Desmond's gaze flicked between the two before he finally said, "Can, can we please just, you know, follow orders? We need this in our report, which is expected within three days, and all of you know that I'd rather not lie when it could potentially come to jeopardize something else in the long-run." 
	[i]Not even here for an hour and they're already at each other's throats. I'm surprised we haven't each been reassigned...then again, perhaps this is why we were selected for this recon mission. Less of a bother to the others this way. Disposable because my subordinates question everything and can't do even a simple task without complaint. But I've got to be more assertive this time, don't I? This isn't only important, but extremely dangerous. Uncharted territory, unknown variables. If we're not on our toes, disaster will surely happen.[/i]
	"Guys, just lay off poor Dez already," Knight Salem said. 
	Kate looked over, having momentarily forgotten that Salem was even there; gazes meeting, he smiled and waved his unwrapped granola bar in greeting.
	"Did...did you seriously just get into our rations when we haven't even been here for an hour?" she inquired, brow furrowing in barely veiled frustration.
	"Yes. It's nice to know that, as a scribe, you have the basic perception to point out the obvious," he replied, sinking his teeth into the snack.
	"You idiot! We haven't even gotten to our targeted post site yet!" Kate almost shouted, clenching her fists. 
	"Well, you're questioning the command, I'm eating the rations ahead of time, so looks like we're all breaking the rules today," he retorted.
	[i]Should I even try anymore?[/i] Desmond heaved a forlorn sigh, rubbing one hand down his face as he tried to pretend that none of this was happening just because he'd asked for them to take a few PH samples.