doesn't know whose side he's on. What are you doing here then, or are you just lost?" Jack asked.
James stayed quiet.
"We have chosen our side. Beckett has done some unforgivable things...." Theo said. James nodded in agreement.
"Oh...well lovely! So you two have get rid of that ridiculous wig?" Jack asked.
James already had his wig off but then looked at Theo who still had his on. "Theo I think he's talking about you" James said to Theo with a whisper.
Theo rolled his eyes. "I have taken off my wig ages ago."
"Oh...." James said silently.
"So I think you are dreaming. " Theo smirked and hit James on the head.
James rubbed his head "yeah maybe" James said quietly.
"Ye were a Commodore before?" said the man with the dead eyes. "Are you sure that your friend here can be trusted, Miss Swann?"
"James is an honourable man, Barbossa" replied Elizabeth in his defence. "He's made mistakes in the past, but his experience as an Admiral will help us."
"Beckett's plans aren't hard to decipher," he added, adding a smug tone to his words. "He won't be hard to defeat in battle."
"Ha! There is no need for battle!" An oriental woman with jet black hair pinned back and a powdered face so white she looked like a ghost stood up. "Shipwreck Cove is a fortress. A well supplied fortress! There is no need to fight."
The pirates murmured in agreement. The man called Barbossa began speaking again though, his words low and persuasive. "There be a third course. In another age at this very spot, the Brethren court captured the sea goddess, and bound her in her bones."
James got a little nervous.
"Sea goddess?" Jasmine asked James.
"Calypso" James whispered to her.
"That's real? I don't believe it? And what do they mean by bound in her bones?" She asked.
"Not sure. And yes it's real" James said.
"Alright...." Jasmine said.
"That was a mistake. Oh, we tamed the seas for ourselves, aye, but opened the door to Beckett and his ilk. Better were the days when mastery of seas came not from bargains struck with eldritch creatures, but from the sweat of a man's brow and the strength of his back alone. Y'all know this to be true. Gentlemen, ladies. We must free Calypso." Barbossa continued.
James looks around as the pirates start a small argument.
Theo was surprised that he was struck by the zeal in Barbossa's voice. The man was a good leader. James was a little surprised as well.
Once again the air burst into a cacophony of arguments and cursing.
"Shoot him!" cried a voice.
"Cut out his tongue!" yelled another.
"Shoot him, then cut out his tongue, then shoot the tongue!" suggested Sparrow. "And trim that straggly beard!" Barbossa scowled. The arguments became fiercer, and within a few heartbeats, one pirate punched another, which ignited the powder keg of one massive brawl of punching, kicking, shooting, whacking, smashing and who knew what else. Even the table was taken over with men tearing at each other like rabid dogs.
Jack looked on surprised and puzzled, his dark-rimmed eyes wide and his moustache turned down at the sides.
"This is madness!" Elizabeth gasped.
"This is politics" replied Sparrow.
"Meanwhile our enemies are bearing down upon us." Elizabeth said.
"If they not be here already." Barbossa said.
Barbossa is standing on table and fires gun to silence the pirates.
James froze a bit when he heard the gunshot.
"It was the first court what imprisoned Calypso, and we will be the ones to set her free, and in her gratitude she will see fit to grant us boons." Barbossa said.
James seemed to agree with Barbossa in a way.
"Whose boons? Your boons? Utterly deceptive twaddlespeak, says I." Jack said.
" If you have a better alternative, please, share." Barbossa said.
"Cuttlefish. Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends the cuttlefish. Flippant glorious little sausages. Pen 'em up together and they'll devour each other without a second thought. Human nature, isn't it?...or....or fish nature." Jack said as he put his hand on Mistress Cheng's shoulder. "So yes, we could hole up here well provisioned and well armed and half of us would be dead within the month, which seems grim to me any way you slice it. Or, as my learned colleague so naively suggests, we could release Calypso, and we can pray that she will be merciful. I rather doubt it. Can we in fact pretend that she is anything other than a woman scorned, like which fury hell hath no? We cannot. Res ipso loquitur tabula in naufragio , we are left with but one option. I agree with, and I cannot believe the words are comin' out of me mouth, Captain Swann. We must fight."
James was sitting now listening to them.
"You've only ever run from a fight." Barbossa said.
James nods in agreement.
"I have not!" Jack argued.
James laughed "but you really have ran away from every fight" he said with a bit of laughter.
"The commodore is right" Barbossa said .
James smiled a little.
"Have not, slander and calumny! I have only ever embraced that oldest and noblest of pirate traditions. I submit here and now, that is what we all must do, we must fight... to run away." Jack said.
"And loose everything you've gained over the years?" James butted in.
Jack glared at him.
"As per the code, an act of war, and this be exactly that, can only be declared by the pirate king." Barbossa said.
"You make that up." Jack said to Barbossa.
"Did I now? I call on Captain Teague, keeper of the code. " Barbossa said.
Jack's expression became on of pure horror and shock, ebony eyes wide, his bronze skin paling significantly.
"SeSumbhajee proclaims this all to be folly! Hang the code! Who cares..." said SeSumbhajee's assistant.
SeSumbhajee's assistant was shot.
"Code is the law." Captain Teague said and he walks up behind Jack. "You're in my way, boy."
Jack shuffled to one side, eyes on the floor like an obedient dog.
Captain Teague beckoned at something in the corner, motioning it to come forwards. Theo craned his neck to see what was happening.
Suddenly the room was full of gasps of awe and admiration, deep respect carved into their weather-beaten features, gap-toothed mouths opened in amazement. Two ancient looking men with beards greyer than an old sheep's wool and skin like old parchment came shuffling in carrying a very heavy looking, leather bound book that guarded at least a thousand, crisp, yellowing pages full of pirate rules, regulations, secrets and the odd helpful note or random doodle. Even James was courteous enough to not make a sarcastic jibe about the tattered old book.
"The Code!" whispered a balding, stout pirate with yellow eyes and teeth to match.
"As set down by Morgan and Bartholomew" added a tall, lanky man beside him with a patch over his eye.
The book was set down on the table with tender care and turned so Captain Teague could read it. Theo shuffled closer and craned his neck to see the title carved into the thick binding: Pirata Codex.
James eyed the ancient book. He was amazed at how heavy and old it must've been.
Teague whistle softly and waved his arm, and to Theo's surprise a scruffy grey dog with a ring of keys in its jaws trotted in. Wagging its tail, it stepped up to the table beside the Code Keeper, who took the keys from its mouth. The two pirates talking before pointed at the dishevelled mongrel and stuttered baffled questions like "Is that- ?What? How'd he-?"
"Sea turtles, mate" replied Teague, as if that made all the sense in the world. The dog barked merrily, as if it was laughing, before bounding back to wherever it came from. Captain Teague took a key from the ring and unlocked the huge, iron padlocks that kept the book's seal firmly closed. The pirates looked on in anticipation whilst the pirate hefted the pages open, the weight of the book crashing against the table. Teague scanned down the crumpled page with a bejewelled hand, muttering to himself. Jack peered over his shoulder, his dark eyes reading between the lines for anything useful that could help with his bizarre schemes.
James watched in awe.
"Ah!" said Teague. "Barbossa is right." Barbossa smirked and Jack scowled.
James laughed a bit.
"Hang on a minute." Jack checks the code. "It shall be the duty of the king to declare war, parlay with said adversaries... fancy that." Jack says.
"Is there a pirate king?" James asked with curiosity in his voice.
"There's not been a king since the first court, and that's not likely to change." Said Chevalle.
James tilted his head.
"Not likely." Captain Teague said.
"Why?" Elizabeth asked.
"The Pirate King is elected by popular vote..." began Gibbs.
"And each Pirate Lord only ever votes fer hiself" finished Barbossa.
"I call for a vote!" said Sparrow brightly. The pirates groaned in unison.
"I vote for Armand, the Corsair!" said a man with a red turban and dark moustache, who stood up with a raised hand.
"Capitaine Chevalle " said the Frenchman.
"Sri Sumbajee votes for Sri Sumbajee," said another man beside the Pirate Lord.
"Mistress Ching!" cried the oriental woman with burning eyes.
"Gentleman Jocard" the African pirate said firmly.
"Elizabeth Swann" said Elizabeth with a small shrug.
"Barbossa" said the old captain.
"Villanueva!" said a Spaniard passionately. Teague paused in his guitar playing.
"Elizabeth Swan" said Jack with a grin, his gold teeth glinting.
James was a little shocked at this.
"What?" said Elizabeth, stunned.
"Curious, isn't it?" said Jack.
The pirates began grumbling amongst themselves, disappointed and outraged that they were not voted for. Jack looked around puzzled, as if he wasn't sure what the fuss was about.
James seemed a bit confused with Jack's choice.
"Might I suggest that that would not be keeping to the Code?"
There was a soft twang as Teague's guitar string snapped. The pirates sat down without a word, ashamed.
"What say you Captain Swann, King of the Brethren Court?" said Mistress Ching.
Elizabeth looked at the pirates, and saw the new loyalty in their eyes. She smiled softly and declared her first order. "Prepare every vessel that floats. At dawn, we're at war."
James looked around and smiled.
Jack smiled warmly at Elizabeth, and caught Theodore looking at him. Sparrow winked surreptitiously.
Sri Sumbanjee stood up and opened his mouth for the first time. "And so, we shall go to war!" he said, his voice as high as the clouds in the sky.
James looked at him and giggled as everyone cheered.
"You know you act like a girl." Theo said to James.
"Yes I know" James said.
Barbossa signals Ragetti and he makes off with the pieces of eight. Jack turns to Captain Teague.
"What? You've seen it all, done it all, you survived. That's the trick, isn't it? To survive." Jack said.
"It's not just about living forever, Jackie. The trick is, living with yourself, forever." Teague said.
"How's mum?" Jack asked.
Teague holds up a shrunken head.
"She looks great." Jack said.
James watched them.
Captain Teague walks over to James , Theo and Jasmine.
James tenses up a little.
"Hello James " He said.
"Hi" James said back.
"Do you recognise me?"
James nods slightly.
"But I haven't meet you two before." Teague said to Theo and Jasmine.
James looked at Teague and smiled a bit.
"I am Jasmine and he is Theo." Jasmine said.
"Jasmine is my twin sister" James said to Teague.
"Well...you two look alike...so it's easy to know that you two are twins."
James looked at Jasmine.
Jasmine looked back at James.
James smiled slightly.
"I heard you was nearly killed James."
"Um yeah" James said.
"Life isn't fair for you...right...? I also heard that Cutler Beckett has found the girl he wanted...not sure who she is through...."
James looked down.
Jasmine looks at James.
James was mad. "I'm gonna be outside for a few minutes" James said.
"Okay...." Jasmine said, she looks worried.
James walked outside and sat down on the harbour. He looked down at the ocean.
Jasmine and Theo walked away from Teague. They followed James.
"James?" Theo said.
"What Theo?" James asked covering his face and crying.
"I know how that feels...we can fight Beckett and get her back!" Theo said.
James stared into the water.
Jasmine is a bit worried. "There will be a battle soon...."
James got up. And put his hands at his sides. Then he looked into to distance.
EITC ships are near island.
"Once I find her She's mine" James said to himself.
Jasmine smiled a little.
James smiled and looked at them.
"Well...I guess there will be a battle tomorrow."
"Yeah" James said.
"I guess I am going back to the Empress and take some rest"
James nods.
Theo followed.
James stayed.
On the HMS Endeavour
Ekaterina is in Beckett's cabin. She is being caught as she and her crews sailed back to Russia.
Beckett walked in.
She looks up at him with a glare.
Beckett smirked.
Her glare darkened.
He walked over to her and smiled. "I've heard a lot about you." Cutler said putting his hand up to her cheek.
She slapped his hand away.
He laughed a little. Then put his arms around her waist.
She glared at him and tried to get away from him.
He pulled her closer to him. He smiled and kissed her cheek.
She pushed him away in disgusted.
He was getting a bit irritated.
She looks away from him and wants to walk out of the cabin.
He kept his arms around her. "You look nice in uniform" he complimented.
She bits her lips. She try to get away from his gasps.
Beckett smiled at her evilly.
She has a scared look on her pretty face.
He kissed her on the lips.
She slapped him and feels that she has betrayed James.
Cutler laughed. "Your playing hard to get. Oh are you scared that you've betrayed James. Well I'm pretty sure he was the one who betrayed you when he gave you to me" Cutler said coldly. He had a grin on his face.
"What?" She asked with a surprised look on her face.
"Him and I made a deal" he explained.
Her face turned red because of anger.
"It was either you or his sister. He chose you, love" Cutler told her. His arms were still around her.
She pushed him away from her and kicked him where it hurts the most. She quickly runs out of his cabin after doing that.
Cutler held himself. Mercer was outside the door and caught her.
She was shocked after Mercer caught her.
Mercer put her back in the cabin with Beckett and left locking the door behind him.
She growls.
Cutler looks at her and grins. "Face it you can't get away from me. And I will marry you. You'll be mine" Cutler told her. He grinned at her as he stepped closer to her.
She backs away from him.
"No need to be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. Unless you get away from me" Cutler told her as he takes another step closer. His face inches away from hers.
She turned away.
Cutler frowned and put his hand on her cheek and his other hand around her waist.
She feels humiliated and betrayed. She should be the one with power not Beckett. She is not a lap dog that can be bet on easily.
Cutler smiled then kissed her cheek.
She kicked him again as he did that.
He dodged it this time and laughed. "I like it when you fight back" he said grinning.
"I hate you!"
"That's not very nice." Cutler said keeping his distance from her. He grinned at her.
She glared at him.
Cutler sighed. "Its a shame that tomorrow your little James will most likely be killed in battle. I mean he did betray me. And ran off with Elizabeth as if he loved her." Cutler told her as he moved closer to her.
"Don't talk about James like that!" She snapped at him.
"I'm only telling you the truth. I heard he even kissed her. How does that make you feel? Does the truth hurt?" He asked looking at her eyes.
She avoids looking at his eyes. Tears are flowing down from her eyes and her lips are trembling.
Cutler took a few steps closer and whipes the tears from her face kindly. He then pulled her into a hug.
She is shocked and pushed him away because she is scared of his sudden kindness.
Cutler just backed off. He didn't say anything else to hurt her he just went back to sitting at his desk and looking at papers.
She hugs her knees and starts to sob.
Cutler looked up from his desk. And looked down sadly. Then he got up and walked over to her. Be kneeled down next to where she was. He wanted her to trust him. He made her look up so he could whipe the tears away from her face.
She looks at Beckett when he whipped her tears. She still doesn't trust him. She hates him for kidnapping her from her own ship.
He sighs then sits next to her on the floor. He wraps his arm over her shoulders. He smiled "you may end up liking me." He said looking at her.
" I won't if I was forced to marry you." She said while still crying.
Cutler was getting irritated. He looked at her and then kissed her lips this time instead of her cheek.
She slapped his cheek again after pushed him away from her.
Cutler grapped her and pulled her towards him. He made sure he was gentle. So he wouldn't hurt her. He looked at her and smiled.
She has a little bit of pain in her face when he pulled her towards him. She don't want to be with him. She pushed him away and closed her eyes.
Cutler stood up then picked her up bridal style. He carried her to the bedroom and layed her on the bed then tucked her in. "Maybe if I die you'll see your sweet little James again" Cutler whispered then left the room
She has fallen asleep soon after she is being lay on the bed.
After Cutler read a few papers he got up and went to bed. He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled up to her.
She is sleeping soundly.
Cutler soon falls asleep as well.
When she woke up, she screamed loudly as she saw Beckett is sleeping next to her.
Cutler woke up in full fear and nearly fell off the bed.
"What are you doing with me on the bed?!" She said loudly.
"I had no where else to sleep" Cutler said.
She looks at him with a glare that could kill. She looks down at herself. "Thank goddess that i am still dressed " she thought.
Cutler looked at her then turned around and layed back down trying to fall asleep again. "I'm sorry for scaring you" Cutler said quietly.
She starts to opened her mouth to say something when the door opened. "Lord Beckett! There is someone we rescued from the sea! He said he has something you want!" Gilette announced. He then saw Beckett with Ekaterina. He raised an eyebrow at the both of them.
Cutler got up. "Who is he exactly?" Cutler asked.
"Will Turner." He said.
Cutler nods. "What is it he has for me?" Cutler asked.
"He said he has the compass."
Cutler's eyes widened. "Really?" He asked looking at Andrew with shocked expression.
"Yes." Andrew nodded, he is wondering why Ekaterina is in Beckett's room.
Cutler looked at him and then glanced at Ekaterina.
She has a shocked look on her face .
Cutler walked out of the bedroom. He shut the door behind him and locked it. He put the keys in his pocket.
Ekaterina tried to escape but failed.
Cutler made sure to lock all the windows as well. "Allow him to come in and get Jones as well" Cutler ordered.
"Yes sir" Andrew said.
Cutler wrote a small note and slipped it under the bedroom door quickly. It said 'stay quiet or else you'll never see James again'.
She swears quietly.
Gillette comes back with Will. And said that Davy Jones is in his way.
Cutler was now sitting at his desk. He looked over at Will full of curiosity.
Will shows him the compass.
Cutler grins. "Just how did you manage to get that?" He asked.
"I take it from him."
"Really? And he didn't notice?" Cutler said.
"No." He lied.
Cutler stood up and walked over to him. Cutler looked him in the eyes. "Are you sure he didn't just let you get away with it? It wouldn't matter if he allowed you....just that it's here...." Cutler said pouring himself some tea.
Will smirked and takes a cup of tea. Davy Jones comes in and said "I cannot be summoned like some mongrel pup."
"Apparently you can.I believe you know each other." Cutler said quietly.
"Come to join my crew again, Master Turner?" Davy Jones asked laughing.
"Not yours, his. Jack Sparrow sends his regards." Will said.
"Sparrow?" Davy Jones asked.
"You've not told him? We rescued Jack from the locker along with the Black Pearl." Will said.
"What else have you not told me?!?" Davy Jones demanded Beckett.
Cutler sipped his tea. "There is an issue far more troublesome. I believe you are familiar with a person called Calypso." he said.
"Not a person. A heathen god. One who delights in cursing men with their wildest dreams and then revealing them to be hollow and naught but ash. The world is well rid of her." Davy Jones said.
Beckett thought for a few seconds "Not quite so well actually" Will says " the brethren court intends to release her" Will adds. "No they cannot, the first court promised to imprison her forever" Jones said "that was our agreement" Jones added angrily "your agreement" Cutler interrupts him "I showed them how to bind her. She could not be trusted. She gave me no choice. We must act before they release her." Jones said as Will looked at him. "You loved her" Will said quietly as Jones turned around "she's the one" Will adds." And then you betrayed her."
"She pretended to love me! She betrayed me!" Jones said.
"And after which betrayal did you cut out your heart, I wonder" Will said as he stood up. Jones knocked the tea cup out of his hands Cutler glanced down at it. "Do not test me" Jones said.
"I hadn't finished that. You will free my father." Will said and he said to Beckett. "And you will guarantee Elizabeth's safety, along with my own."
"Your terms are steep Mr.Turner. we will expect fair value in return." Cutler told Will "there is only one price I will accept. Calypso murdered" Jones said.
"Calypso is aboard the Black Pearl. Jack has sailed the Black Pearl to Shipwreck Cove." Will said.
" And with you no longer aboard her, how do you propose to lead us there?" Beckett said.
Will holds up Jack's compass. "What is it you want most?"
Cutler smiles a little.