Free Invasion: Alaska by Vaughn Heppner

sound. He glanced at the Chairman. “I believe that our Agricultural Minister has become unhinged. What does medieval history have to do with blowing up oil wells, hoping to start a nuclear war?”
    “You are incorrect,” Jian said. “The oilrig was destroyed in order to strengthen China’s hand.”
    “Do you believe we are fools?” Deng said. “You did it to sabotage my talks. Can you truly think the Americans will back down as we destroy their oil industry? If you want historical examples, I will give you one from the last century. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and thereby brought about their empire’s destruction.”
    “Are you so afraid of the Americans that you fear they will destroy China?” Jian asked.
    Xiaodan gave another of his nearly imperceptible nods of encouragement. If only the Police Minister would speak openly, leaving out any of his fantastical nonsense.
    “Once the Americans discover we destroyed the platform,” Deng said, “they may begin destroying our offshore wells in turn.”
    “Our navy is superior to the deteriorated American Fleet,” Jian said. “If they dared such attacks, we would hunt down their ships and sink them on sight.”
    “You are quite wrong,” Deng said. “Study history. No English-speaking nation has lost a naval war in five hundred years.”
    Admiral Qingshan frowned as he began to shake his head.
    Xiaodan’s nostrils flared.
    Seeing these things, Jian asked in seeming disbelief, “Do you truly pour such contempt upon the Chinese Navy?”
    “It is not a matter of contempt,” Deng said. “Reality must guide us. American submarines are still better than ours. Yes, the Debt Depression and secessionist unrest has hurt them. Their defense expenditures are but a ghost of their former outlays. But their navy is still formidable, quite possibly a match for ours.”
    “Then why didn’t the Americans face us off the shores of Taiwan?” asked Jian. “During the reunification, their vaunted Pacific Fleet sailed to Hawaii, afraid of our massed fleet.”
    “They were afraid of our land-based attack craft and Yuan ship-killers,” Deng said. “Our air armada dwarfed anything they could muster near Taiwan.”
    “I would have silence,” whispered the Chairman.
    Jian had been about to retort. Now he closed his mouth as he felt his heart hammering. Deng glanced at the old man before nodding.
    The Chairman leaned forward, with his elbows on the table. He breathed heavily, and there was anger in his eyes.
    “Agricultural Minister,” the Chairman asked, “have you been speaking with Admiral Qingshan?”
    “Sir?” asked Jian.
    “Do not practice your evasiveness with me, young man. Have you plotted with the admiral?”
    “I have spoken with him concerning our mutual distrust of the Americans, sir.”
    “You are testing my patience, Jian Shihong.”
    Jian reached for his water glass and noticed that his fingers shook. He quickly put his hand back on the table.
    “Did you suggest to the admiral that he launch the attack on the American oil facility?” the Chairman asked.
    Jian’s mouth opened, but no words issued.
    “He did, sir,” Admiral Qingshan said in his gravely voice.
    Deng slammed a fist on the table. “I knew it!” In the growing silence, Deng’s head swayed back as he glanced at the watching Chairman. “Please forgive me my outburst, sir,” Deng said. “It was ill considered.”
    The Chairman’s head swiveled so he stared once more at Jian. “Tell me why you would do such a thing, Agricultural Minister. Why step so far out of your bounds?”
    Jian bowed his head. Here was the moment. Now he was on the edge of life and death. Choosing his words with care, he said, “I am convinced that the Energy Minister has taken China on a false path, sir.”
    “A path that I sanctioned,” the Chairman whispered angrily.
    Knowing that he could find himself hustled out of the room in the next few minutes, frog-marched by killers and possibly placed before a