Mary Read
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Mary Read (unknown – 1721) was an English pirate and member of the Assassin Order, trained by the Mentor of the Caribbean Assassins, Ah Tabai.
She posed as a male pirate under the name of James Kidd, an illegitimate son of the late William Kidd, and was one of the founding members of the pirate republic at Nassau.
Biography
In 1715, Mary, under her James Kidd alias, met with other pirates captains, Edward Kenway, Edward Thatch and Benjamin Hornigold to discuss how to better protect their "Pirate Republic" from British recapture. After teaching Kenway how to properly captain his newly captured ship, the Jackdaw, Thatch proposed they capture a Spanish Galleon.
Edward accomplished this task by assassinating the Templar Julien du Casse, allowing Thatch to commandeer his ship. He then took the island of Great Inagua for himself. Mary helped Edward find a set of tunnels leading to du Casse's manor. When Edward discovered the maps he handed to the Templars pertaining to Assassin bureaus throughout the Carribean, Mary suggested he go and warn them. She also advised him to meet her on Tulum.
Upon rendezvousing, Mary found a very cross Edward, who had sneaked through the jungle past the Assassins. As she opened up a door to a Mayan ruin, Edward was confronted by the Assassin Mentor, Ah Tabai, for his ignorant collaboration with the Templars and killing the Assassins in Havana. Mary calmly informed Ah Tabai of Edward's possession of "the Sense". After Edward confirmed to the mentor that he would recognize the Sage, Bartholomew Roberts, again if he saw him, Mary brought the pirate into the ruin, explaining the nature of the war between Assassins and Templars, and their the Creed. They eventually unlock a bust of Sage, which Edward remarked exactly resembled Roberts.
Returning to the compound to confirm their discovery with Ah Tabai, they discover that British soldiers had captured the compound, capturing many Assassins and Edward's crew. After fighting off the British, Mary spotted Laurens Prins, a Dutch slaver who had eluded the Assassins for a long time. Ah Tabai then approached Edward, expressing admiration for his talents, but criticized his arrogant nature. He declared the pirate absolved of his errors in Havana and elsewhere, but was warned that he would never be welcomed in Tulum.
The next year, Mary ran into Edward in Kingston, both of them following Laureano de Torres y Ayala, the Templar Grand Master, and Prins. Mary was prepared to assassinate her two targets, but Edward restrained her, urging her to wait until Prins led them to Roberts, who was being held prisoner, to which she was forced to consent. However, Prins detected them, forcing the two to run. Mary attempted to get away from Edward but he caught up to her and insisted they try again. Surveying Prin's manor from a high vantage point, Mary noted that if would take more than stealth for them to reach Prins. She then removed her bandana and reddened her lips with her own blood, revealing her identity as a woman to Edward, to his surprise.
Mary approached the estate's gates, feigning injury, and caught the guards unaware. She then found Roberts, only to find he was working for Prins. He held her at gunpoint at the same time Edward assassinated Prins. Roberts then shot the alarm bell and made his escape, followed shortly thereafter by his two would-be rescuers. After getting to safetly, Mary confessed her true name to Edward but warned him not to tell a soul, or she would "unman" him.
In 1717, Mary arrived in Inagua to find Edward recovering from a wild party he had hosted. Edward stated his intention to try and bring Thatch back to the West Indies. He then set sail for Ocracoke where Thatch had retired to, in order to make the attempt.
Following Edward and Charles Vane being marooned on Isla Providencia by Jack Rackham, the latter took the Jackdaw and Woodes Rogers' pardon, but barely lasted a few months before Adewale and Mary overpowered him and Edward returned to Inagua.
Edward then returned to his search for Roberts in hopes he'll lead to the Observatory and sell its location to the highest bidder. Mary pleaded him to forget about the gold and instead work with the Assassins but he ignored her.
In October of 1720, while she was sailing as a part of Jack Rackham's crew, their ship was attacked by a "King's Ship", a sloop that was commissioned by the Governor of Jamaica with the intent to take out Rackham. Being that most of the crew were drunk, many of the pirates provided little resistance, yet Mary, Anne Bonny, and an unknown man fought to their full potential.
Eventually, the crew was imprisoned and sentenced to be hanged. Bonny and Read were only spared that fate because they were pregnant at the time, since British law prevented pregnant women from being executed. Four months later, Mary gave birth and her child was taken away. At the same time, the two were rescued by Edward Kenway and Ah Tabai, though Mary died from sickness after her child was born. With her dying breath, Mary pleaded Edward to redeem himself for her sake. Refusing to leave her behind, Edward carried her body to Ah Tabai's boat.
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