Mineta Ships Novels & Stories

Dawn said while staring right at me. "Fuck off, Dawn. You don't know anything about me!" I squealed. I couldn't stand here quietly while she spouted bullshit. I felt Logan's arms wrap around me. "Shh...she isn't worth it." Dawn ignored me and kept her eyes on him. "Consider this my final warning. Stay away from Marina. Eddie, Mike, Jason, they all fell for her lore and look where they ended up? Dead and buried. You'll be joining them very soon," she hissed.

It wasn't the Holy Syndicate. From the fog emerged a fleet of "Ghost Ships"—commercial freighters, private yachts, and even fishing trawlers, all manned by people who had been "Decommissioned" by the Syndicate’s global seizure. They were the waitresses from Singapore, the coders from Geneva, and the soldiers from New York who had refused to go back to their "Stations." The lead ship, a battered Northwood icebreaker, pulled alongside the black sand. A woman stepped onto the deck—Mina, her eyes tired but free of the neon-green glow. Beside her stood a thousand others, their faces grim and determined.

The morning after Inquisitor Vane’s ultimatum, the Blackwater River looked like a graveyard of iron. Three massive Southern warships sat anchored in the center of the flow, their steam vents huffing rhythmic clouds of grey smoke into the pristine mountain air. They were "teeth" of a different kind—not bone and sinew, but coal and steel. ​Rhea stood on the battlements, her fingers tracing the rough stone of the manor. Beside her, Elias was a statue of suppressed fury. The grey-gold veins on his neck pulsed in time with the thrumming of the ships' engines.

"Kaelor, look at the signatures of the ships above." "What am I looking at?" "They aren't Aethelgard ships. Those are Navia hulls. Steam-engines and salvaged iron." Aradaa’s heart sank. "It’s the humans. A 'New Republic.' They aren't trying to claim the ship... they’re trying to kill the 'Beast in the Deep.' They’re afraid of us." "Those are our people!" Kaelor shouted. "Why are they dropping fire on our heads?" A new signal pulsed on the sonar—a familiar, sharp encryption.

Price nodded. "Crewman, can you get me a visual on those contacts?" After flipping a few switches and button presses three ships emerged on the screen. "Commander, these ships appear to be a Havoc Class Merchant raider escorted by two Claymore Class Corvettes, followed by strike craft. Possibly Furies and Faustus interceptors. I advise prioritizing the Havoc first as it is better armed." "What are the weapons on those ships?" "The havoc has Plasma based weapons. Those can cause severe damage to an unshielded ship this size. The Claymores have a single railgun, similar to your calibre, and Point defence guns."

"How many ships?" "Six iron-clads, sir," the scout replied, looking up with wide, anxious eyes. "But they aren't firing their batteries. They are moving slow, towing a massive, floating iron platform behind them. High Alpha Torin says it looks like a deep-sea siege crane." Natalia turned her gaze toward the open horizon. Through the thick, swirling sea-mist of the Midnight Sea, the familiar, low-profile silhouettes of the western warships began to break the gray winter light. They didn't sound their mechanical horns this time; they moved in a synchronized, eerie silence, their smoke-stacks belching thick black soot that cast a dark shadow across the frozen water.

It didn't matter to her since she figured that most of them were given new identification codes so no one would know of their previous owners. She walked by a separate hanger and looked at the number and saw that she had come to the hanger bay Levi had told her about earlier. As she walked in her jaw dropped in awe of the ship, she would be traveling in. It wasn't like the others she had seen. It had a very sleek design, but was still massive. She noticed that it was designed for combat above all things; it had twin plasma cannons on the front and sides. After taking in the size of the vessel she looked around for her pilot. There were several soldiers posted around the ship and technicians

He said goodbye and swaggered to his car before driving off, with the four bodyguards following in their cars. “Welcome Ms Lopes to the Vista Marítima. My name is Martina. I’ll be your concierge during your stay. Your rooms are ready for you. You are situated in the Presidential Suite. You can go up and your bags will be brought to you. If you need anything at all. Please let me know.” “Thank you Martina,” Natalie said as they strode through the well-lit foyer. ***

The largest force remained on the beach to guard the ships and the treasures and, most importantly the slaves that were their only food source, and a second company was walking the route about a day’s journey behind the mounted team. Never had the humans attacked from the coast. The oceans around Concordia were riddled with rocky reefs and there existed only a few points that could be navigated with a deeper keel, which was why the majority of the vampire ships were shallower, lighter craft. The few channels between the reefs were closely guarded vampire secrets.