These matters should incite more urgent investigation than the technology you arrogated from your attackers. But like most primitive cultures, your r… - Charles E. Gannon

After all, an agent on the inside of a rival organization was always worth more, operationally speaking, than a loyal servitor in one’s own.

There are only three variables governing the outcome of any given situation. Power—political, economic, military, whatever. Intelligence—the information you have and how cleverly you use it. And chance.
"And that's it?"
"That's it. Leaders get themselves too tangled up when they fail to break a situation—any situation—back down to those basics. Or when they forget the fundamental differences between the three variables.

Damn, muttered Opal, staring after him, guess he flunked charm school.