On Santa Campana, Tom checks Kate and confirms that she's fine after his recent attempt to save her life. She asks if the baby survived her attempt and Tom asks if she wants it to have. Kate admits that she wants the child to live and Tom wonders what they should do. She puts off the decision until later and Tom says that he's willing to give himself to her. Kate asks if he knows what that means and Tom says that he does, and she tells him that he doesn't and it can only be learned.
The Reaver returns and Blackbeard and his men enter the city. Tom and Kate go to greet them and Blackbeard glances briefly at Tom before moving on. Tim comes up and Tom and Kate welcome him home, and Tim tells them that there are no spoils to be divided.
Jagger has the Eldritch set course for Santa Campana.
Blackbeard goes to the manor and tells Selima that it's done and Rider is dead. Oswald and the others come in and tell Blackbeard that they have spoken privately about his actions against Rider. They tell Blackbeard that what he did amounts to murder and they have to punish him for it under the law. Oswald says that they're placing him under house arrest and Blackbeard refuses. The pirates draw their swords, but the Eldritch opens fire on the town and everyone flees.
Tom, Tim, and Kate run into the town with James and watch as the cannons bring down the town around them. They spot the Eldritch in the harbor.
Aboard the Eldritch, Rider tells Jagger to stop the bombardment. He reminds the governor-general that he promises to only take Blackbeard, and Jagger says that he's softening them up. If they give Blackbeard up then he'll spare the townspeople, and tells his men to head for shore.
Blackbeard and Selima watch the Eldritch from the manor and Blackbeard admits that he has no idea how Jagger found them. Selima points out that Rider must have given away their location if he lived, and suggests that pity may have stayed his hand. Blackbeard assures her that he didn't, but Selima realizes that he did something.
The Eldritch stop the bombardment and the townspeople gather their wounded. Blackbeard comes out and tells his men to prepare for attack. Nelly's baby is crying and Tim goes to reassure her that Nelly and her child are safe.
Tom and the others prepare the guns and James asks Tom to sneak Kate into the mountains. The Englishman refuses to abandon the townspeople, and warns that Kate won't abandon them, either. James asks about the child and Tom says that it belongs to them all.
Jagger and his men come ashore and find Blackbeard's men waiting. A Redcoat, Harlow, advances with a white flag and Blackbeard tells Oswald to let him through, reminding the pirate that under their law they can't depose him in mid-battle. The young Redcoat informs them that Jagger will grant a king's pardon to all citizens in return for Blackbeard. Blackbeard invites the soldier to stand with them, complimenting him on his bravery. When Harlow refuses, Blackbeard cuts his throat and tells his men to man the barricades. Oswald suggests that they discuss the amnesty but Tom warns that he knows Jagger well enough to know that the governor-general will kill them all despite his promise. Blackbeard says that they are all pawns to rulers, but their people will stand together for their own selves. The townspeople rally and Blackbeard dares the soldiers to come after them.
On the beach, Jagger hears the cheers.
Tim leads the women and children to the Wildman's cave.
Aboard the Eldritch, Rider escapes, killing his guard.
The townspeople prepare their defenses and toss out the dead soldier. Jagger orders his men to attack and they charge forward. The townspeople open fire but the soldiers get in close enough to start picking them off. Meanwhile, Jagger and a small group of soldiers place Antoinette in a cage and take her through the jungle. The governor-general tells Antoinette to call to Blackbeard, believing that he will come to her, and then walks off with his men. After a moment, Antoinette screams Blackbeard's name.
The Eldritch begins bombarding the town and the soldiers take the gate. Tom, Kate, and James pick them off while the pirates engage them in hand-to-hand. One soldier threatens to kill Oswald, until Blackbeard takes the man from behind. However, Callow cuts Oswald open, bringing him down.
As Jagger's soldiers run to the town, one of them spots the entrance to the cave and comes inside. Tim and the women hide, and Tim draws his knife. However, Nelly's child starts crying and Tim steps out, begging the soldier to stop. The Redcoat attacks and Tim is forced to kill him.
Callow tells the soldiers to concentrate their fire on Tom and the others. Tom returns fire but the soldiers charge forward and Tom realizes that the only exit is boarded up. Callow and his men burst in and James kills Callow. A Redcoat fires, wounding James, and Kate shoots him. Meanwhile, Tom takes on the remaining soldiers but is soon outnumbered and surrounded. However, Rider tosses a bomb in, decimating their ranks, and he and Tom fight the survivors together. Once the Redcoats are dead, Tom realizes that the townspeople have won. He goes to Rider and helps him inside.
In the jungle, Jagger shows Antoinette Tom's sketch of Selima and hands her a sickle. He then releases her and points her toward the manor, telling her that Selima lies in that direction.
Blackbeard hears Antoinette calling and goes to find her. He finds Jagger in the jungle and the two men fire. The pirate collapses... but Jagger realizes that he has been hit as well. Both men reload their pistols, stand, and aim at each other. They move forward and Jagger says that Antoinette is waiting behind him. He says that Blackbeard must get past him first and says that it's Blackbeard's fault that his son and daughter are still alive, and he wanted Blackbeard to know that. Jagger shoots and Blackbeard dodges... and the bullet hits the coin in his skull. Blackbeard tells Jagger that he has no meaning without him, and if he kills him then Jagger will live forever. He then shoots Jagger dead and walks past him to find Antoinette.
Antoinette enters the manor and finds Selima waiting for her with a gun. Selima shoots her in the shoulder but Antoinette whispers her name and advances up the stairs. She follows Selima through the wreckage of the manor, and Selima hides in Blackbeard's study. Antoinette comes in and calls Blackbeard's name, and then sits down, staring around her. After a moment she stands up again and finds Selima, putting the sickle to her throat, screaming.
Tom treats Rider's wound and the pirate admits that he led Jagger to the island. The Englishman says that it wasn't his fault and that there was no hope for any of them, caught between Blackbeard and Jagger. He then tells Tim to gather the townspeople and instruct them in how to treat the injured. James wonders what to do with the prisoners, and Tom says that they can't take any prisoners. Tom then takes his sword and says that there's a job to be done, and Rider tells him to do it well.
Blackbeard enters his manor and finds Antoinette in his study, covered in blood. She smiles when she sees him and goes to her husband, arms held open. Blackbeard takes a sword and puts the blade to her chest, and Antoinette embraces it and impales herself on it. Antoinette pulls herself along the blade and prepares to kiss Blackbeard... and dies. Blackbeard casts her aside and sees Selima lying on the floor.
As Blackbeard goes to Selima, Tom comes in and tells him that the town stands and his victory is complete... but the price is unacceptable. He points out that Blackbeard led them there for his own purposes, and says that there is no one who he would spare as the price for his revenge. Blackbeard insists that all great city-states are born from a founding myth of a great battle against impossible odds. He admits that he planned it all, and Tom says that he can't see that Santa Campana will never be free as long as Blackbeard rules. He says that Blackbeard is shackled to his own legend and that he will destroy Santa Campana as he has destroyed everything.
Tom tells Blackbeard that he has come to take the island away from him. The two men draw their swords and Tom warns Blackbeard that he's already won because the pirate knows that he's right. Tom drops his sword and Blackbeard attacks him, and the spy defends himself with his bare hands. He knocks Blackbeard down and kicks him, and then grabs a candelabra. Blackbeard returns to the attack but Tom knocks him down again. The pirate congratulates him and Tom beats in his head, knocking Blackbeard back onto his throne.
Later, Tom goes out into the town and surveys the wreckage. He goes to Kate and James and she shakes her head. Tom then addresses the survivors, telling them that together they prevailed but there is still work to be done.
Six weeks later in Jamaica, Tom enters Jagger's office posing as a Redcoat. The new governor-general, Cornish, recognizes him and Tom puts a bloody bag on his desk and tells him to take it back to England and leave them alone. He says that they may prey on English ships if they're foolish enough to make them their prey. Cornish says that it's not an acceptable condition and asks what will happen if he orders his men to kill Tom. Tom says that he will discover what happened to Jagger and tells the governor to choose fame or death. Cornish lets him walk out and opens the bag, and finds Blackbeard's severed head inside the bag.
Back on Santa Campana, Blackbeard stands on the shore and looks out to sea. He then walks away, letting the tide wipe away his footprints in the sand.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 15, 2015