Alaska Republik-ARC

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Book: Alaska Republik-ARC by Stoney Compton Read Free Book Online
Authors: Stoney Compton
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, adventure, Military
signed. Our shortsightedness has come home to roost much more quickly than any of us would have guessed. The Japanese are well into a conquest of our part of Russian Amerika.
    “If they win, we will not only have a new master to contend with, but a much more alien one than the well-known Russians we are struggling to escape. The Japanese are multitudes of degrees more militant than the Russians, and they will enter every aspect of our lives if they succeed in this campaign.”
    Colonel Fredrik Paul jumped to his feet and waited.
    “Colonel Paul?”
    “Do you have any suggestions on what we, as the Tlingit Nation Army, should do to prevent this from happening?”
    “We are far too small to act on our own,” Chernikoff said with a shrug.
    “Don’t the Dená have allies from the southern countries?” Colonel Gregori George asked.
    “Yes. They have an alliance with both the United States and the Republic of California. Both of which, by the way, in the persons of their military liaisons, promised us military aid if we so wished it.”
    Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Dundas shot to his feet, didn’t wait to be identified. “Then why the hell aren’t they on their way with what we need?”
    “Because, Colonel, my brother didn’t have the rank to agree to it.”
    “Paul, he was our envoy; he had our full confidence to act as he saw fit,” Dundas said.
    “That’s true, Sam, he did. But he thought if we were going to change masters, you all should have a chance to vote on which one.”
    “Change masters—what do you mean?” Colonel George asked.
    “We have to face reality, Colonel. Whichever country grants us military aid is going to want something for it. We don’t have gold like the Dená or oil like the Eskimos. All we have is salmon, cod, and halibut. How many guns can you get for a halibut?”
    “Depends on how damn big it is!” Colonel George said with a snort. Everybody in the room laughed with him, including Paul. When the laughter died down, General Sobolof cleared his throat.
    “Pietr was right on this one. They’ll want bases, treaties, more of our life than we want to surrender so quickly after winning it from the Czar.”
    “So we sit on our ass and do nothing?” Lieutenant Colonel Dundas raised his eyebrows as he spoke and then glanced around at the others.
    “No, Sam!” General Sobolof shouted. “We run out there and get our asses shot off, let ’em kill the whole TNA in one swoop. That what you want?”
    “No, General, of course it isn’t. But there’s a war on and it affects us in every possible way. And we’re just sittin’ here watching it all go by like a buncha school kids.”
    “If we are to exist at all, Sam,” Paul said in a low voice, “we have to stay quiet right now. There are people out there helping us, but all we can do is absolutely nothing.”
    General Sobolof nodded.
    Sam stared at each person in turn, and then said, “Sounds like crap to me!”
    “Fine,” General Sobolof said and clapped his hands, “we’re unanimous then. How many agree we should formally ask the USA and the ROC for military aid immediately?”
    Only Sam’s hand did not rise.
    “There is also the question of unification with the Dená and the creation of an Alaska Republik,” Paul said. “Our northern brothers have agreed to send a delegation to explore the possibility. But that will all be so much star gazing if the Japanese conquer the Russians here in the panhandle.”
    “Say what?” Lieutenant Colonel Dundas said.
    Paul glanced at the stern visage of General Sobolof and felt his face go ashen. He had agreed to speak to the others!
    General Sobolof raised his hand to still the sudden buzz in the room.
    “Don’t worry, Captain Chernikoff, all is well. Gentlemen, the captain brought up a subject he thought had been presented to you before this. Due to my harried schedule, I haven’t had the time to cover the topic with any of you. I’m sorry.”
    “Maybe we could cover it now?”

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