The president nodded. It wasn’t much, but she was thankful. It might be enough to spin a positive story. “Excellent. Please get me the footage right away.”
“Yes, ma’am. Soon as we exit this meeting, I’ll have my staff send it over.”
The president nodded. She needed to avert a public-relations nightmare. At this stage, civilian support was critical. “We need to let everyone know we didn’t fire the first shot. The enemy attacked without warning. Although outnumbered many times over, we fought back. No one died in vain. We need sympathy for our cause, admiration for our spirit, and animosity towards our enemy.”
The general glanced over at the secretary and frowned. “It appears neither you nor Secretary James seems to grasp the big picture. Impossible odds face the ROAS. From a military standpoint, the ROAS hasn’t the means to resist. Today, when the US attacked, shifting from diplomacy to war, they called our bluff.” General Story cleared his voice and continued, “Madam President, we’d need a miracle to stand against the military might of the United States. The pathway to solving our problems isn’t through force of arms.”
Listening, the president searched the eyes of her general. Now was the time for inspired leadership, a spearhead willing to infuse optimism. She wasn’t sure about her general. Maybe his spirit needed hope. “You say we need a miracle?”
The general grunted, “Metaphor, Madam President. Nukes might do the trick, but we’ve none. Besides, mutual destruction isn’t an answer. If there is any way to sue for peace, now is the time. I’m sorry.”
Ortega knew suing for peace without leverage, as proven today and throughout the crisis, was naïve. The US wouldn’t negotiate unless compelled. She wanted more from her general. “Short of nukes and suing for peace, there must be another way to give the enemy a serious black eye. Give them a licking bad enough to get them to the bargaining table. Agreed?”
“Wishful thinking won’t help. Both Armored Brigade Combat Teams, elements of the US Fifty-Fifth Division that struck today, can reach the outskirts of Las Vegas in a few hours. Let me focus my time on protecting the Vegas civilian population with our current capabilities. Meanwhile, I recommend you figure out a way to save our nation through political means.”
The president laughed at the bold statement and shook her head. “The enemy won’t advance right away.”
General Story raised his eyebrows. “Madam President, how have you reached that conclusion?”
“Intelligence,” she replied.
The general shook his head. “My own intelligence staff, using the latest deep-learning systems, predicts both US Armored Brigade Combat Teams will pass through Mesquite within a few hours and arrive outside Las Vegas by early tomorrow. Hostilities will then resume. If you have better intelligence, please share it.”
President Ortega pondered how much to relate. Too little, and he wouldn’t understand. Too much without enough context, and she might lose him. Ortega decided to take the middle road. “The United States is seeking to overthrow our government and end our little experiment. I assure you, the US vice president wasn’t assassinated by our government. Under great pressure, we’ve tried to reason. Earlier today, in a last attempt to avert war, I agreed to my personal extradition in return for the release of Manuel and Ross. The US responded by executing Manuel and attacking Mesquite.”
Ortega paused, looked at the general, and could see his mind churning. She kept going, “We expect the US will tell the world my extradition agreement is an admission of guilt, and the attack on Mesquite and the execution of Manuel justifiable. But it won’t be enough. As further punishment for our supposed crimes, we expect the US will demand ‘repatriation’ of Nevada and give us forty-eight hours to comply. If we accept those terms, it still won’t be enough. They’ll come up with more excuses until our nation no longer exists. We’ve seen similar models used before. Unrealistic demands based on trumped-up falsehoods. General, you used to work for those people. You know the game. A model of zero-sum foreign policy with a willingness to use pretense for military intervention. The same method used by the other two great nationalistic powers. With US intentions now clear, other than nullifying secession and surrendering, we’ve no choice but resistance.”
“Where do we stand with our friends? Canada, the other liberal democracies? Last I heard, you were seeking their assistance.”
“Canada, as you know, possesses a military much stronger than ours. But, like us, to survive, they’ve adopted a neutrality stance in world events. We’ve asked them, begged, for military help. We’ve explained the writing is on the wall, and they’ll be next. So far, they’re unwilling and trying their best to stay out of harm’s way. After today, maybe they’ll change their minds, but we can’t count on it. The remaining liberal democracies are too weak, and the distances too great. They’re also fearful of garnering the wrath of the Great Powers. No, we stand alone.”
“How about seeking the help of Russia or China?” he asked.
“Good question full of problematic possibilities. ROAS re-absorption into the United States would upset the apple cart. Neither Russia nor China wants that. Our technological capabilities in the hands of the US could tip the balance of power. So, China, and to a lesser degree Russia, may offer us assistance, but we won’t ask for or take any offers. If we did, we’d only be trading one set of problems for another; eventually, we’d lose our independence. No, the best solution for our long-term survival depends upon unilateral action. We must hit the US hard enough that they decide to pull back their ambitions against our country.”
General Story leaned back and in a soft voice said, “Madam President, you’re a brave woman, but having that kind of force isn’t in the cards.”
Ignoring the statement, Ortega asked, “So how do we hurt the US enough to turn them away?”
In a flat voice he said, “Militarily, we can’t.”
Ortega frowned. “I don’t need defeatism.”
The general sighed and appeared worn down. “I’m being real. The US military is vast and their military capabilities far superior. I know what’s in our arsenal and what we’re capable of achieving. Madam, we don’t have the means.”
The president asked, “But if you had the means, no matter the sacrifice, would you use them?”
General Story stopped for a second and seemed to ponder the question. Then he answered in a slow voice. “I’m not sure I understand. To defend our nation, I’m prepared to do what is necessary. If sacrifices are necessary to achieve success, then yes. But I’m not willing to sacrifice lives with no chance of a positive outcome. Madam President, we don’t have the military means to force the US to do anything. There must be a diplomatic solution.”
Ortega waved off the pessimism. Bending across the table she asked, “For survival, do you believe the ends justify the means?”
The general appeared frustrated. In a tight voice he said, “To survive, in most cases, yes the ends would justify the means. We don’t have the means.”
The president leaned back and put her hands flat on the table. She studied her general. Perhaps he wasn’t the right guy? Other possible replacements flashed through her mind. But she’d already pondered the question. Her gut told her the man sitting opposite was the best choice. “I believe we have the means. I mentioned intelligence and predicting the enemy will pause outside Mesquite giving us two days to prepare. Our intelligence is the means. If you could use it to check our enemy, would you be willing to make significant sacrifices?”
The general didn’t seem to get the connection. “If you’re speaking of a superior data-mining methodology, please share it. Regardless, intelligence and analytics are great for predictions, but they don’t fight battles. We need a lot more than analysis.”