Sparing the Aces/Quotes

Mitth'raw'nuruodo was still waiting, watching him silently. Doriana closed his hand around the grip of his blaster..
And paused. Mitth'raw'nuruodo, brilliant tactician. Equally brilliant strategist. A being who could take on Republic warships, nomadic pirates, and even Jedi, and win against them all.
And Doriana was actually considering killing him?
"What are you waiting for?" Kav broke impatiently into his thoughts. "You have him alone and unprotected. Shoot him!"
Doriana smiled tightly; and with that, the underlying tension that had been nagging at him ever since his task force's destruction finally faded away. "Don't be absurd, Vicelord," he said. Pulling out the blaster, he leaned over and set it on an empty chair between him and Mitth'raw'nuruodo. "I would as soon shatter thousand-year-old crystal as kill a being such as this."

Mitth'raw'nuruodo inclined his head, his eyes glittering. "So I was indeed right about you," he said.

—Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn