Julian frowns into his drink. "I'm sorry." What else can he really say to that? Honestly?

He looks up, and his eyes are not quite as bright as they could be. He's lost people too, been unable to save patients and saw the names of friends on the lists of war casualties. "I wouldn't call this a hell hole. You're a few years too early for that, yet."

He can't tell the other Starfleet officers, but Rhade is not a Starfleet officer.