The Room Where It Happens

Chapter 1 - Communion
Perhaps on any other night, the streets of Cap-Français would be lively with the sound of merry congregation and the indulgement of simple pleasures. As one of the last pirate havens of the Caribbean, the Haitian city was one of the most heavily trafficked in the region - at least by the undesirables of society. The harbor was under the constant watch of the patrolling corsair fleet of mercenaries and debtors manning neary every manner of vessel, all prominently displaying the black flag; though visitors of the city did not enjoy being forcefully boarded and checked for ties to "imperialists," in the eyes of the fleet's main proponent, a Pirate Lord from half the world away, the inconvenience was worth the longevity of the haven.

Though the fleet would indeed protect the pirates from hostile invaders, the source of the city's anxiety still stemmed from the imminent arrival of an infamous group of individuals who, despite having their best interests in mind, were still feared and avoided by the lowly townfolk. For the first time in several years, Cap-Français would act as host for the gathering of the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court, and the meeting's subject matter was not expected to be a positive one.

For Finn Hamm, the call had come while enjoying a weekend's respite from the taxing daily ventures of piracy - respite, of course, being in the loosest sense of the word, as these occasional vacations were almost always used to see to the trivialities of the good captain's "other" occupations. While gingerly sipping a cup of tea, the distinct ringing from his desk drawer began to sound; Finn immediately recognized that it was time to honor the call once more. Quickly briefing his advisor Halil and grabbing his personal effects, Hamm departed for his hidden dock, assembled his crew, and made way for the warm waters of the Caribbean.

Several weeks later, the red sails of the Shadow Song came into view from the glimmering docks of Cap-Français. By the time of Hamm's arrival, several dozen other ships had taken their places in the reserved Brethren dock to the southeast of the city's center. Propped up on its side against the beach was a massive ship-of-the-line, obviously inoperable yet ornately decorated and lit. The wreck of the HMS Leviathan, a battleship in service to the East India Company, had served as the Brethren's de-facto headquarters and meeting place since the unfortunate discovery of Shipwreck Cove by the British Empire. Though the volcanic island would likely be able to withstand assault from the Royal Navy for months, if not years, the Lords had deemed it too great a risk to take, and thus relocated to Haiti - the obvious choice.

Hamm's crew of the several dozen men needed to operate the three vessels accompanying the Shadow slowly unloaded and made the trek up the beach to the Leviathan, with Quartermaster King bearing a banner displaying the captain's coat of arms. Leading his crew though the path, Finn happened to encounter his old ally and fellow lord Zoomer. Both mens' crews halted respectfully as they stopped to briefly converse.

"Finn," Zoomer smiled slightly. "I was hoping I had the right place?"

"By the city's stench, I couldn't imagine a better place for us to hide," Hamm sarcastically proclaimed, soaking in the view of the sunset over Cap-Français.

The two lords nodded and resumed their trek. Finally, near the base of the ramp entrance of the battleship, the crews reached the region of the beach decorated with several banners bearing elaborate designs, each one representing one attending Pirate Lord respectively. King passed Hamm his banner, which he studied for a moment before sticking in the sand firmly. The warm air of the city seemed to settle upon those standing on the beach. Adjusting his straw hat slightly, Finn motioned and entered the beached vessel, accompanied by several of his most trusted officers while the others excitedly left to enjoy the sights of the town, quietly speculating as to the subject of the much-anticipated meeting.

Navigating the winding halls of the Leviathan for several minutes, Hamm and his men finally arrived at the decadent conference room at the center of the ship, repurposed from a spacious cargo hold. At the center of the room was a massive longtable adorned with several different maps of the Caribbean and the world with different land and sea regions shaded or highlighted. On either side of the table were four chairs specially designed for each lord, and, of course, one grand "throne" at the end of the table reserved for the Pirate King himself, who had yet to make his entrance along with two other Lords.

Taking his seat, Finn briefly met the eyes of a relic of his checkered history, instantly distinguishable by his yellow jacket and muttonchops. Leonhard Bosch stared right back at him, his piercing gaze at once displaying a myriad of emotions from cold contempt to fiery rage, just barely contained. Though the two said nothing to each other, it would have taken a blind man not to sense the tension between the two. Hamm became aware of the pistol hidden within a pocket of his coat - the very same that had harmlessly discharged into the air several years ago and should have ended a regretful quarrel, but had invariably failed to do so.

Finn and the other present lords conversed for several minutes before the room fell silent upon the entrance of three individuals - Jeremiah Garland, Jason Wavecrash, and King Richard Cannonwalker, the last of which boldly strode to his embellished seat at the end. Wearing only a simple outfit that displayed his tattooed chest, any fool who dared utter the title "poor man's king" in Cannonwalker's presence surely had a death wish. As the King arrived at his seat and all present abruptly stood in respect, he subtly nodded to Hamm, who began the proceedings by removing his hat and holding it expectantly in his hands.

"By the powers vested in me by the Pirate King and with his unwavering authority, I hereby convene this, the Ninth Brethren Court!" Finn proclaimed. There were utters of approval among those in attendance as the Lords returned to their seats. "To confer your lordship and right to be heard, present now your Pieces of Eight, my fellow captains." As the others began to shuffle through their belongings, Hamm retrieved a small amber fossil from his coat and placed it within his hat, which was then passed around the table before being placed before the King at the end of the table.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Cannonwalker began, rising from his chair. He met the gazes of the lords before him as he spoke in his low baritone, with each statement weighed and calculated before being spoken. "I understand some of you may be more aware of the dangers which have plagued us of late than others. Make no mistake: we now face a threat greater than perhaps any in the past. Our very existence is once again threatened."

Such is life, Hamm thought.

"The East India Trading Company has increased its patrols in the region tenfold in the past few months. They have the full support of the Royal Navy, and word is that the King himself has called for our complete extermination from the Caribbean - and the world." Quiet whispers persisted for a few moments before silent fell upon the room once more.

"Because of the nature of this threat, I have summoned the Court so that we may combine our might to meet the enemy head-on. The way I see it, this coming war will end one of two ways: either the British are driven from the Caribbean, or the Brethren Court ends - permanently."

Bosch waved his hand dismissively. "I doubt this threat is as serious as you purport," he scoffed. "Our history has been rife with threats to our existence, and yet here we are. Such large-scale collaborations between the lords have rarely been effective in the past as a means to protect our interests in the first place."

"It is necessary to convene the entire Court," Richard retorted sharply. "If you think differently, perhaps you'd like to explain your indifference to the people of Tortuga."

Jeremiah Garland pulled out a fresh map of the Caribbean from his coat and sprawled it out on the table. Approximately three-quarters was shaded in black, with the rest untouched. "We are here," Garland said pointing to an unshaded island west of Cuba. "This region around us is one of the last to remain free. The government of Padres del Fuego conceded to the Company two nights ago. Tortuga has been under Navy occupation for three weeks."

There was a hushed collective gasp in the room. Hamm leaned in to get a closer look. "There are reports of heavy resistance in the swamps to the north of the island," Garland explained, looking to his fellow Lords. "If we can get past the blockade and reach the holdouts-"

"Then we can liberate Tortuga, and then every other island the British have dared to lay their hands on," Jason Wavecrash boldly proclaimed, nodding to the others.

Lawrence Ironhawk cut in. "The problem will be cutting through the blockade," he argued. "The fleet is spread thin enough as it is, and we need as many ships as possible defending this city."

Cannonwalker nodded in agreement. "Firepower won't get us past the Tortuga blockade. What we need is subterfuge." He briefly turned to Finn. "I'm sure you and Zoomer have a few tricks up your sleeve."

Hamm steepled his fingers in thought for a few moments then looked up to his expectant peers. "We will get inside and ensure your safe passage," he concluded simply.

"Just like old times," Zoomer smiled.

"The rest of us will conduct coordinated strikes at these specific ports," Garland continued, pointing to several coastal locations marked with a white X on the map. "This will create confusion within their upper echelons, and hopefully prompt them to withdraw at least some of their forces from Tortuga."

"Liberating Tortuga will be the key. Once its people are free, it will send a message to all those who oppose us: We are coming," Richard grimly assured them. "This meeting is over, for now." As the other Lords rose from their seats and retrieved their Pieces from Finn's hat, the Pirate King gestured for Hamm to follow him to an adjacent room.

Ensuring no one would follow, Finn met Richard in the next room over, carefully putting his hat back on. It smelled faintly of rotting flesh.

"I'll say this frankly," Cannonwalker said with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out a window into the dark sea. "The Company has predicted our every move since summer. There is no admiral nor assassin in their ranks knowledgable enough to anticipate our attacks."

"I think I follow," Hamm stated, crossing his arms.

"There is a traitor in our ranks," Richard continued. "I don't know who it is, or why they're doing it, though I've lived long enough to know that the allure of coin can convince any man to denounce his countrymen in an instant. I need you to be vigilant, especially once you reach the insurgents in Tortuga."

Finn said nothing, but his expression betrayed a sense of affirmation.

"Leading the rebels in the swamps are some of our oldest allies," Cannonwalker moved on. "I trust you remember the name Hench?"

"The Marceline," Hamm chuckled, almost pleased to hear the name. It evoked certain memories of a simpler time in which the British were an annoyance, not an imminent threat to his existence. It appeared it would take more than the death of the Marceline's founder to make them yield.

"You know what to do. I think Zoomer's assistance will be... invaluable," Richard finished. Finn nodded slightly as he took his leave and met Zoomer back in the conference room.

"Just like old times," Hamm repeated with a grin, shaking hands with his friend. At dawn, the Shadow Song and Midnight Star would take to the seas on yet another suicide mission.

Chapter 2 - Cracks in the Wall
Soon!