[Jack Shipsteel]

Pvt. Millton didn't have to struggle to remember the events that happened to Shaw. He had heard the story long ago, on a cold December evening in the bottom of a Ship of the Line.

Millton had just been recently sent to his first assignment in the Carribean waters, and the posting was a paradise of a place to serve at, Kingshead. It was the home of the Navy and EITC and was known for it's security, then.

Millton had been patrolling the lower decks of the Ship when he happened upon the Admiral of the ship, speaking to a few close officers. The Admiral was in good spirits, from being recently promoted and from the amount of whiskey he had drank. This made his tongue looser than a door left swaying in the breeze.

He looked at Millton and beckoned him over, saying he had just started telling a story to his officers, and that it was one that could not be missed. The admiral took a long draught from his bottle, and told his tale:

"Long ago, when I had been a Major in Fort Charles, I was in charge of training soldiers. I was a fairly nice Instructor, and didn't yell at my troops unless they gave me a good reason too. So, when a young man by the name of Ellison Shaw came to learn how to be a good EITC private, I didn't think any of it. That was until the boy started showing up late in the morning."

The officers and Millton gasped at awe at this. Shaw was known as the toughest and most precise commander there was in the ranks. He was the model soldier, the man you looked up to as a cadet. Him arriving late to roll call? Proposterous.

The Admiral took note at their faces and continued, "Aye, he started showing up later and later in the morning, until one day, he missed Roll Call all together. I let him have it. I told him how much of an excuse he was, how he was an example of what laziness is, and that if he couldn't arrive on time to Roll Call, he shouldn't be in the EITC."

"He bawled, right then and there. Just utterly cried. A bunch of the other cadets and other soliders at Fort Charles started laughing at him, and to a lesser extent, myself.

"I couldn't let that happen, so I gave him something I never had to give anybody before, and didn't give it to anybody since then. I gave him 10 lashings."

We looked in disbelief. THE Captain Shaw just bawling for getting yelled at. Showed what he really was.

"He cried during that too. Since then, he's become tougher. But, if anybody tries to tell ME how tough he is, I just laugh."

And the officers and Milton laughed too.


Millton had heard that story and didn't tell anybody else. But the officers, they told everybody. Soon enough the whole ship knew, and when they landed, all of Port Royal. It soon became common knowledge amongst the rank and file.

Then, the hammer hit. The Admiral who had told the story, he was dishonorably discharged from the service of the crown. Any solider caught saying the story recieved lashings, and on the rare occasion, death. Needless to say, the tale wasn't told unless you were in a very secluded spot.

It showed the men Shaw had pull, and if you said anything against him, you insulted the EITC itself. Shaw turned from a tough commander into a ruthless dictator in the minds of the troops, and he loved every minute of it.

Millton hurried to get dressed.



McKirkley had gotten dressed and proper within 5 minutes, but it took Craw 30 to get back. He sure wasn't very apologetic, however. He just led them to the Captain's quarters.

His men were in their finest suits and had made everthing spick and span. Nothing was out of line. McKirkley smiled to himself. His men never were dressed orderly unless getting judged.

Finally, McKirkley's unit stood in front of the Captain's hut. It wasn't a grand sight, but still was far more better looking than the hovels the others lived in.

They stood out there for 3 minutes, nobody saying anything, nobody even daring to breathe loudly. Then, an opening of a door was heard and the men snapped into an even more straighter stance.

Shaw looked menacing, no doubt. He was as tall as the tallest man in the unit, had cold piercing green eyes, that gave an illusion of staring though your soul, and he carried both a sword and gun as his sides. He didn't blink one bit, despite the wind blowing in his face.

Shaw looked at the whole lot of the men, and then walked to the farthest left of the line of the men. He walked up and down the grunts, looking each and every one of them directly in the eyes, until they broke their gaze. McKirkley became bound determined not to avert his eyes, but that was until the captain glared at him. His eyes.. they were all knowing. They were radiant, but dull. And McKirkley knew he saw a glint of red in his eyes. McKirkley didn't last 5 seconds in his gaze.

The captain finished the line and then walked to stand in front of them. He looked at all of them once again, and began to speak.

"You men are under my command. You will do as I tell you, what I write to you, and what Sgt. Shaw here tells you, for he is my voice when I cannot stand your prescence. You all were chosen to this job because, you will keep a secret, a secret that will not leave this island. If it does leave this island, you will all die. Clear?"

He said it all without wavering. The men gave a murmur of agreement.

Shaw smiled, and began again, "Glad we're on the same page. Now, there is a lot to be said about Raven's Cove, but you'll learn in due time. Some of you will learn quickly, and you will adapt. The others, they won't. And they will not live. Now, starting tomorrow you all will-"

"Cut it Shaw."

McKirkley blinked in disbelief, but knew who the voice belonged to. Pvt. Warth.

This Private never knew when and where was a good time to speak. And at that moment, he made the worst judgement ever.

Shaw looked almost shocked. Almost.

"So.. what is it that makes you speak out this way Private.."

"Warth," he answered, "And the reason I speak to you this way is because you are trying to frigthen us. Your full of it. Your nothing but a low down, dirty, wimp-"

He was interruped, by the dagger that now was buried deep in his shoulder.



Smythe was standing right next to Warth, and he felt the blood of him spray all over his face. He didn't dare move.

Warth had time to scream in terrible agony for a moment before the hilt of a pistol clubbed him in the head, and he was knocked out.

Shaw tsked. "Warth made the most grevious acts of insulting me, and disrespecting me. He deserved all he got. He's lucky he's not dead."

Most of the others were still in shock, but Millton managed to speak. "What do we do with him, sir? Are we to.. leave him there?" His words just managed to escape his shaking body.

Shaw sighed, and told him, "We aren't barbarians. He'll recieve the care he deserves.. he'll be nursed back to health. He won't die. But I'm glad he served as an example," Shaw laughed a humorless laugh, "You are all dismissed."

Craw dragged Warth's body to the hospital on the other side of camp. Smythe and the others walked to their cabins. Shaw wasn't just stories. He was as cruel as Cutler Beckett.

And for the next couple of months, perhaps even years, they were living with him.