"Being in the right place at the right time decides most wars."
Hartman felt strongly about this, I realized. It was obvious, for I had shared that sentiment at one point. Surprisingly, those feelings still held. Old habits die hard.
"I'm one of the few who fought in wars where Liberty played to win. This war with Rheinland is containment, nothing more. While it's given the new guys some combat experience, I don't think they're ready to fight a real war yet. The Gallics will be coming fresh off the conquest of an entire House, and with a fleet that can actually challenge ours. The odds are too even to judge, and I am not looking forward to it."
Old, cynical soldier versus the Optimistic one. I'd seen enough to know that confidence and wide, rhetorical statements did nothing to win a war. It would be decided by who had more people to fight for them, and how strongly they felt about the issue.
