In this chapter, the young men discuss the military situation in France. They discuss the upcoming General Assembly meeting and the upcoming patent infringement case. They also discuss the fact that the French do not have the means to develop their own military equipment. The young men wonder why the French have not developed their own small-arms combat system. They wonder why they do not use the same tactics that the Russians do. They argue that the Republic is flexible enough to use its own means to advance its military strategy. The lieutenant colonel is concerned about the drug incident, but the lieutenant colonel seems more concerned with the situation at the border. He is worried about creating revenue for the Imperial army. He wants to know how the French can protect their citizens without waiting for orders from the military. He also wants to be allowed to use the police as an excuse to use force against the enemy.