FLEX-Thread
Roy nodded with a low grunt...and a hint of approval in his eyes, as though Izzy had just passed some kind of test. "Did some time over there, as well...I had twenty years in the Corps before Hack selected my file out of the heap to serve on the Hermes, there weren't many conflict zones on Earth that I didn't see for at least a little while." His tone wasn't boastful, neither was it condescending...just statement of fact.
"I'm not gonna sugar-coat it...most, if not all of the veterans on the Hermes, and throughout the Fleet, are gonna be wary around you for a while...the newcomers will welcome you, because they're going through a different version of the same thing. The best thing you can do to win people over is be a good soldier. I gave her the same advice...when these people know they can rely on you, they'll move mountains for you...but until then, they're going to tolerate you, at best. You'll find that in any outfit full of veterans...they've lost too many friends to open up easily, and they've seen too many hotshots come in and die quickly. If you can endure that trial period, they'll watch your back in any situation."
He looked in the eyes for a moment, then broke into a slight grin. "From what I hear, you're off to a good start. Hang in there."