Quotes From "Startide Rising" By David Brin

The propensity of Earthlings to get into trouble, and to learn thereby, was the reason my owners agreed to this mad venture — although no one expected such a chain of unusual calamities as befell this ship. Your talents were underrated. David Brin

Even in dying, a Thennanin ship was reputed to be not worth putting out of its misery. In battle they were slow, unmaneuverable–and as hard to disable permanently as a cockroach. David Brin