In any other situation, with someone other than him, her uniform ought to speak plenty for her trustworthiness, and a pang of longing lances through him — a fierce desire for Starfleet and all it had to offer. For the camaraderie and structure and certainty and potential. He does not ask her to justify herself, to offer proof of trustworthiness, though it’s the line required by such a narrative. He knows already: there’s no answer that will satisfy him.

          ❛ And even if I didn’t, I have plenty of people who are more than happy to remind me, so I’m all set, really. ❜    Another laugh, now dismissive, though gauging by the fidgeting of her hands, the anxiety persisted.    ❛ So, umm... I really need to get these results back to the lab, so... ❜    She took half a step backward, torn between fleeing the conversation before she could make more a fool of herself and risking offending Charlene. She feared both options.