jewishdragon:

As much as he trusted Tharkay, Laurence was not completely on board with piloting Temeraire with him; the man’s past it bothered him, because it was mostly unknown and probably full of shady activities that Laurence didn’t want in his head. 

But there was no one else, it was the 11th hour and he didn’t have a co-pilot so that was how he found himself suiting up next to Tenzing, more scared of the drift then of the Kaiju. Too late to back out know, the world needed them. The familiar beeps signaling the connection reached Laurence’s ears. 

Laurence knew him; knew him and knew himself.