Gergana

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and folded his hands and stopped where he was, listening, waiting while a very sick woman tried to gather her faculties.
“First off, tell the dowager she’s a right damn bastard.”
It was no time for a translator to argue. Mitigation, however, was a reasonable tactic. “Aiji-ma, Sabin-aiji has heard our suspicions regarding Tamun and received assurances from me and Gin-aiji that we have not arranged a coup of our own. She addresses you with an untranslatable term sometimes meaning extreme disrepute, sometimes indicating respect for an opponent.”
Ilisidi’s mouth drew down in wicked satisfaction. “Return the compliment, paidhi.”
“Captain, she says you’re a right damn bastard, too.”
― C.J. Cherryh, Defender

“There's no such thing as an evil race, just evil circumstances that make people do evil things.”
― Stuart Hill

“Get your own fashion adviser,” Barrons growled. “Maybe I decided I like your style.” “Maybe you thought if you were more like me, she’d fuck you, too.”
― Karen Marie Moning, Dreamfever

“Keep your friends close and your enemies dead.”
― Paul Dale, The Dark Lord's Handbook