Chapter 27

(September 17, East of Shaktoolik, Alaska)

After the hunting season was done, Will joined two of the guides from the big fishing lodge to herd the horses to the Wilderness Lodge to over winter in the fancy heated barn. Over the road it would take a full day, and then he would return by truck. Once the horses were in the winter quarters, the focus turned to the few winter guests. Some weeks as many as six in a group came, but normally it was two to four and for partial weeks.

The snowmobiles were made ready, and the ski lift set up on Christmas Mountain. By then it was starting to snow again, and the hard part of winter was just around the corner. The snow removal equipment was set up, firewood stocked up and the propane tanks filled for emergency use.

This was when Will and Sonya were to do their exploration for hidden campsites. Likely spots were marked on the map, and the GPS coordinates noted. A camcorder recorded each site and made follow up trips unnecessary, until they were narrowed down.

Gary and Gina heard about Rudy's encounter from some of the relatives of the employees at the Fox. He shared the opinion that the fishing encroachments would only escalate over the next two years, and wouldn't be surprised if the ships were not gathering intel about the response capabilities. He also suggested that violent encounters would be the norm from that point on.

Gary and Gina were definitely receptive to the idea of getting Alaska out of the USA. Almost every square mile of what was once open land was now a National Park, Preserve, or Monument, thanks to two previous administrations. Created under the pretense of preserving the last bit of wilderness for American citizens to enjoy were millions of desolate acres accessible only by bush plane.

In reality, it was political pressure exerted by groups like the AFF that wanted to stop hunting. Thus they reduced the amount of available hunting land to 30% of what it once was in one fell swoop. In the nineties, that was added to.

Grif opined, "I can see something like Denali, that people can drive to from Anchorage or Fairbanks, but who can even get to over half of them except by plane? To me, maintaining it is a real waste of our tax dollars."

Gina Owens suggested, "If a new Commonwealth was finally formed, one of the first things to do would be to return some of the inaccessible Preserves and Monuments to public land. Keep Denali Park, at least the main part for people to enjoy, but ANWR? Does anyone except people like the AFF ever go there?"

"That is a Wildlife Refuge," Gary pointed out. "By its almost total inaccessibility, it would be anyway."

Grif asked, "In case they come back again, what do you think of a militia?"

Gary replied, "I don't think they will invade, but the Base Closing Commission has taken the Air Force totally out of Galena. Basically we are on our own out here. It makes me feel lousy to know we aren't important enough to protect. Supposedly one of the first F-22 squadrons will replace the F-15's and they will patrol out here. I think we are just being abandoned as the mineral resources dry up. When the oil is gone, they will be too."

Grif noted, "My caretaker is of the opinion that the Commonwealth should welcome Christians and even Jews and send the people that would be offended by their religious practices packing."

"That sounds okay by me," Gary concurred. "There wouldn't be any ultra liberal judges or lawmakers to force them upon us. They will go packing back to the left coast anyway. That or be forced onto boats and shipped out. They can't be counted on to defend us if needed, and would be traitors anyway."

Jake, quiet until then, added, "I agree that they will turn tail and run once they figure out that their agenda won't be tolerated. Has anyone noticed that it will be hard to maintain a defense force without some form of conscription? What would it take to have a volunteer force?"

Grif answered, "You know all of that Park land? We could allow everyone who served four years to have two acres for each four years when their enlistment is up. Someone that serves twenty years would get ten acres and a cabin, or something along those lines."

Gary thought a moment and nodded, "Where do I enlist? Seriously, Gina and I have ours, but those of us who are pilots could serve a weekend each month, like the reserves."

Tara suggested, "Wally thinks we should offer the Israelis a treaty of some kind. With all of this land, we could even allow them to build a city called New Jerusalem. They would be a good start to a defense force. They have one of the most formidable air forces in the world, and they do have submarines and nuclear weapons. That will give an invader reason to hesitate."

"It hasn't deterred the Palestinians form suicide bombings," Gina admitted. "Then again, we tied their hands. With friends like us, they can ill afford enemies."

"If we do something like this," Grif stated, "we need to have it in place the day we declare independence. Personally, I think a lot of our military will come over, especially those who were stationed here. But we need to somehow have the capability to defend ourselves on day one. Something beyond a citizen militia of guerilla fighters that is."

"So, how do you get the Israeli, Canadian and Japanese Prime Ministers to come to us and talk?" Gary asked. "One of us going there could raise some sort of Homeland Security flag. We aren't trying to bring down the US Government, just ask them to leave the occupied territory they refuse to defend."

"Hopefully," Grif offered, "they will accept an invitation to come fishing. I think the Japanese will, and the Israelis I can only hope, but the Canadians have almost the same fishing that we offer, just not in one place. Then again, I think the Canadians will be more important as trade partners than military allies."

"We have friends in Japan," Gary replied. "Perhaps they can be of assistance too. What about Russia? They are too close to be ignored. They definitely shouldn't feel offended or threatened."

Jake offered, "What if we invite them too, just to see what we have built, and offer for the AVWCC to train their people to do something similar on some of the rivers and lakes in Siberia?"

Grif replied, "We don't have a free Commonwealth yet, and we don't have a government. Why would they take us seriously, and why would any agreement we made with the Russians be trusted? What if one of these leaders spilled the beans on us?"

Gary answered, "I suggest that we get our shadow Commonwealth in place over the next several months, and just offer the complimentary trips to break the ice."

Rudy asked, "What of the existing Independence movement? They are organized more as a political part now and could throw a wrench in our gears."

Jake said, "Hence the personal invitations to the national leaders. That gives us some clout."

Gina wondered, "So what happens if the POTUS wants to come and have a summit or something when he gets wind they are here?"

"If Yoshi Yamaguchi can get his PM in as a member of his group," suggested Gary, "then nobody will be the wiser. Given the option of a vacation or a summit, I know what I would choose. I know the Japanese would like access to our fishing waters too, and the Russians. By granting them the rights to do so, Russia would patrol the Bering Sea, and Japan the Pacific near the Aleutians, and keep the Chinese and Koreans at bay."

Rudy asked, "Isn't Japan poaching us too?"

Grif opined, "The Japanese won't shoot down civilian aircraft. A conditional agreement based upon a sustainable harvest is preferable to maintain over poaching."

Tara reminded Grif what Wally suggested, "Leaving our defense up to God, letting the weather and elements defeat our enemies."