The soup froze on his lips as he held the spoon there for what was most likely entirely too long a moment as he thought of a clear way to answer that, that also didn't say too much. He set his spoon down and smiled.

"I'll be honest with you, Zela, I haven't known the Captain well for long. We were friends of friends, until recently - but I do believe we're here to help. If that brings some hope back to you and your people? Than I'd say it's true, yes."

Helping. The thought felt heavy on his head and odd on his lips. There's a difference in doing something because it's expected of you, or because it's best for you and doing something for someone else. He hadn't been required to come down to the planet with the Captain, he could have stayed on the ship. After what he experienced when they first arrived, the weight of emotions and nearly losing himself to it, it probably would have been safer, so why had he come. Curiosity? Some nebulous pull toward adventure? Or just because the Captain had asked him, and he felt like it were the right thing to do?

He'd told himself it were in his own self interests, but ever since coming to Scarif he'd known that wasn't true. This was about following the Captain here, about seeing where this led, and after having met Zela and discovering the plight of her and her world, about doing something to better their situation. It had been so long since he'd experienced it he had forgotten what helping someone else actually felt like.