A faint billow of smoke rose up into the air, soiling the perfect blue of the sky; in the open water, a ship lay in near shambles, giving into the depths of the ocean. Another, much larger vessel rested triumphantly beside it, a vibrant British flag flowing out from amongst the sails.

Kaida lowered her spyglass and frowned at the sight of the two ships. Always getting in the way, she thought, shaking her head slightly.

“Your orders, Captain?” Jones said, standing at the helm beside her.

“That royal ship took down what seems to be another pirate ship… I've never seen it before,” she said, the last bit more to herself. “... Why don't we pay them a visit?” She smiled. “I feel like causing a bit of trouble.”

***

Kaida stepped lightly onto the deck of the British ship, calculating the time she would have before the ship sank and they’d have to leave. Knowing that they’d have time to check the brig for survivors and poke around to see what goods and supplies they could take, Kaida smiled to herself and made her way to the captain of the ship who was currently on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. Behind him were the remaining members of the crew, their uniforms dirtied and faces bloody, looking back at her with confusion and fear; it was an expression that she had gotten used to seeing. Only the captain was glaring at her with a look of contempt.

She ordered some of her crew to check the brig and check for supplies while she stood in front of the captain. He scowled at her and spat at her feet. “Damn you,” he muttered, blood dribbling down his chin.

“You don’t look too happy to see me, Captain,” she smirked, unphased by the spit. “Care to tell me why?”

“Go burn in Hell, you witch” he spat again.

“So original,” she muttered.

“I know who you are… and my answer is no. I’d never sail with a woman.”

“I understand,” Kaida smiled at him, while pulling out a long knife from her waist. Without hesitation, she placed it against the captain’s cheek, pressing lightly into his skin until she drew blood. The man watched the blade with frenzied eyes as she grazed it down onto his neck. Just not worth the time. She stepped back with the blade, wiping it on his coat and turned to Jones. “See if any of his men are open to the idea.” She walked down below deck to the sound of men crying out right before their throats were slit.

Down in the brig, water was already seeping into the ship; several of her men were down there, helping the prisoners make their way to the deck. One man, dirty and malnourished, stared at her with wide eyes as he made his way out, muttering under his breath. “It’s you. It’s you- why did you save us?”

Kaida trudged her way through the quickly rising water, looking for anyone else that was still alive but may have been overlooked. In a dark corner of a cell, she saw two men slumped on the ground, the water threatening to cover their faces. She called over to a few sailors to assist her and she stepped carefully into the cell. She bent down over one man and felt for a breath or pulse and found nothing, his lips blue and skin pale. She shook her head and the sailors and tried with the other man, rolling him over to his side. His clothes were a bit nicer than any of the other men they had rescued, denoting rank. Dark, wet hair plastered his face and blood trickled down his head. Kaida felt his neck, feeling a faint pulse. “He’s alive,” she told the sailors who went to lift him. The man, even while unconscious, was imposing with his stature, dwarfing the three men who struggled to carry him out.

As they brought him out onto the deck, Kaida looked again at the unconscious man, his face now more visible. Kaida stared at him, a peculiar unease setting in the back of her mind. She focused on the scar that lay just under his right eye. She squinted at it before shrugging the unsettling feeling away. “Take the survivors to the brig,” she ordered. “Let’s go.”