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“I’m not some preternatural bad ass. The whole reason I’m still alive is because I read all the manuals, not because I have magic murder powers.”
“I feel like an asshole,” Nigel admitted. “You’re not, but I can relate.”
The mercenaries were legitimate infantrymen, at least: not only could they keep up the pace on an uphill climb, they could bitch endlessly while they were at it.
“You don’t beat an insurgency with guns and intimidation. Not really. You beat insurgencies with jobs and civil rights. You beat them with progress. Naturally, big money types find that galling. They don’t want to do that kind of hard work. They’d rather pay someone to stomp on the insurgents. It doesn’t work. It only keeps the people with guns in business.”
As always, money tends to follow money.”
“I don’t have a problem with anyone building a big business or getting rich, Sanjay. I’d like to be rich, too. It’s only a problem when the rich people start being assholes.”
Honestly, those ‘work with your enemy’ moments are never as fulfilling as the movies make out. You still wanna punch ‘em and they still have it coming.”
“Talk fast. I’m gonna punch you every time I feel like you’re being sarcastic or smug.” Then it was Malone’s turn to sigh. “Fuck.”
four million people live on that planet and I’m not of a mind to talk to anyone until I’m sure they’re okay. Especially not when the lights are blacked out and the front porch is covered in bloodstains.” The XO’s brow knit together. “Did we slip into a folksy crime scene metaphor there?” “Little bit.”
“None of this military stuff is ever as precise as they want the public to believe. You train for that, but in practice combat is a lot of stumbling and flopping and improvisation. I’m starting to think a lot of other jobs are like that, too.” --Crewman Tanner Malone, Unused Interview Video, January 2276
“Bridge, this is guns,” came Val’s insufferably satisfied voice. “Target is fucked.”
All the people with the biggest microphones never listen. It’s the crazy thing about fame. Some people don’t give a fuck who you are or what you want. They only care about who they want you to be. Or what will make them money.”
“Tell me this isn’t the craziest shit you’ve ever done,” said Andrade. Tanner stood upright and looked at him blankly. “Is that rhetorical?” “What?” “Seriously. ‘Ever’ is a broad context.”
“First you thought I was ridiculous for doing this and now it’s not ridiculous enough for you?”
