No need to apologize. If the Commander wasn't strict, no one would respect her as much as they do.

[There are several things about her life back home that she disagrees with, namely with what her sole purpose is, but following orders is what she does... no matter how painful the mission might be.

She swallows past the sad lump in her throat and rests a gentle hand on Phoenix's armour, adjusting the piece on his shoulder so that it sits straight with a crooked smile.]

You need to fix this.