Destruction of the Interceptor

"*We have to make a stand. We must fight! Load the guns!" / "With what?" / "Anything! Everything! Anything we have left.*"

## Destruction of the Interceptor

### Location

Caribbean Sea

The **Destruction of the Interceptor** was a sea battle that occurred in the Caribbean Sea. It was a fight between the crew of the *Black Pearl* and the pirate crew of the stolen ship, the HMS *Interceptor*. The *Black Pearl* initiated the attack, firing on the *Interceptor* in hopes of retaking a golden medallion that they needed to end a curse that lay upon the crew of the ship. The battle ended with the full destruction of the *Interceptor* and the crew being taken prisoner. Elizabeth Swann and Jack Sparrow, present as part of the crew of the *Interceptor*, were both marooned on an island in the aftermath.

## Prelude

##### Previous: Attack on Port Royal

After the *Black Pearl* attacked Port Royal in an attempt to reclaim their cursed gold, Elizabeth Swann was kidnapped and taken to Isla de Muerta. Will Turner broke Jack Sparrow from his cell and rescued him from his fate at the gallows, going with him to Tortuga aboard the stolen *Interceptor*, to create a ragtag motley crew. Once they had their crew, they set out through a harsh storm to get to Isla de Muerta and rescue Elizabeth Swann. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was slowly learning of the *Black Pearl's* crew, their curse and the importance of the gold that had been in her possession.

##### Isla de Muerta

Jack Sparrow was able to catch up with the *Black Pearl* outside of Isla de Muerta. Jack and Will boarded a small rowing boat, entering the caves of the island in search of Barbossa and his crew. He spoke to will about his becoming a pirate and that Elizabeth was his treasure. They were able to find the pirates and Elizabeth in the central chamber that housed the stone chest that held the Aztec Gold. Believing that Elizabeth was the daughter of "Bootstrap" Bill, Barbossa cut her hand, spilling her blood and returning the final piece of gold. Their curse however remained. Barbossa confirmed that the curse remained by shooting Pintel. Pintel didn't die. The cursed crew fell into disarray and conflict, coming to find that Elizabeth had lied. In his rage, Barbossa slapped Elizabeth, sending her and the coin flying away, where Will Turner was able to find her. He took Elizabeth silently away into the water. Before finding Elizabeth, Will had knocked out Jack Sparrow, thinking he had become Jack's bait. After Elizabeth and Will had escaped, Barbossa noticed, calling for his crew to search for them. The pair had escaped, taking the oars of the cursed crew with them. During the crew's search for Elizabeth, they found Jack. To spare his life, Jack called for a parley. Keeping to the code, Will and the crew of the *Interceptor* left the island and Jack behind with Elizabeth in tow. Barbossa met Jack to satisfy the parley, but called for his execution within moments. Jack saved his own life by announcing that he knew whose blood they needed to end their curse. While on their escape, Will learnt that his father had been a pirate and he had pirate blood in his veins as Elizabeth returned the piece of Aztec Gold to him after taking it from him years ago.

## Recount

##### Pursuit

The *Black Pearl* entered a pursuit of the HMS *Interceptor*, during which Jack spoke to Barbossa about taking his ship back from Barbossa and leaving him on an island with the name of the person he needs. Barbossa refused. He also refused to allow Jack to enter the *Interceptor* and negotiate a peaceful transfer of the golden medallion. Jack was locked in the brig of the *Black Pearl*. To try and escape the *Black Pearl*, the *Interceptor* headed for nearby shoals and lost weight, throwing anything overboard that needn't be carried. Barbossa called for the guns to be readied and the sweeps to be used, speeding up their pursuit. Will Turner decided that running was no good, calling for them to fight back with anything they have left aboard.

##### The Fight

To end the running, Elizabeth called for the starboard side anchor to be dropped, turning the *Interceptor* 180 back to face the *Black Pearl*. Within moments, both ships landed parallel. Both Barbossa and Elizabeth called for fire, starting the battle conflict. Both sides fired both cannon fire and gunfire at one another, filling the air with thick smoke. Jack was released from the brig by a stray cannon ball flying through his cell lock. Realizing that the pirates were after the medallion, Will leapt into the lower levels of the ship in search of the medallion, only to find that a leak was slowly filling the ship. A shot fired by Pintel and Ragetti broke the main sail of the *Interceptor*, causing it to crash down to create a bridge between the ships. The cursed crew began boarding the *Interceptor*, searching for the medallion. Will became stuck in the flooding lower levels under debris, calling for aid. Jack meanwhile emerged from the brig, entering the fray. He took a swinging rope from a member of the fight, using it himself to swing over to the *Interceptor* just in time to save Joshamee Gibbs from a fatal stabbing. Jack found Elizabeth asking her where both the medallion and Will were. She responded by running to rescue Will from his trapped spot beneath the top floor. Meanwhile, Jack spotted Jack the Monkey running to the *Black Pearl* with the medallion. He made after the monkey. Jack the Monkey gave the medallion to Barbossa just before Jack could grab it. Barbossa announced their hope restored. To end their attack, Twigg and Koehler built a pile of gunpowder barrels, igniting them. The *Black Pearl* retreated, taking survivors of the *Interceptor* as prisoner aboard their boat, announcing that if they so much as thought of parley they would kill them. They were forced to watch as the *Interceptor* exploded and sunk.

## Aftermath

#### Next: Battle of Isla de Muerta

As the *Interceptor* exploded, Elizabeth cried out, believing that the explosion killed Will. Unknown to her however, Will had been able to escape the ship at the last moment and swim over to the *Black Pearl* where he climbed aboard with a pistol. He made himself known, calling out to Barbossa that Elizabeth must go free. Will aimed his pistol at Barbossa, who told him that he couldn't die. Will rebuked that while Barbossa couldn't, he could, aiming the gun at himself and announcing himself William Turner, son of "Bootstrap" Bill Turner. The cursed crew came to realize this to be true. Barbossa asked for Will's terms that would allow him to come with the cursed crew back to Isla de Muerta. Will commanded that Elizabeth go free.

##### Marooning Elizabeth & Jack

Barbossa took advantage of that fact that Will hadn't specified where Elizabeth was to be set free, making her walk a plank to be marooned on an island. When he protested, Will was held back and silenced. Elizabeth was thrown off the plank first, quickly followed by Jack. Barbossa granted Jack his pistol and sword, throwing it into the ocean for Jack to collect. Once reaching the island, both Jack and Elizabeth watched as the *Black Pearl* sailed away. Jack revealed to Swann that he had bartered passage off the island last time he was marooned, however as he searched the rumrunner cache, he suspected they had been out of business. Together, Jack and Elizabeth helped themselves to the stashed rum and built a large fire, drinking into the night and singing. Elizabeth deliberately got Jack drunk so that she could use the early morning to begin a large fire using the rum and the trees as fire fuel, starting a smoke cloud that rose 1,000 feet into the sky. Jack was not confident that it ensured their escape, however was quickly proven wrong as the HMS *Dauntless* arrived near the island to rescue those who started the fire.

## List of Combatants

(Those who lost their lives in combat are noted with a star)

### Jack Sparrow's *Interceptor* Crew

1. Jack Sparrow
2. Will Turner
3. Elizabeth Swann
4. Joshamee Gibbs
5. Marty
6. Anamaria
7. Cotton
8. Many more

### Crew of the *Black Pearl*

1. Captain Hector Barbossa
2. Bo'sun
3. Jack the Monkey
4. Pintel
5. Ragetti
6. Koehler
7. Twigg
8. Jacoby
9. Mallot
10. Grapple
11. About 100 pirates

## Appearances

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl