The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 69

© Beverly Taff

List of Characters.

Charlie Sage Maths and electronics genius.
Shirley Sage Charlies elderly mother
Chloe Charlie’s one time early school friend.
Josephine Flint Surgeon and associate of Chloe’s.
Mrs Jane Anston Director of Anston Aerospace.
Ronnie Garage mechanic at top of lane
Pauline Garage owner, Ronnie’s sister.
Briony Pauline’s teenaged daughter.
Billy Pauline’s middle son.
Abigail (Abby) Pauline’s youngest daughter.
‘Poppy’ Charlie’s little micro-runabout.
‘Doris’ The armoured mobile home.
‘Lady’ Chloe’s Sports Car.
Dawn Charlie’s armoured spaceship.
Colonel Wilson Vindictive misanthropist doctor.
Margaret Thomas ‘Failed’ police security guard.
Sally. 1st Oz Special forces trooper
Jacky 2nd Oz Special forces trooper.
Juliet Charlie’s Mal engineering assistant.
Laura The second mate of the Second Dawn
Kate (Katherine Bergson) The Australian defence minister.
Lieutenant Engadine Asi Charlie’s second prisoner.
Charlotte Charlie and Chloe’s older daughter
Michael, Jessica & Lucy Charlie and Chloe’s younger triplets

Chapter 69

“Well, that’s Christmas over,” Charlie chirped as he stood staring out of the bedroom window.
“Why are you so bright and chirpy?” Chloe asked.

“We-ell. Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve and a new phase of our life begins. Didn’t you say the assassination inquiry in Singapore starts on January thirteenth.”

“That’s nothing to look forward to,” Chloe cautioned, “I can think of at least three organisations that might think it a good opportunity to repeat their endeavour. The problem is, everybody knows where you’ll be for the whole inquiry. You can’t hide.”

“There’s probably more organisations after my blood,” Charlie hazarded, “we’re going to have to come up with a plan.”

“And a hell of a lot of co-operation from the Singapore authorities.” Chloe replied.

“I’m sure we’ll get that. They were truly grateful when we destroyed the Chinese air-force base. The Chinese are still not exactly sure as to how it was done. Nor who did it, but they’re pretty sure it’s connected to some sort of very sophisticated craft.”

“That’ll make them more determined than ever to find out if you’re connected. Their communist party is encumbered of a dysfunctional degree of hubris ever since the disjointed, American, feminista republics made such a poor showing over Taiwan. I suspect they’ll turn up in Singapore loaded for bear.”

“Yes, but I don’t think they’ll throw their weight around in Singapore,” Charlie surmised, “although they eventually occupied Taiwan, it took them months to secure the Island and it cost them nearly a million soldiers. What’s more, almost the entire population escaped from the island.

The People’s Liberation Army made a very poor showing and they’ve got to be afraid of what happened on Riau.”

“Well tomorrow, I’m going to Canberra to get the conditions of my attendance hammered out with the Singapore Authorities. I want a safe, protected witness box.”

“And then?” Chloe pressed.

“Then, I go back to the cave at Coach and make another four antigrav engines, - or six if I’ve got the time.”

“What for?” Chloe wondered.

“I think the Singaporeans might be more amenable to supporting Oz if we offered them a couple of space fighters, albeit with strings attached.”

“Strings?”

“Yeah; you know. They can rent them from us and use them in their own defence forces but if the craft ever get abused, captured or stolen, or used for unjust causes, we reserve the right to remotely disable them.

That sort of support should also persuade the Singaporeans to fully come on board with Oz viz-a-viz the human equality act.”

“I think you’re being too much of an idealist darling,” Chloe smiled.

“I can’t be sure love,” Charlie confessed, “Singapore is sort of half-way between feminista and patriarchy. Their politics is like their geopolitical trading position, betwixt and between. I don’t think it would take much to tip them back to democratic liberalism.”

“And if they don’t; as you say, tip our way what then?”

“Hence the strings, if they end up feminista we remotely disable their spacecraft” Charlie finished. “Now; are we going to the beach or not? The kids have been pestering me all morning.”

Chloe was glad to seize the distraction and soon the family and friends were enjoying New Year on the beach.

ooo000ooo

Katie the defence minister almost ran to the large Parliamentary landing pad as Dawn 1 settled silently at the very edge.

“So glad to see you Charlie, the PM’s waiting for you.”

“Has she got the list of conditions finalised? I saw the draft last night.”

“Yes, it’s pretty much as the one we sent you.”

“Oh good then, it’s pretty much a formality then.” Charlie concluded.

“She’s got some problems at the moment; the Chinese are trying to use their muscle to influence and even intimidate the Singapore government and court. The base at Riau is already fully operational again. Or at least the runway is and there’s twice the number of planes stationed there.”

“Is the court date still the thirteenth?”

“Yes, why?”

“I’ll tell you when I speak to the PM. For now I’ll check the list of conditions to protect my person when I give evidence. See you in an hour.”

“You’re not supposed to keep the PM waiting.”

“Sorry about that, I need to speak to my team after I’ve read the conditions. I’ll see the PM about eleven. Give her my sincerest apologies.”

“What’s the problem?” Katie pressed.

“Riau is the problem. If the Chinese are re-equipping the base, we need to move quickly.”

“Don’t you go doing anything to cause problems. We’re dealing with it.”

“The problem already exists, Riau!”

“You can’t just attack the base, it’s on Indonesian territory.”

“Did the Indonesians complain last time?” Charlie retorted.

“Well, no; but you can’t just attack a sovereign state’s territory.”

“Why not? Chinese manufactured jets invaded Oz when I took them down with Dawn 1.”

“They weren’t Chinese though; the planes were unidentified.”

“So will mine be – ‘unidentified’.” Charlie retorted darkly as he re-entered Dawn 1.

In the cockpit, using Dawn’s encrypted communications, he advised Juliet to prepare for trouble.

“What sort of trouble?” Juliet asked.

“Big trouble, war trouble; the whole bang-shoot. Wipe out the Markings on Dawn 2 and the two space fighters that Engie and Laura are flying. Dawn 1 has never carried markings.”

“What’s going on?” Juliet demanded.

“I’ll tell you when I get back, let’s just say the trouble we anticipated with China looks as though it’s already starting. I’ve got to speak with the PM now, so I’ll catch you back this afternoon. Meet me back in Woomera about fourish. I’ve got some work to do to modify Dawn 1.”

Juliet shrugged and turned to Engie and Laura.

“Did you hear that.”

“Part of it,” Laura replied, “has the balloon already gone up?”

“Not quite, but something’s got to be nipped in the bud. We meet Charlie back in Woomera this afternoon at four.”

“Time for a cup of tea then,” Engie joked.

“No,” Juliet informed them, “you’ve got to make your ships anonymous. This operation is not an Ozzie deal. Charlie’s taking his own actions to retaliate for the attempted assassination.”

“But that hasn’t been legally established yet,” Engie protested, “we could be charged as criminals if we don’t declare war officially.”

“Bloody hell Engie!” Juliet almost growled, “did that stop you when you made your previous incursion into Queensland?”

“Well I -.” Engie stuttered as she realised she had no reply.”

“Exactly!” Juliet declared. “What’s good enough for China is good enough for Oz! We’ve got two excellent reasons to be belligerent; your earlier incursion into Queensland and the assassination attempt on Charlie. Somewhere, sometime; the line has to be drawn. Now let’s get the markings off our spacecraft.”

ooo000ooo

The three spacers worked like trojans to remove the heat resistant identification marks baked onto their craft and it was a very sweaty, dirty trio that eventually sat back to admire their handiwork.

“Are we just going to leave the metal shiny and bare?” Engie wondered.

“No,” Juliet affirmed, “now we paint them but that’s the easy part.”

“Black I suppose.” Laura remarked.

“Yes; matt black, that’s what Charlie said. ‘Black as sin’ were his exact words.”

“I never had Charlie down as religious,” Engie chuckled, “though I can’t see us getting these painted by three if he want’s us in Woomera at four.”

“It’s all been sorted, look.”

Engie and Laura turned to see a mining company van arrive and promptly unload some paint-spraying equipment along with some large twenty litre cans of black paint. Juliet thanked the deliverymen, paid them and then turned to Engie and Laura.

“Have a smoko then cover everything but the cockpit window with paint. Each craft has to be matt black with no reflective surfaces. Then lower the armoured visor over the cockpit window and paint that.”

“This is funny paint,” Laura observed as she remover the lid.

“Yeah, it’s very tacky and all importantly, radar absorbent. Don’t ask!” Juliet warned.

The girls shrugged and were soon spraying their fighter craft plus Dawn 2

“Easier than painting,” Laura grinned as they completed the job and scrubbed up in Dawn 2’s bathroom.

By four o’clock that afternoon, They rendezvoused in Woomera. There Charlie described the plan.

“Right everybody here’s the situation. The Chinese have upped the ante by repairing the hard standings at Riau. The Indonesians had not realised that they had surreptitiously extended the aprons overnight with quick setting concrete! Then they used artificial lawn to disguise their handiwork.
The whole operation was a fait-accompli by the time the Indonesians discovered the subterfuge.

Ordinary satellites did not discover the trick until an infra-red satellite made a pass and the temperature difference revealed the concrete under the artificial grass. The Indonesians sent inspectors then made a protest
But of course the Chinese invited their hosts to try and ‘do something about it.’

The Indonesians are in much the same position as the Singaporeans, Malayans and Thais. United they can resist to some extent but alone they are too weak to resist. China is slicing up the resistance Salami style, just as they stole territories during the twenty-twenties and thirties.

That’s the situation in ‘the shell of a nut’” Charlie finished.

“So somebody has to give them a bloody nose.” Juliet observed.

“More than a bloody nose this time. It’s got to be a knock-out punch.”

“But they’ve still got a treaty to have a base on Riau. How do we get around that?” Engie asked.

“Fortunately, the treaty conditions are quite clearly written and cannot be disputed! Legally China is clearly in the wrong by expanding the base and the Indonesians have got a legal right to evict them.
The trouble is, Indonesia does not have the muscle. The Chinese have also moored a fleet just outside territorial waters but well within striking range. They are in an irresistible position by the mores of their conventional weaponry.”

“And of course, they haven’t yet made an aggressive act; legally and technically that is?” Laura observed.

“Well the apron expansions are in breach of treaty but they have not yet actually fired any shots.” Charlie explained. “They’ve also upgraded the defences but so far, the radar mast has not been repaired, or at least it’s not transmitting yet. Now is the best chance we’ve got to keep the base blind, - tonight!”
“And there’s no moon,” Charlie continued. “Hence the black paint.”

“What about their satellite? The geostationary one that they’ve just located over the South China sea. That telescope is huge, they can spot a person reading a paper from twenty-four thousand miles out.”

“Yeess, Charlie agreed slowly, “but it’s extremely vulnerable and let’s not forget, we now have control of space if we choose to. We can disable it very, very easily.”

“How would you do it?” Juliet asked, “without leaving footprints in the butter.”

“Simple,” Charlie explained. Either Dawn 1 or Dawn 2 pays a visit to the telescope and point a sandblaster at the lens. The lens gets abraded by ‘meteorite particles’ and their telescope is blinded, - totally.”

“Have we got some ‘meteorite particles’?” Engie wondered with a twisted grin.

“Behave girl!” Charlie grinned back. “I believe there’s some meteorite detritus lying around in the cargo bay of Dawn 2. Can you confirm Juliet?”

“I haven’t cleaned the holds recently boss, I believe I saw some muck in the first bay.”

“Tsk, Tsk, Commander, bad house-keeping indeed.” Charlie chuckled.

“Has anybody got a sand-blaster?” Laura wondered disingenuously.

“Well it just so happens, I was using one to wipe the markings off Dawn 2, Juliet smirked. I can get away with using one on her solid armoured hull. Your space fighters have more delicate skins.”

“Very well then; Juliet are you up for paying their spy satellite a visit.?”

“Suits me boss, I can throw out the detritus from my cargo holds.”

“Better if you blast it clear of your ship, perhaps with that sand-blaster.”

“Yes boss. I’ll just put my space-suit on and point the blaster out through the cargo inspection port from the cargo bay.”

“Be careful where you point the blaster.”

“Of course boss.”

After exchanging malicious smirks Charlie bid Juliet ‘bon-voyage’ then turned to attend to Dawn 1 and the two space fighters.

“Are your ships armed yet?”

“Uuhm, yes boss,” the girls confirmed.

“They carry a shed-load more than conventional jets,” Engie observed.

“You can thank gravity for that.” Charlie riposted flippantly. “And if they really want to play hard-ball, Dawn 1 can carry over thirty tons of assorted ammunition. The launching racks are located in her cargo hold and they are launched out through the rear clamshell doors.”

“When did you get that done!” Laura squawked.

“This morning at the air force base in Canberra. “While I was meeting the PM and Katie.”

“So you just fly over them then shit all over them.”

“Something like that but only as a last resort. I anticipate that you two will do the main damage with your missiles hitting their aircraft. I can use bombs to destroy the airstrip or even bigger missiles to hit a ship or two if they get really belligerent.”

“Thirty tons of ammo!” Engie sighed. “What I could do with that!”

“You might yet.” Charlie replied.

ooo000ooo