Empress

Empress was a Chinese junk captained by Sao Feng and crewed by his pirates. It served as Feng's flagship during that period of time. Eventually the future Pirate King Elizabeth Turner served as Captain after Sao Feng's death. Sao Feng gave Elizabeth the title of Pirate Lord of the South China Sea and gave the ship along with the title.

History
The Empress operated out of Singapore, and was feared by respectable merchants throughout the South China Seas from the Gulf of Siam to Macao. It was used to ambush the crew of the Black Pearl following Jack Sparrow's escape from Davy Jones' Locker. Feng had made a deal with Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company, though was persuaded by Hector Barbossa to turn against the HMS Endeavour in exchange for Elizabeth Swann. While the Black Pearl attacked Beckett's flagship, the Empress made its departure, bearing for Shipwreck Cove.

Beckett ordered the Flying Dutchman to give chase, and the Empress was attacked as night fell. Cannonfire struck the captain's cabin, mortally wounding Sao Feng as he attempted to seduce Elizabeth. While the crew fought in vain against Davy Jones' men, Feng named Elizabeth as captain of the ship, asking her to go to Shipwreck Cove in his place. Though Feng's lieutenant, Tai Huang, did not consider Elizabeth a fit replacement, the crew did not hesitate in assuring Davy Jones that she was indeed the captain.

Admiral James Norrington ensured the crew were captured alive, and the Empress was towed by the Flying Dutchman as it made for Shipwreck Cove. During the voyage, Norrington set the crew free, and sacrificed himself to allow Elizabeth and the crew to return to their ship. The Empress reached Shipwreck Cove, where Elizabeth, representing Sao Feng, was named Pirate King and vowed to go to war against Beckett.

The Empress was part of the Brethren Court armada that witnessed the battle around Calypso's maelstrom. Huang and the crew celebrated the pirates' victory following the deaths of Jones and Beckett.

Characteristics
The Empress was a junk with sturdy internal walls and sails strengthened by bamboo battens. The junk's aerodynamic sails were not square-rigged as with its Western counterparts, but angled toward the wind, allowing the Empress to sail almost straight into it. A traditional "eye", thought to provide the ship with vision, was painted on the green hull of the Empress. The vessel could hold up to six hundred tons of cargo, and the forward hold was commonly used as a mobile prison.



The vessel was armed with fifteen heavy iron cannons, loaded both with typical cannonballs and "stink bombs": an ancient Chinese practice wherein clay pots loaded with gunpowder, nails, sulphur and other assorted refinements were fired from the cannons as a form of grisly entertainment for the crew.

Sao Feng's personal quarters, located aft of the main deck, were lavishly decorated with exotic dyes to emphasize the captain's exalted position. Exotic artifacts, such as acupuncture needles, elixirs and fragrance burners, were among Feng's prized possessions kept in his cabin. Feng was known to perform an ancient ritual with these objects to bring good fortune on voyages.

Behind the scenes

 * The Empress was realized as a floating set built atop a barge.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (video game)
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End