The Guns Above Quotes

“Her eyes snapped open and she was instantly awake, alert, and ready. “Thank you, Ensign,” she said.
Kember saluted unsteadily, her face drained of blood.
“Oh, and Ensign?” Josette said, before the girl left. “That request for you to throw yourself over the side and fall straight to Hell was not a formal order. You may feel free to disregard it.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“What does one wear to an ambush?” he asked. “Is it a formal affair? I ask only because I can’t seem to decline to invitation.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“Respectfully, sir,” the man without eyebrows said as they ran, “you ever try not enraging people so much?”
“Once,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “It didn’t work.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“Why don’t they charge?” Gaston looked at the field. A shell exploding overhead made both their horses jump. “I believe they’re having trouble in the mud, sir,” he said when he had his horse under control. “The good news is the Vin horsemen have even farther to go, over ground just as muddy.” It was true. Hell, it was part of the reason he’d chosen this place to make his stand—it neutralized the Vins’ advantage in cavalry—but he hadn’t counted on conditions this bad. As he watched, the flank of the Vin skirmish line fired a rippling volley that put down dozens of dragoons. “Goddamn it!” he bellowed. They were only skirmishers, which God in His wisdom had placed on Earth so they could be slaughtered by horsemen, and yet here they were, taking a piss on his dragoons. Gaston had a telescope to his eye. He lowered it and said, “I fear we cannot blunt this assault, sir. We might think of an ordered withdrawal.” “To where, Gaston?” He paused to take a cup of tea from the aide he’d sent out. He sipped it. Nice and hot. Wonderful. “To Arle? To be trapped there by encircling forces? No, it’s here or nowhere.” He could tell Gaston didn’t agree, but Gaston was a good officer and said nothing of it. General Lord Fieren sipped his tea, accidentally wetting his mustache when a round shot shrieked overhead”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“She turned her head away, so he wouldn’t see her smile. “You’re a good man, Bernat.” He sighed. “No, but I get there in the end.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“All I know is, I had no idea my captain already took possession of the ship’s small arms. By the title I discovered the error, we were already in the air, and it was too late to return the excess.”
“An unconscionable mistake. When you do finally discover it, please consider yourself reprimanded.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above

“To hell with it," Vincent said, signing his name. “I’ve gone down three times already. A fourth doesn’t scare me.”
That was too much for Bernat. “I don’t mean to interrupt,” he said, “but do you mean that you’ve been in three airship crashes and survived?”
“No, my lord, I died on every occasion,” Vincent said. “By the third time, I’d become so inert, they had no choice but to make me an officer.”
― Robyn Bennis, The Guns Above