Extraits

Une structure militaire n'était pas le laboratoire idéal pour déterminer la forme que devait prendre une théorie sociale égalitariste. La défense d'une société chérissant l'égalité économique et politique devait être assurée par une hiérarchie autoritaire dotée d'une chaîne de commandement clairement définie de manière à mettre une seule personne aux commandes, car les opérations de combat n'étaient pas des tâches a accomplir en comité.

On peut toujours essayer, capitaine, mais un officier spatial doit parfois savoir quand s'abstenir. Quand « essayer » est la solution de facilité pour lui, sa réputation ou sa conscience, mais seulement au prix de son devoir.

The crest said "PNS Farnese" and that always irritated him. After all, the battlecruiser wasn't a Navy ship; she belonged to State Security, and her designation should reflect that. Except that the Navy's position was that she was only a Navy ship which was assigned to StateSec, as if the true guardians of the People's safety had no right to put on the airs of "real" warriors. Of course, Thornegrave conceded, hanging SSS on the front of a ship's name would probably look a little funny, but it's the principle of the thing! The Navy and the Marines represent vestigial holdovers from the decadent elitism of the Old Regime. It's past time that State Security absorbed them both into a single organization whose loyalty to the People and State can be absolutely relied upon. The people's commissioners are a move in the right direction, but there's still too much room for recidivists to secretly sabotage the war and the Revolution alike. Surely Citizen Secretary Saint-Just and Citizen Chairman Pierre realize that, don't they? No doubt they did, he told himself once more”