by Adam Yoshida
The transit of the Fifth Fleet, once it had moved clear of the Suez Canal, had been the longest period of peace and quiet that any of the sailors, soldiers, airmen, and Marines of the Central Command had enjoyed since the Iranian nuclear attack on Israel had plunged first the world into crisis and then America into civil war. The fleet moved slowly, weighed down by the lumbering transport ships that had been pressed into service to carry the vast quantities of equipment and supplies that made the Third Army an effective fighting force. Their return to the Atlantic had also been slowed by the need to detour to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to take on supplies. The movement of the ships, marred by mechanical breakdowns, had managed to take fully twenty-one days to execute.
“It just isn’t acceptable,” said General Dylan MacKenzie, as he reviewed the latest reports of the issues that were stalling the progress of the fleet.
“I’m sorry, General,” replied Vice Admiral Quentin Layton, the commander of the Fifth Fleet, “but this is the reality that has been forced upon us by the condition of the ships that we’ve got and, also by the need for us to take an evasive course in order to avoid the enemy. Would you prefer that we sail in a straight line and leave behind one wounded ship after another for the Russian submarines that we all know have to be out there to pick off?”
“A war for the survival of America is being fought,” insisted MacKenzie, “and we are sitting on the outside.”
“Do you want to get home in a hurry, or in one piece?” shot back Admiral Layton.
“Gentlemen, gentlemen,” interjected Major General Augustus King, once again thrust into the role of peacemaker, “let’s take a breath and think this thing through. Let’s think it through slowly and rationally.”
General MacKenzie dropped into a chair and looked over at King.
“Go ahead,” he said, learning backwards and looking up at the ceiling.
“Ok,” said King, “the fact is that the war at home has become a stalemate. One, in fact, that we’re probably the only force that can break. Do we all agree?”
Both Layton and MacKenzie nodded.
“And we all agree that a lot of the ships that we have are in very poor material condition, meaning that they’re prone to frequent breakdowns. Yes?”
There was another round of general nods.
“Hold on,” interjected MacKenzie after a moment, “I agree that a lot of the ships that we have are in poor condition, but that’s certainly not true of the entire lot of them. There’s also the political calendar to consider here. If we wait on this much longer, the election may be over and with it the war.”
“As if that would be such a bad thing,” said Layton.
“It would be if it left our country disunited and broken into pieces,” said MacKenzie, “it would be the end of America to let even a single star be torn off of that flag.”
“And,” added King, “allowing the continued existence of the Federation of North American States would mean that, in any future international crisis, we would have a major threat directly upon our borders.”
King did not add the other considerations that he’d been ardently discussing over a secure satellite connection in recent days: the break-up of the United States would leave tens of billions of dollars of property belonging to the Praetorian Corporation in the hands of a hostile and socialistic government that would be likely to seize such property as soon as they managed to uncover the true owners.
“I am going to get into the fighting,” proclaimed MacKenzie, “if I have to sail across the Atlantic in a rowboat. Understand me gentlemen: I am not going to permit the enemies of the United States to tear the republic into two without ever firing a shot in anger against them.”
“I share your desire to fight, General,” replied Layton, “but I have responsibilities that require me to think in more practical terms. I command nearly twenty thousand sailors and other personnel whose lives will be endangered if we don’t move with the utmost of care.”
“How many of your ships would you need to protect the slow-moving merchant ships,” said MacKenzie, “if they were out of the combat zone? I know that we’re sailing into the teeth of the combined European navies, but what if they weren’t?”
“I’d have to run the numbers, but it’d be fewer,” said Layton.
“As well,” said King, “surely you could probably use the older, slower, and less-powerful ships as convoy escorts to protect the merchies if they were out of the primary line of fire?”
“Certainly,” said Layton.
“I’ve seen the map of the traitors’ defenses around Washington and in the Northeast,” said MacKenzie, “I could break them with two divisions of professional soldiers. This new breed - on both sides - that they’ve got in North America now could hardly stand up to what I could bring to bear.”
“General…” said Admiral Layton, but General MacKenzie was already on his feet.
“We’ll sunder their defenses,” he said, raising his voice, “we’ll pull a left hook on them and set them to running. Then we’ll overrun them with the soldiers of this new Army of Northern Virginia.”
“That’s a whole new plan…” said Layton, struggling to regain his footing in this conversation.
“They’re expecting a siege - to fight a prolonged positional battle,” insisted the General, “and instead we will unravel their minds by a sudden and shocking battle of manoeuvre.”
“These plans…”
The General smashed his fist into the table.
“In a single blow, we will dazzle the leaders of this treasonous conspiracy and bring this war to an end.”
With that burst of inspiration, the General was up and headed out of the room as quickly as his long legs would carry him.
Lexington, Kentucky
“Are you ready, Governor?” asked the Acting President as he stood behind the curtain together with Aaron Chan, the Governor of Kentucky, along with an entourage worth of aides.
The latest polls showed that the race between the Acting President and the independent candidacy of Mitchell Randall was now effectively a tie. While Rickover spent most of his days tied up with the details of the war, the Senator from West Washington was barnstorming the country and firing up everyone of almost any ideological persuasion who believed that immediate peace was a goal with pursuing. This wasn’t strictly a left-right issue these days, nor even really a partisan one, given the degree to which the Democratic Party had been devastated at an institutional level by the effects of the Great Mutiny and all that had followed. The national leadership of the Democratic Party had almost entirely joined the Loyalist cause. More than a few of them had defected when Kevin Bryan was deposed and the Federation was created, but their return to the fold hadn’t been enough to wipe away from them the taint of disloyalty that was not attached to most national Democratic figures.
But that didn’t mean that there still weren’t millions of Democrats left in the rest of the country. Mitchell Randall, though he was a Republican himself, was getting the votes of millions of these people simply because he was a shade to the left of Terrance Rickover.
Given these conditions, the Acting President had been forced to depart from his original intention of making a “governing” choice when it came to the Vice Presidency. Instead of picking one of his loyal lieutenants - he’d learned towards asking Mark Preston to take on the job while also retaining the Secretary of Defense role - now he’d been forced to make an electoral one. That was what had brought him to Kentucky.
“Fired up and ready to go, Mr. President,” replied Governor Chan with a broad smile.
“Alright, that’s good,” said Rickover as he listened to Kentucky’s Attorney General finish his introduction.
“…ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States!”
Rickover walked out onto the stage, deliberately taking a decisive little hop with his final step as he finished ascending the stairs. Amidst all of the lights and tumult he firmly grasped the hand of t
he Attorney General and then turned to wave to the crowd as it cheered mightily.
“Well,” began the Acting President, “that was a heck of an introduction. Thank you.”
“These last years have been incredibly difficult ones for our country and for all Americans. We have been asked to think about what it means to be a citizen of the United States. We have been forced - some of us excruciatingly so - to ponder the true meaning of loyalty. Much has been asked from all of us. More, probably, than it was ever fair to ask. Yet it was necessary that it be asked all the same.”
“Some of us have passed the tests of these years. Some have failed. Some have been absent. The man I am here to talk about today, however, is one of those who has passed. He is one of the few men who stepped into this fiery trial and has emerged on the other side with universal respect and affection. He is a man to whom the people of the United States owe a great debt.”
“When the government in Washington, as led by Kevin Bryan, refused to recognize the legitimate verdict of the Congress - and of the people - and determined to perpetuate themselves in office, every citizen of this nation was given a choice to make: does party come before country? We do not need to dwell today on the poor choices that some made and continue to make. Instead, I want to talk about those who took profoundly moral positions at great risk to themselves. I want to talk about those who stood for America in those difficult days.”
“Kentucky is one of the front-line states. Next door are Virginia and Illinois, parts of which continue to be controlled by the enemy to this day. More of them used to be. And when the time came to choose - to decide where the loyalty of Kentucky ought to lie - there were many in this state, including many in elected office and many in the Governor’s own party who wished to side with power over principle. Indeed, some of the closest friends of the Governor of this state conspired to do just that. They conspired to deliver Kentucky to the regime in Washington and they invited the Governor to join in their scheme. Great rewards from Washington were promised as compensation for such a deed and dire punishments for non-compliance were suggested.”
“What did the Governor of Kentucky do in this emergency? Well, you already know the story. He feigned cooperation with the conspirators and invited them to a meeting-place. And when they arrived to execute this conspiracy - this act of treason against the United States of America - what did they found? Did they find the Governor of Kentucky, eager to join them in subverting the laws and the Constitution as other chief executives were? No. They found the Kentucky State Police there to place them under arrest.”
“That was just the opening act of a long history of meritorious acts. Recognizing the dangers posed by the global economic dislocations caused by this war and the related chaos around the world, the Governor recognized that the outmoded economic models of the past - models that relied upon massive regulation of private affairs - could not hope to create the conditions for an economic revival and so he reached across the aisle and began a thoroughgoing program of economic reform that has managed to improve the economy of Kentucky even through it remains on the front lines of a war. He has stood strong against those who would attempt to tear apart our country by engaging in acts of terrorism upon our own soil in support of our foreign enemies.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I take great pride in presenting to you the next Vice President of the United States: Governor Aaron Chan of the great state of Kentucky!”
The crowd went wild as the Governor burst forth onto the stage. Rickover grasped his hand and raised it into the air as the crowd’s applause rose to even-greater heights.
After an ovation that lasted nearly a minute, the Governor took his place at the podium and the crowd quieted somewhat.
“Thank you, Mr. President,” began Governor Chan, “I don’t think I ever expected to end up here. Certainly, as the child of immigrants who ran an auto repair shop in northern Virginia, I don’t think that I ever dared dream much more than I would make my parents proud by going a little farther than they did. It is sad that they can’t physically be here with me today to see this, but I know that - wherever they are - they must be incredibly proud.”
“These are unsettled times in America and in Kentucky. I believe that every citizen has a duty, regardless of their own political ideology, to ensure the survival of the Republic. That is what I have done as the Governor of this great state. I had no ambitions for higher office. Indeed, before the events of recent years I had simply hoped to return to the practice of law after my own term of office was concluded. That being said, as a patriot, I believe that I have no more right to refuse to assist the Commander-in-Chief in bringing this war to a successful conclusion than a soldier has the right to refuse orders at the front. I am fully enlisted in this cause.”
“Let us be very clear on what the cause us. We have gone to war - we have endured and suffered much - for the freedom of all Americans. It would be a supreme betrayal of our cause and of all of those who have already given so much if we were instead to decide to settle for the freedom of some Americans.”
“Therefore, I am proud to, despite the fact that we bear the labels of different parties, have accepted the offer of the President to serve as his running mate in the forthcoming election. I will fight from one end of America to the other for the fundamental principle that no Americans will be abandoned to foreign control and that no compromises will be made of our liberties. I will be proud to embark upon this campaign with the President and even prouder when the day comes that I will work alongside him in the White House.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The Excursion
Temporary Seat of the Government of the United States, Colorado Springs, Colorado
For a moment everyone in the room stood, dumbfounded as they looked up at the image of General Jackson.
“On whose authority did you develop this… plan?” asked General Xavier Monroe, finally breaking the silence.
“I did this on my own initiative, both as an officer of the United States and in recognition of my… special connection to the Western Republic,” answered Jackson flatly.
“Well,” said Secretary Preston, “from a strategic point of view, it’s brilliant. I don’t know why we hadn’t previously considered it. The former Canadian provinces in the East are every bit as much of the Federation as are the captive states at the present time. They’re clearly a part of this war.”
“Just looking at a map, and without any particular military expertise: it’s a heck of a long trip,” noted the Secretary of State.
“If you give me the forces I need to launch the offensive - fast, mobile forces with plenty of air cover - and maintain our supply lines as outlined in the plan, then I am confident that we can complete this operation in no more than a month from the day of our first incursion,” answered Jackson.
“Ok,” said the Acting President, finally speaking up, “I want to make sure that I’ve got this straight. The plan is that your XII Corps is augmented by an additional Armored Division, creating a force of three mechanized and/or armored divisions and that this force will transit eastwards as though it’s joining the primary force set to invade Illinois, only at the last minute the force will instead peel off, dash across Ontario, and then turn and march to the sea at New York City?”
“That’s a fair summary, Mr. President,” replied Jackson.
“And you have somehow acquired the full cooperation of the government of the United Western Republic in this?”
“Yes, Mr. President,” said Jackson.
“And I don’t want to know more about that?” asked Rickover with a slight wink.
“I don’t think that you do, sir,” answered the General.
“It seems that today is the day for sudden inspiration,” said the Acting President as he looked down at his tablet.
“I’m sorry, sir?” said the Secretary of State.
“Tell them about the rest, Mark,” said the Acting President.
The Secretary of Def
ense cleared his throat.
“Well,” he began, “this morning we received a proposal from General MacKenzie. More of a notification, actually about a substantial alteration in the plans for the offensive action by the Third Army.”
“Specifically,” Preston continued, “the General plans to accelerate the timeframe for the arrival of a portion of force, which he intends to command in person. He wants to take the 1st Cavalry Division and the 4th Infantry Division - which are loaded on faster and more modern ships - along with his four Carriers and fast escorts and he wants to run them up to the Atlantic Coast at high speed. His slower ships and a handful of escorts would be sent into the Pacific and unload on the West Coast. Except, possibly, for the 82nd Airborne, which he argues could be landed in friendly territory somewhere and then relocated to the CONUS by air.”
“And what does he plan to do with these forces when they get on the ground?” asked General Monroe, who was somewhat disgruntled to be hearing about this for the first time now.
“He’s drawn up preliminary plans to move against the Federation’s left and then to break their lines and bypass Washington, leaving it to be taken by the Army of the South while he drives to the north.”
“In other words,” said General Monroe, “with all due respect to you, General Jackson, what we have here are two combat commanders who want to go it on their own, instead of waiting for the general offensive that we’ve planned.”
“With all due respect to you, General Monroe,” said Jackson from his screen, “the assessment that I have arrived at - and I expect that General MacKenzie has come to as well - is that we simply may not have the time for the sort of coordinated offensive that was originally contemplated if we are going to win the war. Our timetable has been scrambled by the changing political winds. No offense intended, Mr. President.”
“None taken, General,” replied Rickover, “none taken.”
The Acting President, newly returned to Colorado, looked down at the conference table and gently tapped it with his hand. The unveiling of the Rickover-Chan ticket had managed to pick up a few votes, but the bleeding continued and he didn’t know if he could stop it.
