The Damned: Part 1~ Innocence

Chapter 1

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS JUNE 2, 1675

By gaging the sun, an observer would say it was nearing midday.

It was very warm for this far north, even though summer was just around the corner.

The temperature was a nice and toasty 75 degrees, a heat wave for the Netherlands.

The summer was shaping up to be long and hot which didn't bode well for farmers.

But inland duties were the last thing on people's minds at the moment, at least in Amsterdam they were.

Today was the beginning of a new era for the Dutch Navy as the first of a new class of warship was being launched.

While not a first rate ship of the line by any means, the new Lang Schadow-class had close to 20 guns, a reasonable number, some of them up to 36 pounds, the heaviest of the day.

They had three masts and were rigged for speed. They also were scheduled to have a pair of bow mounted triple chase guns that would make them a formidable weapon against any fleeing opponent.

The leader of the class, the Lang Schadow herself, was scheduled to be launched within the hour.

The warship shifted on her keel. She was annoyed, and it wasn't the first time, at the discomfort the drydock presented.

The place was confining, it was restrictive, and just plain awkward.

She was a ship, meant to sail the open seas, not be confined to some silly dock.

"Ah, don't worry," said a man. "You'll be out and about soon enough."

The warship's green eyes brightened considerably. "Vandecker!" She exclaimed happily.

Captain Mario de Silo de Vandecker was a 20 year veteran of the Dutch Navy.

He'd served aboard every ship, from the small frigates to the great first rate ships of the line.

Born of a poor family, he'd been brought up on a lowly farm in the English countryside.

His mother was a weaver and made a little money off of her works but that was squandered by his alcoholic father.

At 16, Vandecker ran away from home and enlisted in the British Navy.

He served 5 years aboard HMS Inconstant before being honorably discharged at the end of the last war.

With no job and no money, he searched the harbors for work, and eventually found it here in Amsterdam.

He worked as a bookkeeper for several years until a lucky break found him back in the service. He hadn't looked back since.

His current command was a 380 foot long, 25 foot wide third rate ship of the line.

Lang Schadow was nearly 4 decades in the making. It had taken the navy forever to get around to building her and rumor had it that she had a sister ship being built in Rotterdam.

She had been freshly painted for this occasion.

Her golden hull gleamed in the sunlight, giving it an almost sparkly hue and her red stripe shone. Her colours waved proudly in the wind.

She held her head proudly, today was the day she joined the fleet.

As people began to fill the stands, soon to be Captain Vandecker took his place amongst them.

An Admiral came up to the podium. "How nice it is to see so many people here today to witness the launch of what is the finest ship in the Dutch Navy."