the board's gone mental!! "In your considered opinion, who are the three most important people in the quadrant?"
DING! Vixen gets it! I'd have accepted Exiles or Epiphany, as that dialogue is both at the very end of the former and the very beginning of the latter. It's what Avarak says to Karatek when it's made clear that Karatek and his group will be stuck mining on the planet that will be called Remus for a very long time.
Making a Difference in No Limits. (Sorry, the Shelby reference made it obvious to me.) Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman EDIT: What the hell? Did my post time-travel?
The "trilogy" clue helped to narrow down the choices, and when I went back to look at the quote, the "ore transports" set off a pinging sound in my head. I suppose I should post the quote now. One more duty to perform. "Commander," he said, his voice no more than a wheeze, "you have the conn." There. He'd left his ship in the hands of the most capable first officer in the fleet. Everything was all right, now. With effort, he drew in one more uneven breath. "See to the safety..." he began, but then everything went black and silent. He didn't see Commander Shelby blink hard, then reach down gently to close her captain's eyes. He didn't hear her voice break a little as she completed his final order. "...of all hands. Yes, sir."