[There you go reminding him. He had just managed to formulate his thoughts and was working on a game plan at that point. Cliff glanced sideways at Vegeta and took another sip.]

I ain't a coward, man. But I'm also not gonna let people die if I can help it. That question...it ain't something I can answer out of context. You deal with a few hundred good men and women on a ship, all of them close enough to almost be a second family, and you might get my point a little. When they've all got your trust and respect...

[Another sip. He didn't want to talk about this stuff to people that weren't involved.]

Well. You've gotta make the best decisions for everyone. You're not the only one who counts when everyone looks to you for answers.

[It was the closest he was going to come to admitting that he was the man who founded Quark, the notorious 'terrorist' group that aided everyone-- feddie and non-feddie alike. It was the closest he was going to come to admitting that he was still respected as being on the level of Captain with his crew, even though he officially passed the baton.

Another sip. Dammit, Vegeta...]

I'm not gonna give up on anyone so easy because anyone you can trust is someone worth protecting, but I'm also not gonna sacrifice everyone else in the crew and their families back home. It ain't an easy decision to make either, but someone's gotta...or else, no one would trust eachother anymore.