Invincible (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, #2)

by Jack Campbell

“I never liked cows,” General Carabali added. “I like heavily armed cows even less. And I like at least thirty billion heavily armed cows least of all.”

Geary blinked at the display, his mind realizing two things at almost the same moment. The enigmas weren’t waiting at the new star. Neither were the bear-cows. Something else was.

“Humanity’s gift to the universe. Duct tape.”

For tonight, let’s just say that for some time now, humanity has been congratulating itself on how much we knew about the universe. And all that time it seems the universe has been laughing at us and making faces behind our back.”

that courage wasn’t the absence of fear. Courage, real bravery, is being afraid and doing what you need to do anyway.

When she finally spoke again, it was in a voice so low he could barely hear. “Was Michael scared?” “When he used Repulse to hold off the Syndics so the rest of the fleet could get away? Yes.” “Why didn’t you tell me that?” Why hadn’t he? He suddenly understood the reason why he had been reticent before this. “Because if you haven’t been through something like that,” Geary said slowly, “then telling someone that the person who did it was scared can sound like a criticism, a put-down, instead of what it really is—a testament to just how brave they actually were.