Dear Readers, I would like to thank those of you who have read and reviewed the first part of this story. For those who have not, please take a look at I'm Not What I Look Like, as this will make little sense if you don't.

At Mervailles, the island Dorian is from, Elizabeth drugged the family who lived there and escaped when her crew (Tai Huang) came to find her. After Elizabeth nearly sunk The Pearl, Jack followed Elizabeth and Dorian to Singapore, where they were looking for Mistress Ching. The last chapter left off with Ching, Dorian, Jack and Elizabeth on board The Empress.

~Prologue~

We take our places and when the chairs stop grinding against the deck, Ching's lips crack open in speech.

The tension in the room presses us all into our seats as we wait for her voice to break it.

"There is an army building against us."

Jack snorts and the tension does break. "I've heard that one before. In the end, the farmers put down their pitch forks and fled home rather than face me."

"What?" Dorian turns to look at him.

"Jack," I warn.

"As much as I would love to help you ladies, I'm out on this one." Jack rises to his feet and lifts his coat off the empty chair beside him. He drops several rings out of his pockets in the process and frowns as they scurry over the table onto the floor.

"Coward," Dorian coughs.

"What was that?" Jack stops with his coat half on his shoulders, reaching for his hat.

"You were all for us working together two minutes ago," Dorian continues. "Two seconds ago," he corrects himself.

"That was before I realized Mistress Ching here is out of her mind. And just how much you smell like..." Jack sniffs superiorly.

"Soap?" Dorian provides. "It's fairly cheap if you're interested."

"Perhaps if you gave her a chance to speak," I suggest. Jack scowls at Dorian. He glances at the cabin door, indecision evident on his face. He plops himself back down in his chair, mumbling to himself. I slide a ring that had landed in my lap over the table to him. He ignores it.

"You are lucky I am a patient woman, Jack Sparrow," Ching turns her gaze on him, the stern set of her lips demonstrating how unimpressed she is. "As I was saying... There is a man who runs a crew of the finest killers. Not an army, really, but a guard. They have built a fortress, and we must find it."

"This is beginning to sound like a poem," Jack mutters. "Here's a thought," he raises a finger, "you should be a storyteller." He points at Ching, wagging his finger in the air.

I find my face in my hands, my eyes shut. I feel like laughing, if only to feel the relief of some of the stress I've been feeling. My head has been pounding for days, my stomach rolling on occasion. Dorian had said it might be the side effects from the drugs he had given me.

"What could this guard possibly want from Pirates?" I ask, trying to keep the discussion moving forwards instead of sideways. Sideways is often where a conversation ends up when Jack is a part of it.

"The sea," Ching says.

"Everyone has access to the sea," Dorian is quick to shake his head.

"If this man who controls these men has the sea, he has the pirates," Ching continues.

Silence.

"What do pirates have?" Ching encourages.

"Ships," Dorian says.

"Gold," Jack offers.

"Yes, yes. That may be it," she nods.

I lift my head from my hands and look at the woman sitting at the head of the table.

My table, come to think of it...

"You mean you don't know?" I ask, incredulous. This whole thing is starting to sound like a joke.

"It is not knowing that has forced me to bring us all together, here," Ching replies.

"Supposing you're right, how would targeting all pirates accomplish anything?" I voice my scepticism. "If this man wins his war, he won't have anything left to rule, or take. He'll have to kill every one of us. And you can't make hundreds of lawless men bow to you by threatening them, he would have no other choice."

Ching smiles patiently. "How is it that they bow to you, Mrs. Turner? You have yet to threaten me."

I pause. "The code dictates it. I am in charge. I need only threaten people who violate that. Let us not get sidetracked anymore; this has nothing to do with me. We need to figure out how this man intends to accomplish—"

"It has everything to do with you," Jack sits up, a sudden revelation sparkling in his eyes. "That's why she's here, isn't she?" he turns to Ching.

"Will someone please include us in this thought?" Dorian interjects. He sounds as annoyed as I'm becoming.

"You're the Pirate King," Jack points a finger in my face and I narrow my eyes, fighting the instinct to recoil.

"Thank you for remembering," I smirk.

"Kill you and the game is won," he says slowly, fingers going to one tip of his moustache. He grins.

Hopefully because he was the one to put two and two together.

Ching nods grimly. "Kill the King and you have the kingdom... In this case."

I shut my eyes again, fingers going to my temples. I knew the world was out to get me.

~*o*~

"How is it you know of any of this?" I ask, keeping my frustration toned down.

"A letter," Ching says darkly.

"From who?"

"It does not say. Only that things will be changing and we must all accept these changes. It mentions forces gathering, and a leader that we will bow to."

"Why was this sent to you?" I ask, trying to remain open-minded.

"It is for you," Ching says.

"Why was it not delivered to me?"

"I am delivering it to you," she snaps. I shut my mouth. "You will have it later."

"I fail to see of what use Mr. Long is," Jack says, moving on.

"And I fail to see what you're here for, Mr. Sparrow," Dorian retorts.

"Captain," Jack breathes.

"Captain Sparrow has the compass we need," Ching smiles, yellow dimples appearing in her cheeks as she does so.

Jack sits back in his chair, finally plucking the ring off the table. "I have no such compass."

"Yes you do," Dorian argues, sighing.

"It is no secret amongst the brethren, Sparrow," Ching continues to smile. "I know you better than you think."

Jack grimaces. "How 'bout we answer my question then. Dorian Long is not at all a pirate, least of all a Pirate Lord. What does he have to do with all of this?"

"I think the lines between pirate and non-pirates have become a little blurry, don't you think?" I address Jack. He glances between the two of us and looks away.

"Pick sides then," he growls. I raise an eyebrow, but leave it at that.

"Would you like the answer or not?" Ching's voice turns all eyes back to her. "Elizabeth Turner is here because she is the King of the Pirate Lords, and most likely the main target. She has rights to enter other Pirates' domains that we do not. Jack Sparrow has the compass that points to what we want, as well as the fastest ship in the Caribbean and the most ridiculous luck any pirate has ever heard of. Dorian Long has more charts than I've ever laid hands on, as well the numbers we may need to go up against our enemy, and the supplies. The leader of this army- the enemy- is someone Dorian thinks may be connected to him. He also owes me a favour."

"Numbers?" I turn to Dorian, mind going back to Eric and Liam. Their smiles in my mind make me shudder.

The corner of his lips twitch. "I have contacts. And men ready to train and pick up back at Mervailles."

"But there weren't—"

"The slaves, Elizabeth. Not the men you met." He frowns.

"No," I shake my head. "Out of the question. I will not have slaves fighting for us, for me, for anyone where I can stop it."

"I agree," Jack raises a finger.

"They aren't my slaves," Dorian puts his hands up in a defensive position, "which is why they will willingly fight for me or even for you if they heard of what you did, Elizabeth. Not as slaves, but free men."

"What did she do?" Jack asks. Even the thought of the drugs makes my head spin, my stomach clench.

"Can we focus on what's going on right at this very moment?" I snap. "We can catch up later."

"Yes," Ching says, "there will be time for talk. Now we must make a decision," she clears her throat. "We have three ships with us now. The Black Pearl—"

"Actually, she's getting repairs done. We went through a hurricane getting here," Jack winces. I look away from him in guilt.

Dorian rolls his eyes. "There was no hurricane, idiot. There wasn't a rough storm. I thought you had to know a thing or two about the weather to become captain of a ship."

"Hurricane Elizabeth," Jack corrects, pointing a finger at him.

I wish looks could kill. "Are you trying to start something again?"

"Who...me?" Jack jabs a finger at his chest. "No luv. The last time I tried to start something with you, it got me killed."

I pause. Let it go, Elizabeth, let it go.

"I'm taking my ship," I switch tracks again. "Dorian's is perfectly in shape as well. Seeing as neither of you have your own ship," I look at Ching and Jack, "you can both share the one Jack brought with him."

"Let's leave that one here," Jack disagrees. "It's incredibly slow and too small for two captains."

"Every ship is too small for two captains when you're one of them," I argue.

"I will not sail that thing."

"Fine," I roll my eyes.

He pauses. "Hm?"

"Fine," I repeat.

"Fine?"

"Leave it here then. You can go with Dorian and Mistress Ching will stay with me."

Come to think of it, maybe it is a good things looks can't kill.

Thank you for reading, please review. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Fleet