Starsight

A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness, then she faces what comes next.

When you’re young, you can assume that everyone older than you has life figured out. Once you get command yourself, you realize we’re all just the same kids wearing older bodies.

That's what war is," Cobb told me. "A bunch of sorry, desperate fools on both sides, just trying to stay alive. That's the part that those stories you love leave out, isn't it? It's always more convenient when you can fight a dragon. Something you don't have to worry you'll start caring about.

All right, M-Bot," I said. "We have a problem. We might need to hijack that entire carrier ship." "Excellent," M-Bot said. "Would you like your corpse cremated or ejected into space?

A hero does not choose her trials

Not that there’s anything wrong with humans. I find their frail, emotionally unstable, irrational natures quite endearing.

My robotic ghost would haunt your fleshy one.

I can't bully you," I said. "You're taller than I am.

So, you’re worried about what?” M-Bot said. “That your shadow might take your place?” “No,” I whispered. “I worry that I’m already the shadow.

Feelings aren’t proof. Feelings are the opposite of proof.’ ‘Not when the thing you’re trying to prove is someone’s humanity.

I will sing to you. As your ship burns and your soul flees, I will sing. To the contest we had.

Oh! You’ll find this amusing. I just translated the name of their ship. In their language, it roughly means, ‘Big Enough to Kill You.’

In space, you don’t really fly. You just don’t fall.

This is the Kitsen Unity Ship Swims Against the Current in a Stream Reflecting the Sun,

Spensa,” M-Bot said. “Both Jorgen and Cobb have called to complain. I know you said to keep them distracted, but—” “Keep them distracted.” “Resigned sigh.” I looped us after an enemy ship. “Did you just say the words resigned sigh?” “I find human nonlinguistic communications to be too easily misinterpreted,” he said. “So I’m experimenting with ways to make them more explicit.” “Doesn’t that defeat the purpose?” “Obviously not. Dismissive eye-roll.

Your species," M-Bot said in my ear, "has a diet roughly similar to a human one - though with more nuts and less meat. Also, no milk" "Seriously?" I whispered, moving with Morriumur toward the vegetable line. I waved at my chest. "Alanik has breasts. What are they for? Decoration?" "No milk from other creatures, I should say," M-Bot said. Your species finds it extremely gross. As do I by the way. Do you even stop to think how many strange liquids you organics squirt from your orifices?" "No stranger than the ideas that squirt from your orifice sometimes, M-Bot".

Saints ans Stars... I´d built my entire gut response to this person on the fact that they couldn´t smile right

It happens in the epilogues. The stories after the stories. Warriors who have fought return home, but find they no longer belong. The battle has changed them, warped them, to the point where they are strangers. They protected the society they love, but in doing so, made themselves into something that could never again belong to it.

She doesn´t look so dangerous.Still, a blade that has slain a hundread men may not shine like one freshly forged. Danger, sweet like a forbidden perfume".

Unfortunately, Alanik, the game takes no care for your interest. It plays you either way

During those days of sorrow, it´s the aged soldier -the one who was bowed by the battle- who can stand and protect the weak".

We have grown complacent, timid. I fear that a little aggression, a little strife, might be exactly what we need. Or else…or else we will fall to the first wolf that sneaks past the gates.

Cobb," I said, stepping closer. "Those aren't bloodthirsty monsters out there; they're just people. Normal people, with lives, and loves, and families." "And what did you think we've been fighting against all these years?" Cobb asked.

In a moment of impulse I sprang from the cockpit, then grabbed him by his flight suit and pulled him down so I could kiss him. We probably weren’t ready for that, and it probably wasn’t the time, but I did it anyway. Because…well, scud. He’d just encouraged me to trust my instincts. It was wonderful. I felt a strength to him as he kissed me back, an almost electricity coursing through him into me—then back again stronger because of the fire that burned in my chest. I lingered in the kiss as long as I dared, then pulled away. “I should go with you,” he said.

I believed them. Scud, I believed Cuna was sincere. But could I trust my own assessment? The fact that I’d so grossly misread their expressions reinforced this idea. I was among aliens. They were people, with real love and emotions, but they also—by definition—wouldn’t do things the same way humans did.

You don't fit in, but you're not broken. You're just different. And they're going to need you someday. I promise it.

Hmmm? Oh, I hacked her onboard computer. Not a very advanced machine, unfortunately. I was hoping to discover another AI, so we could complain about organics together. Wouldn't that have been a fun time?' 'Fun time!' Doomslug said from where she'd climbed up onto the armrest of my seat. I slipped into my cockpit. 'You really did that?' I asked. 'Complaining about organics? Yes, it's very easy.

Danger, sweet like a forbidden perfume. I will know thee.

I will sing to you,” I whispered. “As your ship burns and your soul flees, I will sing. To the contest we had.

A knife can only be sharpened so far before all you are doing is wearing it away.