by Dale Brown
“What?”
“Kingfisher-Eight had activated its self-defense mode,” Kai said almost breathlessly. “It wasn’t a fault: It was real, because Eight detected the incoming Chinese DF-21 and was trying to reposition itself to launch an interceptor when it was hit. We were looking at the data but coming to completely wrong conclusions. We assumed the satellite was still bad even after Jeffrey changed the boards, but it wasn’t. Eight was trying to protect itself from a Chinese DF-21 attack.”
“That’s unbelievable!” Faulkner exclaimed. “The Russians damage Eight, and the Chinese attack it. Incredible!”
“But we still can’t exactly prove that the Russians attacked it or the Chinese DF-21 hit it, sir,” Seeker said.
“It’s more than enough proof for me, Master Sergeant,” Kai said. “This is starting to look like a Russian-Chinese conspiracy to saturate or shut down the Space Defense Force. Secretary Page is going to set up a meeting with SECDEF and PNSA and present all this information. We might not have proof positive, but it’ll be enough for the White House to stop any plans of shutting down the program or banning antisatellite weapons.”
UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, NEW YORK CITY
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING
“This emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council will come to order,” the rotating chairman of the council, Ernesto Nascimento, said, tapping a gavel on the stone sound block before him. “The meeting has been called by the request of the delegation from the United States, with Great Britain seconding the request for an emergency meeting. The chair recognizes the ambassador from the United States.”
“Thank you, Mr. Chairman,” Marcus Colby said. Colby was a successful and well-respected attorney, senior partner of a political consulting group, and professor of international affairs. Although not a part of President Joseph Gardner’s true inner circle, the tall, gray-haired, and scholarly-looking gentleman was known to have full access to the president and therefore carried considerable power to the Security Council chamber. “Ladies and gentlemen of the Security Council, thank you all for agreeing to this emergency session. I know the hour is early, but a grave situation has arisen that requires our attention.
“The matter of the People’s Republic of China’s invasion of Somalia has already been discussed by the council, and although no consensus had been reached by this body, it was generally accepted that China had been sufficiently provoked by freighter crewmembers being executed by Somali pirates into taking direct military action against the pirates’ bases of operation in and around Mogadishu. However, last night’s air attacks in and around the harbor at Aden in Yemen is a clear violation of a nation’s sovereignty and is a serious act of aggression. The United States demands that-”
“I object, Mr. Chairman!” Ambassador Li Jianzhu, the delegate from the People’s Republic of China, interrupted. “The attacks in Aden earlier were purely and simply defensive in nature. Our entire task force, which had been granted permission to anchor in Yemeni waters and use Aden ’s harbor, port, and shore facilities, was in danger by Islamist insurgents, obviously in retaliation for our punitive actions in Somalia. The vessel that attacked and severely damaged our destroyer and killed a dozen sailors was part of the Republic of Yemen ’s marine patrol police, which is headed by the navy. That means the conspiracy to attack Chinese warships had to have been made by Yemen ’s defense forces. That is why defense sites were attacked by our naval air forces.”
“They were indeed attacked, Mr. Ambassador-attacked within mere minutes of the attack on your warship,” Colby said.
“That is certainly suspicious. Why did you have so many planes so heavily loaded with munitions obviously carefully selected for a specific set of targets?”
“I do not know, Mr. Colby,” Li responded. “The Ministry of National Defense is occupied with rescue-and-recovery operations for its heavily damaged warship. I do know that the Zhenyuan was dispatched to the region to escort the Somali task force back home to China and to participate in exercises with the Russian navy; I also know that the carrier conducts many drills in preparation for diverse combat operations. And since the group was sailing into a known hostile area-”
“Indeed-a hostile area created by China!” Colby interjected.
“-I am sure they had an array of aircraft standing by on ready alert to respond to a wide array of threats,” Li went on, ignoring the outburst. He turned to the council chairman. “Why is China being portrayed as the aggressor here, Mr. Chairman? Why is China under such examination?”
“The reason is obvious, Mr. Ambassador-Chinese forces suddenly and without warning attacked the Republic of Yemen in an undeclared act of aggression,” Nascimento said. “The question before this council is whether your actions constituted a reasonable response to an apparent act of aggression against your forces, and was the act of aggression orchestrated by extremists or by the Yemeni government, against whom Chinese forces acted.”
“ China has a right to protect itself at all times,” the Chinese ambassador said loudly. “I hear no one asserting or defending this plain and simple fact!”
“That is not in question here,” Nascimento said.
“ China refuses to prattle about cause and effect while Chinese sailors are still submerged and trapped in the wreckage of a severely damaged warship, as if we were philosophically discussing the nature of genocide in the midst of a bloodbath,” the Chinese ambassador said angrily. “There are a dozen dead crewmembers still on the deck of the Wuxi. The outrage belongs with China, not the United States. This emergency meeting is useless and a complete waste of time. No one here has offered China any assistance in rescuing its sailors or investigating those responsible for attacking our warship.”
“Why should we risk putting rescue workers or investigators on the ground while Chinese warplanes are bombarding Aden?” Colby asked.
“Perhaps that is what we should be discussing: the withdrawal of Chinese forces from the region,” the ambassador from the Russian Federation, Boris Tarzov, a reserved and gentle-voiced young diplomat, suggested.
“Withdrawal?” Ambassador Li asked incredulously. “You mean, take our stricken vessel and our dead and just sail away? If China withdraws, the perpetrators will withdraw as well, and the dead will curse us for our lack of resolve. That is unacceptable.”
“And having Chinese warplanes still attacking the city of Aden and buzzing over commercial and military ships in the Gulf of Aden is also not acceptable,” Ambassador Colby said. “The United States wants to know who hit the hornet’s nest with a stick, sir, but we will not sit idly by while the hornets continue to swarm around the place and sting everyone in sight.”
“I shall be sure to let the families of our dead know of your clever analogy, Mr. Colby,” Ambassador Li said acidly. “And then I will assure them, as I do you now, that China will not leave until the perpetrators of this dastardly act are brought to justice…Chinese justice.”
“How very convenient: Chinese naval forces on both the north and south sides of the Gulf of Aden,” Colby observed, “all because of supposed extremist Islamist attacks on its people and ships? If I didn’t know better, Mr. Ambassador, I would say that China is inventing crises to support an imperialistic agenda in that region of the world, a vital choke point to sea traffic for the rest of the world. China has built itself a blue-water navy along with its one-hundred-million-man army, and now it intends to deploy that force wherever it pleases.”
“The United States certainly knows a thing or two about imperialism, instigating violence and death, and inserting military forces in critical areas with the objective of controlling them and closing them off to any power it sees as a threat to its own national interests,” Li said. “Do not seek to lecture the People’s Republic of China about secret agendas and military domination-one needs to do nothing but go outside on a clear night and watch your big bright space station fly overhead to understand that the United States wants nothing more than abso
lute world control.”
“This argument is getting us nowhere, gentlemen,” Ambassador Tarzov said, his voice calm but his tone surprisingly insistent. “The matter before us is simple: We need to ensure the safety and security of the Chinese navy while they are doing rescue-and-recovery efforts, and we need to launch an investigation as to who did this monstrous deed: Was it Islamist vengeance for attacks in Somalia, as it appears, or was it some other sort of attack?”
“And China needs to ground all those warplanes before any more innocent men, women, and children are killed!” Colby interjected.
“And leave our sailors and rescue workers exposed to yet more attacks?” Li retorted. “Whom can China trust? The Yemeni army? Has the Yemeni navy and harbor police been infiltrated by jihadists? China demands that some sort of international security force be brought in to keep our sailors safe while we continue rescue-and-recovery activities. Otherwise, our armed patrols will continue.”
“That is not acceptable!” Colby insisted. “ China cannot continue attacks over Aden. It is one of the most valuable and strategic ports in the entire Middle East. Insurance rates for ships transiting the area, which is almost one-fourth of all vessels on the high seas, are skyrocketing, as are oil prices. The air raids are terrifying the local residents and are fueling angry protests.”
“There can be no cessation of defensive air operations around Aden until the security situation is improved enough for rescue-and-recovery forces to enter the harbor and surrounding areas,” Li insisted. “I do not care about such things as insurance rates while brave Chinese sailors lie dead and injured in hostile waters. The United States will never-”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, please,” Boris Tarzov said, holding up hands both to the Chinese and American representatives, his voice even more insistent this time. “Obviously something must be done to assure Chinese rescue forces can operate safely in the harbor. The Vladimir Putin carrier task force is just a day or two from the area, and they have a light infantry force, approximately two marine companies, I believe, embarked. May I propose that Russian marines be allowed to land ashore and secure the harbor area so Chinese rescue-and-recovery units can operate safely?”
“Exchange Russian marines for Chinese fighter-bombers?” Colby remarked. “What kind of deal is that?”
“What exactly are you implying, Mr. Ambassador?” Tarzov asked. “Are you suggesting that our marines would form some sort of invasion force? American Marines come ashore all over the world for all sorts of humanitarian, peacekeeping, and security missions, and no one suggests they are an invasion force. This would strictly be a security operation, with no more than five hundred or so marines and a few transport helicopters involved, which I feel should be more than sufficient to suppress any more acts of violence. Russia built the airfield and most of the modern harbor facilities in Aden, so I believe we are very well familiar with the layout of the area.” Ambassadors Li and Colby glared at each other. “Then I hereby move that the Russian naval task-force commander approaching Yemen be placed in charge of an operation to provide security for Chinese rescue-and-recovery forces operating in the harbor at Aden.”
“A motion has been made,” Nascimento said. “Second?”
“And all Chinese so-called defensive operations cease immediately?” Colby asked.
“Cease upon arrival of Russian marines in the harbor,” Li said.
“My motion is amended to include the order that all Chinese defensive and offensive operations of all kind cease upon arrival of Russian marines in the Aden harbor,” Tarzov said.
“May I have a second?” Nascimento repeated.
“And China will receive assistance in conducting an investigation of the bombing of our warship?” Li asked.
“As soon as Russian marines have secured the area, Chinese forensic and military investigators may enter-”
“Multinational investigators, including U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents, may actively participate in any investigation,” Colby interjected.
“This will be a Chinese investigation, Mr. Colby!” Ambassador Li retorted.
“The fox investigating the missing chickens, Mr. Li?”
“How dare you…!”
“Gentlemen, please,” Boris Tarzov interjected, spitting out the word please with extra emphasis. “Lives are at stake here!” Colby and Li went back to glaring at each other. “The participation of equal numbers of multinational investigators is a reasonable request, to be led by a Chinese official,” Tarzov went on, “and I hereby amend my motion to include it, as long as all findings made by each team of investigators shall be shared by all other investigation teams, by all participating nations including Yemen, and the Security Council. Are there any other proposed amendments?”
There were none, so Nascimento asked, “May I have a second, please?” The delegate from France raised his hand. “Thank you, I have a second to the motion. As this is an emergency session of the Security Council, I ask that each delegation contact their respective ministries by secure telephone from their seats. I shall call for a vote in fifteen minutes. Thank you.”
“This is not good,” Colby whispered to his deputy as he picked up the telephone.
THE WHITE HOUSE
A FEW MINUTES LATER
Despite the early hour, the residence of the president in the White House was already abuzz in activity. White House Chief of Staff Walter Kordus found President Gardner in his bedroom, throwing clothes into a suitcase. “Mr. President, I told you I’d have Mrs. Line do that for you,” he said. He held up a cordless phone. “The Security Council is meeting right now, and Marcus Colby is asking about the vote. Where’s Mrs. Line?”
“The first lady is out of town, I can’t find my lightweight suit for Arizona, and Mrs. Line doesn’t know the difference between golf shoes and scuba flippers,” Gardner complained. “I sent her to get me some coffee. What’s the deal with the Security Council?”
“They’re discussing Yemen and China,” Kordus said. “The motion before them right now is about letting Russian marines set up security around Aden so China can get their men and ship out of the harbor.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Gardner swore. “Russian marines in Yemen? How many?”
“A few hundred.”
“Doesn’t sound too bad to me,” the president said distractedly, throwing clothes into the suitcase, then throwing them back on the bed. “What does Stacy say?”
“Her secure phone isn’t working in Beijing. We’re working on an alternate hookup. She might have to go to the embassy.”
“Great. Perfect.” Gardner was about to pick up another rolled-up pair of socks, then gave up and motioned for the phone.
“Marcus?” He glared at the phone. “It’s dead. Great. All the phones are on the fritz.” Kordus took the phone back, hit the “HOLD” button, and gave it back to Gardner. The president scowled at him before speaking: “Marcus?”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“What’s going on?”
“The motion offered by the Russians is to allow Russian marines into the port of Aden to secure it,” the United Nations ambassador responded. “ China is to stop all offensive and defensive operations as soon as the Russians arrive. Russia suggests a force of five hundred marines, about half of what they bring in their carrier battle group. The U.S., Russia, China, and Yemen can send an equal number of investigators to find out who attacked the Chinese destroyer, to be led by a Chinese official, and everyone has to share information with the others and with the council. France seconded.”
“What do you think?”
“It’ll stop the Chinese from bombarding the city,” Colby said. “That’s a start.”
Gardner looked over to Kordus, who was on the house line, motioning to him. “Hold on, Marcus.” He covered the mouthpiece and nodded at Kordus. “What?”
“The vice president is in the Situation Room and wants to know if you want him to come up.”
“Doesn’t that guy ever sleep?” the president asked. He thought hard for a moment; then: “Tell him I’ll talk with him in the Oval Office before I leave.” On his phone he said, “Marcus, I’m getting ready to leave for a campaign swing out west. What’s the bottom line here?”
“Five hundred Russians on the ground in Yemen backed up by a carrier task force, together with a Chinese carrier task force, all within a few miles of each other in one of the world’s most strategic sea choke points,” Colby said. “Our closest carrier battle group is about five hundred miles east; we have components of an amphibious ready group in Djibouti, just a hundred miles away or so. The upside: China stops bombing Yemen.”
“That’s it?”
“They took us by surprise, sir.”
“That seems to be the norm around here these days,” the president muttered, directing his remark sideways at Kordus. “What’s the council looking like?”
“ China is definitely the victim here so far, sir,” Colby said. “Everyone believes it was Islamist retaliation for the Chinese attacks against the pirates in Somalia. They’re surprised and maybe dismayed at the Chinese air attacks in the city, but I think everyone will give China the benefit of the doubt as long as the attacks cease right away. The Russian ambassador is popular and seen as a neutral arbiter.”
“What’s the bottom line, Marcus?” the president asked impatiently.
“You’ll have to veto to defeat the measure, sir,” Colby said. “Everyone else except Great Britain will vote in favor, and I don’t think they will veto. You can abstain or vote no, but if it passes it’ll look bad that the measure passed without the United States ’ concurrence.”
“Swell.” The president caught Kordus looking at his watch-he had to leave right away to keep to the campaign schedule. “Okay, Marcus, go ahead and vote in favor. I’ll be airborne in thirty minutes-you can update me then.”
