[You can get a salute for your effort, sir, and he's brightened up considerably at that.]

I try, Lieutenant Blake!

[Oh god, does he try.

Though he relaxes quickly enough, expression shifting a bit; there was something in there that isn't striking him right.]

Do you run into a lot of opposition, then, where you come from? I don't see why people wouldn't understand such things otherwise; it seems perfectly obvious!