Season of the Tides (Pirates of the Caribbean)

22. True Royalty

Marien's yell caught everyone's attention, and Jackson couldn't blame her when she saw why.
Talika had somehow snuck on the ship, and was now giving orders it seemed.

"Why is here?" Jackson demanded as Will and Kaylee emerged from the Captain's Quarters.

"I don't know, she was supposed to stay on the Pearl!" Will hissed.

"Well, obviously she didn't get the memo!"

"I'll handle this," Kaylee insisted, pushing herself between the two of them.

Jackson raised an eyebrow, but she seemed to know what she was doing.

"You were supposed to stay on the Pearl!" Marien growled at Talika.

"And let Will die? Not a chance!" Talika snarled.

"Will doesn't need you to watch over him, Talika," Kaylee intercepted the conversation, and both women looked at her.

"And are you to judge that, dear?" Talika replied, her sugar-sweet voice intertwined with venom.

Kaylee's eyes flashed, and it looked like she too had had enough of Talika Merse.

"I am a Nature Queen, and a full-time warrior of the highest order," she snarled, getting an inch away from Talika's nose," and I can turn this ship upside down right now. So I suggest you'd better quit complaining and get to work."

The entire crew was silent as Talika backed up, her eyes wide with a strange fear.

Kaylee's eyes remained narrowed as she turned to look around at the crew." What are you lot doing? Back to work!"

"Good, she's finally taking a hint," Jackson said as the crew quickly went about their work.

"Good work, Miss Wolf," Gibbs greeted as Kaylee walked back upstairs.

"It's still Kaylee." She didn't look too happy.

"I didn't know there was a part of you that was quiet so fierce," Jackson admitted.

"That's because you've never seen her in a real battle," Reepicheep told him as he crawled along the railing of the ship.

"I prefer not to use that part of me," Kaylee said, "but it's there if I need it."

"Well, you should use it more often," Jackson told her," I'll be back."

He walked around them and down to the lower deck, where he hopped down under the deck.
He didn't particularly like the Jolly Rogger, it had, after all, been chasing him and Will for four years.

He wondered to the bottom of the ship in search of rum, since Hook had hidden it all when they'd boarded.

Come on, where's the- He paused mid-thought as he searched the empty crates, his eyes finding the brig; someone was inside the center cell.

Slowly stepping forward, Jackson peered inside; their back was to him.

"Hello?" he called.

They didn't stir, or answer.

Alright, then. He turned to leave, but they spoke so suddenly.

"Jackson Quincy Darlo."

It was a women, with a strange , heavy accent and a raspy voice.

"How do you know my name?" Jackson asked suspiciously as he turned back to her.