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"Why does everything seem to happen to me!" she shouts at the top of her lungs. "First my father and now this."

The first mate looked nervously at her as he gave Melody the terrible news about the death of her family and the last message received from them. He tries to comfort her but to no avail. She lays sobbing with her head in her hands. His strong and beloved captain crumbled to nothing.

"Please leave, Simon. I need to be alone." Through tears that stream like a waterfall she seems to finally get these mutterings out.

Reluctantly, he leaves her side. He feels responsible for his young leader. She, only twenty-two and in charge of an entire ship. Not just any ship but one ran by the shadiest of creatures. How could he just leave her in this most vulnerable time?

"But... Madam..." He manages to stammer out.

"I'll be okay, Simon. Now go that's an order." She barks sending Simon reeling. He almost trips over his own feet as he flies out the door.

Melody dabs her eyes with a handkerchief she keeps stuffed in her pockets. 'I can't believe they are gone.' Her head is swirling with reasons why this had to happen. Was there any way she could have stopped it? She should have stayed with her family after her father's death. It broke her mother's heart when she chose to follow after her father's footsteps. But who else would fight for the freedom of her people, the freedom of pirates.

People had to understand that pirate's were people, too. It wasn't a choice to be a pirate but rather something you were born into. People would scream at the site of her crew as they came into a town. The only reason they had to pillage was because no one would barter with her. Her crew and family needed to survive. What other choice did she have?

Melody thought of the first adventure she went on. She was only a girl at the time, but being the oldest in the family meant she would be the first recruited help with income. She had a difficult choice to make after all there were only two career choices for pirates. Prostitutes or boat crew.

She was the eldest and being the only girl in a troupe full of boys she wanted nothing more than to be on the boats. Her mother expected Melody to follow after her and become a lady of means. Melody laughed at the idea. Of course never in front of her mother. It seemed so demeaning to allow these overgrown thugs to ravage the only thing she could call her own. Even if she was allowed to priviledge of working in a brothel for 'normal' men she had too much pride to do what it would take to please a man.

Her father was a bit taken aback when she asked if she could join his crew. He expected his daughter to be one of the most coveted in the land. He new that gentlemen of esteem would pay a good price for the services she could offer. He also knew that it was her choice to choose between the two. Although they had limited freedom he was not going to take away the only freedom she had.

Her first voyage started at dawn. Her father had her dress like a boy... it was nothing too far from her usual outfit. Baggy pants, a leather shirt and a hat. He also cut her beautiful locks so that non of the sailors would ravage her if he got a chance. If they all thought her to me a boy they would leave her alone. She remembered looking in the mirror for the first time. Every bit of femininity was gone from her face. Her beautiful hair was shorne, her outfit seemed like a poor boys. Oh how the girls at her etiquette school was laugh. Yet now they would never know, she was free from the daily responsibilities of crimping, perming, dressing in gowns, and learning what pleases a customer. Now she embarked on a new journey.

A crash from upstairs brought Melody back to her reality. It sounded like a fight or a mutiny. She wiped her, face splashed it with a bit of water and sprinted upstairs.

'What is going on here?' She demanded. Her voice boomed over the head of scoundrels. 'I demand to know what this ruckus is all about.'

Her trusted first mate was at the tip of a sword. What could Simon ever have done to be where he is? The crew loved him or at least that is what she had been lead to believe.

Simon responded to her inquisition. 'Madam, let me explain. The men do not think they are being treated fairly.'

'Fairly, why exactly are they not being treated, fairly?' Her voice dripped with contempt for her crew. She did not need this right now but she had to stay strong or she would crumble to nothing.

'They seem to think you are holding out on them from the last run.' Simon responded.

'Drop your sword right now men.' Melody was on a war path now. How could they think after all she had gone through with them she would be holding out anymore than was necessary? 'I've had it with all of you.' She grabbed a near by revolver out of one of her crews holsters. 'Either you do as I say or I shoot you all.'

The crew blinked starry eyed at their delicate captain but before they could figure out exactly what was going on Simon was free and had his hand on his own revolver. Pointing towards the male leader of this particular crew. Now if the crew had the capability to think of for themselves they would have realized that the odds really were in their favor. Twelve reasonably well fit men against two young puny kids from their perspective. Yet they were not very good thinkers. That is why they were the crew and not the captains themselves.

'Now I suggest you go back to exactly what is was I had commanded you to earlier. I am not in the mood to deal with such outcries. The next person to cause a ruckus will pay severely.' The power in her voice even surprised her self. She wasn't sure if she was really ready to injure or kill one of her own crew but she new if the time came it would be necessary to show who was captain and who was not. It was after all the only way these men understood anything.

'My thanks, Madam.' Simon bowed low to her. 'I'm not sure what I would have done without you.'

'Carry on, Simon.' Melody returned to her cabin to mourn her family and allow the sea to bring her memories of those she cherished.