I listened to the story right after it was released but it has taken me a while to figure out a way to respond. When I reflect on the piece and consider what it was about (sacrifice and nobility) and where it was set (some alternate reality, secessionist, militarized Illinois) and what it was comprised of (militias, flying mechs, etc.) I don't see a lot that I wouldn't like. But I didn't get into this story. It's not that I didn't like it, but I didn't find it all that compelling. All the intrigue about the setting and the characters was hinted at, referred to obliquely, or simply mentioned in passing. We don't develop the mechs, the militia, the transformation of the Tuskegee Airmen, the secession of Chicago, the militarization of Illinois ... nothing.
Unlike other stories on EscapePod, this one felt more like a portrait than a story. It was like looking at realist portraiture with strokes that revealed grit and grime, hinted at something tantalizing about the setting, but ultimately gambled on whether the technique and subject would be enough to stir contemplation and immersion. For me, it didn't.