Privateers!

Author: Llarian
Author email: llarian@llarian.de
Rating: PG13 (for swearing, mostly)
Type: Adventure
Summary: Begins right after the movie, then jumps ahead a few months. There's trouble brewing between nations, new pirates are sailing and plundering in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Jack Sparrow and his crew are dragged into the mess. Can they make a difference? Disclaimer: "Pirates of the Caribbean”, including all characters you recognise from the motion picture, is owned by Disney. Only the ones you don't recognise are mine, as is this story. I'm writing this for fun, not money.

Chapter 2

"Dead Men Tell No Tales”

"Good God”, the Captain of the Megan muttered, "We are in the hands of a madman!”

Jack Sparrow nodded enthusiastically, which set the beads in his braided hair to tinkle, and stepped closer to Henderson, invading the other man's personal space.

"Aye, mate”, he told him. "You got that right in one. Now, I'd be much obliged if we could get a move on. I don't fancy me Pearl still tied to that lovely, if leakin', boat of yourn when she slips under the waves, savvy? Wounded and passengers firs', mate.”

"Of course, Captain.” Henderson turned away from the pirate and gave out the orders: "Bring our injured on board the Black Pearl! Carlysle, inform our passengers – they are only to bring what they deem essential. The rest of you, check if anybody is trapped belowdecks. Take the dead and wrap their bodies in canvas.” Turning to Sparrow again, he asked: "I'm assuming that you won't deny our dead a proper burial at sea?” His tone made it clear that Jack Sparrow better not even think of declining him. Somehow, he was not too surprised when the pirate's expression grew somber.

"Course not, Captain”, Jack Sparrow replied. "If there's time to bring them aboard. The livin' are me firs' concern, mate”, he amended.

Carlysle – the man who had sneaked into the Captain's cabin – hurried belowdecks to bring the Megan's passengers.

Crewmen begun to carry their injured comrades on board the Pearl; Jack grimaced as he saw the extent of some of the injuries. Several of the men would surely loose a limb that had been crushed by the falling mast – or by falling off the mast. Two were so covered in blood that it was hard to tell what exactly their injuries were. Jack did not expect them to live, not without proper medical help, at least. Which brought the pirate to another issue.

"Where were you headed, Captain?” he asked Henderson.

At first, the other man did not react, caught up in the misery of seeing his men die of wounds received in a battle they should not have had to fight. They were merchant sailors, not navy! But then he shook himself and answered: "Port Royal.”

"Ah. We've a problem there, mate.” Jack Sparrow cocked his head, birdlike, and gave Henderson an apologetic grin. "We can't take you there, Port Royal not beein' friendly fer the likes of us. See, there's Commodore Norrington.” He paused and made a face before continuing: "Good officer, really. Good man, if a bit of a stick. Has this unhealthy obsession with seein' yours truly dangle from the end of a rope.”

"Unhealthy?” Henderson looked a trifle puzzled.

"Unhealthy fer me, mate”, Jack clarified.

"Oh. But surely he wouldn't... not in this case, I mean...” Henderson let his words trail away. After all, the pirate had saved them. A look into Sparrow's face told him otherwise.

"Believe me, he would. Tried twice, as it were. Firs' time right after I rescued the Governor's daughter from drowning. So, we'll be takin' ye to Tortuga.”

"Tortuga?” It was Carlysle who spoke, having herded the frightened passengers on deck. The man's voice was thick with contempt. "Surely you cannot... there are ladies amongst our passengers, for goodness sake!” He addressed Henderson, who stood there with a frown on his face. "Captain, you cannot allow this!”

"I can and I will, Mr. Carlysle. Captain Sparrow and his crew have already risked much to save us, and have graciously offered to take us aboard. I shall not ask the good Captain to risk hanging on top of that, however inconvenient our new destination will be for some of us. The ladies will be well protected, and we shall secure passage to Port Royal as quick as may be once we reach Tortuga.” Henderson's voice held a hint of steel.

"Captain Henderson is absolutely correct”, one of the passengers spoke up. She was a woman in her early thirties, if Jack was any judge, pale, but composed, and clutched a bundle to her chest. Two children, a boy of perhaps seven and another of four, flanked her like a pair of mismatched bookends, while a harried looking man – her husband? – hovered behind them.

There were five more passengers, Jack noted, two men and three women. One of the men was balancing a stack of books in his arms. They all had the same scared look on their faces.

"My apologies, Sir”, the woman with the bundle addressed Jack. "I'm certain it was only concern for our safety that prompted Mr. Carlysle to speak so rudely.”

Jack folded his hands as if in prayer and sketched a little bow. "Not at all, Miss.”

"Mrs. Miller, Captain. And these are my husband, our sons, Robert and Miles”, she said, indicating the harried looking man and the two boys with her chin, as she had both her hands full, "and our little girl, Annie.”

The bundle in her arms squirmed.

"Captain, where shall we put the injured?” Gibbs called from the Pearl.

Jack half turned to shout back over his shoulder: "On deck, Mr. Gibbs. Spread a piece of canvas to protect them from the sun. More comfortable for them that way.”

"Aye, Sir!”

The man with the books addressed Henderson: "Captain, I hear there were injuries?”

"Indeed, Doctor, and I would be most grateful...”

"Ye're a Doctor?” Jack interrupted. The young man nodded, casting a frightened look at the exotic looking pirate.

"Good man!” Jack cried, grabbed his shoulder, and hauled the physician unceremoniously to the gangplank. "Gibbs!” he shouted. "This one's a doctor! Set him ta work, will ya?” He gave the man a push which almost set his books spilling onto the deck and send him stumbling onto the plank. Then, Jack drew himself up to his full height of 5 ft. 10 and assumed an air of command.

"Now”, he barked, "everybody on board the Pearl, children and ladies first, unless ye wanna swim to Tortuga!”

The first of the passengers scrambled to cross over to the pirate ship. Mrs. Miller with her precious load hung back a little, since little Annie had begun to squirm in her arms. Now the baby let out an almighty wail. Henderson and several of his crew grimaced, and some even swore under their breath, casting ugly looks at the screaming infant.

"What is that ungodly noise?” Jack grimaced, but moved closer to Mrs. Miller, unheeding of the ear-splitting quality of the babies cries. The mother gave him a look that was part apologetic, part exasperated.

"She's teething, Captain. I'm afraid she's ever so fussy.”

Jack peered at the infant and frowned. "Well, I guess we'll just have to find a way to shut her up, aye? Maybe we can find somethin' fer the little one. Ye should be goin' now, Mrs. Miller.”

Mrs. Miller gave the pirate a stern look, and Jack wondered briefly if she would have slapped him, had her hands not been full of screaming infant at the moment.

"You are most welcome to try, Captain”, she huffed, and pushed the baby into the pirates arms. The wailing stopped the next instant.

Jack blinked. So did Mrs. Miller.

"Well, I'll be...” Henderson muttered. "She's been screaming all the way from Portsmouth, driving us to distraction, begging your pardon, Mrs. Miller. If I had known all it took was a pirate, I'd have hoisted the Jolly Roger myself!”

"Ah, but you're forgetting one very important thing, mate”, Jack admonished, having recovered from his surprise. "I'm not just any pirate. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?”

He jiggled the infant a little and was rewarded with a giggle. "Now, let's get ye all over on me Pearl 'fore we be gettin' wet feet.” He indicated the gangplank and followed as soon as Mrs. Miller stepped on it.

The rest of the Megan's crew and her Captain were safe on the Black Pearl in a matter of minutes, and Jack could transfer the baby back to her mother – which promptly elicited another round of screaming - and give the order to cut the Megan loose and set sail. With Anamaria at the helm, they soon watched the merchant vessel being swallowed by the waves from a safe distance.

It was a sad thing to behold for any sailor.

"S' wasteful, Captain. Can't think of a reason to sink a fine vessel like that”, Gibbs remarked, catching Jack's mood. His captain leaned on the railing and gazed at the spot where the Megan had sunk.

"Dead men tell no tales!” Mr. Cotton's parrot, perched on his master's shoulder, cawed.

"Mr. Cotton's right, Gibbs”, Jack replied, an unusually thoughtful look on his face. "They were headed for Port Royal. Them pirates... they wanted to make sure someone – or somethin' - on the Megan did not reach Jamaica.” He pushed himself away from the railing and sauntered over to his cabin.

"Mr. Gibbs, I be wantin' a word with Captain Henderson and his first mate in me quarters as soon as may be. You and Mr. Cotton should be there as well.”

"Aye, Sir.”

**

It was only minutes later that Gibbs and Mr. Cotton led Captain Henderson and Mr. Carlysle, who was indeed the Megan's first mate, into Jack's cabin. The pirate captain was lounging in a chair at the large table, absently tuning a guitar he had picked up in Santiago and looking for all the world as if he had been sitting around idly all morning instead of leading his ship into battle. Jack looked up from his task as the four men entered and rose to gently hang the guitar on a hook on the bulkhead.

"You wished to see us, Captain?” Henderson asked.

"Aye. I've been thinking, Captain. What was your cargo?”

Henderson looked at Jack, puzzled by the question. Why would the Captain inquire about his cargo, now that the Megan had sunk? He had claimed no interest earlier.

"Fine wool and brocade, some furniture, and, of course, our passengers and their belongings”, he replied.

"Nothing else?” Jack asked, leaning on the table. "Nothing in the way of, say, weapons, ammunition?”

Henderson shook his head. "I'm afraid I do not understand. We had cannonballs and powder for our own guns, but...”

"Ah.” Jack waved the information away as irrelevant, plopped into a chair and placed his booted feet on the table. "You don't know much about pirates, do you?”

"What is there to know? You are thieves and robbers, petty criminals that deserve the full wrath of the law.”

Henderson shot Carlysle a cold look. "That will be quite enough, Mr. Carlysle”, he hissed. "My apologies, Captain Sparrow.”

"Not at all, not at all.” Jack grinned and waved his hands in a complicated, hypnotic gesture. "He's quite right, you know. But you, Captain, don't seem to realise that most of us are in this trade for money. Sinking a ship doesn't gain you any profit, savvy? So...” He paused for dramatic effect, took his feet of the table and leaned forward. "Why did they attack you in that particular way? Or rather, what have you got that's not supposed to reach Jamaica?”

Henderson was genuinely taken aback by the question. But Carlysle took the fraction of a second too long to feign surprise, and Jack saw it. The pirate's eyes narrowed.

"Is there something you want to tell us, Mr. Carlysle? Perhaps what exactly you were doing in your Captain's quarters when we arrived? If so, now would be the opportune moment to tell ole' Jack.”

Carlysle took a step back and bumped into Cotton. "We don't have to put up with this... this questioning. You are not a military man, nor do you have any authority over us.”

"That's where you're wrong, son”, Jack drawled. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, and as Captain of this vessel, I have every authority to do as I damn well please. Savvy?”

This wasn't true, strictly speaking, since pirates did not operate in the same way as merchants or even the Royal Navy – unlike these, the captain of a pirate ship did not have absolute power over everything and everybody on board. Most major decisions were voted upon. The only situation when a captain had absolute power, was in battle. That was when a strong leader was needed. But in everyday life, the quartermaster often had more influence than him. However, Carlysle evidently did not know that. The first mate's eyes darted to the door, and Jack flicked his wrist.

"Seize him”, he snapped.

Gibbs and Cotton grabbed both Carlysle's arms.

"Captain, what is this? I know Mr. Carlysle as an honest, hard working sailor. There is no reason to manhandle him like this”, Henderson protested.

"Ah, but unfortunately there is, Captain Henderson”, Jack replied sweetly. "Search him”, he then ordered Mr. Gibbs, hoping that his hunch was true – and that Carlysle had not had time and opportunity to hide whatever he had taken from Henderson's quarters on the Megan (where he, no doubt, had hidden it before).

The quartermaster looked doubtful, but did as bidden. He patted Carlysle down while Cotton held the seething man immobile. Reaching around Carlysle, Gibbs' questing fingers encountered a lump under the man's clothing, stuffed partly into the waistband of his breeches. Carlysle struggled even more, but to no avail. The Pearl's mute crewman held him in an unbreakable grip. Gibbs tore the lump out of Carlysle's clothes. It turned out to be a thick, sealed envelope, which he handed to Jack.

The Pearl's captain turned the flat package in his hands, looking closely at the elaborate seal.

"Now that's interesting”, he commented. "That's very interesting.” He tossed the envelope to Henderson, who caught it.

"Ye know what that is?” Sparrow asked.

"His Majesty's seal!” Henderson exclaimed. "Carlysle, what is the meaning of this?”

Carlysle glared at his captain.

"Answer me, man! Is this why we were attacked?” Henderson shouted. "Who are you, Carlysle?”

"Seems to me, Captain, yer firs' mate is a secret courier for the King himself. Question is, now, why these papers mustn't reach Jamaica.” Jack steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair, watching Carlysle from beneath half-closed lids.

The man looked at Henderson, his expression a mixture of apology and pleading. "This wasn't supposed to happen”, he said. "Sir, it was never intended to endanger your ship.”

Henderson stepped closer, rage darkening his features. "Tell that to the families of the good men who died today. Tell it to your injured crewmates, why don't you, Mr. Carlysle”, he growled. "I trusted you, man.”

"And you still can, Captain.” Carlysle stood up as straight as he could in Cotton's grip. "Better ask yourself what these pirates will do with the documents. Sell them to the French, most likely”, he hissed. "They're already bringing us to Tortuga. Do you really believe they'll let us go, just like that?” Carlysle's tone now became almost pleading. "He only has ten men, Captain...”

"Eleven, Mr. Carlysle. And one woman. Don't forget the woman”, Sparrow corrected him in a bored tone. "'N all of'm are armed. Can't say that 'bout your crew, aye?”

"Eleven?” Henderson was incredulous. "However do you sail your ship with so few hands, let alone take her into battle?”

"True, if we were Navy, me Pearl would have a crew of at least three hundred. But she can be sailed with a skeleton crew of five. And you don't really need six men to a gun.” Jack grinned like a madman and shrugged. "Think about it, Captain. If you had a sloop, and already got a broadside from the Pearl, would you hang around to find out just how fast we can reload?”

"You couldn't... are you telling me you attacked two ships, on the mere chance they would run instead of fight, when you would not be able to reload your guns? You're daft, man!”

"I thought we had established that already!” Jack retorted.

He quickly grew serious again and addressed Carlysle: "Now, what's so important about these papers, lad? Or do you want me to open them and see for myself?”

"You wouldn't dare!”

"Course I would! Pirate, remember?” He held up his hands. "But... I'd rather deliver them to Governor Swann unopened, ole' Weatherby bein' a bit particular about these things, Lieutenant.”

Carlysle started.

"Ah, thought so. Good, upstanding Navy officer you are.” Sparrow nodded, obviously pleased with his deduction. "Who's your commanding officer, lad?”

Carlysle pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Someone in the Admiralty, yes?” Jack prodded, but the man remained silent.

"Captain?” Henderson asked. Jack glanced at the merchant captain; the other man had a worried look on his face. So the seed of doubt had taken hold, and quickly. Jack just could not be sure yet if Henderson doubted his intentions, or his ability to bring them to Tortuga in one piece.

"Thinkin' about what he said, are you?” he inquired.

Henderson met his gaze steadily.

"I gave you my word, Sir, but I cannot help thinking...”

"And I never gave you my word, is that it? Well, that can be easily remedied.”

Jack rose from his seat again and solemnly held out his hand. "As Captain of the Black Pearl, I swear on pain of death that I shall bring you, your crew, and your passengers safely to port, whereupon you all shall be free to go.” He paused for a moment. "All except this one”, he amended, indicating Carlysle with his chin. "I've no liking for spies, and I'll find a way to turn him over to Commodore Norrington's tender care. Satisfied?”

"You cannot believe him! Captain!” Carlysle shouted, struggling against Cotton's grip.

Henderson only spared him a cold look before he shook the pirate's hand. Mad as the man was, he did not strike him as dishonourable.

"What are you going to do about the papers?” he asked Sparrow after he released his hand.

"Seems to me, if they're important enough to warrant sending in secret on a civilian ship, we must be on the brink of another war.”

"You mean you do not know?”

"Two months sailing to merry old England, Captain. Any news we have from there is a least that old. And we haven't been near a British port in months.”

"Of course. And you are right, Captain. Things are not looking to good back home.”

"Care to give some more details, Captain Henderson?”

"Our ships have been harried for months. Some say it's the French, but there is no proof. Of course, the French claim British attack their ships. I thought the troubles had not reached these waters yet, or I would not have taken passengers. I'm not Navy, but one hears rumours. The Admiralty is worried; their hands are tied. Apparently, there's been some kind of power-shift, and some reassignments and promotions. I hear Devon Montgomery is now in charge of matters in the Caribbean”, Henderson explained.

Jack looked up sharply. "The Old Man?”

"You know him?”

"I've heard of him.” Jack tugged at the twin braids on his chin. "Take this vermin to the brig, Mr. Cotton. I'd rather not see his face for the rest of the voyage.”

"Do you think that wise?” Henderson asked.

On Jacks questioning look, he continued: "While Mr. Carlysle is not truly well liked, he is at least well respected by my crew. Putting him in your brig might very well aggravate the men.” He ran a hand over his face. "I gave you my word, Captain, but my men are afraid – I cannot guarantee they will keep it.”

"Ah. Well, then we need to tell'em somethin', aye? But, Captain, you're still not thinking straight.” Jack paused for a moment. "Your attackers knew exactly the papers were on your ship. In fact, they were so sure they didn't bother to board and search you.”

Henderson grew pale as the implications of the pirate captain's words sank in.

"A leak within the Admiralty?”

Jack nodded. "Tell me, are there any other Navy men amongst your crew?”

Henderson let out a short bark of laughter. "Not to my knowledge, Sir. But then, I didn't even know about Carlysle.”

"Which leaves Carlysle as our main suspect.”

The man in question snorted in disbelieve. "If I were a traitor, I could have simply burned the papers”, he sneered.

"Come, come, Mr. Carlysle, you're better than that. If you had burned the papers, you're career as a spy would have been over. But a heroic stand, a last minute escape, now that would be a different story with the Admiralty, savvy?” Jack had stepped close enough to Carlysle for the man to smell his breath, and gave him a wolfish grin.

"I will not take any chances, Mr. Carlysle. In the Pearl's brig, you won't be able to sabotage my ship or start a mutiny.”

He turned and addressed Henderson again: "Please accompany Mr. Cotton and Mr. Carlysle to the brig, Captain. That should at least keep your crew from doing something... stupid.”

Henderson nodded, looking non too happy about the request, and followed Cotton who, on a signal from Jack, dragged the protesting Carlysle from the Captain's quarters.

As soon as they were alone, Gibbs addressed his Captain: "So you know Admiral Montgomery, Jack?”

The eccentric pirate smiled thinly. "Let's just say you're not the only one on this ship who was kicked out from the Navy, Gibbs.”

Gibbs pursed his lips. "What happened, Jack?”

The pirate seemed a trifle irritated by the question. "I did something incredibly stupid, alright? I saved my Captain's life. Now go and find some quarters for our guests.”

It was a somewhat puzzled Joshamee Gibbs who left the Captain's quarters. As soon as he was gone, Jack opened a cabinet and produced a very dusty bottle.

"Here's to the Hon. Angus Etienne St. John-DeLabarre, Esq. May he rest in peace”, he toasted and took a healthy swig. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve, he put the bottle back in its proper place. This rescue turned out to be much more than he bargained for.

**