---
Fort Sentinel's early warning systems flared to life.
Radar returns, sonar buoys, and spectral wake trackers all converged on a single report: a fleet of unknown vessels, roughly fifteen nautical miles northeast, operating in a sweeping half-moon pattern. The markings confirmed by recon drones—faded Soviet callouts and no modern transponder signal—pointed to a paradox: ghost ships from a vanished state.
Inside the CIC, Reeve stood before the tactical wall.
"Give me a breakdown of the contact fleet."
Keira responded immediately. "Seven hulls. Five WWII-to-Cold War designs. Light cruiser class mostly. One looks like a modified Kynda-class missile cruiser—though the launch tubes are welded shut. They're not flying any flags."
Reeve narrowed his eyes. "What about power signatures?"
Vanta's voice filtered in. "Detecting inconsistent propulsion data. Some units using modern diesel-hybrid cores. Hull signatures suggest layered retrofitting. No IFF compliance. Coordination pattern resembles AI routing."
"Confirmed drones?"
"Unknown. Crew count undetectable. Possibility: semi-autonomous hulls operating on dormant faction orders."
Reeve turned to Keira. "It's a fleet from the past—but something's puppeteering it now."
---
He switched comms.
"Deploy Mistral and Brandenburg on interception vector. Keep Spectre submerged off their projected flank. We're not engaging unless fired upon. But I want guns hot and ready."
Orders dispatched, Reeve initiated a private link with the drone command module.
> Recon Drone Uplink Established Tasking: Close Proximity Surveillance Designate High-Risk Vessel: Belogorsk
Keira crossed her arms, studying the grainy footage as it streamed in.
"Why does that name spook you so much?"
Reeve hesitated. "Because I saw that name once—on a list of missing Russian Navy assets recovered during a black site salvage op in the Baltic. The ship was listed as 'reactivated by unknown third party.' That was ten years before the Collapse."
Keira's eyes widened. "You think someone brought them here?"
"No. I think someone brought the program."
---
As the recon drones moved in, they caught clearer images.
Missile tubes retrofitted with old anti-air guns. Hull plating layered like patchwork armor. Gun crews unmoving. Too rigid.
"Thermal analysis indicates minimal heat. Crew functions likely simulated or robotic. Command structure: unknown. Engagement protocol: passive."
Then came the shock.
A new signature—midway through the enemy flotilla—broadcast a pulse.
A short, sharp signal burst. It bounced once… twice… then vanished.
Reeve snapped to attention. "Track that signal."
Vanta responded.
"Encryption match: Blackcrown secondary command node. Confirmation: enemy fleet linked via long-range AI thread. Latency: sub-oceanic relay."
---
"This isn't a rogue faction," Keira said softly. "It's a puppet fleet."
"And whoever's pulling the strings has reach deeper than we thought."
Reeve turned back to the table.
"Mission priority updated. We're not sinking those ships yet. We follow. We learn. I want to know where they refuel, where they resupply. If they even need to."
He brought up a new command screen.
> Initiate Shadow Protocol Escort: Mistral (visible) Sub-trail: Spectre (covert) Recon: Vanta Ghost Drones (track & ping silence mode)
> Objective: Map Puppet Fleet Route / Locate Relay Origin
---
The next twelve hours were tense.
From the CIC, Reeve watched in silence as the phantom fleet trailed along a winding sea path toward the eastern horizon. At intervals, they slowed, dropped strange sensor buoys into the ocean, then powered ahead again.
Keira noted the pattern. "They're laying a net. A communication relay. They're expanding a signal grid."
"Which means someone's preparing for something bigger," Reeve muttered.
---
Just after midnight, the fleet stopped.
A dark silhouette appeared from the sea—an artificial island, no larger than 200 meters, shaped like a circular dock.
Drones zoomed in. At the center: a central pylon covered in antennae, glowing faint red. Docked along its ring: older ships, gutted and rigged with vertical array receivers.
> Target Identified: Signal Control Node "Delta 9" Function: Deep-Sea Data Relay / Blackcrown Transmission Hub Status: Active / Unmanned
Keira exhaled. "That's the brain."
"And now we know where to cut the wires," Reeve replied.
He tapped in his next move.
> Operation Silent Storm – Phase I Initiated
Strike Planning Commenced
Spectre to deploy sensor mines around Delta 9
Vanta to spoof low-priority communications burst
Neptune-class freighter rerouted for launch pad construction
He stared into the holo-map one last time.
"They're using dead navies as puppets."
He looked to Keira.
"Let's make them wish they'd stayed sunk."
---
[End of Chapter 29]