Henry V. O'Neil

“How long you been in the infantry, sir? Anything under ten miles counts as 'almost there'.”

“Sergeant Tin said it would be easier to just call you Corporal. She said you go back and forth, promoted one day and busted the next.”

“I’ve had a lot of lieutenants over the years, and all the good ones were sick, sick individuals. You might be the best one yet.”

“Food’s the killer. The clock starts as soon as the troops are on the ground. You wouldn’t believe how fast they consume what they’re carrying, and then … if I don’t get them more, if I don’t find them more … they die.”

“Your people sell the weapons. My people use them.”

“You help us, they’ll lock you up for the rest of your life.”

“Don't let 'em see they killed you!”

“This is what I hate most about guys like you. You didn't even try.”

“This is a Spartacan fighting knife. Heard of the Spartacan Scouts? Rough boys. This knife belonged to one of them. He died saving my life.”

“Nobody ever kills everybody anywhere, big man. Somebody always gets away.”

“A night in space can last a long time … or maybe it never ends.”

“Lieutenant Mortas is the black sheep of the family--I thought you knew that.”

“He relaxed into the dirt, it was all right, he was infantry and the dirt was home. He felt warm liquid all over his left thigh and wondered if he’d peed himself, it didn’t matter, none of it mattered, the stars were out in the blackness overhead and that was where he was going.”

“Because when you’re really scared to do something … do it right away.”

“That’s it. Keep that edge. Fight like there’s no tomorrow.”

“With all the god-awful suffering in this war, I suppose somebody ought to be enjoying it.”

“It’s important to have a buddy like that. Somebody who’ll stop you from doing that really stupid thing you were gonna do just because you couldn’t think of anything better. -- unidentified soldier, eulogizing his dead buddy”

“Therm-bombs! Drop ’em right on us! I been roasted before—it’s nothing!”