Pirates of the Caribbean: Ghost of the Phoenix

Chapter 11

The gallows were always imposing to those who saw them. They were most imposing to those about to meet them. That was the case with Kanan, Zeb, and Hera. Their obvious crimes: hijacking a ship of the Imperial Royal Navy, piracy, kidnapping. They were asked if they had any final words.

Watching the "spectacle" were the Wrens along with Commodore Antilles. Ezra walked up to them and bowed cordially. He turned and addressed Sabine directly.

"Please forgive me," he said, "for what I am about to do."

Before she could ask what it was, he turned around and drew two cutlasses. Sabine quickly caught on to what he was about to do, and fake passed out. The attention was focused on her, so nobody noticed when Ezra threw the cutlasses, and quickly drew a pistol. The floor opened beneath the three who were to be hanged, but two swords and one shot cut the ropes to where they fell to the ground. Ezra ran to help them escape, but by the time they had fought their way to the cliff, they were surrounded.

"You know," said Wedge, "there are crimes that I can pardon for aiding in the escape of wanted pirates, if you hand them over."

"Never." said Ezra.

Wedge motioned the squad to prepare to fire, but Sabine threw herself in front of Ezra.

"Sabine Wren," asked the countess, Ursa Wren, "What is the meaning of this?"

"I," Sabine started, "I can't bear to see the person I love get executed."

Virtually everyone was shocked at what she said. Wedge immediately tried to make sense of it all.

"Whoa," he said, "whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, by 'love' you mean like a 'brotherly, sisterly love', right?"

"No," she said, "I love him. I love him far more than I have ever loved anyone in the world."

Wedge heard what he didn't want to hear. She didn't love him. She loved a blacksmith. Kanan, Zeb, and Hera all had slowly wormed their ways to the cliff edge, and were now  ready to leap off.

"Well," Kanan said, "this has been fun, and-- Wedge, was it?-- sorry things didn't work out for you. Ezra, good luck with her. And to everyone else... good luck in capturing us."

He and his two companions leapt into the water below, right as a thick fog covered the surface.

"Mister Bridger," said the Countess, "Because my daughter has set her ways, I give you my blessing to marry her. And you are pardoned of any crimes committed."

She left with the platoon of soldiers. Wedge was the last one who was standing there amongst them. He drew out his pistol examining it.

"This truly is a remarkable gun," he said, "made by somebody who takes pride in his work. I expect that you will treat miss Wren with the same respect you always have had?"

Ezra simply nodded. As Wedge turned to leave, he holstered his gun. Ezra faced Sabine and stared into her beautiful amber eyes. Their faces kept inching closer until their lips finally connected, under a setting sun.

Inside the fog, Kanan, Hera and Zeb were pulled aboard a ship.

"Hello, Captains," said a familiar voice, "Welcome back aboard the Ghost."

"Mister Mackson," said Zeb, "I thought you would have left us to be hanged by those British and taken this ship for yourselves."

"Well, we thought it best to have some captains who knew how to run this ship effectively so we could pillage and plunder all we wanted."

The three captains went to the helm, and admired the work being done by their new crew. They asked for Ceaser's map and met amongst themselves about what treasure to go after.

Epilogue soon to follow