“By the time the Block War broke out, the United States of America had spent the better part of a full century stockpiling weapons. They were old, obsolete, and considered worthless . . . but they were still lethal,” Eric said. “When we ran out of main battle tanks, we just opened up national guard vaults and rolled out ten thousand more. We had aircraft and tanks wrapped in plastic just rotting out in open fields, waiting for mechanics to roll in and replace all the seals and update the electronics, along with ship hulls from World War Two just waiting to be uncorked and refurbished. The war came down to what would run out first: our men, or their equipment. In the last days of the war, there were Block soldiers in the field who were issued guns they’d captured from Confederation POWs.”

“I’d heard that but never made the connection.”

“We didn’t form the Confederation because we desperately needed minerals from Canada or factories in Mexico,” Eric said, unconsciously thinking in terms of the American citizen he’d grown up as. “We needed every recruit we could pull. India and China alone had us outnumbered over ten to one.”

“I always thought it was the efforts of groups like the Archangel squadron that changed the tides,” LaFontaine said, thinking about the stories she’d heard about the war.

“Oh, we changed the tide of a few battles,” Eric conceded. “Japan was one of the key fights, but we were more a propaganda coup than a truly effective force in the war. The war was won on the ground, like all wars are, by guys coated in mud and blood. The Archangels were more important in keeping everyone’s eyes on the sky instead of buried in the mud than we ever were in terms of real impact on the war itself. We won battles, but our biggest contribution was inspiring the people who won the war.”

LaFontaine sat back, surprised by that last statement. She’d never heard that before in all the reporting on the infamous Double A squadron. But then, while he’d been interviewed many times, she didn’t remember anyone ever asking Eric Weston what he thought had won the war.

How strange, LaFontaine thought. Eric’s response seemed at odds with conventional logic that the Confederation had beaten the Block with better innovation and more sophisticated weapons and tools.

“Well, that is very interesting, and I wish we could talk more on the subject. I find your point of view on the subject fascinating, Captain, but I suppose we should return to the present,” she said, more than a little sorry to change the subject. “You spent time last night with Admiral Tanner? Did he make any . . . overtures?”

Eric smiled. “The council isn’t terribly subtle, are they?”

“Not in the slightest,” LaFontaine answered tiredly. “I believe that they think I am stonewalling them, but on what, I’m honestly not certain.”