Jack hopped down, surprised that he was able to keep his balance with the brandy he had consumed earlier. He looked to Will, who had been shoved forward and appeared rather pissed.

"Send this pestilent traitorous cowhearted yeasty codpiece to the brig." He said, curling his lip at William and then turning away as his orders were followed.

He found Barboussa a moment later, as he needed to ask someone remotely trustworthy where on earth Adeena was.

Jack Sparrow, trusting Hector Barboussa. It was laughable.

"Hector!" He said, just to irritate him. "Could someone kindly inform me to where Adeena has disappeared to?"

Was that guilt in Barboussa's eyes?

Jack, growing uneasy, cocked an eyebrow.

"'Twas her decision." Hector began. "She forged a deal with Sao Feng." He gave Jack a rather nervous smile.

Jack's eye twitched. "Where is Adeena?"

Pintel chose that moment to pop up, Ragetti in tow.

"Oh, 'Deena?" He said eagerly. "She went with Sao Feng."

Jack looked to him, and then Hector.

"I need a drink," He said.

***

I had expected a cage.

A cage in which they could have their ways with me, and goggle at my body. But no, his handmaidens arrived to pamper me and dress me in fine oriental cloth. I was uncomfortable having someone dress me; I was used to doing things by myself.

Sao Feng chose that moment to enter what I had figured his cabin. He was speaking fluent Chinese; too much for me to understand but enough I could get the gist of what he was saying.

The two ladies that had dressed me, likely replacements for the two that passed on at the hands of Mercer back at the pirate docks of Singapore, stepped back, obeying.

He clapped his hands, finishing his little speech, and the two bowed and exited. I eyed him untrustingly; they had taken my weapons.

"By this time tomorrow we will arrive in Shipwreck Cove, and you will be free," He said, walking leisurely to the desk, which was draped in parchment.

That's a relief, I want my old clothes...and my sash, I thought. My locket hung from my neck. I had refused to let the handmaidens take it.

"Calypso." His dark eyes, so different from Jack's, gleamed at me.

Ding.

I could almost hear the bells go off in my head; he thought I, Adeena Mari Cole, was goddamn Calypso.

You ignorant pig, I thought. I am a bloody Half-Siren, you...yúchǔn de húndàn!

"Pardon?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. Might as well use this to my advantage. Might as well not dig myself into another hole in the process.

"Not the name you fancy, I imagine, out of the many that you have. But it is what we call you." He said snidely.

I wonder how Tia Dalma would take this. I could imagine her attacking Sao Feng.

"We being who?" I asked, putting on the alluring, mysterious mask again.

He smiled, coming closer. "You confirm it."

"I'm not confirming anything. You've told me next to nothing." I said icily.

"The Brethren Court, not I, the first Brethren Court, whose position I would have opposed, bound you to human form." He said, telling me things I already knew, looking sincere. He further solidified that appearance by hitting the wall next to me in his frustration. "So that the rules of the sea would belong to men, and not..." He circled the wooden pole I was posed in front of, reappearing at my opposite side.

"...me." I said softly, turning my head, my lips inches from his. I shuddered inwardly, but it had to be done.

Sao Feng smiled, moving away again. I relaxed, relieved. "But one such as you should never be anything less than what you are."

Anger suddenly filled me, at his words.

Such as me? One such as me? What about the rest of the world? The slaves, the women, the lower class? All stomped upon by men, greedy men and their beautiful, stuck up wives that wouldn't know freedom if it struck them in the nose.

Why should only Calypso reach her full potential, Sao Feng? I seethed, biting my tongue to keep from yelling out. What of your servants? Your crew? The rest of the people in your life?

I kept my fury in check, promising myself that I would let Calypso free.

"Do you have room to say that as my captor?" I spat. "Words whispered through prison bars tend to lose their charm!" I clenched my fists beneath the long sleeves of my gown.

Sao Feng smiled again, not as miffed as I had hoped he would've been. "Can I be blamed?"

Yes.

"All men are drawn to the sea, perilous though it may be." He finished. Was he trying to seduce me? He was getting too close again...

No, I thought. Any direction but that direction, please.

"And some men offer desire as justification for their crimes," I said, forcing my breathing to even out, and my pitch to not climb octaves.

"I simply offer my desire." He said, smiling. There was warning in his eyes. Accept, or I'll make you.

I swallowed. "And in return?"

No, no, stop...I need to concentrate... I pushed the fear back, although it remained, pushing at my walls.

"I would have your gifts, should you choose to give them." He was directly in front of me, blocking any escape.

No.

"And if I choose to not?" I asked, holding my head high.

"Then," He hissed, his anger showing itself. I took a step back, not bothering to hide the terror in my eyes. "I will take your fury!"

"No!" I gasped, and he closed the gap between us.

I strained against him, using all of my strength, but he was stronger than me, pushing, shoving.

Why am I here?

Hostility flooding me, I mustered my strength and kicked him away, toward the desk. He caught his balance and glared at me, absolutely furious.

"Min érthei pio kontá , an axía mikrokamoménos tin ýparxí sas !" I shouted, drawing breath to let out a banshee screech. He took a step back, fear flickering in his eyes.

I never did. A great boom shook the ship, and a cannon blasted a hole in the side of the cabin. Wood flew everywhere; I screeched and ducked behind the desk, narrowly missed by an airborne wooden panel.

I heard a moan, and peered over my makeshift shield. Sao Feng had not been as lucky as I. He was skewered through; bleeding heavily and taking shallow breaths.

Serves him right! I thought angrily, crawling over to him. He watched me through half lidded eyes.

My vengeance fell away, as I realized the weight of what had just happened. A Pirate Lord had just fell and died, right before my eyes.

Or, he was in the process of dying, anyway.

He beckoned me closer, wheezing. I hesitantly obeyed, more than wary.

"Sao Feng?" I glanced at the wound, then at him.

"Here...please." He grabbed his necklace, his Piece of Eight, and handed it to me. "With all Nine...Pieces of Eight, you will be..." He drew a rattling breath. "...free."

"Oh my..." I grasped his hand. "I couldn't! I..."

"Take it!" He insisted sharply, "You are captain now. Go in my place to Shipwreck Cove."

I let my gaze fall. "Me?"

There were heavy footsteps from the stairs, and Tai Huang skidded to a stop, staring in shock at the scene. "Captain, the ship is taken, we cannot..."

Sao Feng grabbed my shoulder, using me as leverage so he could whisper in my ear. "Forgive me," He hissed, his tight grip fading, "Calypso..."

He fell down, dead. I stared in shock at the necklace in my hand.

"I'm not," I whispered. "I'm not Calypso..."

"What did he tell you?" Tai Huang demanded, looking horrified. He dropped his hat to the floor.

I stood, trembling. "He made me captain..." I whispered, looking at him. Frustrated tears burned my throat.

Tai Huang clenched his jaw and darted back up the stairs, eyes shining, clearly unaccepting. Exactly what I needed, a crew that hated me.

I followed him, suddenly claustrophobic.

When we arrived back on deck, we were seized by both an EITC officer and a slimy member of Davy Jones' crew. I had the fortune of being grabbed by the more humane one.

"You are not my captain!" Tai Huang bit at me. I glared at him, and then the enemy. The crew--my crew--were all under watch.

"Adeena?" Someone asked, his calming baritone incredulous.

My eyes flew to none other than James Norrington.

"Norrington?" I asked, looking him up and down, shocked.

He gestured for me to be set free, and I walked over to him, slightly wary. "What are you doing, James?" I sighed, stopping in front of him, feeling that we were on a first name basis.

"Whatever do you mean?" He furrowed his brow.

I shook my head. "Look who you're allied with, James! Besides the fact that they are slimy creeps--" I gave the hammerhead a dubious look; I don't think he noticed. "These are the people that killed the Governor--"

"Elizabeth's father? He returned to England." James said, sounding confused.

I glared at him. "Don't you dare joke with me, Norrington. Governor Weatherby Swann is dead, at the hands of Cutler Beckett."

Davy Jones himself stepped forward, his tentacles swinging and looking fierce. "Who among ye answers to captain?" He glared at all of us, as if his troubles were caused by my crew.

Tai Huang seemed to realize there was really no escaping me. "Captain? Her," He pointed at me.

The rest of the crew followed his example, keeping carefully blank faces.

Davy Jones looked incredibly surprised. "Captain?"

I glared at him, taking note of Norrington's bewilderment. "What, ladies can't be captains?"

James stepped into action, gaining his natural leadership skills. "Tow the ship, put the prisoners in the brig."

"Prisoners?" I demanded.

He met my eyes. "The captain...shall have my quarters."

"What?" I asked, shaking my head. "No, sorry. I am a pirate, James. I'll be remaining with my crew."

I glared at him as I stepped back to join my crew of Chinese pirates. Thankfully I knew enough of their language that I could get by.

"Wǒ shì duìzhǎng, nǐ kě yào jiēshòu." I said quietly to them. "Liú zài wǒ shēnbiān, wǒ jiāng dàilǐng nǐ."

The effect was instantaneous; I earned their respect. A series of nods and ayes followed.

I was immensely proud of myself.

Chinese

Yúchǔn de húndàn!

Wǒ shì duìzhǎng, nǐ kě yào jiēshòu.

Min érthei pio kontá , an axía mikrokamoménos tin ýparxí sas !